Chapter 16: Charming Forest

The boy with short white hair wore a plain shirt, a knitted sweater, and plaid slacks—dressed so properly, it looked like a typical high school autumn-winter uniform.

He obviously had a good-looking face, yet spoke so nonchalantly about wanting to wear women’s clothes. Squire couldn’t help but worry about the future of the country—just what were young people coming to these days, being so secretly bold?

“Shall we go in together, then?”

The white-haired boy invited her.

“Mm, let’s go in.”

Since the shop’s main theme was unisex, there should be something Squire needed. With a “might as well, since I’m here” attitude, she followed the white-haired boy into the Forest of Enchantment.

However, the store’s interior left her dumbfounded.

“…Is this really a clothing store?”

Unlike typical boutiques, the lighting inside was dim overall, with only the mannequins illuminated by spotlights, making them the center of attention. The outfits were all displayed on full-body mannequins, lined up in neat rows, as if a group of wax figures were waiting for something…

The atmosphere reminded Squire of scenes commonly found in haunted houses.

Squire felt a wave of unease. If the white-haired boy weren’t by her side to bolster her courage, she probably would’ve run out already.

“W-what’s up with this store? Why does it feel so eerie?”

She even felt a cold breeze blowing on the back of her neck.

The white-haired boy explained, “I heard the owner here is quite a character. He believes that the clothes are the true protagonists of a clothing store. It’s the clothes that choose people, not people who choose the clothes.”

“How could clothes choose people? They’re just inanimate objects.”

As Squire said this, she suddenly felt a heavy slap on her shoulder.

Pa-da—

She instinctively jumped forward a step, then turned around—only to see a shadow emerge from the darkness.

“Yaa—?!”

The self-proclaimed thirty-five-year-old “uncle” let out a high-pitched, broken scream.

“Clothes can’t move, but they have a will of their own.”

A deep, magnetic male voice sounded beside her ear.

She took a closer look. It was a man with dark skin and dramatic makeup around his drooping eyes. He wore a tight jacket that revealed his muscular chest, and in his hand was a shining pair of tailor’s scissors.

He stroked his slightly stubbled double chin, pointed the scissors at Squire’s clothes, and looked her up and down with eyes full of admiration and fervor.

“Little Honey, your outfit is quite unique. See, the cool, minimal look inside, paired with this sheer milky-white coat, creates an effect that’s both hidden and revealed… That hazy texture is really something.”

[Hmm~]

Squire was completely stunned, but Nyx seemed quite proud, letting out a satisfied hum.

“…Are you the owner?” Squire stammered.

“That’s right. I’m Conno… Have you heard the name before?”

“No.”

Maybe he was a celebrity in the fashion world?

But Squire didn’t really care about that stuff.

The clothes on the mannequins looked nice—under the dazzling lights, they shone with a sense of luxury and fashion. But Squire didn’t have much of a budget. These high-end pieces obviously weren’t cheap…

Nyx said this place had good value, but she couldn’t even see any price tags.

Conno turned his gaze to the white-haired boy.

A stream of information flashed across his retina, and faint light reflected in his deep pupils.

“You’re… hmm, a customer with an Appointment, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Come with me. Your agent already contacted me. I’ve prepared some of the latest styles and the most suitable colors for you. Let’s try them in the Changing Room first…

Oh, and you, little Honey, have a look around the shop. I’ll be right back.”

As he spoke, he gave Squire a wink. With that sparkling deep purple eyeshadow, it felt like he landed a precise blow straight to Squire’s heart.

Looking more closely, Squire noticed a teardrop mole under Conno’s left eye.

“Oh… okay.”

Conno’s voice was low and magnetic as he led the white-haired boy toward the store counter.

Squire walked along, eyeing the clothes displayed on either side. There really were mostly pants. These outfits used lots of patent leather and metal elements, giving off a cold and modern vibe under the spotlights.

[What do you think?]

Nyx proactively asked for her opinion.

“It’s cool—kind of a handsome, androgynous look? I don’t really understand women’s clothes… but this neutral style does feel easier for me to accept.”

Even knowing these were all women’s clothes, the sharp tailoring and tough materials made them feel more reassuring to wear… At least, that’s how Squire saw it.

“Oh? Little Honey actually likes this kind of style?”

Not long after, the shop owner Conno reappeared from the shadows.

But this time, Squire was mentally prepared and wasn’t startled.

“Did that Appointment customer finish choosing?”

“I just handed him the prepared clothes to try on. But compared to someone who’s already decided what to wear, it’s lost little lambs like you that really interest me~”

“Are all the clothes in the shop your designs?”

“Yes. My design philosophy is to eliminate gender boundaries. As long as it fits, anyone—male or female—can wear it. That boy just now was a perfect example of my style.”

So these androgynous clothes could be worn by anyone—this wasn’t a women’s boutique after all?

“Then, is there something suitable for me? It’s almost winter, so I hope it’s warm enough. And nothing too bright—I’m not a kid.”

Squire stated her needs.

“Little Honey, you’re so cute, yet you prefer black, white, and gray?”

Conno rubbed his big hands together and took a full set of clothes from the rack.

A loose red woolen coat, a deep brown turtleneck knit, and for the bottom, lined stretch skinny pants. They were indeed unisex styles, and both the coat and pants had patent leather accents.

But this set was clearly the wrong size for Squire, and not in the black-white-gray color scheme he’d just mentioned.

“Hold on a moment—let me show you the Designer’s Magic.”

“Designer’s Magic?”

Squire was still puzzled as Conno pulled down the zipper of his leather jacket a little, revealing a thickly furred chest—no, actually, a pendant hanging at his collar.

And on that pendant hung a…

“A Magic Gem?!”

Squire, who had dealt with various Magic Girls as a Monster, recognized it at a glance.

“Oh? Little Honey, you really know your stuff!”

“…Boss, are you a Magic Girl?”

A Magic Girl—and a man at that?

Wait, she was a man herself…

“Magic Girl? Oh, that was ages ago.”

But Conno shook his head.

“I’ve already retired. Now, I’m just a fashion designer.”

Once a Magic Girl, now retired and working as a designer.

Heroes always retire someday. After all, there were so many Heroes these days. If the old guard never retired, the newcomers would never get their chance. Besides, the pay for lower-level Heroes wasn’t great and the job was dangerous. Wasn’t it better to do something normal for a living?

That’s why many Heroes never joined the Hero Company, instead holding day jobs and moonlighting as Heroes. Because once you became a professional Hero, there was no turning back.

As Conno spoke, he polished the Magic Gem, sprinkling starlight onto the clothes in his hands. The clothes shrank in size; the woolen coat turned pure white, and the sweater and skinny pants turned black.

So Magic could be used like this too?

“Here, go try these on.”

Squire thought to himself that these must be expensive, but didn’t dare ask the price. He could only clutch the clothes and head to the shop’s Changing Room. However…

“This Changing Room only has curtains?”

Changing Rooms without doors weren’t unheard of, but he’d never seen one without even partitions—just a small cubicle with a sofa stool and a full-length mirror, enclosed on all sides by draped curtains.

If there was no one else, it would be fine, but Squire could clearly hear the rustle of the white-haired boy changing next door.

She felt a bit shy…

But then again, since they were both men, and there was a curtain in between, what was there to be embarrassed about?

Still, that meant she couldn’t ask Nyx to help remove her clothes—someone in the next stall might hear—so she’d have to undress herself.

Fortunately, the sleeveless shirt and skirt weren’t hard to take off.

“Hoo…”

It was actually kind of cute.

Squire looked at herself in the mirror and couldn’t help but think so.

Though it wasn’t her preferred style, she had to admit—it was cute.

Just like the little sister who’d always been glued to her side as a child…

After all, the combat body had been generated using her own data. It made sense that siblings would resemble each other.

“Now for the sweater…”

Shff—

Just as Squire was slipping her arms into the sweater, the curtain on one side of the Changing Room was suddenly pulled open—

Her hands were still in the sleeves, and all she wore was a plain white undershirt.

The white-haired boy stood there in a fitted, high-collared coat, his delicate face showing a trace of surprise before quickly returning to calm.

“Sorry, wrong stall.”

“Pervert?!”