Thwack!
“Ouch?!”
“Don’t say things like that so carelessly.”
I lightly flicked Yunia’s forehead.
“But why? I’m just saying You’ll verify whether they were purchased properly…!”
“There’s a reason for everything, so don’t say things like that casually. Besides, Miss Yunia, your real goal is the other clothes, right?”
I pointed to the first part of the fashion magazine.
“You want to try wearing various kinds of clothes, right? Isn’t that the case?”
“Well, uh…”
It wasn’t like I was shielding Yunia to hide her true intentions.
“You probably didn’t get to wear a lot of these kinds of clothes where you grew up.”
“That’s true.”
“And off-the-rack clothes wouldn’t fit, so you always had to wear loose clothing.”
“…Yeah, that’s right.”
Yunia let out a deep sigh and plopped down on my bed.
“I always had to wear hoodies or dresses.”
“Calling them dresses is a bit of a stretch. Weren’t they basically robes? Like the ones mages wear?”
“Yeah. Shirts don’t fit well since my size changes so quickly.”
Yunia glanced downward.
I didn’t need to follow her gaze to know why she had to frequently change her clothes, so I didn’t play along with her little ploy.
“It’s because you’re still growing.”
It’s similar to when boys in middle or high school suddenly grow taller and outgrow their clothes from just a few months ago.
If growth happens all at once and then stops for a while, it’s manageable, but if it happens steadily year after year, it can become quite troublesome.
Not to mention the financial aspect and the need to dispose of clothes that no longer fit if they aren’t being stored.
And most importantly…
“Miss Yunia, Esdinas Academy has clothing that can fit your size, right? Or custom-made clothes, at least?”
“Yes.”
In the rural area where Yunia grew up, there weren’t people with mana pockets like hers, so she had no choice but to wear robes.
“I thought if I got the largest size available, it might fit. After all, there are far more talented people here than me.”
“There may be some, but people with talent on your level are few and far between. The fact that clothes are made for them is already significant.”
From a game perspective, there aren’t many places outside of Esdinas Academy that stock equipment for people over level 100.
“Alright, I’ll reluctantly be a p*rvert for you.”
“Wait, no! That’s not what I meant!”
“Really?”
“…I’m sorry.”
Yunia clasped her hands together and bowed her head.
“But it can’t be helped. I mean, it’s kind of embarrassing to say this, but…!!”
Despite feeling guilty, Yunia quickly flipped through the fashion magazine.
“I’d prefer simpler designs, but at this size, the options are limited…!”
“That’s a sad dilemma.”
Clothing, or rather ready-made clothing, is usually designed for the average body shape.
If someone is too tall or has particularly large features, they need to get custom-made clothes.
Of course, in this world, even the Bread Academy makes clothes for such people.
The problem is that the clothes available are far from the ‘simple’ look Yunia desires.
Even if it’s white, there’s lace everywhere, or the strings on the sides are so thin that anyone looking at it would automatically say, “Oh my…”
Most of the clothes are like that.
“You know…”
Yunia lowered her head again, looking around cautiously.
“Maybe I went too far?”
“About what? Turning me into a p*rvert who buys women’s underwear just to match your taste?”
“That’s not it!”
Yunia briefly turned red with embarrassment, but soon showed a gloomy expression again.
“I just thought… wanting to shop for clothes given the situation with the old school building… makes me seem thoughtless.”
“Some might see it that way.”
If we were in an Apocalypse situation, it would be different.
‘If we were in a zombie-filled world, I’d probably slap myself back to my senses before worrying about anyone else.’
If the outside world were overrun by zombies and someone said they wanted to get a bunch of clothes, they’d be immediately kicked out of the group.
But this is Bread Academy, Yunia is a student, and the only apocalypse that’s happened involved a single angel.
“Unless dozens or hundreds of Angels appear, trying to suppress and control everything just isn’t going to work right now.”
At least for now, the freedom of the students takes precedence over the notion of the world’s end.
“You haven’t done anything wrong, Yunia. If anyone’s in the wrong, it’s the old-fashioned instructors who try to control everything just because you’re a student.”
“Is that really the case…?”
“Of course.”
Some instructors might say ‘no’ out of concern for safety.
From an adult’s point of view, their argument wouldn’t be entirely wrong.
‘Sorry, but I’m on the heroine’s side.’
I’m not in the position of a teacher or instructor trying to help the heroines graduate safely.
Rather, I’m the one trying to lead the heroines to ‘deviate’ from the norms through risky actions that push the boundaries of the school rules.
“Yunia.”
I sat next to her with the fashion magazine in hand.
“Pick something. I’ll tear it out and include it in the list I’m submitting.”
“Huh, you’re really going to do that?”
“Of course. Think about it.”
Rustle.
“If a model student like you orders something like this, the old female instructors will surely say, ‘What a shameless girl,’ out of jealousy and spite.”
The model in the magazine happened to be wearing a rather risqué lace dress.
“But if I say I want to give it to you as a gift, saying, ‘I think you’d look great in this’, how do you think they’d react?”
“…They’d probably think you have unique tastes?”
“It’s the power of the Golden Sun.”
What could anyone say if I, the Golden Sun delinquent, wanted to buy cosplay clothes?
As long as I act according to my image, it’ll leave others questioning whether I plan to make her wear it for real.
“Image is a powerful thing, especially first impressions.”
“Is that so…?”
“Yeah. And trust me, we’re not the only ones thinking this.”
“What do you mean?”
“Miss Yunia may have taken the first step, but those two over there are probably thinking the same thing.”
I pointed to the room next door.
“Buying clothes for yourself can be embarrassing, but it’s much easier when it’s framed as a gift.”
* * *
Ludmila’s room.
Where Ludmila should’ve been alone, another girl was sitting across from her.
“I’m not a ‘girl’ anymore.”
A female student sat facing Ludmila.
“So, what I’m saying is, I want to graduate from those girlish, gothic-lolita dresses. Got it?”
“I understand.”
Ludmila, who was busy writing down the necessary supplies, had been interrupted by an unexpected visitor, Evangeline, who had come to make a request—if it could even be called that.
“So, what you’re asking is for me to ‘let you play dress-up with Evangeline’?”
“Exactly. Then I’ll protest, ‘What do you mean, dress-up with me?!’ And after some back-and-forth, I’ll eventually give in and accept the clothes.”
Evangeline grinned and pointed at Ludmila’s wardrobe.
“You must have some clothes you want to wear, right?”
“My combat uniform is enough for me.”
“Come on, don’t say that. Even if you’re called ‘Cutting Wind,’ there’s a time and place for everything, including proper attire.”
“Is that so?”
“Of course. What are you going to wear if there’s a ball or a formal event?”
“A dress…”
“If you say you’ll just borrow one, I won’t let you get away with it.”
Evangeline’s sharp gaze made Ludmila swallow nervously.
“That serious?”
“Absolutely. The social scene is another battlefield. If your outfit isn’t on point, you’ll be the talk of the town.”
“A battlefield…”
Maybe the mention of battle resonated with Ludmila.
“You’re right. If I’m to fulfill my duties in any setting, I’ll need the appropriate attire.”
“Exactly! Just look at your wardrobe…”
Creak.
“All you have are combat tights, battle coats, and Academy-issued uniforms. Isn’t that a bit much?”
“…”
“That’s why we should work together. Let’s give each other the clothes we want to see each other wear. What do you say?”
“…Alright. But…”
Ludmila tilted her head.
“I think I’d be better suited to team up with Yunia. Why don’t you ask Phoenix?”
“No way!”
Evangeline screamed.
“If I ask him, he’ll make me wear all sorts of p*rverted outfits!”
“…There are limits to how far he’d go.”
“Him?! What if he brings out bandages and says, ‘Here, wear this’…?!”
“?”
Ludmila tilted her head the other way this time.
“Bandages as clothing?”
“…”
“What do you mean by that? How can you wear medical supplies? Oh, are you suggesting wrapping multiple bandages around to make it a fashion statement? Bandages might work better than band-aids in that case.”
“Hah…”
Evangeline rolled up her sleeves.
“It seems I can’t just leave you like this.”
“……”
“You’re planning to fight on the battlefield of women relying solely on your body? Without proper equipment? You, the ‘Cutting Wind’?”
“I can’t let that remark slide.”
Ludmila stepped forward.
“If I’m going to equip myself, it will be with the finest gear. Do we have the budget?”
“Budget?”
Evangeline flicked the hem of her skirt.
“I’m a princess of the new Empire.”
* * *
“By the way, Phoenix, you don’t seem to have many clothes in your wardrobe.”
Yunia said as she opened my closet.
“I noticed when we came up together, but isn’t it a bit too empty?”
Yunia gave me a knowing smile.
“That’s because I have my own way of doing things.”
“A way?”
“Yes.”
I confidently spread my arms and snapped my fingers.
“Miss Yunia.”
Watch closely.
“Do you know how to weave clothes using mana?”
“…What?”
“Miss Yunia.”
I tugged at the shirt I was wearing.
“Does this look like clothing to you?”
