Chapter 25 – Affectionate Shenanigans

R‍ead́ ｏ​n Kat​Ｒe&a;d́i​n‍gＣａ&f;ẽ​

Rustle, rustle—With each layer of clothing I removed, the sound of fabric brushing against my skin echoed like thunder.

Perhaps because it was a quiet, enclosed space, even the smallest sounds seemed amplified. I wondered if Yuika could hear the loud thumping of my heart.

I tried to stay calm as I neatly folded the clothes I had taken off and placed them in a corner of the fitting room. As I stood up, the cool air touched my skin, and I began to fully realize that I was standing there in just my underwear.

My face turned bright red as I hugged my arms and avoided Yuika’s gaze. I asked in a small voice,

“What should I do now…?”

“First, can you spread your arms out straight to the sides?”

“B-Both arms?”

If I did that, my chest would be exposed. Sure, I was wearing underwear, so it wasn’t like I was completely naked, but it was still embarrassing.

I hesitated, then tightly closed my eyes and slowly spread my arms out to the sides. My face was undoubtedly bright red, and I was trembling. A small laugh escaped Yuika, followed by her voice.

“If you’re too tense, it’ll be hard to take accurate measurements. Can you straighten your shoulders and maybe even your back?”

“Ugh, w-well…”

“If it’s too hard, I’ll help you.”

“Huh? Eek?!”

As Yuika’s warm hands touched my cool skin, my eyes shot open, and a scream escaped my lips.

But Yuika ignored my scream and placed her hands on my lower back and collarbone, gently pushing. My hunched posture was forcibly straightened, and my line of sight rose slightly.

Yuika looked at me, now stiff as a board, with a satisfied expression.

“See? Standing straight like this makes you look taller and better.”

“Ugh…”

“Alright, let’s start measuring properly.”

“P-Please finish quickly…”

“Don’t worry, leave it to me!”

At Yuika’s confident words, I tightly closed my eyes.

I hoped that by the time I opened them again, it would all be over.

“Eek…!”

Of course, every time the wooden ruler touched my skin, involuntary sounds like “eek” and “ah” escaped my lips.

Yuika, unable to bear it, lightly scolded me for being too dramatic, but with my eyes closed, my senses were heightened, and I couldn’t help it.

It’s not like I wanted to make these embarrassing sounds…!

Sure, I could’ve just opened my eyes, but with the stimulation already overwhelming me, it wasn’t easy. I had no choice but to endure, silently crying inside.

After what felt like an eternity, Yuika finally put the ruler away and sighed.

“Phew… That’s it for the measurements. Good job.”

“Huff…”

Finally, it was over…

As I hunched over again, freed from the stimulation, Yuika continued in a scolding tone.

“Really… Mari, don’t you think you were making too many strange noises? Miao might get the wrong idea.”

“S-Sorry…”

No matter how much I tried to justify it, I had indeed caused Yuika trouble, so being scolded was only natural. With a dejected expression, I apologized, but Yuika, as if she hadn’t been angry at all, gently patted my head and spoke in a kind voice.

“Of course, I know you were trying your best, so you don’t need to apologize like that. I should’ve been more considerate, knowing how you’d react.”

“T-That’s not true…”

“I appreciate you thinking that way. By the way, aren’t you cold? You’ve been standing there in just your underwear.”

“I’m fine, just a little chilly…”

“Chilly? That’s no good. Let’s get you dressed. I’ll help.”

“Ah, t-that’s not necessary…!”

Despite my protests, Yuika kindly helped me get dressed. She tightly fastened my robe and pulled the hood over my head before finally standing up with a satisfied expression. In contrast, I stood there dazed, my mind blank.

Whether it was because I was dressed or because of all the touching while getting dressed, the chill I had felt earlier was now replaced by a warm, fuzzy feeling.

This is too much stimulation… As I swayed from the rising heat, Yuika took my hand and led me out of the fitting room.

We headed straight to the counter, where Miao was sitting with a bored expression, looking at us.

“Miao! We’re done with the measurements!”

“…If you two want to get affectionate, do it at home.”

“We didn’t do anything like that!”

As expected, Miao scolded us with a disgusted look, and Yuika pouted in response.

“Then why is Mari’s face so red? It’s obvious something happened in there.”

“We really didn’t do anything! Mari’s just really shy. Right, Mari?”

“Huh? Ah, yes, that’s right…”

I quickly nodded at Yuika’s words, and Miao smirked as if she hadn’t been suspicious at all.

“Just kidding. No need to take it so seriously. Though I did suspect for a moment, but the more Mari made those strange noises, the harder it was to think that way.”

Was I really making such strange noises? I finally understood why Yuika had lightly scolded me. I hung my head in shame, wishing I could hide in a mouse hole.

Yuika patted my head and then approached Miao, handing her a piece of paper.

“Anyway, here are Mari’s measurements, as you asked.”

“Thanks. I also sketched some outfits that might suit Mari. Want to take a look?”

“Where… Oh, Mari, why don’t you come and see too?”

“Ah, no, I’m fine…”

I wasn’t really interested in clothes. As I’d said before, clothes to me were just something to wear when going to the convenience store.

“Besides, Yuika has a better sense of style than I do… I’ll wear whatever you give me.”

I awkwardly smiled and declined, but Miao let out a sigh and said,

“Really? Then it’s fine if I make something a bit revealing, right? Like a dress with a deep neckline—”

“What should I look at first?!”

“You’re being too desperate.”

I quickly stood on tiptoe at the counter, and Miao laughed as she handed me a stack of papers.

“Here, the sketches. I didn’t draw many, just two or three outfits. Since we have your measurements, you can come back and order more whenever you need.”

“O-Okay.”

I responded vaguely and quickly flipped through the sketches.

Fortunately, at a glance, there didn’t seem to be any overly revealing designs. There was something flashy, but it didn’t seem like a big deal.

Relieved, I took a closer look and couldn’t help but exclaim,

“Miao… You’re really good at drawing…”

Miao had given me three sheets of paper, meaning three outfits. Though they were rough sketches, the quality was impressive.

Not only were the clothes drawn, but there were also illustrations of me wearing them. Why each pose and expression was different, I had no idea.

As I stared at the papers in awe, Miao laughed and said,

“They’re just rough sketches, but your praise makes me feel a bit embarrassed.”

“No, even from the sketches, I can tell… If you drew them properly, they’d be amazing!”

“Judging from your reaction, were you an artist in the outside world?”

“Huh? Ah, no, not really…”

If anything, I was more of a consumer of art. As an otaku, I had a good eye for art, but that was about it.

As I awkwardly avoided her gaze, Miao said,

“I appreciate the compliment, but what I really want to hear is your opinion on the clothes.”

“Ah, right…”

“So, what do you think? Do you like any of them?”

“J-Just a moment.”

I quickly turned my attention back to the papers.

The first sketch showed me wearing suspenders and a blouse, with a straw hat and one eye closed—a wink.

I had no idea why I was winking, but the outfit itself was simple and nice. It wasn’t revealing and suited my appearance.

Even I could wear something like this. I nodded and moved on to the next sheet, only to immediately close my eyes.

The second sketch depicted me in what was commonly called a gothic Lolita style. I was wearing a voluminous black-and-white dress, a silk hat, and holding a black parasol, with a haughty expression as I looked off into the distance.

The gap between the first and second sketches was too big… Didn’t she say she’d draw something that suited me? How is this supposed to suit me…? Well, it does, but it’s too much.

If you added a teddy bear or something to my arm, I’d instantly become a cool, mysterious girl from a battle anime. The kind who shows up as a mid-boss.

This is definitely a no. I wiped the cold sweat from my brow and moved on to the last sheet.

Surely it couldn’t get more extreme than this…?

Fortunately, the last sketch was much tamer compared to the second one.

It showed me in a long shirt, a plaid skirt, and a cardigan draped over my shoulders, holding a piece of candy and sticking out my tongue playfully.

Why did she go so far with the poses and expressions…?

“So, what do you think? Anything you like?”

“Ah, well. Everything except the second one seems fine…”

“Really? Let me see.”

I handed the papers to Yuika, who hummed as she looked through them. When she saw the problematic sketch, she made a slightly awkward expression and said,

“Yeah, this one might be a bit too much for Mari…”

“The gothic Lolita one? I thought it would suit her.”

“No, how should I put it… It does suit her, but it’s definitely not something Mari would wear…”

“Is that so…? What a shame.”

Miao clicked her tongue and held up the remaining two sketches.

“So, you like these two?”

“Yeah…”

Anything was better than the gothic Lolita.

As I nodded, Miao smiled and said,

“Great. Consider it done. The clothes will be ready in three days. Come back then.”

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
A girlfailure gothic lolita.

Technically it would fit the puppetmaster premise!

Still a girlfailure though.

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