I couldn’t find the words. The clerk was also surprised, her mouth hanging open. Tachibana-san in front of me had the exact same face as before, but she looked like a completely different person.

When you hide an ultra-handsome guy behind a curtain, a tomboyish beautiful girl appears from within. That’s what happens when you put the reality in words.

“Hey, hey… I’d be happy if you said something…”

Tachibana-san said, awkwardly crossing her arms in front of her body. Her personality had somehow switched, and that also contributed to the change in impression. The “Prince” looked entirely different in expression and mannerisms.

“Sorry. I was just mesmerized…”
“Me-mesmerized!?”

With a swift sound, the curtain was pulled shut, and Tachibana-san disappeared behind it. This Tachibana-san might be a bit shy. The “Prince” version would probably tease me, saying something like “Hehe, you can look even closer if you want.”

From inside the fitting room, I could hear the hurried sounds of Tachibana-san changing. Honestly, I was a bit disappointed because I wanted to look a little longer.

After a while, Tachibana-san appeared from behind the curtain, dressed as a boy. The clerk’s eyes turned into heart shapes, probably taken by surprise.

“I think I’ll take this one. It seems like Natsuki has a good reputation.”
“It was really cute. Could you tell that to the Tachibana-san over there?”

“It’s fine, I can hear you. I’m not really two-faced, you know.”

So that’s how it is. Honestly, I don’t really get it. Maybe it’s similar to how I take on a different personality when I’m working part-time.

“Glad to hear that. I couldn’t tell her directly since she hid so quickly.”
“She’s probably still not used to the attention. But she was really happy.”

Tachibana-san came out of the fitting room and handed the dress to the clerk. Tachibana-san had said that she’d only show it to me, but I wonder if there will be a day when I’ll see it again.

◆

After buying the dress, Tachibana-san muttered, “I need mules that match the dress.” It turns out what I thought were sandals were actually mules.

We moved to the shoe store, and after much deliberation, Tachibana-san bought beige mules. When I mentally paired them with the dress she had just bought… yeah, it seemed to match. Tachibana-san has a good sense of fashion. When I told her that…

Tachibana-san said something unexpected.

“Then, should I pick out some clothes for you, Natsuki?”

And that’s how we ended up at a men’s clothing store, picking out my clothes. Interestingly, Tachibana-san seemed most at home in this store. She didn’t stand out at all, and the staff didn’t approach us. Right now, we probably just looked like “male friends shopping for clothes together.”

“Natsuki has good material, so I think anything would look good on you.”

Though Tachibana-san said that, it was hard for me to take it seriously. She’s not the type to give compliments, so I guess she was being sincere.

“Hmm… Is it okay if I choose based on my preferences? You’ll be seeing me in casual clothes more often, after all.”
“You will?”
“Of course. You want to see me in a dress, don’t you?”

“Of course.”
“Then it’s decided. I’m more excited about picking out your clothes than choosing my own.”

Tachibana-san smiled slyly. When she made this face, it usually meant she was teasing me, but who knows what she’s thinking this time?

◆

“Hmm… this isn’t bad, but…”

Tachibana-san picked up a shirt and, matching it to my body, repeated the process of saying “Hmm…” at least five times. She was trying different things, but none of them seemed to suit me. I started to feel a bit anxious, wondering if there were any clothes that would actually look good on me.

“Tachibana-san, you don’t have to force yourself too much, okay? I don’t really care about clothes.”

“The ones you’ve tried so far look good on you. It’s just that when I think there might be something better, it’s hard to decide.”

Perhaps sensing my unease, Tachibana-san said that. She had a serious look on her face. Honestly, I didn’t quite understand why she was taking it so seriously. She could have just picked something casually.

“This will be the first present for you, Natsuki. I don’t want to give you something half-hearted.”

“First present?”

When did I become the one being treated to gifts?

“Anything that’s ‘first’ sticks in your memory. I have to choose something proper so that you won’t laugh at me when you’re older.”

That’s quite a grand statement. Tachibana-san seems to be assuming we’ll still be hanging out after growing up.

I hope that’s the case, but I feel like it might be difficult. At least, I plan to quit Cyberia after high school, and Tachibana-san will probably do the same. There’s even a chance she might quit earlier for exam studies.

Thinking about it, I realize I might only have a little over a year left to work with Tachibana-san and Furuhashi-san in this fun environment.

And that thought made me feel incredibly regretful.