"Mm? I already had enough clothes, didn't I? I usually wore my school uniform. I had sportswear for competitions, and kyudo attire for kyudo performances." Shirou thought for a moment before answering.
"That's not what I mean! I mean clothes for when you go out!" Yuihama shouted.
"Wouldn't something like a sporty windbreaker do?" Shirou asked doubtfully.
"Absolutely not... What do you all think?" Yuihama covered her face and looked toward her friends.
"Yes, absolutely not." Yukino looked at Shirou as though she were disappointed in him.
"Looks like we'll have to correct his fashion sense ourselves." Asuna said with a smile.
Mash did not quite understand either, but it somehow felt as though her seniors had found a new target. Perhaps she would not have to worry about being treated like a toy.
That afternoon, just as Shirou walked out of the classroom, Yuihama grabbed him.
"Shirou, come with me!" Yuihama took the Youth's hand and dragged him downstairs.
Yukino, Asuna, and the others were already waiting outside.
"What's going on?" Shirou changed his shoes at the entrance, then walked outside the school building and asked curiously.
"Come on, just follow us." Asuna walked behind Shirou with a smile and pushed him forward.
"What are we doing?" Shirou looked at the girls in confusion.
"Yes, we're giving someone a complete makeover." Yukino chuckled as she walked ahead to lead the way.
"Alright! Let's go! We're heading to Shinjuku! Mash, come along too." Yuihama threw an arm around Shirou's shoulders and dragged him onward.
"Ah... okay." Mash froze for a moment before following them.
They arrived at the station and set off on the Sobu Line. It would take roughly forty minutes to reach Shinjuku.
With Shinjuku Station at its center, West Shinjuku was a fully modernized international city's commercial and administrative district. Towering buildings stood everywhere, and those walking its streets were mostly business elites and white-collar office ladies in suits, carrying briefcases.
To the east lay the girls' destination with Shirou: the liveliest and most chaotic East Shinjuku shopping district.
Unlike Ginza, with its upscale luxury resellers, this place had the widest variety of affordable, distinctive trendy brands, clothing, shoes, hats, cosmetics, and accessories.
"I recommend Shirou wear that and add a red scarf. He'd definitely look handsome!" Yuihama pointed at an advertising poster displayed by a nearby shop and spoke excitedly.
"...No, isn't that just copying a TV celebrity's outfit and adding a scarf?" Shirou refused.
"Eh... It obviously suits you so well. When I saw it, I thought that if Shirou wore this, he'd definitely look way more handsome than that celebrity..." Yuihama pouted.
"Then I recommend a sweater vest, paired with this black wool coat. Shirou is very steady, so this kind of gentlemanly style would suit him too." Asuna said.
Is that a roundabout way of saying I look old?
"Although I don't know much about fashion, Shirou-senpai looks great in red! Like a red combat suit that boosts angular velocity by three times!" Mash did her best to offer her suggestion.
Thanks... Mash, where exactly did you learn that? It has absolutely no reference value.
"Before appearances, we should consider practicality first." Yukino said. Though she did not know much about fashion either, she was still sharing some life experience as someone who had returned from abroad.
"Exactly. That's why I said there's no need to make this so complicated. What matters for a man is what's inside. As long as he has enough clothes to wear, that's enough." Shirou nodded in agreement.
"Shut up, Shirou!" the three girls said in unison.
"We're discussing something very important right now!"
"Do you really want to wear sportswear abroad? If you go to China, people might mistake you for a local student."
"If you look unfashionable, we're the ones who'll be embarrassed!"
I think that's blatant discrimination. Apologize to sportswear lovers all over the world! Shirou retorted inwardly.
Shirou's Custom Suit
"According to the school's usual practice, students with special talents and outstanding grades are divided into groups and sent to corresponding schools for exchanges. Each group generally visits several countries. Temperatures vary greatly between regions, so besides formal wear, it would be best to prepare two extra warm sweaters." Yukino explained.
As expected of Yukino the Encyclopedia... But they're worrying far too much. Shirou could not help admiring her while also wanting to complain.
"Eh, so that's how it is. Yukino knows so much. I was only thinking about how to match things to make him look more handsome." Yuihama suddenly understood. Looking at Shirou, she added, "That's right, Shirou should keep warm. Don't catch a cold during the trip. Though idiots don't catch colds, do they?"
"Hey, Yuihama, that's a bit much. How am I an idiot?" Shirou protested unhappily.
"Hmph, you justice idiot! You blockhead!" Yuihama stuck out her tongue and pulled a face.
"Listen, Shirou. I know a little about the current climate overseas. If you're going somewhere in the north where it often snows heavily, you need to buy a hat, earmuffs, and snow boots, and prepare a down jacket. Since you might also visit southern countries, prepare several warm, sweat-wicking clothes that are easy to take off and put on."
Yukino looked at the Youth and shared her experience.
"You don't need to worry so much. It's not like I have no experience traveling abroad. I'll buy whatever clothes I need myself." Shirou tried to persuade them.
"But with Shirou, it feels like unless your family drags you out to buy clothes, you'll keep wearing them until they fall apart." Asuna said, looking at him worriedly.
"That's an exaggeration! I buy new clothes every year, alright?" Shirou argued.
"That's only because you grew taller and needed replacements, right?" Yukino looked over and asked.
"That is true." Shirou was left speechless.
"What about formal wear? You may attend some formal banquets or dances over there, so you need at least one suit."
"..." Shirou had no reply.
"And if you completely ignore trends and fashion, girls will dislike you." Yuihama leaned in and added.
"I don't understand it very well either, but Shirou-senpai, if you don't agree now, it looks like this won't end." Mash also tried to persuade him.
"I understand. Then I'll leave it to you." Shirou compromised. In any case, he had just received the prize money from this archery competition and had been wondering what to spend it on.
"Exactly. There's nothing wrong with having ten or twenty outfits in your wardrobe. You'll wear them all eventually, right?" Yuihama said with a smile.
"No, that's way too many. As long as I have enough clothes to wear, that's enough." Shirou complained.
"Yeah." Mash agreed. The habits she had developed at Chaldea meant that aside from combat suits, wasn't it enough to have a few changes of clothes?
Shirou could only let the girls drag him around and dress him up however they pleased.
First came a custom suit. Yukino brought Shirou to a famous suit shop her father often visited.
"This place isn't an old-established shop, but I heard the chief designer won awards frequently while studying abroad. The prices are a little high, but the quality is absolutely guaranteed."
The girls went to discuss the specific requirements with the in-store designer. The designer took out a notebook and carefully recorded the customers' requests, while Shirou underwent measurements nearby.
"That will be all." The tailor, dressed in a white shirt and black suit vest, with the air of a gentleman, spoke softly.
"Wait a moment." A magnetic yet alluring voice rang out.
A fashionable woman in a red Western-style formal dress approached. She looked under thirty, radiating the charm of a mature woman. Her long black hair was pinned up, and she carried the rich yet non-irritating scent of floral perfume.
The woman first extended her slender fingers and felt along Shirou's body, from top to bottom, tracing the structure of his shoulders and back down to his waist and abs...
"You have a very nice figure, Youth. Do you play any sports?"
"I have some experience in kyudo and kendo." Shirou answered, still holding both arms out.
"Mm, just as I thought... Your eyes are nice too. The more I look at you, the more refined you seem. It makes me want you more and more." The woman's hand stroked back and forth beneath Shirou's abdomen as she spoke with slightly unfocused eyes.
Want him!? The girls stared wide-eyed. What was going on with this auntie who had suddenly appeared?
"Um, are we done now?" Shirou asked. What exactly was this beautiful big sister talking about? The Youth could not understand at all.
"Mm, we're done. Leave this Youth's outfit design to me. Grand Master, I'll leave the tailoring to you then." The woman smiled, lowered her hand, and spoke to the refined man in his fifties sitting nearby with his eyes closed.
"It's rare for a genius designer like you to be interested in something, so naturally I'll make the arrangements. Besides, this Youth is a natural clothes hanger. Making clothes for him would be a pleasure." The refined man took a small sip of tea, nodded, and smiled.
"Come back in three days. I'll design the suit that suits you best. Of course, since I'm personally handling it, the price will increase by thirty percent. Is that alright?" The woman asked Shirou with a smile.
"I understand. Thank you." Shirou nodded immediately.
"Thank you for your patronage. You'll become a good man someday. What a waste. Why are you still a high school student?" The woman rested one hand against her face and spoke regretfully.
"Shirou, if you feel you've been harassed, you can call the police. Right now. Immediately." Yukino said coldly.
"Yes, if you're dissatisfied, we could switch to another shop." Asuna suggested with a friendly smile.
"Shirou..." Yuihama looked at him urgingly.
"My, is one of these young ladies your girlfriend? It doesn't look like it, does it?" The beautiful woman looked the girls over and smiled. No, perhaps that only made things more interesting for her.
"Oh, I understand. Please settle the bill." Shirou felt uncomfortable beneath their stares and could only hurriedly pull out his bank card, go to the cashier, pay the deposit, and collect the receipt.
"Ah, right. Here's my business card. Once you enter university, you can call your older sister anytime at night. Of course, if you grow to one meter eighty-five and become a little stronger, you can call me during the day too." The beautiful woman placed the golden card against her lips, leaving behind a pink lipstick mark. She raised an eyebrow flirtatiously, slipped it into Shirou's breast pocket, and drew a heart over his chest with her finger.
That sort of thing should only be done with someone you like, right? There really were all kinds of people. But she was also an adult with social standing, so it was not his place to say much. Shirou chose to remain silent and prepared to leave.
"W-wow, so that's what adults are like..." Mash held her face in her hands, her cheeks slightly red.
The Girls' Fashion Show
"Let's go! Mash, stop spacing out! We need to pick out clothes for you too!" Yuihama urged.
"Eh?" Mash froze. Shouldn't they be letting her off and working together to dress up Shirou-senpai?
"Did you think you could escape?" Asuna appeared behind the pink-haired girl.
"Even if Shirou wore cat ears, I wouldn't think they were cute. Of course, we need to see how they look on you, Mash." Yukino placed one hand on Mash's shoulder and spoke as though it were only natural.
"No, no! Yukino, Mash would definitely suit dog ears better." Yuihama came back, rested a hand on Mash's other shoulder, and met Yukino's gaze without yielding.
"Senpai?" Mash shrank her neck. It felt as if Yukino and Senpai Yuigahama's gazes were colliding in the air, crackling with electric light.
"I'm looking forward to it, Mash." Shirou chuckled and gave Mash an encouraging thumbs-up.
"Prepare yourself, Mash." Yuihama and Yukino seized the pink-haired girl's arms from either side, while Asuna pushed her from behind.
As expected of Shinjuku, Mash tried on clothes in every imaginable style. Because she had such a good figure, everything suited her well. Yet for some reason, she always looked a little risqué, especially when the pink-haired girl blushed shyly.
Thus, Shirou witnessed the birth of all kinds of Mash: Mash in cozy knitwear, sporty Mash, down-jacket Mash, animal-eared Mash, qipao Mash, nurse Mash... Mm... by the end, it was simply cosplay.
Fortunately, this was Shinjuku rather than the even more distinctive Harajuku or Shibuya. Otherwise, they might have seen punk-style Mash in fishnets, or Mash with gothic lolita smoky makeup.
After Yuihama and the others had dressed Mash up to their hearts' content, they began trying on clothes they had picked out for themselves.
Shirou was currently standing before the fitting rooms in the clothing shop, waiting for the girls to change.
Japanese fashion pursued a lighter feeling, unlike Western styles that emphasized showing off body curves. Its essence was probably skirts: fluttering skirts, skirts that displayed the absolute territory.
"Shirou-senpai, how do I look?" Mash was the first to emerge. She wore a pale yellow jacket with a blue plaid skirt, white ankle socks, low-cut black shoes, and a Fou-brand crossbody bag slung over her left shoulder.
She suddenly looked several years younger, completely displaying the girl's innocent and adorable side. She had the air of a childish young girl.
"Mm, very cute." Shirou praised her and patted his junior's head.
"Hehe, thank you." Mash shyly lowered her head, revealing the smile of a child who had been praised. Her body leaned slightly forward, emphasizing the figure that stood out even among Western women. She had such a cute baby face, yet an incredibly busty figure...
This unconscious seduction was the most devastating kind. Shirou's heart skipped a beat, and he turned his head away.
"Shirou-senpai?" Mash looked at the Youth in confusion and leaned forward a little more.
At that moment, the fitting room door beside them opened as well, and the girl with a bun hairstyle came out grinning.
"Shirou, look. How is it?" Yuihama wore a white long-sleeved top beneath a long trench coat that hung down to her calves. On the bottom, she wore loose wide-legged pants, like a skirt made from two trouser legs. Yet they had more dimension than a skirt. The shorter top and longer bottom made her legs look slender.
The bottom of the trench coat swayed gently as she moved. Paired with red flat sneakers, it gave her a relaxed, casual look. Her bright smile added a playful cuteness that suited her perfectly.
"Hehe, cute, right!" Yuihama caught the Youth's gaze and smiled even more sweetly. She bounced forward and asked smugly.
"Mm, cute, cute... Clothes really do make the man, and saddles make the horse." Shirou deliberately answered casually. She was beautiful, but seeing how smug she looked, he could not help teasing her.
Yuihama puffed out her cheeks, but before she could complain, another girl emerged.
"Shirou-kun, could you evaluate mine as well?" Asuna said with a soft smile.
Her flaxen hair fell over a beige loose-knit sweater. The slightly rolled-up sleeves revealed her slender wrists. A small belt circled her waist, while a brightly colored floral skirt fell below. Her slightly exposed calves were wrapped in black long boots.
"Oh! You look beautiful!" Shirou praised.
Perhaps it was because the girl herself had such a good temperament, or perhaps the outfit was truly well matched. Dressed like this, Asuna naturally exuded the feeling of a refined young lady—gentle, obedient, virtuous, and graceful.
"Thank you for the compliment. In that case, I'll buy it." Asuna said with a smile.
"Shirou, aren't you treating me differently?"
"What are you arguing about?" Yukino also emerged from the fitting room and asked curiously.
Her black hair cascaded like a waterfall, her eyes resembled black pearls, and her skin was fairer than most. She wore the white wool coat perfectly, looking clean and elegant. Beneath it was a white turtleneck sweater, adding another layer of softness and cuteness. Light gray jeans and over-the-knee boots made her already beautiful legs look even longer and straighter.
Without question, this was the most beautiful winter outfit for a girl. One could imagine the beautiful sight of her walking through the snow in those clothes.
"Whoa, subarashii!" Shirou praised her without holding back.
Before you continue