Leave a comment

Just when they thought the employee had disappeared further inside the store with a somewhat happy expression, she immediately returned, accompanied by an older woman with purple hair. From how said woman was dressed, she seemed to have quite the advanced fashion sense, at least from Kanata and Sakura’s point of view.

“Uhm… this is the customer I was talking about.”
“…This~ girl? I see~… Young lady~… would you happen~ to hold the ‘Beautiful Maiden of Captivation’ title~?”
“Y-Yes, I do.”
“Right~…! That’s good~… Still, you merely wear~ your hair in pigtails… hm~… Dear customer, might you be her boyfriend~… or her brother~?” the fashionista¹ posed a question to Kanata.
“It’s the former, Ma’am.”

Even though he might just have told her they were siblings, he replied that he was Sakura’s boyfriend.

“We shouldn’t cut her hair~… but we can change her hairstyle~. It should be enough to lengthen that bundle~.”
“Ah… sure. As long as Sakura is fine with it… Still, I’d prefer it if you choose something that goes well with her current hairstyle… And besides clothing that shouldn’t get dirty, we’d also like some you can walk around in, Ma’am.”
“Do you agree~ with what your boyfriend said, dear~ customer?”
“I-I’m fine with it… Oh, but I’d be happy, if it was something that fundamentally matches my necklace, Ma’am. Also, I’d prefer clothes that show as little skin… on the chest and thighs… as possible…”
“Okay~! Understood~! Mr. Boyfriend~, please have some patience~!”

Sakura was whisked away by the exited woman.

For some reason, Kanata grew worried that he didn’t have enough money, after all, so he gave a nearby employee notice and left the clothing store. He then went back to the store they’d visited earlier, to raise some more funds.

_____
____
___

With an additional two million bells in his pocket, Kanata returned to the clothing store. He had been, once more, encouraged to become a member of the monster material focused store, but he immediately left with a “I have something to do, goodbye.”

The moment he returned, the fashionista also came back from inside the store.

“Oh~! Dear customer…! Thank you for your patience~… We have settled on several~ sets of clothing that suit the appearance and hairstyle of your girlfriend… about 15 of them!”
“That was fast…”
“Of course~! I have absolute~ confidence in my fashion sense.”

I see, so it’s some kind of skill, Kanata thought.

“Then… you can see~ them in here.”

Kanata followed the older woman to the place she had indicated. It was a lovely small room with a red carpet spread out in front of a single changing booth.

“Alright~… Young lady! Present yourself to your boyfriend!”

As the fashionista said that, several employees, who’d been accompanying her, threw open the dressing room’s curtains.

In there was Sakura, with her hair down, wearing clothes that, on top of fitting her so well, they might’ve been ordered specifically for her, also gave off a high-class feel and maximized the beauty of the wearer. From the suit and skirt to the accessories and shoes she was wearing… nothing could be called anything but absolute perfection.

According to the older woman, it wasn’t a dress since Sakura had asked for “an outfit easy to move in.”

Kanata froze. He had always thought Sakura both cute and pretty, but those words seemed woefully insufficient to describe the girl in front of his eyes. The beauty of his childhood friend was indescribable. Such thoughts and others instantly flashed through Kanata’s mind, resulting in him growing rigid.

Whenever Kanata was overwhelmed by his thoughts, he tended to freeze up.

“H-Huh? Your boyfriend has stopped moving, dear customer.”
“Oh… it’s fine, Ma’am. He tends to freeze up, when he’s shocked by something… Eh-heh-heh, I guess it’s a good type of shock, this time? Other than for some events, this is the first time I’m dressed this seriously and fashionably.

As she explained that, Sakura closed in on the rigid Kanata and took his hand. That moment, he regained consciousness.

“Huh!? …A goddess?”
“H-H-H-Hang on… Jusht what are you shaying!? Ishn’t… ishn’t that… t-t-too much praishe? H-hey, y-y-you’re going too far, K’nata…! That’sh the shecond time today!”

The employees and the fashionista looked warmly on their exchange. After a while, both kids had calmed down.

“Hah~~… My apologies, Ma’am. Both Sakura and I lost our composure. Sorry for the trouble we caused.”
“It’s fine~, there’s no issue~. Would you like to see~ the other 14 sets, too?”
“Sakura, are you fine with it? I’d like to see them.”
“Alright,” she confirmed.

Afterwards, Sakura repeatedly changed into different outfits in the dressing room, which was a magic room that allowed her to instantly change clothes. All the 15 outfits were fine, but the very first among them was the one that fit her best, after all.

“Excuse me, if I were to buy all of them, what would be the price?”
“Indeed… they all fit her well, so… 5.06 million bells? That’s without the optional accessories.”

Everything in this store, including underwear, was ranging from high to treasure grade, so a high price was only natural. Unsurprisingly, Kanata was shocked by that number.

On that note, Sakura had apparently not worn the real clothes, instead they were projected onto similar, cheaper pieces of attire².

“5.06 million bells… Incidentally, how much would it be with the accessories included?”
“6.29 million bells, I’d say?”

Said accessories – brooches, hair ornaments and other things – used gemstones and such, so, same as on Earth, they were fundamentally high-class articles. Regardless of whether you were able to pay for them or not, the store had no ill intentions in allowing you to try them on, to see if they fit you.

“6.29 million… Hm~~…”
“Well, of course you’re free to just choose one to three among them…”
“Oh, no. I’ll buy everything. I’ll pay right away.”

Those words shocked both Sakura and the elf clerks. Only the fashionista didn’t seem surprised, maybe since she had recognized that rare sort of customer in him.

“A-Alright~! Thank you very much! Are you truly~ sure about this?”
“Yes, could we settle the bill directly?”
“Ah… indeed, we have a room for such large transactions, it’s over there.”

The two kids followed the older woman into said room. It was another cozy room, though it had a heavy atmosphere, making it obvious that it was no place to enter casually.

“Erm, this here is for transferring the goods, but…”
“Ah, in that case, could you put them into this magic bag.”

After getting Sakura’s approval, Kanata handed the girl’s magic bag to the older woman. Although, hearing that he would immediately pay 6.29 million bells shocked Sakura to the point where she stiffened completely and could do nothing but simply nod in agreement.

“I understand,” the older woman confirmed. “Then, first would be the payment.”
“Yes, here you go, Ma’am.”

Kanata produced a heap of large gold coins worth 6.29 million bells from his own magic bag and placed them on the table.

“One~… two~… three~… four~… five~… six~…³ Indeed, I confirm the payment of 6.29 million bells. We look forward to your continued patronage, dear customer.”
“Yes, we shall rely on you again.”

After each bowing their heads, Kanata and Sakura left the store and returned to their apartment via teleportation.

TL notes:
Another clothing themed chapter, but unlike Alim back then, Sakura didn’t seem distressed by the process (other than the price at the end).

Kanata’s actions here might appear over the top, acting like some nouveau riche throwing around money with reckless abandon, but from his perspective he a) could get much, much more money if he sold everything from the dungeon, and b) might very well be unable to bring that wealth back to Earth, so why not use it now? And I’m sure being able to act like that also strokes his inner chuunibyou.

The fashion lady talks with vowels drawn out in irregular places (maybe there was a pattern, but I didn’t see it), though she mostly drops it when it comes to buying/selling the goods. She also pronounces boyfriend/girlfriend with an “s” at the end. Maybe it’s supposed to be an accent?

1. The original is ファションおばさん (“fashion auntie”).
2. While that’s fast and convenient, don’t you try on clothes to see if they are comfortable to wear? Sure, clothing in Anazumu is enchanted so it adapts its size to the wearer, but that doesn’t mean it’s always comfortable.
3. The original is ひぃ…ふぅ…みぃ…よぉ…いつ…むぅ…. Thanks to Kemm for explaining that that’s how small numbers are counted quickly.

Support Us

Unlock Early Access ------- Select Project ------- Project Gender Bender Project Necro ∴ Support your favorite series and unlock chapters before the public release.