A Day Out (2)
Once again, I dressed her in the hood and black cloak, pulling the hood over her head. Outside, the rain had just stopped, but the sunlight still didn’t fully break through, leaving the air chilly. Just as I was about to slip my own clothes over hers and step out, she spoke softly.
“Um… I was hoping you could help a little. Is that all right?”
I closed my eyes for a moment, watching her ears twitch beneath the hood. Calm down. It’s just helping. Just pulling her ears out a little.
I lifted the edge of the hood with one hand and gently drew her soft, warm ear tips out through the opening with the other. This time I didn’t fumble with her ears or stare at her face, and I finished quickly.
After all, the strange reaction she’d shown last time and how dangerous it might be if I touched her too much. Plus, there was a lot to do today.
Without a word, I left the inn and stood with her in the open square, looking around. She walked beside me, ears perked up, pointing out shops one by one as if this were the most natural thing in the world.
“Then, where should we start?”
“First, I need to buy some normal clothes, pajamas, and clothes for exploring the dungeon. Then I’ll need weapons. Should we start with clothes?”
“Yes, please. That way, then.”
The streets still glistened with rainwater after the rain, and every step made a satisfying squelch. What was even more surprising was that the footsteps belonged to someone else.
She walked right beside me, ears flicking, introducing each shop as we passed. For someone who had never experienced this before, she was showing me a whole new life.
She pointed out street food stalls, vegetable shops, bakeries, butcher shops, and patisseries—places she often visited. As she spoke, she smiled occasionally.
“Like at the vegetable stall, they sometimes give me a whole bunch of mini carrots as snacks. Or at the patisserie, the nice married couple who runs it gives me cookies and a bottle of milk.”
After walking and talking for a long time, we finally reached the clothing store.
The interior was surprisingly modern. Brightly colored clothes hung from racks, and aside from the wooden walls and stone tiles, it felt almost like any other shop. Really, if it weren’t for the fact that these were clothes.
She ignored the jeans, jackets, white T-shirts, long sleeves, and hoodies entirely. Instead, she headed to the other side, where she chose flowing, rough-textured garments fastened with strings or simple buttons—mostly dresses with elaborate decorations.
She held up several white long-sleeve tops and black pants, or black tops, comparing them to her body before selecting a few that fit well and bringing them to me.
“Um… Could you perhaps make several of these in the exact same size?”
Immediately, I asked the shopkeeper standing nearby to make several of them. She thought for a moment, then opened the door and stepped inside.
I assumed she’d pick them out herself, so I watched as she moved around the store, checking other clothes. She picked up a few loose, flowing gray dresses, held them against her body, nodded, and handed them to me with both hands.
“These are normal clothes, but I’d like these too.”
“Do you need extras for these?”
“No, normal clothes won’t get dirty easily, so this should be enough. Buying more would be too expensive. Next… um…”
She hesitated, then walked deeper into the store without waiting for me.
I followed, but when she brushed against my back with a light tap, I turned around. The shopkeeper was holding several garments.
“How many pieces do you need?”
“These are clothes I’ll wear when exploring the dungeon. How many do you think I’ll need?”
“It depends on how often you go, but since you asked for several, it seems you go about three times a week. This should be fine.”
“All right, that’ll do.”
After the shopkeeper neatly folded two each of the white and black garments, I noticed Ely had come up behind me again, holding several pieces against her body. She seemed deep in thought, comparing them one by one, then handed me the clothes.
“Um… Would you like to try them on in the fitting room?”
“What should I wear?”
“These white and black long-sleeves here… and… the pants are generous, so it doesn’t matter. Still want to try?”
“Pants are fine. Here, just try once—yes. The pants look good. I’ll try the top and be right back.”
I hung my coat on the hanger, and she quietly closed the curtain of the fitting room. So meticulous.
When I took off my top, the well-defined muscles stood out clearly, along with faint scars. The wounds I’d thought were severe didn’t leave deep marks. The muscles were impressive—some definition, though not overly bulky. It was the kind of body you’d see in foreign movies.
After trying on the clothes she’d brought, the sleeves showed the lines of muscle while the torso felt slightly loose. What was even stranger was that the rough fabric stretched easily and comfortably. I moved around in the surprisingly comfortable material, marveling at how soft it was.
“Wow, these clothes are really comfortable…”
Coming out of the fitting room and swinging my arms, I saw Ely talking with the shopkeeper, smiling occasionally. She must have known her from before.
While she folded the clothes into a large tote bag, Ely looked at me in my new outfit, eyes wide as she examined every detail. She reached out a hand, then pulled it back, her lips parting as if seeking permission.
“Um… Is it all right if I check if the clothes fit well?”
“Ah, yes.”
Before I could ask what exactly she meant, her hands began touching every corner of my body. She lifted the sleeves to slip her thin fingers between the fabric, then smoothed my front and back with her palms. The warmth of her touch made my face burn, but I forced a cough and let her check the fit.
After exploring my upper body for a long time, she nodded and suggested I buy two of each white and black like hers. So I bought them, and soon two bags sat on the counter. It probably cost a lot, but I told myself it was just my imagination.
She then held out several pieces of cloth in front of me.
“This… what is this?”
I couldn’t answer right away, so the shopkeeper, who had appeared beside me, smiled and explained.
“These are the undergarments for women, sir.”
I looked at the thin fabric again. Underwear? It didn’t look like what I imagined. The area was large, but it lacked the shape I expected. Nothing flashy about it.
She smiled faintly, then took two from Ely’s hands and unfolded them.
“See? This wide cloth that looks like a single band goes over the top and fastens to cover the chest area, and this triangular piece—”
Yes, that was clearly panties. I understood immediately and folded them—
“U-um… five, no, um… eek…”
Her face flushed red as she lowered her head. I asked the shopkeeper how many were needed.
“Um… Since you’ll be exploring the dungeon, hygiene is especially important. I recommend buying enough for a change when you return. Seven pieces should be plenty. Seven pieces are 70 dicat, so it’s not that expensive.”
“I’ve never bought that many before…”
She hesitated, looking embarrassed, but I decided to trust the shopkeeper’s advice. More underwear was better, after all.
“Then I’ll take seven.”
“And for the men, seven pieces too?”
“Yes, please.”
Although the basket was overflowing, it was surprisingly easy to pay with a few silver coins.
“Clothing stores are plentiful. Leather comes out a lot from the dungeon, and fabrics and dyes are abundant in lower levels. The more you buy, the better the discount from this shopkeeper. I recommend shopping here often.”
Carrying the bags out of the store, I noticed Ely holding both. I tried to take one from her hands, but she refused.
“Today’s load is quite heavy. Please let me carry it, and I’ll return the things you need later.”
“You won’t refuse?”
“Even if you try to persuade me, you’ll end up carrying them anyway.”
A gentle smile graced her beautiful face, filling it with ease. For a moment, I was lost in that sight, then I smiled back.
Compared to our first meeting, when we were both extremely tense, this felt much more relaxed. I was relieved.
If we could continue like this and get to know each other slowly, she would surely make a good companion.