{Satou-san Who lacks Charm}

The target craft store was located in an old arcade street.

Satou-san and I entered and began looking for fabric to use for the lady’s costume.

“My mother’s dress isn’t long enough. I’m thinking of adding just a skirt,” Satou-san repeated firmly.

“I hope there’s something good here…”

I had never had any dealings with craft stores before. Back in elementary school, a basic sewing kit was enough for tasks like sewing on buttons.

The store, which I was entering for the first time, was smaller than I expected. It was filled with shelves, stacked with various colorful yarns, and folded, colorful fabrics. It also seemed to carry a range of hardware like rhinestones and grommets, as well as tools. The disorganized selection made it hard for beginners to find what they were looking for, and wandering around aimlessly seemed exhausting.

“So, what kind of fabric are you thinking of buying?” I asked her.

“I’d like something that won’t clash with the dress. It should have a similar texture and not too flashy,” she replied.

“Texture… What kind of dress is it?”

“Well, it’s black and about knee-length.”

Black, huh. It’s not what I imagined from the word “dress.” I thought it would be a more vivid color.

Noticing my confusion, she continued.

“The material is pretty heavy. It’s plain and lacks shine.”

“Ah, I see.”

From what I heard, it sounded more like mourning attire than a dress. I didn’t know much about Satou-san’s mother, but perhaps she prefers more subdued fashion.

“If it’s a black dress, making everything black might make it look too heavy,” I suggested, trying to solidify the image in my mind.

Satou-san nodded as if she agreed.

“If it’s all black, people might mistake her for a witch. After all… well, it’s for a role like that,” she said, with a noticeable blush when she mentioned the role of a lady. It seemed she felt embarrassed calling herself that.

While finding her endearing, I decided to move the conversation along to avoid awkwardness.

“Have you decided what color to add?”

“I haven’t decided anything in particular. I wanted to hear your opinion too.”

As she spoke, Satou-san seemed to have found something.

Suddenly, she walked over to a shelf and pointed to a folded fabric.

“How about this one?”

She had found a light gray fabric.

Although gray can vary widely, the one Satou-san picked was a modest shade of gray that suited her well. It was a dull gray, reminiscent of the color older generations might choose for a suit.

“Doesn’t it seem a bit dull?” I said candidly, and Satou-san immediately looked dejected.

“Really? I thought a dull color might be better. It wouldn’t stand out on stage.”

“You don’t want to stand out?”

“Well, yeah…”

Satou-san gave a wry smile.

I agreed. If someone wants to stand out in a play, they usually volunteer for roles that do so. Both Satou-san and I ended up with that role through a lottery. So, we’re both people who don’t want to stand out.

Especially me—I definitely don’t want to stand out. I’m playing a mouse and a horse, with a full-body costume. The thought of buying it soon makes me anxious.

To avoid feeling worse by remembering it, I looked around the store and searched for fabrics that might suit Satou-san’s dress.

“How about that pink one?”

I pointed to a smooth satin fabric rolled up for sale.

The pink wasn’t vivid but rather a soft, somewhat childish shade. I thought the gentle color, like sorbet, would suit Satou-san well. For me, she’s associated with pink.

“Do you like pink, Yamaguchi-kun?” Satou-san asked, blinking rapidly.

“The ribbon you gave me for my birthday was pink too,” she added.

She remembered. I was worried she might have forgotten.

I looked away to hide my embarrassment.

“I chose it because I thought it would look good on you.”

“Thank you. I’m happy because I like pink too.”

The word “like” made me momentarily uneasy.

Of course, it was about the color, not me. Though I didn’t want to completely deny any other possibility.

“I see,” I said, still avoiding eye contact. Satou-san continued.

“But black dress and a pink skirt might not match well.”

“Well, yeah.”

I had chosen a color that suited Satou-san, not one that matched a black dress. Actually, it seemed difficult to find a color or fabric that would suit the original dress without even seeing it. It’s a bit late now.

Satou-san might be a bit thoughtless. She could have brought the dress for me to see. I wanted to see it.

“How about using black fabric for the skirt and adding a contrasting color?” I suggested.

Satou-san looked puzzled.

“Contrasting color?”

“Yes. For example, adding something like a veil over the dress. That way, it won’t look like a witch’s costume.”

For a dress, maintaining cohesion is important, so it might be better not to change the skirt color. Instead, adding color with a shawl might help avoid a witch-like appearance.

“Do you mean something like a shawl?”

Satou-san pondered, resting her chin on her hand.

After a while, she smiled at me.

“That might be good. As expected of you, Yamaguchi-kun.”

“I’m glad I could be of help.”

“Actually, there was another problem. The dress has exposed shoulders, and I felt a bit embarrassed about that,” she said shyly, patting her shoulder covered by a cardigan.

I was hearing about the exposed shoulders for the first time.

I couldn’t help but react.

“Is it something like a camisole?”

“Yes. It’s embarrassing just standing on stage, and I was worried about exposing my shoulders and back. But with a shawl, I can cover up, and I can just add to the skirt length, so I’m relieved.”

She sighed in relief.

“Thank you. Your advice was very helpful,” she added happily.

Looking back, I realized I had never seen her expose her shoulders, even in summer. Whenever we went out, she always wore plain clothes. I liked her and thought she was cute, but I always felt she lacked charm.

I wanted to see her in something like that. If she had told me about the design earlier, I wouldn’t have given unnecessary advice.

I felt a mix of happiness for being helpful and regret for missing out on seeing her in such a dress. I was left feeling a bit conflicted for a while.