Chapter 25 - The Fashion Show
"Hey, Ryusuke, what do you think?"
"Not bad, I think."
"And how about this one?"
"Yeah, not bad."
"Ugh, you're so bad at giving compliments! No more 'not bad' allowed!"
"S-sorry... it's just that I get embarrassed."
"Well, I can tell even without you saying anything because your face gives it all away, Ryusuke. You thought it was cute, didn't you?"
"..."
"Oh, you're blushing again! You're really easy to read, Ryusuke."
Mashiro laughed innocently, holding a fashion show just for me in the fitting room of a clothing store.
Since earlier, Mashiro had been trying on various outfits and showing them off to me. And since she figured out that I prefer a modest style, every outfit she chose was pure, graceful, and elegant.
The outfit she was currently wearing, a soft chiffon blouse paired with a skirt, was no exception. It was modest, refined, and exuded a clean, girlish charm.
Having recently dyed her hair back to black, Mashiro, who was small and delicate, looked incredibly stunning in these modest clothes. Her sense of style was impeccable, and every outfit she picked out was nothing short of perfect. Though, I still hadn't managed to properly compliment her.
However, in my mind, nothing compared to the knee-length white dress she had been wearing all day. That dress was absolutely adorable—so much so that I had to resist the urge to embrace her like a precious little angel.
People passing by couldn't help but stare at Mashiro in her white dress, and I had to keep an eye on several guys who were clearly thinking of approaching her.
The world's most beautiful girl certainly lived up to her title.
If Mashiro were to walk past a thousand men, every single one of them would turn to look. Her unparalleled cuteness was something I, as the villain, got to monopolize, even though the protagonist, Fusegawa Raito, should have been the one enjoying it. There was a certain sense of superiority in that.
As I mused over this, Mashiro, who was behind the curtain, seemed to have finished changing.
When the curtain opened, Mashiro spun around once, her soft black hair floating in the air, and the frilly, pure white skirt spread out like a blossoming flower. Her star-like blue eyes sparkled as they looked straight at me, causing me to gasp.
The sight was so ethereal, so unreal, that it felt like a scene from a painting.
She was wearing that same white dress I had thought was the best earlier, and it looked as special as ever, making her shine more than anything I'd seen her in before.
While I was standing there, mesmerized and at a loss for words, Mashiro gave me a mischievous grin.
"See? I knew this dress was your favorite, Ryusuke. Your reaction is completely different from before."
Even though I hadn't said a word, it seemed Mashiro was right—my emotions were all too easy to read. She had correctly guessed that I thought she looked the cutest in that dress, and the embarrassment made my cheeks burn.
Mashiro, pleased with my reaction, smiled contentedly and placed all the clothes she had tried on into the shopping basket.
"Since it seems you liked all the other clothes too, I'm going to buy them all. I’ve decided to save this dress for special occasions with you, Ryusuke."
"You're buying everything? Um... that’s quite a lot, isn’t it?"
"Well, you know, I’ve only ever worn gyaru-style clothes before, right? I don't have any modest ones like these. The only one I managed to get for today’s date was this white dress. So, I plan to stock up on more outfits for future outings."
"I see. So you’re in the same situation as me."
"In the same situation? You mean... about clothes? Oh, that’s right! I’ve been meaning to say this for a while, but Ryusuke, you’ve really changed the way you dress."
Mashiro continued, playing with a strand of her long hair. Her face turned bright red for some reason, and her eyes seemed to wander.
"I-I mean, you used to dress kind of like a bad boy, you know? A little rough around the edges."
That’s true. Before I reincarnated, it was normal for the old Shindo Ryusuke to dress that way. He was the villain through and through, even in appearance.
"B-but now! Your current style is fresh, clean, and, um... well..."
Mashiro’s face grew redder and redder as she struggled to find the right words.
With her ears turning red too, she fidgeted, clearly embarrassed, but she finally gathered her courage and expressed her thoughts.
"It suits you really well, and I think you look super cool. No, not just cool—incredibly cool."
"..."
Her words made me blush right to the ears, but I couldn’t look away. Mashiro’s clear blue eyes were locked onto mine, holding me captive.
"To be honest, I wanted to tell you right when we met at the station. I was thinking, 'Wow, Ryusuke looks amazing!' But I was too shy to say it... You looked so good that I just couldn’t find the right words. And even now, I’m not sure if I’m saying it right."
Trying to hide her embarrassment, Mashiro spoke quickly and then lowered her head. But seeing her like this, I felt happy knowing that she had been thinking the same thing about me.
Mashiro had bravely conveyed her feelings to me, so now it was my turn to do the same for her.
Taking a deep breath, I slowly put my feelings into words.
"Actually, Mashiro... I felt the same way when I saw you at the station. I thought you looked unbelievably cute, and I couldn’t approach you right away because I was so captivated. So, it’s a bit late, but... you, in that white dress, are absolutely the cutest thing ever."
Blushing furiously, I scratched my cheek. But I was glad I had finally managed to compliment her.
Mashiro listened to my words, her face momentarily blank with surprise, before breaking into the most radiant, innocent smile I had ever seen. That smile dazzled me with its beauty all over again.
"Ryusuke, I could already tell what you were thinking just by looking at your face, but it really is different when you say it out loud. Hehe, my heart is pounding like crazy because I’m so happy!"
She placed a hand on her chest, as if checking her heartbeat, and I did the same, trying to calm my heart, which was beating just as wildly.
We looked at each other for a moment, and then Mashiro took my hand.
Her hand was soft and small.
With her clear blue eyes gazing straight into mine, Mashiro smiled gently and said,
"Okay, now it’s time to pick out clothes for you, Ryusuke. You don’t have much to wear either, right? Let’s choose together and make you even cooler!"
"Thanks, Mashiro. I feel more confident with you helping me. I’m counting on you."
"Leave it to me!"
And so, we spent the rest of the day holding hands, laughing together, and enjoying the happiest and most fun time imaginable.