Chapter 7: The Girl, Yoschua Verdi

In this world, there are so many Hunters that most clothing stores carry Hunter apparel.

The quality is lower than stores that specialize in Hunter gear, but I’m only F-Rank anyway.

I won’t be going into dangerous dungeons for a while, and I don’t have the luxury to nitpick, so I picked the closest clothing store.

Besides, most things can be handled with a Mana Shield anyway.

But…

“…”

I tried to go in after peeking at the store’s interior through the display window, but my feet wouldn’t move.

It was because of something that happened before.

Back when I was still a rookie Hunter, I didn’t have the money for a Hunter-specialty clothing store, so I got my gear at a nearby shop. That memory still sticks with me.

—Wow, it suits you perfectly! It’s a perfect fit for a Hunter! You’re so handsome, I bet you can pull off any outfit.

—Hey, is he gone? Business is really tough. Did you see him smile? It gave me the creeps. And for an E-Rank, why’s he so picky? He took all day just to choose.

They’d spout all kinds of flattery to your face, then badmouth you behind your back the moment you left the store. Trash!

Of course, this store and its clerk are different, but that incident gave me a prejudice, and after that, I never went to any shop except the one run by that old man I liked.

I’d like to go to that old man’s store now, but the prices there are steep.

Even if I saved up several dozen times the money I have now, I’d still be way short.

‘If it weren’t for this body, I wouldn’t be having this problem.’

If my body were still the same, I wouldn’t even need to buy clothes.

It’s a waste, all those clothes that fit my original body, stuffed in the closet.

I sold most of them, but there are still some left.

“…”

I thought, looking at my face reflected in the display window.

Honestly, it is a waste. Walking around in grunt gear with a face like this is kind of a shame.

But it’s not like I can go into dungeons wearing a dress loaded with ribbons and frills.

‘If only I had more money…’

I was about to sigh at my impoverished reality.

“Excuse me… are you interested in clothes?”

That was when the store door opened and a young female clerk came out.

I didn’t mean to show it, but I couldn’t help frowning.

*

The store owner, Chris Lovren, had been secretly watching the girl peering into the shop from outside.

‘So cute!’

Chris almost blurted it out without meaning to. My goodness, who knew such an adorable girl existed!

At first, Chris mistook her for a walking doll.

But for some reason, the girl just stood there, looking at the store’s interior, and never came inside.

‘Is it her first time picking out clothes alone?’

To Chris, the girl didn’t look that old. At most, a middle school student? Thinking that, Chris could understand why she looked so seriously troubled.

‘Should I go ask…?’

If she was interested in clothes.

But Chris soon shook her head.

She was a timid person by nature.

If you run a clothing store, customer service is basic.

In that regard, Chris was someone who didn’t suit a clothing store.

Still, the reason Chris hadn’t given up on this path was that she was confident no one loved making clothes more than anyone else.

When she dressed someone she thought would suit clothes she had made, she felt an indescribable joy and thrill.

Someday, Chris dreamed of breaking out of this small shop and creating a brand with her own name on it.

‘Ah… oh no…’

Chris didn’t miss the moment the girl’s gaze shifted elsewhere.

Thinking the girl would leave if this continued, Chris’s body moved before her mind did, and she stepped outside the store.

“Excuse me, are you interested in clothes?”

Chris managed to stop the girl, but regretted it immediately.

Chris often heard that the dark circles under her eyes made her look gloomy.

And here Chris was, suddenly popping out and asking that out of the blue — how rude could it get!

‘Ugh! It hurts! Even though I didn’t get hit!’

The girl’s expression actually twisted.

Chris thought that a person could really die from a look alone.

Chris had never been stabbed, but it felt like a knife was lodged in her heart.

‘But she’s really cute…’

Though that only lasted a moment.

Seeing the girl’s face up close, the pain naturally faded.

Could this be… falling in love…?

‘I’m gonna do it!’

They wanted to dress this girl in their own clothes. They felt that if they missed this chance, they’d regret it for the rest of their life. So they hoped she’d give a positive answer.

“…”

The moment the girl quietly nodded.

Chris felt like she could fly up to the sky.

* * *

‘A clerk with a similar vibe to me!’

I felt a kind of familiarity. When she first asked out of the blue if I was interested in clothes, it reminded me of the past and made me a bit uneasy, but seeing the clerk’s face up close changed my mind.

I felt a strange kinship with the female clerk, who wore glasses with dark circles under her eyes.

Maybe because of that, seeing the clerk’s face actually put me at ease.

‘She’d probably be pretty if she dressed up, though…’

Well, that goes for me too, I guess.

Thinking that, I let out a chuckle.

“Um, miss…?”

“…!”

The moment I heard the clerk’s voice, I felt a flush of heat, like I’d been caught laughing.

So I quickly stepped inside the store.

The inside was narrower than I expected. Clothes packed in tight… but they were fairly well organized.

The female clerk smiled shyly and attended to me. Does she run this place alone?

‘I hate people staring, but well, at this level…’

The gaze of a kindred spirit is still better. And right now, I’m a woman. Unlike before, now that I’m the same gender, it’s a bit better than before.

‘But man, I’m torn…’

I’m the type who has a hard time choosing anything.

Picking clothes to wear for a while out of all these options wasn’t easy.

Especially since they were women’s clothes, which I’d never had any interest in before.

“If you’d like, may I pick one out for you…?”

The clerk approached me as I struggled to decide, and asked. I nodded. Even if I felt a kinship with her, wouldn’t a female clerk know better than me?

With that thought, I had some expectations, but what the clerk brought was some black dress. Apart from the color, it was almost no different from what I was wearing now.

I’m picking out clothes to go into a dungeon, so I can’t wear something like this.

I quickly shook my head.

“May I ask what kind of clothes you’re looking for?”

“Hunter.”

At my words, the clerk’s face lit up like an exclamation mark. She must not have known I was a Hunter.

“Ah, so you’re a Hunter. You look so young… oh, I’m sorry.”

The clerk seemed apologetic, so I made a gesture that it was fine.

“One moment, please. What style do you fight in? For example, a sword or shield, or magic or a bow…”

“Magic.”

“Understood. Please wait a moment.”

While the clerk went to find clothes, I was left alone and looked around the store.

There were all kinds of clothes, not just socks but also underwear.

And among them, what caught my eye was…

‘*Cough*…!’

Women’s underwear.

I felt a sudden embarrassment and quickly turned my head away.

I looked down at my body. The first thing that came into view was my flat chest.

Actually, right now I’m not wearing… a bra.

‘I don’t even know how to put one on, and besides, it’s so small it doesn’t show anyway…!’

More than anything, it’s a hassle! Having to wear that every time!

Plus, if there are two pieces of underwear, that’s double the expense!

It’s inefficient!

‘But I’ll have to do it someday, right?’

Won’t this flat chest eventually grow too big to hide?

Thinking that, I felt a bit strange.

Women’s underwear… hmm…

“How about this?”

That was when it happened. The clerk came back carrying several outfits at once.

I looked them over one by one.

“You can try them on in the fitting room.”

After a brief moment of thought, I nodded.

*SHWIP-*

A red-designed dress. Hmm, this is too flashy. And I’m just an E-Rank Hunter, so it feels like I’m being extravagant.

*SHWIP-*

A white off-shoulder one-piece. It looks good for mobility, but it’s not really my taste.

*SHWIP-*

A white robe. This is too classic. It looks like something an old wizard grandpa from a fantasy movie would wear.

*SHWIP-*

This one too.

*SHWIP-*

This one too.

*SHWIP-*

This one doesn’t suit me either.

‘Man, this is really hard to pick.’

There’s no design in this store that catches my eye.

Was I always this picky?

Well, considering the girl reflected in the mirror—

My own appearance, it’s only natural to want to dress her in pretty clothes.

I felt like I could understand narcissists a little.

‘This is the last one…’

I turned my gaze to the final piece of clothing.

‘Hm?’

The last item on display was a garment with a black-and-white cape draped over it.

The color scheme passes, at least. I’ve always liked the combination of black and white.

I went straight into the fitting room and changed into it.

‘Oh.’

This one’s actually pretty decent?

I spun around once, and it was the most satisfying one I’d tried on so far.

The design looked more like something a student at an academy or magic school would wear rather than a Hunter, but it didn’t stand out too much, and when I put it on, the mobility was decent enough.

Except for the skirt being a bit short.

‘Well, I already came in, so it’d be weird to leave empty-handed.’

I stepped out of the fitting room and glanced at the clerk. The clerk was looking at me with eyes full of anticipation.

“…I’ll take this one.”

“Yes!”

I didn’t know why, but the clerk’s face, beaming with happiness, somehow felt like it wouldn’t be easy to forget.

“Wait a moment!”

I was about to leave after paying when the clerk suddenly called out to me.

“Take this hat too. It’s on the house.”

“Are you sure?”

What the clerk handed me was a black pointed hat.

I put it on and looked at myself in the mirror—it matched the outfit quite well. It made me look even more like a wizard.

Was it okay to take this for free? I thought about refusing out of a sense of burden, but seeing the clerk’s sparkling eyes, I decided to accept it quietly.

“Thank you.”

“Come again!”

I left the clothing store feeling satisfied. The price was reasonable, and I liked the design.

I’d say it’s a pass.

‘Maybe I’ll come here again.’

Now that I’ve got clothes, the next place to go is the Hunter Association Office. Before heading into a dungeon, I should apply for Rank Advancement first.