“This is…”
“I was just thinking about what clothes to wear today.”
“…Do I have to wear so much?”
“Really?”
“Isn’t this a bit too much…?”
“I was surprised by the number of outfits written in my notes for today.”
I was just curious about the small notepad that Dolores was holding, but it seems like I’ve glimpsed a slightly difficult future.
“Let’s start off light with a skirt…”
“…Let’s take it slow.”
“It’s fine to do it quickly! After all, we have a lot of clothes to wear!”
“…It’s because I’m having a hard time.”
Honestly, I didn’t even need to come out to buy clothes.
I ended up here somehow on a weekend morning.
It’s the first time since I went shopping for workout clothes with the Commander.
“Hehe… Let’s buy some really pretty clothes today… and surprise the Commander!”
“…Okay.”
Well, at least I’m out here now.
I should focus on buying clothes for now.
After all, clothes are… clothes.
I’m not doing this for any particular reason… right.
“How about we start with a one-piece dress? Lindera doesn’t have any dresses in her usual wardrobe.”
“Go ahead.”
“Then let’s hurry! We’re on a mission to find a dress the Commander would love!”
“……”
Why do I keep bringing up the Commander…
I can’t imagine the Commander would compliment me just because I changed my clothes.
I barely ever heard such comments from him anyway.
The Commander rarely praises looks like that.
He did a few times in the past, but it hasn’t happened lately…
“…….”
“Are you hot?”
“Y-yes?”
“No, your face is just really red.”
“Ah…”
Did I just recall that conversation with the Commander for a second?
My face got a bit warm.
It reminded me of that time when I bought workout clothes and he said they were revealing.
What was I even thinking putting the Commander in the changing room back then?
Now that I think about it, definitely…
“…Let’s just go inside.”
I decided to stop the weird thoughts and just go in.
It felt inefficient to keep thinking about odd things when I finally came to the mall.
So, I, Midori, and Dolores started to head into the mall.
Since I’d been here a few times before, it didn’t feel new or anything.
I was just casually looking around the mall.
“Hmm…”
“Where should we go first?”
“Shall we go to that brand I know? Our chest sizes might differ, but our heights are similar.”
“Shall we?”
I didn’t know much about brands or anything, so I just followed along since I didn’t know better.
I thought it was better than picking something random when I didn’t know anything about clothes.
So… we entered a brand I didn’t know.
Since I had no clue, I could only nod in agreement.
And then…
“…You want me to wear this?”
“Yes.”
“…Really?”
“Yes, really.”
“…….”
The clothes that Dolores picked out were a dress… some sort of one-piece outfit.
The problem was the material…
“Isn’t it a bit too thin…?”
“Hehe, that’s what makes it pretty.”
“…Is it?”
“Yes.”
Is this really okay?
As I touched the clothes that Dolores gave me, I thought.
This was… way too thin.
Not only was it thin, but the material was smooth, and the clothes felt a bit small.
Of course, it would stretch since it was made of that material… but that would mean it would definitely cling to my body.
“……..”
“I’m sure if Lindera wears this, it’ll suit her perfectly. She’ll look gorgeous, right?”
“I agree!”
“Then…”
I was slightly scared about wearing it, but I should definitely wear it.
After all, my friends took the time to come out with me today.
Besides, they were just female companions, not the Commander.
“I’ll put it on.”
Right, since it’s just my friends.
I’ve never worn something like this in front of the Commander before…
I usually just wore my designated suits, so this dress felt quite awkward.
Still… they all said it would be fine.
*
“…Is this right?”
“Oh…”
“So pretty…”
“So big!”
…
I felt a bit shy.
It was only women around, but feeling shy was inevitable.
I mean, the outfit felt a bit revealing.
“What do you think…?”
“First of all, it really suits you. How about heading to the Commander like this?”
“Why would I go to the Commander…?”
“Hehe, just a suggestion.”
“…”
I was a bit curious about how the Commander would respond if he saw me in this.
But that didn’t mean I planned to run off right now.
After all, showing this outfit to him felt a bit too… provoking.
It was a body-hugging outfit, and it showed a hint of my belly button.
“But this… the outfit is a little… don’t you think?”
“Where?”
“Um… well, it’s a bit sheer, revealing my belly button…”
“Come on, a little belly button is no big deal, right?”
…Is it?
I felt like there was something bothering me, but sure, a visible belly button wasn’t a huge problem.
It wasn’t like everything was showing; it was just that the outfit was clinging to me.
Of course, I felt really awkward since I’d never worn something like this before.
“Ugh.”
“But Lindera, do you know?”
“What?”
“I heard from a conversation with the Commander that guys these days like this kind of stuff?”
“So do you think the Commander…?”
“Wouldn’t he? I’m sure he would!”
“…….”
Why on earth did I immediately think of the Commander?
No, more specifically, why did I expect the Commander would like something like this?
Without realizing it, I let those thoughts slip out.
There was no real reason for that…
“Should we just buy this one?”
“…Yes.”
“Hehe, then let’s hurry and check out the next outfit. We still have tons left to try on.”
“…Right.”
I felt a strange vibe but decided to let it pass.
Yeah, I came here to buy clothes.
It would be nice if the Commander thought I looked pretty, but that wasn’t the goal.
At least for now.
Although it was a modest outfit, if I wore it in front of the Commander…
-Gulp.
“……..”
That day with the Commander, I wasn’t even wearing something this revealing, just some ordinary clothes.
Now wearing this would feel like…
“Argh.”
Damn it.
Why am I having these thoughts?
It’s bizarre how my mind keeps drifting towards that direction.
*
I bought the clothes.
For now, they were in a paper bag, so I couldn’t see them, but I had no clue when I’d have the chance to wear this.
I didn’t often wear casual clothes.
Aside from weekends, there wasn’t much time to wear them, and I always had to wear suits at work.
Before, I’d wear suits and trousers bought from other places and recently switched to my designated suit.
“Ugh…”
“What’s wrong?”
“…Nothing at all.”
For some reason, I found it amusing to think about when I’d wear an outfit I felt super shy in.
Not in a truly comedic way, more just absurdly.
“Should I buy a skirt too?”
“…What?”
“It seems you only wear long skirts. They’re comfy for work, but wouldn’t a short skirt be nice too?”
“I don’t think that’s necessary…”
“Oh come on, it’s fine. We decided to come together, right?”
“……..”
It seemed that my opinion didn’t matter to them at all.
Thus, Midori ran off and returned with a mini skirt, and suddenly I was going to wear another skirt.
The one I’d just worn was already short, but now it was a full-on mini skirt.
“…Are you seriously just going to make me wear this?”
“Yup! I’m sure the Commander will think you look gorgeous!”
“…Alright then.”
I simply accepted it and decided to wear it.
It wasn’t for any special reason, just because they chose it for me.
Besides, it didn’t clash with my current sweater or anything.
It felt a bit short though.
“Ugh…”
Back in the fitting room again.
It felt weird recalling my past, but I was alone now.
It wasn’t like I was there with the Commander or anything.
There was no need to feel slightly breathless.
“…It’s pretty short.”
I took off my pants, leaving just my underwear, and held up the skirt.
The length was quite short, barely covering halfway down my thighs.
It was drastically different from the suits I usually wore.
Usually, they went down to my ankles.
Now, it barely reached the middle of my thighs.
“Would this… look pretty?”
…To whom?
I reflected inwardly but the name that came to mind was just one person.
I had no idea why I was thinking this way, but somehow I kept relating it to the Commander.
By now, the Commander was probably back in his room, gaming or talking with other girls on the ship…
“…What’s up with this.”
Suddenly, I felt a little upset.
There was no reason for it.
“Ugh…”
I felt like I was getting stranger by the day.
Not sure how exactly I was changing, but it definitely felt different from before.
“After all, he’d often chat with the agents around when I was around.”
Now talking to other agents wasn’t really a problem either.
He always spoke with people like Dolores and Midori, and even with his squad after training.
It was just… just my head feeling a little odd.
Yeah, it wasn’t for some other reason… just that.
“…Is it pretty?”
I stared at my reflection in the mirror.
On top, I wore the sweater I bought with the Commander, and below was the skirt Midori had just recommended.
No matter the outfit color, wearing such a short skirt felt awkward, and I couldn’t shake the feeling.
“……..”
I knew my looks were okay.
After all, Lindera was originally a pretty character.
However, recognizing that fact while I was currently in Lindera’s body and objectively evaluating myself was a bit different.
Moreover, right now it was…
“…Ugh.”
Honestly, lately, my thoughts have been heading toward one direction, making it rather challenging.
What’s so special about the Commander?
He’s just a bit handsome, nice to be around, and treats me well… just an average person that gets along with me fine.
Even if we ended up crossing paths in a more intimate way, it didn’t change my assessment of the Commander.
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