"Are you heading out today, Kagura?"
That morning, after Ardan saw Kagura bring back breakfast, she noticed Kagura changing clothes and asked curiously.
Since Kagura usually wore her maid outfit whenever she was active around campus, if she suddenly started changing into regular clothes, that generally meant she was going out. After living with her for so long, Ardan had picked up on the pattern.
"Yeah. Summer training camp is coming up soon, so I figured I'd prepare in advance and go buy a swimsuit or something…"
It was actually Eclipse's suggestion. If not for Eclipse, a pragmatist like Kagura would've gone with the school swimsuit, no questions asked. You could say the nice, trendy clothes in Kagura's wardrobe right now were all picked out by Eclipse.
Hearing that, Ardan—who'd still been a little sleepy after just waking up—instantly perked up and kicked her legs twice as she sat up in bed.
"Ehh~ Kagura, want me to go with you?"
"Hm? Ah… it's just buying a swimsuit. You don't have to go out of your way to come with me, Ardan-ojousama…"
"I'm free today anyway! And you probably don't know how to pick stuff like that, right? I can help you decide!"
"I see…"
Seeing how serious Ardan looked, Kagura—who really didn't have much confidence in her own sense of style—thought it over, then nodded and accepted.
Once she got the okay, Ardan immediately picked up her phone and messaged McQueen at home, telling her that this afternoon's tea party would be postponed to tomorrow.
"Wait for me! Kagura, I'll change and come right away… Whoa!"
After sending the message, Ardan hurried to hop off the bed, lost her balance, nearly fell, caught herself—and then ran off to wash up.
"Ardan-ojousama… you really don't have to rush… You haven't even eaten breakfast yet. I can wait."
Watching Ardan bustle around, Kagura couldn't help reminding her. She genuinely worried Ardan might bump into something if she wasn't careful.
...
"By the way—why did you suddenly think of buying a swimsuit? You could wear the school one, you know?"
"About that… 'If you don't dress up properly, when you go out you'll look like some plain country bumpkin, and the moment you stand in a crowd you'll just vanish'… I guess that's the reason?"
That line was actually Eclipse's. As a "princess," Eclipse was particular about clothing. Even if she wasn't the type to dress up day-to-day, when she got serious about it, she was an expert. And even for Eclipse, Kagura's total lack of interest in dressing up had long surpassed her limit—so today she'd pushed Kagura to come out and buy a swimsuit.
"I see! If you'd told me sooner, Kagura~ I know a lot about picking clothes! Next time you want to buy something, you can tell me too!"
As a refined young lady from a prestigious family, Ardan's taste was excellent. So after hearing Kagura had this problem, she confidently patted her chest and volunteered herself.
Most Tracen students came from fairly well-off families, and at the very least, most of them didn't have to worry about daily expenses. So it was easy to find clothing stores around Tracen. It was already late May and the weather was heating up, so the shops were also very dutifully stocking "seasonal clothes."
Whoa… what a huge variety. Guess that's Japan for you… They've got this weird obsession with swimsuits…
Whether it was her old world or this one, Kagura felt like people in this country had an inexplicable fixation on swimsuits. From the "seven-or-eight episode rule" in anime to the dizzying wall of swimsuit styles in front of her, it all showcased an impressive level of creative energy in that department.
"Since we're here anyway, Ardan-ojousama, want to take a look for yourself too?"
After scanning the store and still not knowing what to pick, Kagura decided to see what Ardan thought first.
"Huh? Ah, I already have a swimsuit. Wudi-san went with me to buy one before. Let's pick one for you first!"
"I see… Then I hope we'll run into a style you like, Ardan-ojousama~"
"Mhm! Let's go further in! Maybe we'll find the kind you like inside!"
After saying that, Ardan smiled, leaned in, and gently pushed Kagura by the shoulders, nudging her deeper into the shop.
The store wasn't small. Even this one section had over a hundred swimsuit options. Just looking through them made Kagura a little dizzy. In the end, Kagura had basically no experience buying things like this. The only time she'd ever willingly stepped into a store like this was when her best friend dragged her in—and before that, it was as a kid, getting dragged along by her parents.
——Hey, kiddo, I see a pretty good one over there!
As they browsed, a message suddenly popped up on Kagura's phone from Eclipse. This time, Eclipse even added a directional arrow after the text. Kagura followed where it pointed—and saw a set of… cow-patterned, questionably-designed fabric and strings.
Isn't this just one scrap of cloth plus a pile of strings!? This is called a swimsuit!? People actually wear this outside!? Eclipse-san, you really think this is suitable for students!?
Looking at the price tag beneath it—ignoring the comically large number—the shop had even "thoughtfully" slapped a label on it that read: "Race Outfit!"
What exactly are you racing to win with this!? (absolute rage)
——Aww, kid, you actually know a lot~ You can even read that kind of implication?
Implication? This isn't even subtle—it's basically spelled out!
Kagura really didn't want to keep roasting that swimsuit, so she immediately averted her gaze.
"What's wrong? Kagura, why were you staring at that one for so long?"
Ardan had noticed Kagura zoning out at something. She followed Kagura's line of sight. After just one look—even someone as worldly as Ardan couldn't help turning red.
"It's just… kind of a visual shock… Um. I mean, is it really okay to display something like that in the student section…?"
"I… I agree. Maybe we should go somewhere else…"
Ardan couldn't help imagining Kagura wearing it—and then, somewhat disappointed, she realized that even in her imagination, Kagura didn't have the figure to support that outfit… Though the "doesn't fit" look had its own strange charm, this kind of art was clearly too advanced for a kid like Kagura. Forget Kagura—even Ardan felt she might not be able to pull off that kind of clothing.
Following Kagura a little further forward, Ardan finally spotted more normal-looking swimsuits nearby. After wandering the area with Kagura for a bit, Ardan quickly found a blue swimsuit decorated with lots of frills. Her intuition told her it would suit Kagura.
"Ah—this one should fit you well. Want to try it on?"
Kagura took it and looked it over, confirming the coverage wasn't too revealing. A short-skirt style like this was something she could accept. After a moment's thought, she nodded.
"I think it might be okay. Want me to try it?"
"Mm! Then I'll wait outside. If you run into problems getting it on, remember to call me!"
"Okay~"
Kagura picked up the swimsuit, left her small bag outside the fitting room, then pushed the door open and went in to change.
Ardan leaned against the wall beside the door, unable to stop imagining what Kagura would look like in it. Hearing the faint rustle of clothing from inside, she felt nervous—and full of anticipation. She'd never felt waiting drag on this long.
She didn't know how much time passed before she finally heard the door of the fitting room next to her open. But Kagura didn't step out.
"Um… Ardan-ojousama, can you check if it fits? I… I think I'd rather not come out…"
Even though the store was full of girls buying swimsuits—and there were even Umamusume who had already changed and were walking around in theirs—Kagura still felt too embarrassed to walk out into public wearing one.
"O-oh… sure!"
Ardan froze for a second, then understood. Kagura was shy, and she was probably embarrassed right now.
Ardan stepped to the door and looked inside—and couldn't help widening her eyes, her breathing quickening slightly.
Kagura had already changed into the swimsuit Ardan picked. Just as Ardan expected, it suited Kagura perfectly. It wasn't loose at all; it neatly highlighted Kagura's slim figure, and it also bared her fair, smooth skin. Embarrassed, Kagura was instinctively hunching forward, using her hands to cover her exposed stomach and legs—though it could hardly be called "covering" at all.
"S-so… Ardan-ojousama… do you think… it looks good?"
Kagura asked softly, cheeks faintly flushed. It felt like Ardan's heart took a direct critical hit. She stood there blankly for a long moment.
"It looks great! Of course it looks great! It's really cute!! It suits you so well!"
"T-that's… good… Umm! Ardan-ojousama, you can go out now! We'll take this one! I'm changing back!"
Kagura pushed Ardan out of the fitting room, and the door closed.
Ardan leaned against the wall. Even though she regretted she couldn't look a little longer, what she felt more was satisfaction and joy—
Ah… Kagura's shy face… so cute…
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