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“Can’t we do it another time..?”
“Nooope, we’re already nearby, and I have to introduce you to someone I know.”

Kou really wanted to get away from there, but Hijiri maintained a firm grasp on her hand. This time they were going to a certain area on the fourth floor of the east building. There were hardly any men around there, except for those who were accompanying a girl as a couple. Other than that there were only women in sight on that floor.

Even Sora and Subaru had stayed behind, not wanting to get close. Just moments earlier when they realized where Hijiri was taking Kou…

“I just remembered a book I wanted came out today, I’ll go to the bookstore for a bit.”
“I’ve gotten a bit thirsty, I’ll look for a vending machine and get a can of coffee or something.”

After saying that, they vanished like the wind before Kou could even react.

And so, Kou found herself in her current position. A place feared, avoided, and disliked by most men, one they never set foot in no matter what, even though a part of them wanted to, almost like a sanctuary for only women… A female underwear shop.

“…It’s not like it matters anyway, so can’t I just use whatever?”
“Ahahah, no way in hell.”

Kou’s eyes kept darting aimlessly, only finding female underwear in every direction, so she wanted to leave that place as soon as possible, but Hijiri would not let her. She was smiling, but her eyes were dead serious.

“If you wear something that doesn’t match, your whole figure will look weird. So you have to be careful to always choose the right one.”
“Are…are you really sure about that?”

There was one time after taking a bath that Kou had tried that out, and felt like everything worked and her figure remained pretty. But the images of that time resurfaced in her mind as she patted her chest slightly, so she had to shake those thoughts away.

“There’s also one employee I always consult with here. You can definitely trust her skill, so I need to introduce you.” Saying that, Hijiri looked around the store for that employee, unbothered by all the frills, lace, and pastel colors that were so disconcerting for Kou. “Ah, there she is! Ms. Sasaki, it’s been a while!”

The employee Hijiri was calling to was a lady wearing a badge of the store, who seemed to be around the same age as her mother Akane, or maybe slightly older. Her sense of fashion was clearly on point though, making her appear younger and stylish.

“Oh, Hijiri. I haven’t seen you around here lately. Also…who’s that behind you?”
“She’s my friend. This is her first fitting, so do you think you could help her out?”
“Yes, of course. Come with me, young girl.”
“Ah…okay…”

Kou was wondering what a fitting was, but kept those questions to herself as she followed the employee.

“Do you know your current size?”
“Umm, my mom got me everything so far…”
“Oh, I have a note with them.”

Why do you have that and not me, Hijiri?

Kou instantly turned an inquisitive stare at Hijiri, her eyes asking that, but Hijiri just smiled and pretended not to notice. Once that was taken care of, they reached their destination, the fitting room.

“I’ll start by taking your measurements, please step inside.”
“O-Okay…”

Guided by the employee, Kou took her shoes off and went inside. Then the employee followed her and closed the curtain behind them.

“I’m sorry, but would you mind taking off your sweater? It’s a bit too baggy for me to be able to take correct measurements.”
“Ah, umm…of course…”

The thought of undressing in front of a woman was embarrassing for Kou, even though she had done it many times in the hospital. She was simply not used to it yet, so her hands trembled as she lowered her hood and pulled up her sweater.

But then she realized that the employee was staring intently at her.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, is something wrong with the color maybe…” Kou’s white hair and skin were unseen amongst Japanese people, so she stood out a lot. But Kou was unsure of what to do, so she covered her chest with the sweater she had just taken off.

Noticing that, the employee regained her bearings and apologized. “N-No, that’s not it at all. I was just a bit startled by how pretty you are, I’m sorry.” The employee apologized and took out a tape measure from her pocket, quickly sizing up Kou’s body and noting them down on a tablet she held.

“Alright, now we can move onto trying some stuff out, fitting…and figuring out some other details. It might be a bit embarrassing since it’s your first time, so just bear with me, okay?”
“I-It’s alright, please do it.”

Her voice was gentle and it was clear she was watching out for Kou, who nodded in response…and soon after the last piece of fabric covering her chest was removed.

Having her bare chest exposed like that made a weird whimper come out of Kou’s throat, but soon she had something to wear, a white bra with flowery embroidery, which had been picked by Hijiri after the employee told her what size to bring.

“So tell me, are you starting middle school now? Did Hijiri bring you shopping for your own underwear for the first time?”
“…I’m sorry, I’m in high school…and I’m the same age as her, actually…”
“O-Ohh… I’m really sorry for that.”
“It’s fine… I’m very aware of how young I look…”

Kou could tell how hard it was to guess her age from her appearance now.

Things became a bit awkward, but the employee quickly put the new bra on Kou, and then started squishing here and there while explaining how to properly wear it and how to adjust the straps.

Having someone else touch one’s chest was a weird feeling, even if Kou was also a girl now, but the employee remained unfazed, showing her expertise and professionalism.

Thanks to that, Kou was able to not pay as much attention to it. Eventually everything was adjusted properly, and the employee asked how it felt.

“Ohhh…” Kou had received a crash course on how to wear them in the hospital, but somehow the fit felt completely different to the times when she haphazardly put them on herself.

And through what Kou could only imagine was magic, a valley had formed on her chest, even if it was a modest one. She was impressed by how much of a difference there was just by changing how a bra was put on.

“Does it feel too tight or forceful anywhere?”
“I…I think it’s fine…probably.”
“Then we found the right size for you… Make sure to register it in your NLD. That way it’ll automatically determine whether something will fit your body or not by comparing them to your measurements.”
“Um… Thank you…”
“This data is standardized between manufacturers and stores, so you can use them in any other store you want. And if you ever feel like you’ve outgrown this size, then just request another fitting to update it. Feel free to ask me if you come here.”

She explained everything with a very business-like voice while Kou’s measurements were being transferred from the tablet to her NLD.

That sounds handy.

Kou was a bit shocked by how much more use women were getting out of their NLDs, something she had never realized before.

Once all that process was complete, Kou put on her original clothes and walked out of the fitting room.

“Is it done?”
“Well…yeah…”
“Nice, then let’s go search for more stuff!”
“Huh? I thought we already finished earlier?!”

Hijiri sounded like she was having a really good time as she grabbed Kou’s hand and dragged her around again, though Kou was aghast, wondering just how many more outfits she would have to try on.

“What do you mean? There’s still plenty of bases left to cover.”
“Not really, mom already prepared a lot for me at the hospital…”
“Nope, that won’t do. You still need a lot more than that, like something to wear at night when you sleep, or something cheap that you can easily throw away if an accident happens when your period starts, or something to wear during it…”
“Peri…od..?”

Hijiri quickly began mentioning the different types of underwear Kou would need, but a certain word made Kou freeze still. She had heard about it during rehabilitation too. A period, something only women experienced, and Kou would also have to go through it eventually.

“Ah…right, we also need you to be ready for that. We’ll have to go to the pharmacy after we’re done getting your underwear.”
“…Okay.”

Hearing there would be even more places to go after this store made Kou’s sanity drain even more, her eyes appearing lifeless as she resigned herself to her fate.

Once they were done buying underwear, they left that area and regrouped with Subaru and Sora, before heading to the pharmacy.

There, Hijiri paid no attention to the two guys who listened in horror as she told Kou everything she needed to deal with her period, and bought the necessary items. By then it was already past noon.

For lunch, they went to a certain popular chain of italian food, where Kou threw herself onto a sofa, feeling mentally drained.

“Hey, are you okay there?”
“I’m alright…just exhausted.”
“Umm…I’m sorry, do you think I got a bit too carried away, maybe?”

Hearing Kou’s weak reply made Hijiri and Subaru watch her worried. The three of them were there waiting for Sora, as he had gone to load their enormous shopping bags into the car.

After some more waiting he returned, the bags stored safely in the car.

“Sorry for the wait… Oh, you haven’t ordered yet?”
“Ah, no, not yet.”
“Thank you for taking the bags, Uncle Sora.”
“Hahah…I’m the one who should be thanking you, Hijiri. I have no clue of a girl’s needs when Amari isn’t around.”

In return, Sora told them they could order anything they wanted.

Then again, they had all grown up together and treated each other like family, so there really was no need for anyone to feel any reservations, so they began ordering exactly what they wanted.

“…I’ll have a mozzarella and tomato pizza, and some spaghetti with fresh tomatoes…without any garlic.”
“Oh, Kou, welcome back.”
“You’ve really regained a lot of strength compared to how you woke up back then.”

Kou had slowly risen from the sofa to order his lunch, and the twins spoke to her. And they were right, Kou was only mentally exhausted, but her body could still move without issues.

“Well, she’s still Amari’s daughter, so her physical stats should be pretty high as long as she’s healthy.”
“Really?”

In the past, Kou’s image of Amari was a woman who only worked and was never home. Now that was coupled with the knowledge that she was weak to sunlight, making her look even more frail. So Kou was a bit doubtful that her physical attributes could be too impressive.

“Mhm, Amari basically has all the abilities attributed to vampires in legends and such. You’re only a half vampire though, so you’re probably not as gifted as her, but if you’re not careful you could overcome all sorts of Olympic world records without breaking a sweat.”
“Are you serious..?”
“Yes, so once you’re back to full health you’ll actually have to train to restrain yourself.”
“Eugh…”

Kou was already experiencing all sorts of hardships she had never imagined thanks to being a girl, so learning she would need to be careful with even more things due to her species made her groan in dismay.