“How is it? I think this coat suits you well, Commander.”
I said that while handing over a suitably dark gray balmacaan coat.
Of course, it could be a bit uncomfortable if it got too hot, but among ordinary clothes, it was the coolest choice.
Honestly, it was better than buying a T-shirt, hoodie, or jeans.
At a time when you could order online, I felt it was worth getting something good rather than just purchasing anything that would fit.
Of course, this was just my personal philosophy, but he had entrusted this task to me in the first place.
“Please give me your suit jacket, and try it on with just the shirt.”
“Got it.”
The Commander handed over his suit jacket in response to my words.
Wearing the coat over the suit jacket would have been fine too, but it was a bit too hot for that.
Apart from the fact that the clothes looked nice and pretty, comfort was also quite important.
Though personally, I cared more about appearance than comfort.
Anyway, it was better to hand it over, especially since I was just checking the size.
I had picked the coat based on a rough estimate, so it might not fit perfectly.
“Hmm… The size seems fine for now. Did you know my size or something?”
“I just did it by eye. I noticed your height during the interview, but I didn’t know your exact size either.”
“Surprisingly, it fits really well.”
Well, in conclusion, it was good.
I was actually worried initially about having to reorder if it didn’t fit, so it was a relief it fit perfectly from the start.
That minimized the chances of any nuisance popping up.
“What about the color? There’s a darker version, but I thought this lighter one would pair better with other clothes.”
“Isn’t that something you usually ask before wearing it?”
“Knowing your personality, if I asked about the coat’s color, you would probably comment on how you don’t wear coats much and start mentioning other clothes.”
“…Well, you might not be wrong.”
If you couldn’t tell, it seemed obvious to anyone.
I was able to notice that since I had spent all my time next to him.
He seemed to dislike being the center of attention despite his appearance, which was different.
Of course, he handled himself well in situations where it was necessary, so there was no need to fault him for that.
“Overall, the clothes feel nice. The shoulders and waist are fine, and the length is good.”
“Is that so? Is there any other part that feels uncomfortable?”
“Hmm… Not really. It’s obviously more comfortable than the outerwear I usually wear.”
Then it was settled.
Sure, I would buy other clothes too, but at least this coat was confirmed.
I had thought it would be fine right from the beginning when I selected it.
As the saying goes, ‘Fashion is all about the face,’ our ship’s Commander certainly had a stunning appearance.
To be honest, I felt like this might lead to more troublesome situations, but at least it was an advantage.
“Then I’ll carry that coat for you. Feel free to look around for other clothes.”
“Thanks.”
“You flatter me. It’s my job, after all.”
This was roughly the kind of job a Vice Commander did.
I might not be able to help with heavy lifting, but I could certainly handle small tasks.
Otherwise, handling miscellaneous affairs or paperwork was within my capabilities.
“By the way, where did Midori go… He suggested we go clothing shopping, yet he disappears right after saying that. What’s up with that?”
“Hmm…”
That was puzzling.
Even I thought Midori’s disappearance was a bit of a headache.
He was the one who could uplift the mood among the three of us.
His bright personality naturally lightened the atmosphere, so it was fine.
Plus, when there was nothing to say, I could just turn to Midori.
“I don’t know. Maybe he went to the bathroom? There’s really no reason for him to just vanish…”
“Well, he’ll be back soon enough. It’s already been 5 minutes, so he should be back shortly.”
Yeah, he would probably return soon.
I didn’t mind being alone with the Commander, but with someone who had left, it didn’t feel right.
Plus, it felt a bit odd shopping alone with a guy.
Kind of felt like… we were on a date or something.
Of course, I definitely didn’t see him that way.
He was more like an acquaintance, that was all.
“Shall we find you another outfit? Is there a type of clothing you feel you’re missing?”
So I decided to focus on selecting his clothes for now.
After all, we had time left, and I doubted we could wrap this up with just one coat.
As for my own clothes, I could just buy something quickly.
Honestly, it could be enough to just order online.
The quality might be reduced, but it was cheap.
Cheap clothes really were the best.
Though with food, it was a different story—expensive ones could be nice, but since I wasn’t too focused on clothing, there wasn’t much to be done.
*
“By the way, you.”
“Huh?”
“How about switching that knit you picked out earlier?”
“…Huh?”
Suddenly, while we were selecting his clothing, he said that.
It didn’t make sense; why would he suggest changing the knit I had just picked?
He had clearly said it looked nice!
It had a good design and price, and he had commented positively.
So why the sudden change of heart?
“What do you mean? You just said it looked nice!”
“That may be true, but… I think changing it would be better.”
“…?”
What on earth was he talking about?
Was the Commander losing it from all the work?
Or had he skipped dinner after work?
I truly couldn’t understand.
“Seriously, what do you mean? It’s clearly a decent outfit, so I don’t get why I should switch.”
“…It’s just a little… embarrassing.”
“What do you mean?”
Embarrassing? But he had said it looked pretty!
Oh, was it Midori who said it looked nice?
“…Your chest is a bit too… prominent.”
“…”
I felt my face heat up as I became a bit more aware of my surroundings.
I generally didn’t pay much attention to my surroundings, and it wasn’t something I did often.
After all, on the ship, there was no reason for others to pay attention to me.
As I casually glanced around, I noticed people suddenly walking away in other directions.
And as I turned my body, I felt my chest sway, and it made me understand why he said that.
“…..”
“…Do you understand what I mean?”
“…Yes.”
In this situation, I had no choice but to understand.
Aside from the Commander, everyone else on the ship was female, so I had not realized it until now.
It was even worse since I had never received such glances in the first place.
When I was a man, nobody had any reason to look at my chest.
Especially when I was dressed, there was absolutely no scenario where anyone would look.
“…Could you please go buy a coat or something?”
“Got it.”
I honestly never anticipated people would look at my chest.
Sure, Lindera was quite pretty, but that was aside from what should have been common sense.
After all, I used to be a guy.
I might not become a man again, but no matter what, I was still a guy.
So I couldn’t help but maintain a mindset that was not much different from before.
“…I didn’t think of it since the only man I regularly meet is the Commander.”
Really… looking back, I didn’t know why Midori and the Commander initially reacted that way.
It felt like something was strange, but my chest had become more prominent, and that was clearly the reason.
I truly hadn’t expected people to take an interest in my chest…
“Ha…”
“…I’m sorry. I should have taken you somewhere less crowded.”
“You did nothing wrong, Commander. The fault lies with me for being so oblivious.”
Exactly, he had no reason to be at fault.
In fact, he was the one who had apologized and warned me, after all.
Thinking about it, it was much better than just standing still or something.
“Let’s just buy you some new clothes.”
“Yeah…”
“This time, it’s for your outfit.”
“Got it…”
I couldn’t find the words to respond.
I felt that even I had to admit that my situation was indeed a bit awkward.
Here I was, wandering around in the knit I had just picked, which accentuated my chest more than usual.
“Ugh…”
This was truly the most dizzying situation since becoming a woman, Lindera.
It was probably more disorienting than the first day.
“… ”
“… ”
“Thank you for letting me know, Commander…”
I had no choice but to say that as we moved around looking for my outerwear.
If he hadn’t mentioned it, I truly wouldn’t have recognized it.
I probably wouldn’t have noticed others looking at my chest, nor would I have realized that the knit Midori and the Commander picked out emphasized my chest more than usual.
I had certainly felt it was less constricting while wearing it, but I never imagined it would be like this.
Really… just really.
“Alright, be careful from now on. You might not care, but you’re still quite attractive…”
“…Yes.”
“Honestly, I’m just glad I didn’t have to finish that sentence…”
“…I’m sorry.”
If only my chest were smaller, would that have been better?
At least that might have meant fewer people looking at it.
It would surely be better to have people look at my face than my chest.
Anyway, I was relieved that while people glanced at my chest, they didn’t seem interested in my butt.
I wasn’t sure, but it seemed like they might just be the same thing.
After all, they were both round, soft, flesh, smooth, and white…
“…Ha.”
I felt dizzy.
Really.
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