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WE parted ways with Shinmyou, who had plans of his own, and made our way to the shop with Shimozuru as our guide.
We reached a posh district along one of the main roads in town, with high-end shops lining its streets. They were clearly high-class without being gaudy. Finally, we reached a particularly glamorous boutique.
Having just changed out of the clothes I practiced in, I still felt horribly underdressed. I wondered if I should just go home and avoid the embarrassment, but before I could, Aritomo excitedly grabbed my arm.
“Urara, look at that! It’s so pretty!” she exclaimed, her eyes fixed on an ornate wedding dress displayed right in the front of the shop.
Layers of lace were intricately embroidered with delicate flowers, and several pearls dotted the dress. Were they real? There was no way I would touch them. If I got them dirty, it would be a financial catastrophe.
I tried to maintain an inoffensive smile to keep my emotions from showing.
“Oboro, how have you been?!” a loud voice called from within.
“It’s been forever, Kiyoharu.”
“I told you to call me Sei!” The young man laughed heartily as he chatted comfortably with Shimozuru.
But was this man with ample facial hair really Shimozuru’s cousin?
“Oh, let me introduce you all. This is my cousin, Kiyoharu Agatsuru. Kiyoharu, this is Shizuku Aritomo and Urara Tendou.”
“Enchantée, I am this boutique’s owner-cum-designer, Sei. What lovely young ladies you both are.”
I wasn’t used to being around people like him. But that smile of his reminded me of Shimozuru, so I felt at ease.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Urara Tendou.”
I extended my right hand to shake his. He then turned to Aritomo, just as her mouth dropped open and a loud shout filled the room.
“This grizzly man...is the designer of Arrows?!”
Aritomo! That’s incredibly rude!
The man artfully ignored her extremely crass words and guided us to one of his salons for customers. Inside we found a massive antique couch. There was also a marble-top table with delicate cabriole legs. A lush, fluffy carpet completed the attractive ensemble.
It really felt as if we had entered the world of some A-list celebrity.
That feeling only increased when they brought us tea.
“But, honestly, grizzly is such a mean word,” I said after we’d had a moment to collect ourselves.
“But he is grizzly.”
“That’s why I told you to ditch the beard,” Shimozuru pressed his cousin, the two of them laughing lightheartedly.
Perhaps realizing she had said too much, Aritomo did not join in their conversation, merely sipping her tea instead. But she was too quiet for my liking. It worried me. After continuing their banter for a bit, the cousins finally turned their attention back our way.
“Now then, I know you girls need dresses to dance in, but tell me about your preferences,” the grizzly ma—I mean Mr. Agatsuru said to us.
“I want something glamorous,” Aritomo said, lifting her head and emphatically raising her hand. “I want the train as long as you can make it, like the nobility of long ago! Right, Urara?”
What was she trying to do?
“Oh, that sounds like a good look for you. How about a late baroque-style dress? Shall I try to find one for you?”
I nodded along, but I didn’t think I wanted something that extravagant.
Before I could say anything, dresses were being ferried over to us on hangers.
As Aritomo excitedly pulled out one dress after another, I could tell there was no stopping her. This was going to be a nightmare…for me.
Shimozuru was suddenly beside me. I shot him a pleading look, and he merely shook his head.
“Sorry. Once she gets like this, there’s nothing I can do to stop her. Think you can play along for now?”
A feeling of dread seeped out of every pore in my body.
A rhythm formed where I was handed a dress and would try it on, take it off, and repeat. After losing count of how many dresses I had tried on, I felt exhausted.
To my pleasant surprise, the panniers weren’t as ostentatious as I feared and the corsets weren’t as restrictive, either. Technology in this world really was a marvel. I was feeling a little touched as Aritomo and Mr. Agatsuru began discussing another dress.
“Mmm, I think the pink is probably better.”
“Agreed. Pink is your color, Urara.”
Pink...?
“Um, I prefer something a little more subdued than pink...” I said, voicing my opinion on the matter.
“Huh, no way! Pink is absolutely your color, Urara!” Aritomo asserted.
“Subdued colors are for the mundanes. Pink is more fitting for a flower such as yourself. Trust this old pro. All right, next.”
Mr. Agatsuru then handed me a dress that was a deep shade of pink adorned with delicate lace and accentuated with several ribbons.
As I accepted the dress, it filled me with a sense of déjà vu.
“Yeah, that looks good,” Shimozuru said, somehow still not tired of all this. “That reminds me—Chouko likes pink, so I bet she would love that.”
What? Lady Chouko likes pink? I was a bit surprised. I always felt she preferred things with an air of sophistication. I told Shimozuru as much.
“Oh, I didn’t mean to wear. She likes looking at pink. So I bet she’d be happy if she saw you in that dress.”
...She liked looking at pink. It felt like a strange choice, but if she would like it, perhaps it was worth a try.
“Well, I’ll give it a try,” I said and turned to head for the dressing room. As I did, I saw Shimozuru strike a triumphant pose out of the corner of my eye.
When I emerged from the dressing room, all eyes were on me. My heart thundered in my chest.
“That’s perfect for you! Urara, you look totally cute!”
“Yes, this is the one. How does it feel? The waist is a little loose, isn’t it? Maybe we should hem the length so it’ll be easier to dance in.”
I hadn’t said anything, yet everyone was acting as if it was a sure thing. The person who had helped me change, as well as several other helpers who seemingly appeared out of nowhere, had their hands all over me, adjusting the dress. It reminded me of the maids who pecked at me from every angle before attending a ball at the castle.
“I can’t accept such an expensive dress, though, especially not from such a place as luxurious as this,” I said, but Shimozuru waved me off.
“It’s fine, it’s fine. We’ll take care of it, Tendou.”
What was I to do?
“It’s fine, Urara. You should just accept their generosity.”
“I still don’t feel right about this.”
Once Aritomo had selected a showy orange dress and they had arranged for necessary modifications, our mission for the day had been accomplished. Shimozuru needed to talk to his cousin, so they left the salon to allow us to get ready to head home.
While we were changing, I told Aritomo how I was feeling, but she agreed with Shimozuru. It would seem I was alone in my reservations.