“Would this suit you? Try it on once?”
I took the outfit hanging from her raised arm to inspect it. Grasping it with my index fingers and thumbs on both left and right shoulders, the garment’s full appearance came into view as if it were still hanging on a hanger.
This time, it was a dress in hues of blue. Although there wasn’t much decoration, there were presumed jewels shaped like butterflies attached to the chest area, creating an eye-catching detail. Since it was a personal dressing room, there was no separate fitting room. If anything, the dressing room itself could be considered the fitting area. Thus, reluctantly, I began to slowly take off my existing clothes in front of Yuli. Though I felt somewhat embarrassed knowing she was watching, it was only natural that I, who still harbored memories of being a boy, found it awkward to undress in front of someone of the opposite gender. But to Yuli, it was simply a case of a female friend changing clothes.
I carelessly shrugged off the shirt I was wearing and unbuttoned and unzipped the pants I had on, slipping them off. With just my underwear left, my skin was largely exposed, leaving me feeling somewhat bare. Despite Yuli’s gaze making me feel unnecessarily shy, I hastily put on the dress. My body structure was similar to Yuli’s except in one area, so nothing particularly pinched.
“Indeed, this suits you well! What do you think, El?”
Standing in front of the mirror, Yuli turned to me and spoke. As I looked into the mirror, it seemed that the silver hair and the blue dress complemented each other surprisingly well.
…To be honest, it wasn’t so much that the silver hair matched, but that the overall appearance fit well. Each time I look at the mirror, I can’t help pondering the same thought: the truth is that there probably isn’t any outfit that doesn’t suit this face. It might be the clothing’s fault if there’s anything that doesn’t fit. Even something as extravagant as grand robes, I doubt they’d clash. Moreover, aside from one somewhat underdeveloped area—though it’s only insufficient compared to Yuli or Selian—my figure is actually quite pleasing.
Still, I’m not sure if it’s a side effect of the TS magic or something else, but regardless of how much I train, no noticeable muscles appear externally. Before, as a boy, I had at least a passable amount of muscle that made me look decent, but now, as a woman, I only have smooth skin, which feels somewhat unfamiliar.
“…It suits you.”
I turned to Yuli, conveying my genuine feelings. We had already tried on three outfits, but I knew this wasn’t the end. I’d previously experienced how long women’s fashion could last when shopping with Selian.
“Alright, this one’s next!”
True enough, Yuli had already selected the next outfit. Actually, there was no need to say “selected.” She simply picked one from the adjacent clothing rack.
This was another dress, but its design looked easy to move in, something that would likely be worn at social gatherings rather than casual settings. Compared to the previous dress, this one was more elaborate, yet it didn’t have excessive frills or ostentatious decorations. Even I, as a man, thought, “This design is… acceptable.” Wearing a dress like this often involves using a corset, but it didn’t seem necessary here. Not only were we simply browsing together, but this body also didn’t require a corset. I wouldn’t consent to one if I had to have it tightened.
“Uh… could you help me tie this string?”
Having put the dress on, it seemed that to keep it from slipping, the strings at the back needed to be tied. With the ties being at the back, it wasn’t very convenient to put it on alone. Granted, with my flexibility, I could have managed it, but there was no reason not to let Yuli help when she was there.
“Just wait a moment.”
Yuli moved to the back. I stood still to avoid hindering her as she tied the strings. Every time her fingertips faintly brushed against my back, my body instinctively twitched, though I managed to suppress making any sound. It seemed to take longer than expected to tie the string, and her fingers frequently grazed my back, making it difficult to remain patient.
“Okay! All done!”
When I looked in the mirror, there stood a delicate woman. Changing clothes alone had transformed my formerly lively demeanor into a completely different presence, proving the saying “Clothes make the person.”
“…Okay?”
I asked Yuli if I could switch out of the dress, feeling the outfit, while beautiful, was slightly impractical for swordplay or quick movements. However, there was no reply. Through the mirror, Yuli was staring intently at me.
“Yuli?”
I turned halfway around to face her, the dress swaying slightly.
“O-Oh, yeah!”
“This one doesn’t seem to work, does it? I thought it wasn’t quite suitable either.”
“N-No! It’s just… so different from your usual look, it’s… strange! Not strange in a bad way! You… look really pretty! You’re always pretty, of course, but…”
For some reason, Yuli started speaking incoherently. The moment seemed right to cut this fashion show short. While Yuli appeared distracted, I quickly reached behind me to untie the string and hastily removed the dress, reaching for the clothes I originally wore.
Or rather,… I tried to reach for them.
“El?”
“Huh…. Y-Yes?”
“Why are you doing that?”
“Well… I thought I had tried on enough outfits, so… hehe… hah…”
As I reached for the clothes I had come in with, Yuli stretched out her hand and grabbed my wrist. Though it should have been an easy grip to shake off, there was an indescribable pressure—should I call it an atmosphere?—emanating from Yuli’s hand. My senses were going haywire, warning me to just stay still. I couldn’t easily ignore this feeling.
“El?”
Yuli smiled and said casually.
“You’ve only tried on four outfits.”
“…Four outfits?”
Yuli, instead of holding my wrist, stretched her empty hand to pick up the original uniform I came in and held it up.
“Here, I’ll take care of this. Let’s move on to the next outfit.”
The feeling of déjà vu was unmistakable. Yes, it’s all a dream.
*
In the end, it took a while longer before I got to change out of the outfits. Yuli didn’t just make me try them on but insisted I take the clothes I had tried. They had already been moved to my dressing room by the servants at Yuli’s command. Even the plain outfit I was wearing now was the first dress Yuli had dressed me in.
“Then I’ll see you soon.”
The evening meeting with Lord Craig was approaching. Leaving Yuli, who was changing into something more comfortable, I headed back to my room.
In my dressing room, previously empty, the new collection of outfits were now neatly filling the space. Among them hung the original uniform I had worn.
“Huh?”
Though the condition of the uniform seemed a bit odd. It wasn’t just odd; it was in almost perfect condition. The uniform I originally wore had been frayed slightly due to constant use over just one semester, but this one looked almost brand-new compared to what I remembered.
“Knock knock.”
As I was pondering, the sound of knocking echoed through the room. Thanks to some magical treatment, the knocks were clearly audible even inside the dressing room.
“Shall we go?”
Setting down the uniform, I headed out of the room. Yuli had already changed into her usual casual outfit. As we walked toward the dining hall, I broached a curiosity that had been on my mind.
“By the way, Yuli? I noticed earlier that the uniform in my room didn’t look like mine.”
“Oh, sorry. Apparently, one of the maids accidentally tore your uniform while moving it, so… I just substituted it with one of mine.”
Yuli explained it as if she already knew. It made sense; when moving so many garments, it could easily snag on something and rip. Still, replacing it with her worn uniform?…
“Does this mean the one I wore is no good for me? Should I have a new one made?”
“No! That’s unnecessary. It’s in much better condition than mine!”
If she intended to be choosy about second-hand clothes, she should have refused the other outfits Yuli had given her from the start. Of course, Yuli had shoved them onto her without much room for refusal. And given that she’d already accepted many of them, it didn’t feel right to ask for a new uniform.
“Ah! By the way, can you please not say anything to that maid? Mistakes happen while working.”
“Sure, don’t worry. There won’t be any punishment. In fact…”
“In fact?”
“Oh, it’s nothing!”
Though I had worried if the maid might be reprimanded for the mistake, Yuli seemed unconcerned.
Still, while it’s fine to wear the other outfits occasionally, the thought of wearing Yuli’s used school uniform every day during the semester made me feel both embarrassed and strangely complicated.
