Chapter 6: The Endless Fitting Room

“Ah…”

I once again stared blankly at my empty hands.

A sense of emptiness washed over me.

I shot a glance at my master with a hint of resentment, but my master didn’t seem to care at all.

However, after only a few chews, my master frowned and muttered.

“It’s too sweet.”

With a furrowed brow, my master quickly drank the coffee.

Only then did their expression seem to soften a little.

A small cup of dark liquid.

When I sniffed it up close, the familiar aroma of coffee filled my senses.

Memories of drinking it with my previous master faintly resurfaced, and without much thought, I lifted the cup.

“Ugh…!”

The intense bitterness struck my tongue.

The strong bitterness wiped out all the sweetness of the macarons.

I put the cup down, making a face similar to my master’s after eating the macaron.

How can anyone drink something like this and enjoy it?

I looked at my master with eyes full of betrayal.

“Excuse me.”

At that moment, several staff members appeared, carrying a bunch of clothes.

As multiple staff members entered, hanging clothes on large hangers, the spacious room quickly filled up.

I watched in awe at the endless flow of clothes, and one staff member approached me.

“I’ll take you to the changing room.”

I was about to get up unconsciously but paused.


I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I needed permission from my master.

At that, my master gave a slight nod and spoke.

“Change and come out.”

“Okay.”

Once I received my master’s permission, I got up from my seat.

Following the staff’s guidance, I headed toward the changing room, but I noticed that the staff members followed me into the room as well.

“Uh, excuse me…”

“We are here to assist you in changing your clothes. Please don’t mind us and change comfortably.”

I wanted to say that I could change on my own, but the staff’s confident demeanor silenced me.

Though they were men like me, it still felt awkward and embarrassing to undress in front of others.

I had undressed in front of my master and Thomas yesterday, but unlike then, my master wasn’t by my side today.

Maybe it wouldn’t be as embarrassing?

If I took too long here, my master, who was probably waiting outside, might get bored.

The thought crossed my mind, and I hurriedly began to change.

Trying to act unbothered, I took off my clothes, and one staff member quickly took them from me.

At almost the same time, another staff member handed me a new set of clothes.

They worked so efficiently that I changed into new clothes in no time.

The first outfit I tried on was a neatly tailored suit.

A soft and tightly woven white shirt, a navy tie that gently tightened around the neck, and a neat jacket that softly hugged the body, creating a sophisticated impression.

The stiff leather shoes made a click-clack sound as they hit the floor, making each step feel cautiously deliberate.

“Wow…”

I silently admired myself in the mirror.

The outfit was unfamiliar, but it oddly resembled the style my master often wore.

It was my first time wearing such a suit, so I felt awkward, but it was strangely pleasant to look like my master.

While I was admiring myself in the mirror, the staff also neatly styled my hair.

Once everything was ready, the staff led me to the curtains.

“This is the first outfit.”

With a crisp sound, the curtain opened, and beyond it, my master was sitting on the sofa in a slightly slouched posture, watching me with keen interest.

“This suit is from brand A, and it is suitable for formal occasions.”

“Hmm…”

But the master showed an ambiguous reaction.

Was it not good…?

I cautiously tried to read the mood, confused by the unexpected response.

“Next.”

The master gave a slight nod and spoke briefly.

The underwhelming reaction dampened the excitement I had felt.

I immediately returned to the fitting room to change into the next outfit.

“This is the second outfit. It’s a casual style that can be worn comfortably in various settings.”

This time, I wore a white shirt and well-fitted navy pants.

Without an outer jacket or necktie, the outfit felt much lighter.

It was also noticeably easier to move in than the previous one.

Even as the employee continued their explanation, the master remained silent, resting their chin on their hand with a cold expression.

I tried on several more outfits afterward, but the master’s disinterested reaction remained unchanged.

It became increasingly frustrating as I couldn’t figure out what style the master actually wanted.

The employees seemed to be troubled too, gazing at the clothes on the rack in deep thought.

Looking at myself in the mirror, I thought, it looks fine to me…

So why isn’t the master satisfied?

“Ah!”

Just then, one of the staff members suddenly stood up, as if something had dawned on them.

They rummaged through the racks and carefully selected an outfit before returning with it in hand.

I tilted my head slightly as I took the clothes.

They definitely felt different from what I had tried so far… but would the master really be satisfied with these?

“This time, we’ve prepared a slightly different style. A soft pastel-toned knit paired with clean ivory-colored bottoms that will suit the customer well.”

Still doubtful, I changed into the new clothes and stood before the master.

Listening to the shopper’s added explanation, I looked down at what I was wearing.

It was a light yellow knit sweater with white pants.

Overall, the outfit gave a warm and comfortable impression.

It resembled something I’d wear on a normal day, so it didn’t feel awkward, and the softness wrapping around my skin felt nice.

Fidgeting with the hem of the sweater, I checked the master’s reaction.

The master raised their gaze and silently stared at me.

“It’s stretchy and allows for easy movement…”

“Not bad. Next.”

The master cut off the explanation with a nod.

It was a markedly different attitude from the indifferent responses earlier.

Looking behind me, I saw the shopper’s face finally brighten up.

Having finally figured out the master’s taste, the staff bustled around, piling the fitting room with new clothes.

Each hanger was filled with bright and cheerful colors, and the once monotonous formalwear was replaced with lively casual outfits, making the atmosphere of the room feel noticeably lighter.

I continued trying on clothes—white fleece shirts, beige coats, fluffy shearling jackets, even a pink sweater.

With each new outfit, I stood in front of the master.

At first, I was a bit nervous, but with each approving response, my mood improved.

“Good. Next.”

“This one’s nice too.”

“Try on more similar ones.”

Each time the master nodded, the shopper’s smile grew wider.

Excited, they handed me more and more outfits with a cheerful grin.

At first, I was happy too.

The master seemed pleased, the staff was visibly excited, and I liked that people were becoming happier because of me.

It felt satisfying to brighten the atmosphere just by wearing different clothes.

But… When would this end?

The joy of changing clothes quickly faded as an odd feeling crept in.

I had definitely tried on a lot of outfits, yet the pile never seemed to shrink.

Repeating the same routine for hours, my body began to tire.

After changing into yet another outfit, I cautiously asked the shopper who was about to hand me the next one:

“Um…”

“Yes, customer?”

“How many more do I need to try on?”

The shopper smiled and pointed at something with their fingertip.

I turned my head and saw that every rack was still lined with clothes.

“You need to try on all the clothes here.”

“All… of them?”

I murmured in disbelief.

Just what I could see amounted to hundreds of outfits.

An endless line of clothes stood at attention, waiting for me.

My vision darkened for a moment.

Will I even be able to finish this tonight…?

On the verge of tears, I kept changing clothes.

Neither the master nor the shopper showed signs of being satisfied, so I couldn’t be the one to suggest stopping first.

Every time I stepped out in a new outfit, the pile waiting grew even higher, like a mountain.

The more I changed, the heavier my body felt, and my face became pale.

I could feel my energy draining away as time passed.

As time went on, I began to understand why this seemingly simple task required assistance.

If I had tried to do this hundreds of times alone, I would’ve collapsed from exhaustion in no time.