Dolores and Midori were recommending clothes to me with more enthusiasm than I expected.
Thanks to that, it was a bit exhausting.
“Is there anything else you need…?”
“Umm… I bought a few skirts. I got other clothes too… just underwear left.”
“…Huh?”
Underwear?
I answered with a stupid voice without realizing it due to Dolores’s sudden comment.
It was just too sudden.
Why were we talking about underwear when we were just shopping for regular clothes?
“Your usual underwear is always a sports bra, right? How about trying a new style this time?”
“Well…”
“If you wear the same kind of underwear every day, others might think you only wear one type, Linera.”
“……..”
Is that so…?
Honestly, it didn’t feel wrong.
I mean, if you see someone wearing the same clothes every day… it feels like that would be the case.
“…Alright.”
“Hehe…”
“Huh?”
“Why are you both giggling like that…?”
I asked, but they didn’t give me any special answer.
They just had this expression that said they were having loads of fun.
But when I actually asked, they didn’t tell me anything.
If that was the case, why were they laughing so much?
“I know your size from before, so… um… take your time thinking about it! Let’s look for pretty underwear first!”
“…You can handle it.”
I felt like I couldn’t stop them at this point, so I just said that.
Plus, the underwear I’m currently wearing definitely… wouldn’t look pretty to someone else.
So, maybe I should get something cuter…
“…….”
If it was the old me, I wouldn’t have had these thoughts.
I would have just thought that the underwear I had was enough.
But without realizing, I ended up thinking this way.
Yet even so, rather than feeling self-loathing, I was just surprised.
I never knew I would think like this.
Maybe whatever happens in life… is part of the process.
“Oh wow! I found some super sexy underwear!”
“…Is that even considered underwear? It seems like it serves no purpose…”
“People love this kind of underwear!”
“…….”
As a man, I knew that.
Usually, guys preferred when someone was slightly covered rather than completely naked.
But the issue was that the underwear I picked was just something you’d wear casually.
It wasn’t the kind you’d wear to flirt or seduce someone.
“How do you wear this on a daily basis?”
“Huh? You just don’t wear it daily, right?”
“…Huh?”
“If you don’t wear it often, then why buy this kind of underwear?”
I mean, who would actually wear this kind of thing on a regular basis? What was the point?
“Maybe for when doing naughty things…?”
“N-No, I don’t do that.”
“Hey, you never know! Maybe Linera will find a guy she really likes someday!”
“I don’t think so.”
Probably not.
I doubt I’ll ever like a guy…
Even though I used to be a guy, how could I…?
“Ha.”
Thinking about that again isn’t my fault.
This all happened because of the alcohol.
If I hadn’t drunk that day…
“Let’s just buy some regular underwear first…”
“Really? That’s so disappointing…”
“It’s not disappointing, so just recommend some other underwear.”
It felt a bit off that the underwear meant to cover the important areas couldn’t even cover those properly.
It was a bit too perverted.
Yeah, if I wore that, it would clearly be uncomfortable with my outer clothes moving around.
*
“Miss Dolores.”
“Yes?”
“…Can I ask you a question?”
“Oh… of course!”
I don’t know why she enjoys it when I ask questions, but since there was no one else to ask, I decided to consult her.
Midori was a bit… too high-energy anyway.
I was just nearby, so I asked.
“Have you ever been in a relationship before?”
“Why do you ask that?”
“I’m just… curious. There’s no other reason… just curious…”
“Hmm… well, not that I can say I’ve never experienced it.”
Oh, I see.
That made it easier to ask.
It wasn’t a very difficult question, just a regular one.
“Do you have any experiences…?”
“…Huh?”
“Not that… it’s more about a friend of mine’s story.”
I couldn’t say it was me.
I had to mention a friend who probably doesn’t even exist.
“When… if a person you’re close with suddenly becomes intimate, is it natural to feel awkward…?”
“…Huh?”
“If you suddenly have a sexual relationship with a close friend, is it natural to feel awkward…?”
Oh crap.
Even though I masked it with the ‘friend’ front, it was still so embarrassing.
My face was probably getting a bit hot and it was clear it was turning red.
“Wait a minute… Linera…?”
“Yes?”
“…Did you do it with the Commander?”
“…Yes.”
I clearly said it was a friend.
Even though I insisted it was a friend, Dolores guessed it too easily.
Maybe I should have asked Midori instead.
But since she already picked up the vibe, I had no choice but to admit it.
After all, she had already caught on, so there was no reason to deny it.
“…When?!”
“…Last week.”
“Whoa… um… What should I help you with?”
“As I mentioned earlier… is it natural to feel awkward after becoming intimate with a close friend…?”
“So, you had sex with the Commander and now feel awkward about it?”
“…Yes.”
It was too straightforward and a bit embarrassing.
But I couldn’t argue since it wasn’t wrong.
Because it really was like that.
“After getting drunk… um…”
“How was it?”
“Just… it felt… good… and the next day, down there hurt…?”
I have no idea why I’m talking about this in a clothing store.
I was speaking quietly, but still, it was embarrassing regardless.
“…Just answer first.”
“Oh, right. Yes… of course it’s natural.”
“…Is it?”
“Yes. If you were just living normally and suddenly had that happen… of course it would feel awkward.”
“…….”
Right, I’m not the weird one.
It’s completely normal to feel anxious about the Commander lately, and not being able to concentrate.
“Even if you were drunk, you’d never have sex with someone you had no feelings for, right? Even if it’s not love, you should at least like them enough for it to happen.”
“…That’s not how it is.”
“Then how did you feel with the Commander after? Feel free to share what happened after.”
“…Can we talk about this later…? Not here…”
Isn’t this a bit too much to be discussing while picking out clothes in a shopping mall?
I just wanted to hear a little and wrap things up.
But the conversation got a lot deeper than I expected, and there was no turning back.
“Linera~! How about these earrings?”
“…Maybe you should recommend a necklace instead? I haven’t pierced my ears yet.”
“Umm… should I? But what were you two talking about?”
“Oh.”
Saying that here… even for me, it felt too embarrassing.
It was already tough enough talking to Dolores, and Midori wants me to talk to her too.
That’s really a hard pass.
*
“Whoa! I found some super sexy underwear~!”
“…Why is that there?”
I definitely didn’t buy any holey underwear.
Why on earth is that in the shopping bag?
I was sorting the clothes we bought today while coming into the room with Dolores and Midori.
It wasn’t hard to do it alone, but there was a specific reason I didn’t.
“Huh? I bought it.”
“…Then why…”
“That’s because Linera said she did it with the Commander! Of course, you need to prepare for the next time!”
“…Huh?”
Why does Midori know that?
I clearly told Dolores, but I never mentioned it to Midori.
How does she know?
“Huh? Why? Didn’t we talk about it at the mall?”
“…How did you…”
How did she really figure that out?
“I have excellent hearing! Dolores does too! Agents typically have better hearing and sight, right?”
“That’s true.”
“Oh.”
Right.
In that moment, I panicked without realizing it.
It’s only natural that agents possess better physical abilities than regular people.
I was just overwhelmed.
“…….”
“So now, shall we get to the main topic?”
Midori said with a bright smile, but today she seemed a bit intimidating, which probably wasn’t my fault.
“…Ever since I did that with the Commander… it’s been really awkward.”
“How so?”
“Just… I’m constantly concerned about the Commander sitting next to me… and… it’s difficult to treat him normally like I used to.”
It definitely wasn’t a huge deal.
It was just an accident caused by alcohol, yet it felt so awkward.
Dolores said it was understandable, but still.
This was my first experience like this, so I couldn’t help it.
The Commander told me not to worry, that nothing weird would happen, but I just felt that way too much.
“…Wow.”
“Is something wrong…? Is there a problem…?”
“No! It’s not that! Um…”
“I just have a lot on my mind.”
“Is that so…?”
Given that I’m in a position of needing help, I didn’t want to say much more.
Suddenly, Midori made a sound as if she was impressed and I wanted to ask more, but… that would be rude.
“Um… what do you think about the Commander?”
“I just think he’s a good person.”
“No, specifically. What do you like about him?”
Midori asked, resting her chin on her hand.
What do I like about the Commander?
Honestly, I hadn’t really thought about it properly, but since she asked, I pondered for a bit.
The Commander…
“…First, he’s handsome. And he’s tall, which gives off a certain intimidation…? Plus, he’s surprisingly kind, making it easy to interact with him…”
“……..”
“……..”
“His hands are also big, so sometimes when we play games together, I can’t help but look at them…? Plus, he gets really drunk, and his reactions are always entertaining…”
I was saying things that came to mind, but how long do I have to keep this up?
Honestly, it was quite embarrassing.
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