Chapter 55: Go buy some clothes
“…So that girl is supposed to be such an extraordinary woman, huh?”
“I’m telling you, she is.”
While eating lunch, I asked him for information about Stefania, and, as expected of the protagonist, he told me a bunch of things.
Rumors about how, if she gets upset, she uses her connections and money to crush people. Or that at night, she becomes a total “extreme S-queen.”
Apparently, her magic skills are already on par with the Tower Lord, and there are even rumors that she’s connected to demons. Not a single good rumor among them.
“…As you saw for yourself, that gentle-looking face of hers is just a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
“Hmm.”
It didn’t seem all that dangerous to me. It’s not like she’s openly going after people, and honestly, I have way more money and connections than she does.
Even if she’s connected to demons, I doubt it goes deeper than my connection. After all, I know that demons are actually gods.
I wasn’t scared at all.
It’s not like I’m looking down on her just because I was intimidated during our first meeting.
It’s just… how do I put it? Her presence had this overwhelming aura that made it feel like she could crush people.
It would be rude to compare her to my father and mother, but if I think about it the other way around, it’s kind of amazing that a mere girl could remind me of those two, even for a moment.
But in the end, she wasn’t that big of a deal. I got scared for nothing.
“Anyway… are you planning to attend the party that girl is hosting?”
“Yes, I have to. It’s called an invitation, but it’s more like a threat to come.”
So he was going to go.
If Dogeon was going, there was no reason for me not to.
To be honest, I was kind of hoping he’d suggest we just hang out somewhere else together instead, but this works too.
I was really curious about what a party would be like.
Of course, part of the reason I’m going is to keep Dogeon from ogling other girls.
“If that’s the case, I’ll go too.”
“Ah, but someone like Hoyeon doesn’t really have to go, you know…”
“I said I’m going, didn’t I? Stop complaining.”
Judging by Dogeon’s slightly annoyed expression, he was definitely planning to flirt with other girls.
If he didn’t have a friend like me to keep him in check, he’d probably end up fooling around with all sorts of girls and then one day turn up as a corpse in a river somewhere.
Sure, he’s the protagonist of a harem story, so that probably wouldn’t happen, but… well, this isn’t a novel. It’s real life, so who knows?
“Yessir. By the way, do you have something to wear?”
“…Clothes?”
“Yes. Don’t tell me you’re thinking of wearing your school uniform to the party…?”
“Yeah, that’s exactly what I was planning.”
With a loud smack, Dogeon slapped his own face with his palm.
What’s the big deal? I’ll wear what I want to wear.
“…Have you ever heard of something called a ‘dress code’ or ‘attire rules’?”
“Of course. You wear a school uniform at school, and you wear black clothes at a funeral. Isn’t that what you mean?”
Does he think I’m an idiot or something?
“…Yes, you’re absolutely right. Just like you shouldn’t wear flashy clothes to a funeral, and just like you’re supposed to wear the academy uniform at school, for a party, you’re supposed to wear a dress or formal evening wear, Hoyeon…”
…For real?
It’s just a party hosted by some student, right? We have to dress up for that?
It’s not that I’m being stingy with money or anything… It’s just that I couldn’t imagine myself in a dress.
Back in my hometown, I did wear those annoying formal clothes for official events, but they weren’t revealing like dresses, and since the events were serious, I didn’t really complain.
But this is a kids’ party. Do I really have to go all out with fancy clothes for something like that?
“…So, to confirm, you do have clothes to wear, right?”
Ugh.
“…I don’t.”
“I thought so… sigh. Never mind, let’s just go buy some clothes first.”
This cheeky guy was definitely about to say, “I knew it,” just now, but held back at the last second.
But, well, it’s true that I don’t have any clothes, and Dogeon was looking at me with such a pitiful gaze that I couldn’t even argue.
I mean, so what if I don’t have a lot of clothes? Does he have to look at me like I’m some kind of poor beggar?
Even my mother, when she gazed down at the people of the empire, didn’t show this much pity in her eyes.
“…Anyway, let’s go. Looks like we’re done eating. But before we go shopping, let’s stop by your room and Anastasia’s room.”
Without a word, Dogeon headed to the dish return area.
The reason I wanted to go to Dogeon’s and Anya’s rooms was simple — to check their wardrobes.
Since Dogeon was a social butterfly, he might have some fancy clothes lying around. But Anastasia, a classic “outsider,” definitely wouldn’t have a dress meant to impress anyone.
It didn’t mean much, but I just wanted to confirm that I wasn’t the only one with a sparse wardrobe.
***
“…No way… Anya… how could you…?”
“H-Hoyeon? Why… What’s wrong?”
Hoyeon stood in front of Anya’s open wardrobe, staring at her with disbelief.
It wasn’t just Anya. She had also checked my wardrobe earlier. Back then, she just hummed to herself and moved on to Anya’s room, so I didn’t know what she was thinking. But now, I think I get it.
She was probably comparing her own wardrobe to ours.
Since her only real friends were me and Anya, it seemed like Hoyeon was comparing her own wardrobe with those of the people closest to her.
I don’t know what Hoyeon was expecting, but it seemed like the results were far from what she had in mind.
“Uh… Dogeon? Why is Hoyeon acting like this all of a sudden…?”
“There’s no way… This doesn’t make any sense…”
“Well, I’m not entirely sure, but I think she’s comparing her wardrobe to ours. You got Stefania’s invitation, right?”
“Ah, yes. I was planning to go. Don’t tell me… you’re going too, Dogeon?”
“Yeah. I mean, look who invited us. Of course, I have to go. Looks like Hoyeon had the same idea.”
I explained what had happened earlier. How Hoyeon had seriously planned to wear her school uniform to the party and how, when she said she didn’t have a dress, we decided to go shopping for one.
“…I can see you’re partly to blame, but still… Hoyeon!”
“…Anya… didn’t you say you didn’t have any friends…? Then… why do you have a dress…”
“That’s not the point right now!”
Hoyeon, clearly dazed, accidentally hit one of Anya’s sore spots, but Anya let it slide with just a small outburst.
“…Anyway, Hoyeon. Do you really not have a dress or any kind of party clothes at all?”
Looking hopeless, Hoyeon gave a small nod.
“…Then what do you have in your wardrobe? You have clothes for weekends or outings off-campus, right…?”
“…Three school uniforms. One set of casual clothes from my hometown.”
“…What?”
“…Huh?”
Did I mishear that? Did she just say she only has four outfits in total?
Even Anya, whose wardrobe is pretty sparse for a girl, had more than that. But Hoyeon? It felt like she barely had enough clothes to be considered a functioning human being.
“…Hoyeon, please tell me I misheard you. How can a person only have four outfits…?”
My thoughts exactly. At first, I thought she was messing with us.
Even if you don’t count underwear, that’s way too few. There’s no way a person could live with so few clothes.
But then Hoyeon opened her mouth and said something that left us completely stunned.
“I don’t go outside… I don’t meet people… It’s fine that way…”
We, I, had underestimated her far too much.
“…It can’t be.”
Even if she didn’t have many friends, I didn’t think she was the kind of person who hardly ever goes outside.
Of course, I’ve met people like that before. But even they had at least ten outfits.
Hoyeon’s wardrobe situation was that dire.
“…This won’t do. Dogeon? You said you were going shopping for Hoyeon’s clothes, right? I’m coming with you. Even if I don’t have much of an eye for fashion, it’s better to have one more person’s opinion. Don’t you agree?”
Anya’s eyes were full of resolve, which was a rare sight. She was usually so calm and detached, but this time, it seemed even she couldn’t stay indifferent.
“…You’re right. Come with us. I’m not exactly an expert on women’s clothes, so I was a bit worried. If you’re there to help, I’ll feel a lot more at ease.”
Besides, since she’s also a heroine, there was no reason to refuse.
To be honest, I do know a thing or two about women’s fashion, but since this is another world, I wasn’t all that confident in my knowledge. Having Anya’s help would be a bonus.
“…Ah…”
Like a puppet with its strings cut, Hoyeon lay limply on the ground. I reached down and slipped my hands under her armpits to lift her up.
Normally, I’d be more self-conscious about it, thinking it was too forward, but right now, I couldn’t help but think, She can’t even get up on her own? So, I didn’t feel bad about it at all.
“…Hngh?”
“Pull yourself together. We’re going to buy clothes. You’re not planning to live your whole life with just four outfits, are you?”
“Four outfits… Yeah, I guess you’re right… But can you let go of me now? It… kinda tickles…”
“Ah.”
I realized I was still holding her up by her armpits. Her pathetic state must have made me forget.
“…Alright then, let’s go!”
For some reason, Anya’s face had turned a little red, but I wasn’t sure why.
I took hold of Hoyeon’s hand, still swaying like she hadn’t fully come back to her senses, and followed behind Anya as we headed out of the academy.
“Hoyeon, do you have any idea what kind of style you want?”
“None…”
She was definitely still out of it. Her tone was like that of a princess, but the substance of her words was anything but.
“Then, Dogeon, what do you think would suit Hoyeon?”
Anya, seeing that Hoyeon was in no state to offer an opinion, quickly turned the question to me.
But I wasn’t exactly an expert on dresses, so I gave the only answer I could.
“Hmm. It’s hard to say just by looking at her like this. I think we’ll have to see for ourselves when we get there.”
“I see… So you’re saying we need samples to choose from. In that case, we can rule out the fabric shops… Which leaves only one option… Ugh, I don’t like it, but…”
Anya muttered to herself as if weighing her options before making her decision.
Since she probably had most of her clothes custom-made, she must have disliked the idea of buying off-the-rack.
But no matter how you look at it, Hoyeon didn’t seem like the type to care about fashion, so it seemed like Anya was being considerate of her.
I followed Anya as she confidently led the way to her chosen destination.