Chapter 11
By the time we finished breakfast, my mother had returned.
I informed my mother, who was eating breakfast timidly, that "Lily and I are going to buy clothes," and she gave me some pocket money, saying, "Since you're going, why not have something delicious for lunch?"
Then, after breakfast, as my mother headed to the bedroom, saying, "I'm going to sleep," Lily and I decided to go shopping.
"Well then, let's go,"
Lily said to me, wearing a clean white dress.
It was one of the few casual outfits Lily had brought from England.
It must be her favorite.
"Oh... By the way, aren't you cold in that?"
It was still early April.
While it would be warm when the sun came out, the air was still a bit chilly.
It wasn't out of season, but wouldn't it be better to wear something a little warmer?
"Really? Compared to England, Japan is warmer. I think it's fine like this,"
Certainly, England is colder than Japan. I still felt a bit chilly, but for Lily, it must be a temperature that was already warm and in full spring.
"Or... is it strange?"
"Of course not. It suits you. You look very cute,"
Lily is a beautiful girl with impeccable features and style, and clothes with simple designs like this are perfect for her.
You could say that only Lily could wear it.
Lily's cheeks blushed at my compliment.
Maybe because she was wearing a white dress, her skin seemed redder than usual.
"If it's not weird, then it's fine,"
Lily sniffed softly.
"We've done good shopping,"
Lily said with a cheerful expression after buying clothes.
To be honest, I was tired.
Every time Lily tried on something, she asked for my opinion.
When I gave the same opinion, she would reply, "I heard that before," so I had to think carefully each time the clothes changed.
It's okay if it's one or two outfits, but it's tiring when it's over ten.
"Next, let's go,"
"What are you going to buy next?"
Are you still going to buy something?
I tried to refrain from saying that but couldn’t.
“Um...”
She couldn't decide what to say in Japanese, so Lily thought for a while, then looked around.
And then she found the store she was looking for and pointed to it.
"That one."
"Oh... I see,"
The shop Lily pointed to was a lingerie store for women.
In other words, underwear.
I see, it's important indeed.
You have to change it at least once a day, so you need a few of them.
"Let's go."
"Um... me too?"
"Of course. I don't understand Japanese,"
Lily said jokingly.
She has a level of Japanese that's fine for buying underwear, I think...?
"I'm uncomfortable alone..."
Lily looked down, then looked up at me with upturned eyes.
When she makes that face, I can't refuse.
"Got it... I'll go with you."
I followed Lily into the tenant in a way that seemed like chasing after her.
Everywhere you looked in the tenant was underwear.
Even the mannequins looked erotic somehow.
Oh... that person looks a bit like Lily.
Does Lily wear those too under her clothes...?
No, what am I thinking?
"What are you looking at?"
When I was looking at the model photos, I heard an annoyed voice from beside me.
"Oh, nothing. I wasn't looking at anything."
"Liar. You had a lecherous look... What were you thinking about our date?"
A lecherous look... I wasn't thinking about that specifically, but...
"I was just thinking you look like Lily."
When I answered like that, Lily's blue eyes widened.
Her face turned red rapidly.
Oops, I was too honest.
I can’t complain if I’m accused of sexual harassment because of this.
"I... I didn't mean it in a weird way..."
"If that's the case, look at me."
Lily said that while glaring at me and turned her cheek away.
Then she sniffled softly.
She doesn't seem angry...
Rather, she seems embarrassed.
...Was she happy to be told that she looks like the model?
“(You like that...)”
As Lily blushed, she muttered something in English...
And then she took the underwear— the same as the one the model was wearing, which was being sold right next to her— into her hands.
"Sota."
"What?"
"Which one do you think is better?"
Lily asked me while holding red and blue underwear in her hands...
... No, don't ask me.