As they walked back to their dorms, having done enough training, Yuki felt a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment, as if everything was perfect just now. But it would be even more perfect if Yamato would compliment her right now!
"Master, I'm so pretty!"
"Uh… Yes, you are very pretty?"
"That's right! You are very handsome as well!"
"Thanks…?"
"You're welcome!"
Now it was perfect.
Once back at the dorms, the sun had already begun to set, and was only half visible on the horizon through the window now. Which made it perfect. But what would make it absolutely perfect was doing what couples do when they express love.
After that, she officially accepted this day as perfect and fell asleep without a care in the world. Though getting up for school the next morning ruined the mood a little, the previous day had been so exceptionally amazing that she chose to not be mad about that. Actually, now that Yamato was able to use magic, paying attention actually payed off. Though she believed herself to be the superior teacher so it would still be a waste of time for them, but whatever, she thought. Time passed by, and months of social engineering resulted in the twins integrating themselves perfectly into class 1, which would surely give Yamato an advantage in the upcoming final competitive exam for this year. Though they would not get any information about it like always, they could still prepare themselves for it. Both Arina and Yamato had increased their strength immensely, so much so that both were now easily at Satoshi's level. Yes, especially Yamato's groth was impressive, being on par with Arina even though he only received the ability to use magic a couple of months ago. Though, he did study the subject before through Yuki, who also tutored him personally while being more motivated than when she tutored Arina, so it was not like he came from nothing, but impressive nonetheless. He was without a doubt her pride and joy. However despite all the training, fun would not disappear from their lives as in order to celebrate how much they grew as a class, Elara would invite their entire class to a party her father seemed to host for political reasons,coincidentally one day before the exam, which Yamato found to be very intriguing. Though Yuki said it was a party, Yamato assumed, due to the time this world was in, it would be more like a royal ball or something. Which meant they had to go buy clothes, because neither of them had ones that were fitting an occasion such as this one. Luckily, Yuki's financial supporter number one, incidentally also the one who invited them, Elara, had pocket money she just gave Yuki at the mention of money, which was more than enough for ten dresses. And so they went… Shopping!
"Master, what about this one! Look, my figure is really accentuated by the tight waist and chest, but the skirt almost reaches the ground, which makes it difficult if I want to jump on you…"
"Why would you jump on me…?"
"No reason, duh."
"Ah… So we try on another one then…?"
"No, we buy this one! But I need another one for the ball!"
"…Okay."
"You hold on to that one while I change!"
She said as the threw it over the curtain and tried on the next one. Yamato catched it and put it to the other four "I want but not for the ball" dresses.
"Ooh, I like this one!"
"How is that different from the other five…?"
"It's comfy!"
"You only get to pick one more, so this is the last."
"Whaaat? But I wanna spend everything!"
"Not a chance. You're so irresponsible with money…"
"Fine! Then I don't want this one…!"
"Then pick another one…"
"No! Now I want it again! You pick!"
"Me? Woman's clothes are not my area of expertise, y'know… We can ask someone who works here. I'm sure they can suggest you-"
"No! I don't give a fuck about the suggestion of some bitch! I need your suggestion! I will wear to the ball whatever you tell me to now!"
"…"
He sighed as he internally let out a sarcastic cry for help. If he picks something bad and she gets made fun of because of it and then kills them, it would be his fault, which was an actual scenario he felt like he had to worry about. So he looked around, looking for something suitable that was both pretty and practical… For her to jump on him, or whatever. Though the store had a large selection, his lack of experience and quite frankly lack of interest still made it difficult. There were so many options, and he felt like it did not matter at all which one he picked. But she would also be able to tell if he just picked at random, so he would have to put thought into it after all. He would start with color and go further from there. Maybe blue, to match her eye color? Or white, for her hair? Or red, for a contrast to her eyes? There were many ways he could put meaning into the color, so it would probably just come down to personal preference. If hers mattered, she would not have made him pick, so it was about his preference. And that was… He did not know. When picturing her in either color, she seemed pretty to him. And if it was just about the colors and not how they suit her, he did not have a preference at all. Though, when he dug deeper he felt like the color he wanted least to change about her was her hair color, but the thing he found most striking was her eye color, leading him to assume that his favorite color was in fact blue! So blue it was and on to the closer inspection. When looking closely, it became apparent that not all dresses were the same quality, as the fabric of some seemed to be just a higher quality in general, but had the same price range. He assumed it had something to do with dividing poor from rich, or more rich from richer, but that was just a guess and he could not care less about fashion hierarchy right now. But feeling as though he was wasting time, he decided on a higher quality one.
The top has a structured, corset-style bodice with visible boning that adds definition and support. The neckline is slightly curved and strapless, creating a flattering silhouette for the shoulders and décolletage.
The waist is cinched, emphasizing the figure, and the fabric is gathered at one hip, creating a dramatic high slit that reveals the left leg. This detail adds both allure and movement to the gown.
The fabric has a metallic or satin sheen that catches the light beautifully, giving the dress a glamorous, high-fashion appearance. Tiny
embellishments or beadwork seem to be subtly integrated into the fabric, especially in the bodice area, enhancing the texture and elegance.
Even though it reached down to the floor, since it had that slit on the left, Yamato hoped it would fit Yuki's bizarre criteria to be able to jump on him. Overall it seemed to be just what they were looking for.
"How about this one?"
"Hmm… I love you!"
"You mean the dress…?"
"You heard me! But the dress is good, I will try it on right away!"
"Take your time, I'll look around for a bit."
"Nuh uh, you have to stay infront of the curtain and picture me changing on the other side!"
"What, why would I do that?"
"It will happen automatically, you just need to stand there and wait while looking at the curtain, wishing for it to be see through~!"
"That seems like a creepy thing to do…"
"It's fine if it's you! Unless helping me change is less awkward and creepy for you, be my guest~!"
"I'll wait, I guess…"
"Aww… Suit yourself! This might take a while though."
"It's fine."
He looked around in the store, while staying in front of the changing cabinet, refusing to stare at it the entire time like a weirdo. As he did, he got tapped on the shoulder and turned around.
"Uhm… Yamato? I'm not sure if you noticed, but this is the woman's clothes section…"
"Arina? Oh, that. It's fine, I'm here with Yuki. What are you doing here?"
"Ah, that makes sense… I'm here to buy a dress for the ball, though I'm not sure what I should be looking for exactly. I've never attended such a high class event, y'know?"
"Yeah, me neither."
"Really? You seemed like the kind of person that was used to that sort of thing…"
"I'm really not. But Yuki is experienced in that area, I think. I'll just follow her lead on this."
"Ah, yeah, that seems like a smart thing to do…"
"…Do you want us to help you-"
"-That would be amazing! Thank you so much! Money isn't a problem by the way, I found this job, a little dangerous but pays really well! It's not that difficult, so we could try it all together sometime! While we are at that, should we get to the ball together as well? Only if you don't mind, of course. Or Yuki. We should ask her when she comes ba-"
Suddenly the curtain was thrown open dramatically, revealing a pouting Yuki.
"Silence, woman! He's taken- Oh… It's just you."
"Wow, you look great, Yuki!"
"Yeah, whatever, I know. How do I look, Yamato~?"
"It suits you really well. You should definitely wear that one."
"You're right! The dress is perfect, but even more so because you picked it for me!"
Arina was unfamiliar with the intimacy she seemed to have found herself in the middle of all of the sudden, and thought about leaving the two to themselves. But as much as she would like to, she needed their help to pick a dress ane learn about a bunch of things, so she decided to swallow the feelings of awkwardness and just try to not bother them too much. Yuki was not yet sure if she hated this or if it was more like a minor inconvenience she was willing to shrug off, but she would accept it until she made a definitive decision.