Chapter 363 - A Change of Clothes
After receiving a well-deserved lecture for my own foolishness, the natural progression of 'let's go check out the Clan Room' was interrupted by an incoming message.
'It's done, come,' the summons was direct and left no room for argument.
In that case, we might as well take our time later—or so Sora said. After seeing off my partner, who was heading off to her training for the day, I made my way to the event that had been scheduled just the day before.
And so, a few minutes after showing up at her atelier…
"—Can I take a picture?"
"What are you even going to do with a picture like that?"
I shot back a retort at Nia, who was quietly seething with some suppressed emotion behind a poor attempt at a poker face.
My privacy settings are usually on, so unauthorized snapshots are blocked. Never mind the eyes of the admins watching from on high, no player can take a photo or video unless I say yes.
So I don't have to worry about her taking pictures for some unknown purpose… but she's staring at me so hard she doesn't even need one. Is she trying to burn this image onto her retinas?
"You know, after I calmed down, I started thinking…"
"Uh-huh. Uh-huh?"
"Having the person you like wear clothes you like… no, even better, clothes you made… isn't that insane? Hey, should I be paying you for this???"
"What in the world are you talking about?"
I decided to ignore the word that was casually slipped in there, which was too difficult to retort to.
I pushed back Nia as she approached while spouting nonsense, and all I could do was offer a wry smile to cover my embarrassment.
Give me a break—wearing new clothes is already strangely embarrassing as it is.
"Haaaaahhh… I can't, this is too much. I'm a genius…! It's perfect…!"
"Why is the creator having her own solo review session…? If you don't cut it out, I'm seriously going to run for it…!"
Her reactions were over-the-top in every way. Seeing Nia collapse onto the sofa, clutching her head, only amplified my mortification.
But, I had to suppress my shame and say at least one thing.
"Well, uh, you know…—As expected, it's another masterpiece."
"You bet it is!!"
When I belatedly offered a comment that barely qualified as a review, Nia shot up, her eyes sparkling as she responded with unrestrained excitement.
Calm down, I was about to add, "with one exception."
Anyway… I desperately want to flee this place, but if I do, I can't even imagine how much of a 'debt' I'll rack up.
A single date probably wouldn't even begin to cover it. I have no choice but to endure…!
"[El-Gran Stasia (Azure Sky Snowflake, White Cloud)]—I know I shouldn't say it myself, but this is a bit of a masterpiece! I'm proud to say it's easily surpassed the potential of the materials!!"
"O-Okay, you're too close. Calm down, you're too close."
Her movements were as if she had transcended the limits of her own stats. With a speed I had never seen before, Nia lunged at me. I caught her forehead with my palm, engaging the rampaging blue-haired girl in a shoving match for my personal space.
Her horsepower, however, seemed unchanged, and the pressure coming from my hand was the usual 'extremely weak'.
Azure Sky Snowflake—my new combat attire, which has gained a poetic name for snow.
As Nia had said, it was a 'remake,' and the overall white and blue structure remained largely unchanged. A half-parka on top, loose-fitting three-quarter length bottoms below. The comfort was exactly the same, and it already felt perfectly molded to my body.
The immediately noticeable changes were the shape of the hood and the sash at my back—…………Alright, let's put the former aside and start with the latter.
The sash, which had been a simple decoration on the original [El-Gran Series], had been changed to a size that now partially covered my right leg.
As before, it was part of the clothing but treated as an effect, a wonderful feature that meant I couldn't feel it there, nor would it annoyingly tangle around my leg.
It was embroidered with an intricate, arcane geometric pattern reminiscent of a magic circle, but done with an exquisite balance that avoided looking cluttered. It was simply cool.
Personally, it feels a little pretentious, which makes me a bit restless… but I'll trust Nia's sense. For the rest, I'll just have to hope the fantasy atmosphere of this world will tone it down a bit.
—Now, as for the hood, about which I have a few things to say… it seems to have taken on a rather mysterious shape, hasn't it?
"Can I ask something?"
"Ask away!"
"Then if you'll excuse me—what are these 'ears'?"
"Those are ears!!"
"I know that! I'm asking why there are ears attached to it!!"
Aside from being oversized and baggy, the hood of the El-Gran set had a simple design. Now, it has undergone a dramatic before-and-after transformation….
"Ah, hey, stop, don't—!"
Before I could stop her, the seamstress pulled it over my head with a rustle, looking thoroughly pleased with herself.
"—And there it is, so cute! How about that, admit defeat!"
"Agh, I really… I admit defeat, from the bottom of my heart…!!"
Even if I trust her, maybe I trusted this high-tension monster a little too unconditionally. Seriously, who could have predicted this—at eighteen years old, that a day would come when I would don a bunny-ear hoodie…!!
"…Nia, I know this is rude, but I have a request."
"No."
"You can't be serious, are you for real…?!"
While it's not a design that goes all-in on a round, cutesy aesthetic, its motif is so obvious that anyone would get it at a glance.
Given that the Acrobat has a deep connection with 'rabbits,' the difficulty of making that association is practically zero.
"No, nope, absolutely not fixing it. I knew you'd be reluctant, but I pushed forward with the firm conviction that it would absolutely suit you, so don't worry!"
"I can't not worry!"
"Why not?! It's fine! It's just a design choice! It's fine for guys, too! This is a fantasy world, it looks great on you, it looks great, just wear the hood up forever!"
"That's the fastest you've ever talked…!"
"Oh, can I take a picture of you just like that?"
"Absolutely not!!"
Damn it…! There are so many points to praise, like the new decorations on the sleeves and collar, which only makes my complaints about this one problematic addition all the more incessant…!!
Just when I thought this divine outfit had been brushed up to reach even greater heights, what in the world is this trap? Ah, I see, it's because she's cast off all her reservations about me in so many ways now…!?
"You… you just went and shamelessly threw your own tastes at me, didn't you?!"
"What's wrong with that?! I wasn't even planning on charging you for it!"
"I'll pay! I'll pay double the regular price, so please just fix it and make a hobby-free version—"
"Agh, you're so noisy! It's about the performance, not the looks!!"
"You'd one hundred percent flip out if someone said that to you!!?"
And so, our back-and-forth, with neither side willing to give an inch, continued for some time….
Who emerged victorious, unflinchingly pushing their own will forward—well, the answer to that should be obvious.
Seriously impossible. Girls are just too strong.
If Nia-chan says it looks good, it probably does. Probably.