Chapter 152
Chapter 152
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Shopping for Summer Clothes with Karen
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After enjoying our trip, we finally returned to the Academy after a long time.
But that didn't mean there was any huge difference... Honestly, there wasn't.
It was the Academy, after all?
"Yawn..."
It was just the usual routine of attending classes, sleeping, chatting with Ella, and repeating.
Then heading back to the dormitory to relax with Lize, day after day.
"Yawwwn..."
"You slept through most of class. Why are you still yawning so much?"
"I wonder... I'm extra sleepy today..."
"You sleep a lot normally too."
"You're right."
Grace and I were heading up to the floor where the third-year classrooms were.
Regular Academy classes had already ended, and what we were doing now was picking up Karen in the third-year classroom.
A good amount of time had passed since returning from the trip, and the weather had gotten much hotter than before, so we couldn't wait any longer.
Even though Karen insisted she was fine and it wasn't that hot yet...
"Doesn't it feel like we should switch to summer uniforms soon?"
"It's gotten too hot to wear underlayers beneath our shirts these days."
"Right?"
The weather had definitely turned quite hot lately, so I figured Grace would feel it too.
With her fiery personality, it seemed even more likely.
"But going without anything under the shirt..."
"That'd be perverted."
"I wouldn't!"
"Hehe, just kidding."
Anyway, the conclusion was that the weather had gotten hot enough that long sleeves weren't easy anymore.
Of course, it wasn't as hot as the south where I'd lived, but hot was hot.
"Still, it's great that you came along this time, sis."
"...Yeah."
Both Grace and I acknowledged it.
Whenever I'd suggested going shopping lately, she'd always refused, but this time she properly agreed.
Even Karen, who'd been holding out until recently, was finally feeling the heat?
"Sis, we're here."
"O-Oh..."
"What are you doing, sis?"
"Just... waiting...?"
As we entered the third-year classroom, Karen looked at us with trembling eyes.
Did she hate buying summer clothes that much?
She'd admitted it was getting hot and even agreed to it.
"Shall we go buy some clothes right now?"
"Y-Yeah..."
"But Grace, don't you need anything? It might be fun to look at stuff for us while we're picking out sis's clothes."
"Hmm... Not really."
"True, Grace does wear uniforms often."
"Just focus on sis's clothes."
Well, yeah.
I was planning to focus mostly on Karen's clothes rather than my own anyway.
I had plenty of chances to shop—not just this time, but with Lize and Ella too...
But Karen tended to pass up opportunities like this... yeah.
And so, we headed straight for the clothing store on the Academy campus.
After leaving the Academy building and crossing the bridge, we went to one of the quieter spots we'd scouted before.
"Doesn't it feel kinda small?"
"But bigger places would have way more people. Karen sis wouldn't like that, right?"
"Oh."
I'd chosen this place for solid reasons.
It was truly Karen-friendly.
Of course, the clothes themselves were decent—mostly pretty and comfortable—so that factored in too.
"Hmm... Should we start with summer pajamas? Last time I checked, sis, most of your pajamas were thick ones."
"P-Pajamas should be fine..."
"Huh?"
"I already have summer pajamas..."
"Really?"
Huh?
I was honestly pretty surprised by Karen's words.
Because, from what I'd seen, none of her pajamas were made of light, cool fabric suitable for summer?
Mostly soft, thick-material ones for warmth... So where were these summer pajamas?
"So... let's buy other stuff first...!"
"Uh... sure? We don't really need pajamas anyway... okay."
She said she didn't need them.
So we skipped pajamas lightly and decided to pick out Karen's summer outfits.
But seriously, I didn't remember seeing any thin, light summer pajamas in her collection. What was she talking about?
Just grabbing anything she had?
Or lying to avoid picking them out?
Nothing was certain, but it was ambiguous all around.
"What do you think looks good, Grace? I was thinking a dress."
"Miniskirt?"
"Uh... for sis..."
"I know, right?"
"Aha."
Grace seemed in the mood to tease Karen today.
Honestly, Karen's reactions were hilarious, and she never wore short skirts normally.
I remembered she always went for skirts that reached at least her knees unless they were long skirts.
"Hehe... this'll be fun."
"Right?"
We matched pretty well on stuff like this.
More precisely, Grace matched me on this point.
Even Grace, who didn't like me much and always drooled around me, felt kinda similar in moments like this... and it was fun.
It was definitely fun imagining Grace wearing something embarrassing.
I'd love to force a skirt on her too, if I could.
Of course, Karen's shyness made that impossible.
"...What are you two whispering about?"
"Nothing."
Karen asked while looking at clothes, and Grace and I brushed it off with mischievous smiles.
Telling her would ruin the fun of making her try it on later, after all?
*
"D-Do I really have to wear this stuff?"
"Yeah, sis. We picked them out carefully for you."
"The skirt's too short..."
I smiled at Karen as she fretted over the clothes in my hands.
Grace covered her mouth beside me, snickering.
For reference, the three items I was holding were a skirt, camisole, and cardigan.
"It's just a normal skirt, camisole, and cardigan, right?"
"Th-That's... but..."
"Honestly, this skirt isn't super short enough to call it a miniskirt."
"Yeah..."
What Grace and I prepared wasn't anything extreme.
We'd considered miniskirts and really short ones...
But they wouldn't suit Karen, so we held back.
She had a great figure and height, but her personality was quiet and introverted.
So we deliberately avoided anything too risqué.
"Why not try them on once?"
"Yeah, sis. You really don't have proper summer clothes, right? Might as well..."
"Grace thinks so too...?"
"Yeah."
Grace nodded enthusiastically, praising Karen.
She was laying on the flattery and coaxing pretty hard, but ultimately, her goals were just getting Karen into new clothes—and whatever else.
Was it thanks to our fervent cheering and support?
"I-If I try them on, that's it?"
"Yeah."
"But this camisole's too sexy, isn't it...?"
"You think so?"
"H-Hic... N-Not that it's bad... The size fits, but it shows my body too much..."
Karen said that while eyeing the clothes in my hands.
The camisole might indeed be embarrassing to wear.
If it was just the camisole, it'd show cleavage, and the style would expose armpits too... Probably why she was shy.
Honestly, it was wearable for me.
"Just try it on for now. We'll recommend others too."
"...Okay."
Maybe because it was a promise we'd made long ago?
It didn't take Karen long to change into the clothes Grace and I had prepared.
Thank goodness.
Considering her shyness, prepping something like this could've made her refuse outright.
That's why I'd considered safe, pretty dresses too.
"Turned out fine in the end."
"Yeah."
"Honestly, I thought Grace's camisole choice would tank it."
"Ahem..."
"You were talking miniskirts at first. Why didn't you pick one?"
While Karen changed alone in the fitting room, Grace and I chatted idly.
After all, we were here at the store because of her.
"Because sis really wouldn't wear one...?"
"True... If it was a miniskirt showing all her thighs and butt, she'd never."
"...Yeah."
Both Grace and I—as people who knew Karen—couldn't help but be satisfied on this point.
"...I-I'm dressed."
"You put on the cardigan too, right?"
"O-Of course...! How could I go out without it wearing clothes like this...?"
"Aha."
"It's my first time with a top showing my armpits..."
Karen blushed, embarrassed.
But her current look was definitely cute.
The skirt, camisole—everything was different from her usual, making not just her appearance but her reactions enjoyable to watch.
"But you look really pretty. Don't think of it so negatively?"
"You think...?"
"Yeah. You look amazing today."
"R-Really...?"
"I've never lied to you, right? What you're wearing now—seriously, super pretty."
I told her my honest thoughts.
Grace, standing beside me now, nodded in agreement.
Was it our reactions?
Karen—who'd been super shy at first and resisting buying or picking clothes—suddenly got more proactive.
The usually quiet Karen was lively and actively choosing outfits today...
It was so different from normal... and definitely fun.
Fun enough that just watching her reactions was entertaining, even without me picking for her.