Chapter 126
Chapter 126
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 126
Chapter Title: Part 42. Debate Topic: Clothes (1)
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“Ajusshi, Ajusshi. Busy today?”
No.
“Then let's go shopping together!”
“...!”
Gaeul came running over, cradling the chick in her arms. Winter had gone even further, wearing the bucket hat like a pail that Bom had bought her last time, complete with a crossbody bag. It was full outdoor gear.
Come to think of it, the regressor remembered seeing the two of them since yesterday, huddling together with their yellow and blue heads bent over fashion magazines.
“Why? What are you buying?”
“Clothes. It's spring now.”
It was one Sunday, after the flower-thawing cold had passed. Most of the clothes they owned were winter ones.
Just as Gaeul said, it was time to buy spring clothes.
With Yoo Ji-tae's permission granted, Gaeul headed to Yeoreum's room, and Winter to Bom's. Then they persuaded them to come shopping together.
“Clothes? Hmm.”
Yeoreum emerged from her room, scratching her waist vigorously.
She needed clothes anyway. Take what she was wearing now: a U-neck T-shirt that had stretched out so much from constant wear that the neckline hung like a feed sack, one shoulder completely exposed and slipping down.
Day in and day out, T-shirts, tank tops, leggings, tracksuits, and cadet uniforms in rotation. That's how it ended up like this.
“Unni doesn't care about clothes?”
“Huh? Well, I used to.”
“What kind?”
“Dunno... comfy ones?”
“What counts as comfy? Like tracksuits?”
Yeoreum picked at her ear as she answered.
“Honestly, nothing at all is the comfiest.”
“O-oh my.”
Gaeul laughed awkwardly, flustered.
“W-well, still, going naked is a bit...”
“Why?”
“Why? Just because! It's obviously weird!”
“Hey, yellow monkey.”
“Yeah?”
Gaeul realized half a beat later that responding to 'yellow monkey' was an affront to her pride.
Yeoreum smirked.
“Clothes are the most inefficient thing humans ever made.”
“Why, why?”
“Pointlessly expensive. Uncomfortable. And everyone has to wear them. If there was no such thing as shame, imagine how comfy it'd be to just go naked? Even though I'm not ashamed, other people get embarrassed, so I have to wear them for their sake? Geez. It's not like my boobs are anything special.”
As she spoke, Yeoreum kneaded her breasts like they annoyed her.
“This is the real problem. Such pretty curves... too bad to cover up. Tsk.”
“Uh, um, b-but clothes aren't just for hiding shame, right?”
“Huh?”
“They block heat! And cold...? Humans are sensitive to weather and stuff, freezing to death otherwise.”
It made sense upon hearing it, so Yeoreum grumbled with a sour expression.
“...Inferior lower species.”
“Eek, Unni's a racist!”
“Shut it, monkey.”
As the two bickered, Bom came out too, convinced by Winter. She was wearing round glasses.
“Good morning.”
When Yoo Ji-tae greeted her back, Bom took off her glasses and put them in their case.
“Ajusshi, you shopping for spring clothes too?”
“Nah, I don't need any.”
“Why? You always wear the same stuff.”
True enough. Yoo Ji-tae mostly stuck to white dress shirts and slacks.
“Huh? Huh? Come to think of it, why don't you have more clothes, Ajusshi?”
“...”
The reason was simple. He didn't need multiples. He wasn't bothered by heat or cold. He had no interest in dressing up. He just maintained neat attire to fit the 'daily life' mold—like wearing a coat in winter.
The regressor pondered briefly before answering.
“Just 'cause.”
“Kinda disappointing. You're tall and built well. Bet you'd look great in cool clothes.”
Then Gaeul and Winter flipped through magazines. Gaeul showed a photo of a model in a V-neck T-shirt. Winter held up one of a rider jacket.
The regressor waved them off.
“I'm good. Shirts are fine.”
“Aww, too bad!”
Then Bom asked.
“Oh. So what kind of clothes do you like, Ajusshi?”
“Shirts.”
Her grass-green eyes blinked.
“Besides that, for girls?”
“Dunno.”p>
When he said he didn't have a preference, Gaeul's eyes went wide.
“Ajusshi, you never had a girlfriend?”
“I did.”
About over a hundred years ago.
Not just Hasetbyeol from his second run. Even in the first, he'd dated a few.
“Then why? What did you like her wearing?”
“...”
The regressor closed his eyes, trying to recall.
Even focusing, memories wouldn't come. His exes' faces were foggy mist. Clothes? Forget it.
The only thing etched in memory was Hasetbyeol's military uniform. Leather and alloy plating covering her whole body.
“...Probably comfy clothes.”
“Naked?”
As Yoo Ji-tae fell silent, Yeoreum cackled.
“But still! You always say I look pretty when I dress up!”
“Yeah.”
“Huh? You said my evening dress was pretty too.”
“That too.”
“What the heck.”
They kept probing his tastes, but he truly had nothing to say.
Eventually, they gave up on him and turned elsewhere.
“So what're you getting, Winter?”
“...!”
My turn now...!
Excited, Winter held out her magazine. Kids' clothes: light blue denim overalls. Straps over a white T-shirt.
And a few more options.
As Bom, Yeoreum, and Gaeul critiqued, Winter asked Yoo Ji-tae too.
“...How's this?”
It suited spring weather. Winter's hair was blue anyway. Light denim would match.
“Pretty.”
“...”
She clamped her mouth shut, then nodded with a brighter smile.
Around then, Bom, browsing Gaeul's picks, spoke up.
“But Gaeul, that dress won't suit your figure.”
“Huh?”
“Looks like it wouldn't for someone with a big bust.”
“Why, why?!”
Gaeul tilted her head.
Bom pondered how to explain, then used her dragon subspace 「Scales Eye (SS)」 to form semi-transparent fabric.
She draped it over Gaeul.
“See? It catches on your bust, makes the bottom look super bloated.”
“Eek, it does... Makes me look fat. Should I add a waist belt?”
“Hmm...”
Bom pulled the subspace fabric at the waist. The bust got emphasized awkwardly.
“Ugh, that's not great either...”
“Right? A darker color might work better.”
And so, they continued discussing clothes.
As talk dragged on, many initial picks got nixed.
“Unni, that's for models...!”
“Why? It's super sexy and nice.”
“Where would you even wear that? Planning to show off to everyone?”
“Can't I?”
“You call that wearable...?”
“Yeoreum, your shoulders and muscle tone are pretty. How about tank tops like this?”
“Not bad. Looks comfy.”
“You're tall too, so pants like these would suit you.”
“Hmm...”
“Wow, Bom-unni's so lucky! Everything looks good on her...! I must've messed up my polymorph.”
“Speaking of, why'd you polymorph like that? It's so burdensome.”
“Why? Just 'cause. I was imitating Mom...!?”
Now that her body was used to it, changing back was hard, Gaeul wailed.
Like that, clothes that looked pretty in pictures didn't suit their figures. Plus, short time on Earth meant social faux pas. Or 'pretty only to my eyes' issues.
Tribal differences split opinions more.
“Hey, you all.”
“Yes?”
“Why not go to a department store and try them on?”
So Yoo Ji-tae suggested that. They agreed readily.
For the first time in a while, he took all the girls to a department store.
Before heading out, Winter, trotting after Yoo Ji-tae, turned back.
The chick napping in the blanket under sunlight. And the Guardian standing like a statue before it.
Apron on. Rubber gloves. Now her daily look—she hardly took them off.
Winter stared silently. The Guardian's eyes flickered. She turned.
“...Gonna, go.”
“Ah, yes. Little miss. Have a safe trip.”
“...Need, anything?”
“Oh, clothes? I don't need any. As you see. My whole body's armor.”
Clang clang—the Guardian tapped her body with her knuckles.
Winter nodded and turned away.
Then glanced back at the Guardian's arm.
Girl kids.
Athletic girl kids, no less.
Athletic girl kids whose opinions clashed on everything.
...Shopping with them.
Out around 9 a.m., fed them lunch. Wandered stores. Suddenly it was 7 p.m.
“...”
Not tired himself, but watching them buzz around endlessly was impressive.
They'd lapped four department stores in the commercial district twice each, now combing outlet clothing stores.
Purchases: a whopping 30 items.
Maybe 1% of what they'd eyed.
“...”
As the regressor debated dumping the bursting shopping bags in his hands into Shallowest Abyss (S),
“Whoa, perfect for Ajusshi!”
Gaeul shoved the 23rd 'perfect for Ajusshi' item at him. A yellow turtleneck knit covering up to the neck. Like a necktie.
“I said I'm good.”
“Aaaang! You said that last time too! Know how many rejections this is?”
“...”
“Huh? But this really suits you.”
Oddly, Yeoreum joined in, urging him to try it. He hesitated, but Winter suddenly grabbed for the bags in his hands with her tiny ones.
“...Hurry.”
Resisting a kid's strength felt awkward, so he let her take them. No idea why they insisted.
“Where's the fitting room...?”
“Ah, yes sir. Behind that pillar!”
So Yoo Ji-tae quietly took the knit into the fitting room. Off with the shirt, hung up. On with the knit.
His ability automatically adjusted the fit.
With the ability done, the knit molded perfectly to his body. Just shy of 190cm tall. Broad shoulders. Inverted triangle torso. Thick torso, arms, wrists. Muscles not overdone. A soldier's body optimized for battle by certain boons, revealed under the knit.
The high neck itched a bit up to the jaw.
Still, if buying.
Yoo Ji-tae emerged. Whoas erupted.
“What, what! Whoaaa!”
“...”
Even Winter startled, reaching arms to him. He picked her up; she poked his chest and shoulders curiously.
“Ajusshi's body is insane!”
Nothing special. Soldiers just had good builds, aesthetic differences aside.
Myeong Yong-ha alone probably had an even better one.
But seeing unfamiliar side from familiar Ajusshi thrilled them. Yeoreum swallowed hard for some reason.
Come to think, even living together, he'd never worn revealing clothes.
“...Good now?”
“Not buying?”
“Wasn't gonna.”
“Buy it, buy it!”
Near-insistent protests began. Yoo Ji-tae had no real reason to refuse, so he headed to the counter.
Meanwhile, Yeoreum picked an outfit and approached the fitting room.
But as she reached for the door, she paused.
Familiar shoes in the one Yoo Ji-tae had used.
“What the heck.”
Yeoreum flung the door open boldly.
There stood Bom, wearing Yoo Ji-tae's oversized dress shirt. Her jade-green long hair tied up. White neck exposed. Delicate fingers from the baggy sleeves fiddling with the collar.
“Whatcha doing, Unni?”
In the mirror.
Grass-green eyes with a strange glint met Yeoreum's gaze.