An Outing (1)
“Ugh… it might be colder than I thought….”
“You okay?”
I asked worriedly, watching Cecilia shrink into herself and shiver.
At my words she glanced up at me from under her hood, then quickly dropped her gaze again.
“…Honestly… not really….”
“We should buy you some clothes first. It is pretty cold today.”
It really was colder than yesterday or the day before — I thought so as I looked up at the clear blue sky. Drawing a breath chilled my lungs; leaving my hands out left them cold in no time. A few degrees lower and we might have been breathing white. That kind of cold.
And yet the sky was astonishingly blue — classic autumn weather. Cold, yes. But beautiful.
“Let’s stick to the sunny side as much as we can. Once we get you into something warmer, it should feel better.”
“Really…?”
I nodded at the sniffling Cecilia.
Her outer layer was the same black hoodie she always wore. Underneath she had on a reasonably thick long-sleeved shirt and pants — not something we’d bought ahead of time. They were mine. Her usual short sleeves and shorts wouldn’t have cut it today, so I’d put her in them before we left. The size difference between us was considerable, though… which meant everything hung loose on her, and the wind found every gap.
“This way.”
“Okay….”
I led the huddled Cecilia along the street. Dry leaves crackled underfoot with every step. From the roadside trees, withered leaves finished their work one by one and drifted to the ground.
It was a weekend around lunchtime, so the streets weren’t crowded. In the easy quiet, children’s voices carried from somewhere far off.
Come to think of it, this was already Cecilia’s third time going outside. Even if the unfamiliar sights had frightened her at first, maybe now she could enjoy herself a little—
“Ugh….”
—except she was too busy shivering to spare the attention. Watching her cling tightly to my arm, I gave a small wry smile. Sightseeing could wait. I picked up the pace toward a clothing store.
“Welcome. This is Alter, your clothing specialty store. Is there something you’re looking for?”
Something about the clerk’s greeting felt faintly familiar, but I shook my head lightly. We planned to browse at our own pace; we didn’t need help.
At the shake of my head, the clerk bowed with polished formality.
“Of course. Please call if you need anything.”
Then she withdrew toward the counter — a thoroughly professional exit. I watched her for a moment, then glanced over at Cecilia.
“…Sooo warm….”
And there she was: one thoroughly defenseless cat, face flushed, expression gone soft as she basked in the store’s heating. Looking at her for even a second brought out the urge to tease. I reached over and poked one of those soft cheeks with a fingertip.
“Hnyaat.”
A distinctly catlike sound. Cecilia flinched and opened her eyes.
“…Uuu…….”
An embarrassed look turned my way. Lips pushed out in a little pout — adorable.
“Come on. Let’s pick out some clothes.”
Stifling a laugh, I steered her deeper into the store.
The interior was larger and cleaner than I’d expected. Rather than flashy, experimental designs, most of what was on display looked comfortable and well put-together. At a glance the selection split evenly between men’s and women’s, with a solid number of pieces that could work for either. The mannequins were each dressed in coordinated outfits that were fun just to look at. If nothing else caught your eye, you could do worse than just buying whatever a mannequin was wearing.
“See anything you like?”
“Hmm….”
Standing before that sea of clothes, Cecilia took a moment to think. But the crease between her brows only deepened, so I picked something out for her and held it up.
“How about this?”
Cecilia glanced at the shirt I’d chosen — and immediately burst out laughing. “Pfft?!”
“Wh-what, a monkey face…! P-pff….”
“One of those gag shirts you only ever see online. First time I’ve actually seen one for sale.”
What I’d held up was a bizarre shirt whose entire front was one giant monkey face — the kind that shows up in variety shows now and then.
“Pffhah…!”
Cecilia clutched her stomach, shoulders shaking with laughter. Excellent reaction. I put the monkey shirt back on the rack and said lightly,
“You don’t have to overthink it. Just look around, touch things if you want. Pick whatever you like. Or if it’s too hard, I can choose for you?”
I swept my eyes over the displays as I spoke. That monkey had been an outlier; everything else was pretty straightforward — stripes, polka dots, paint-spatter patterns. Simple without being plain. Stylish, even.
“Mmm~. Okay then~….”
Still bright-faced from laughing, Cecilia started scanning the racks herself. Her gaze moved slowly; she brushed a sleeve here and there… and then stopped in front of one piece.
“…This one. I like it.”
“Yeah. It’s pretty.”
What she’d chosen was a simple beige knit cardigan. The fabric was thickly woven and soft, puffed out just enough to look inviting. It looked comfortable — warm, and good for wearing indoors too.
“Want to try it on?”
“Oh — is that okay?”
I nodded at her wide eyes and pointed to a nearby mirror.
“See that mirror? Open it and there’s a space inside. Go in, change, and come back out.”
“Ahh…. Like last time?”
“Last time? …Ah, yeah. Like at the lingerie shop.”
Cecilia nodded in understanding, then kept glancing back at me as she walked toward the fitting room.
“Take your time. I’ll wait.”
A faint smile under the hood, and she nodded. She opened the mirror and stepped inside. A soft click as it shut. Then the quiet rustle of fabric against skin.
“Hmm.”
Standing guard outside the fitting room, I let my eyes wander. Clothes everywhere, and other customers browsing them. More people than I’d expected for a weekend. A few of them seemed to be watching Cecilia and me with warm, fond looks, but… probably just my imagination.
“Oh.”
Something caught my interest as I looked around. I picked it up and turned it over in my hands.
“Hmm.”
A knit hat — beige, same as the cardigan. Soft, not bad at all. It would suit her.
“I’m done~….”
A small voice from the fitting room, and the door rattled open. Cecilia stepped out still wearing her hoodie. The beige cardigan peeked out underneath.
“I can hide my tail under clothes, but my ears are….”
With soft little footsteps she came right up beside me and, in a whisper, explained why she hadn’t taken the outer layer off. I nodded. Beastkin still weren’t something you could openly show in public, and the cardigan didn’t have a hood. I’d more or less expected that.
“Cecilia.”
Which was exactly why I’d picked this up.
“Want to try this on?”
I held out the hat I’d grabbed earlier. She took it, feeling the fabric with a curious expression.
“…A hat?”
“A cat-ear hat, specifically. The material’s knit… same as that cardigan.”
Not just any hat — one with cat-ear decorations. The kind people usually wear as a cute accessory. But even if it was decorative for most people, if Cecilia wore it, it might hide her real ears naturally.
“It’s so soft…. …♪”
She smiled, pleased, and fretted the hat between her fingers. A faint little purr sounded every time her slender fingers brushed the fabric.
“Just a second….”
She murmured, tucking the hat under her hood. A bit of fidgeting, and then she pushed the hood back.
“…How do I look?”
There she was in the knit hat. Fair skin, youthful features, and that soft cat-ear beanie. Of course it suited her.
“It looks wonderful on you, Cecilia.”
“Hehe.”
Under the bright lights she smiled, bashful. Beneath the hat, her real cat ears gave a faint twitch in answer. You could see them move a little if you looked, but not enough to stand out. Unless someone was watching closely, they wouldn’t notice. Perfect.
“Do you like it?”
“Yeah!”
She answered in a bright voice, smile pure and open. Beige cardigan, matching hat, cat-ear decoration — a look that suited Cecilia down to the ground. Just as I’d thought before we left: dress her up a little and she really was adorable.
“Next let’s look at some outdoor clothes. A coat, long sleeves and pants. Some pajamas would be good too.”
How long had it been since shopping felt this fun? Was this what it felt like for a girlfriend shopping for clothes with her boyfriend? Having a good model made browsing clothes actually enjoyable.
“…♪”
Cecilia looked like she was enjoying the shopping too. We wandered the store and picked up a few more outfits for her to wear going forward. Some of it — the cardigan and the hat included — we wore right out of the store.
“Next… want to try a café?”
“A café? What’s that?”
“Hmm, a place where you sit and drink something? They have sweet things too.”
And so we talked, quietly, as we went.