「There’s a box of elf shirts in the third drawer in that closet. Pick one you like.」
「I wanna wear something else.」
He gives me permission, so I search within the closet.
I don’t know much about clothes, but I think he has a better fashion sense than I do.
「I’m not interested in clothes.」
「Huh? Really? You don’t seem to have a problem even without going with matching sets.」
「I have nothing to worry about since I buy all the set clothing on display.」
「Where do you get that much money to spend?」
It’s a sure method if he buys the matching sets coordinated by professionals.
I try them on, but the pants are all loose.
I’m almost as tall as Mizuhara, so I thought our clothes would be the same size, but it doesn’t seem that way.
「Mizuhara, you’ll get fat if you only eat sweet things, you know.」
The design looks warped when I tighten the pants with a belt.
I tried on several clothes, but I can’t decide.
I line up the ones I prefer, but I’m still undecided. It’s hard for me to understand the recent trend for guys in the first place.
「Why don’t you try matching that one with that one and that one?」
Mizuhara points his finger using his left hand.
A denim jacket, a black V-neck shirt, and a stole with a weird pattern.
「You can just wear your jeans with those. No matter how stylish, you’ll look sloppy if the size doesn’t fit.」
The clothes he picks are a perfect match.
I was worried about exposing my chest, but the stole hides it well and makes me look more stylish.
I turn around in front of a mirror. Looking good!
「You look like you’re enjoying yourself.」
「Yeah. It’s coming along surprisingly well.」
I always got the male roles in stage plays since middle school. This brings me back somehow.
--------
I go to Mizuhara’s place early on Sunday to get prepared.
I try hiding my face with a hat. It looks good and hides my gender pretty well.
I’m playing with wax to make my hair stand up. Mizuhara’s eating some white chocolate green tea brownies for breakfast.
Mom made the moist brownies last night. The bitterness of the green tea and the sweetness of the white chocolate are an exquisite combination.
The brownies can last for 3 days, so I give them to Mizuhara as emergency food because his dominant hand hasn’t healed, but he ate them all in the morning.
Someday, there will definitely be ants swarming in his stomach.
「Shouldn’t we go soon?」
I rush Mizuhara after getting everything prepared. He replies that we can wait another 20 minutes. I thought we were taking a train there, but it seems he called a taxi.
He has an unbelievable sense of spending, sparing no second thoughts on calling a taxi just because his leg is injured.
「You seem like you’re used to it.」
I support his injured left leg with my right leg, and start moving.
「Yeah. Helping drunk and injured karate club members is a daily occurrence for me.」
It’s much easier for me since Mizuhara isn’t drunk.
It seems it still hurts him when he tries to walk, but it’s not like he can’t use it. His right hand is the one that needs more time to recover.
Mizuhara ignored the doctor’s advice and used his right hand in a fit of frustration, so his condition became worse.
「I’ve discussed the circumstances with Maruta-san.」
「Ah, that’s a relief. Maruta-san likes to talk a lot.」
I’ve experienced it firsthand, and convey that with a nod.
I carry Mizuhara and the baggage from the taxi to the store.
The sign says they’re closed today, but the entrance is open. The chime attached to the door rings, and Maruta-san steps out.