Chapter 3

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Chapter 3: Gothic Lolita Is Cutely Decorated With Frills I

Accompanied by Haruka-neesan, I was brought to the arcade in Yuuhigaoka, still dressed in my Gothic Lolita outfit. I considered this my furthest venture away from home.

Despite it being a Sunday, the arcade shopping street was quite desolate, with many shops shuttered and neon signs dim from years of neglect. As high school students like Haruka-neesan and me often use trains or bicycles to go to Nagiha or other parts of the city for fun, there’s less worry about running into someone we know here.

Even so, there are plenty of shoppers I might have seen before, and someone who knows me might come here with a troublesome errand. People pass by me, glancing at my heavy footsteps. I tell myself they probably just think I look unwell, but I can’t shake the feeling that they might recognize me as a guy, which makes me uneasy.

“There seem to be more people today.”

“It’s the same as usual. You’re worrying too much.”

“That’s because you’ve dressed me in such an eye-catching outfit.”

Even though I can’t seem to get used to it, Haruka-neesan’s sense of normalcy is completely numb. What was once a secret dressing session in Haruka-neesan’s room has become a distant memory. From the room to inside the house, to the neighborhood park, and now she even brings me to places where people gather without hesitation.

“Hey, do you want to have a crepe?”

“…I’ll have one.”

I wonder how much of my dissatisfaction is reaching Haruka-neesan. She pulls me by the hand to the front of the store, but it seems like my feelings are not getting through at all.

Haruka-neesan, who just a few minutes ago was crying and shouting, now munches on her crepe with a relaxed expression, as if her earlier distress was just an act. She’s joyfully exploring the unremarkable arcade as if it were a magical dreamland.

It seems a bit eerie, but apparently, she feels pleased as if walking with me makes her look cuter. I think she should just focus on dressing stylishly herself.

“Oh, look over there!”

Haruka-neesan stops in front of a shop. Ah, it’s Kato’s store.

Kato’s Clothing Store, located here in Yuuhigaoka, is famous for selling unusual items that make you want to ask why they stock such clothes. Although they said the store is more of a hobby since they own the land, it seems to be too extreme in terms of hobby.

In the glass showcase, there’s a bright red dress that looks like it’s for a ballroom. Next to it, there’s a kimono brimming with Taisho romance. Looking closer, there’s a mannequin in a maid outfit standing beside it. This must be where today’s clothing was sourced.

“I’m going to take a quick look.”

Haruka-neesan presses the half-eaten crepe into my right hand while holding my half-eaten crepe in the other hand. It makes me look like a glutton.

“Ah, I’ll have one too.”

“No, you can’t bring food inside.”

No, it’s not about the food, it’s that being left alone in this outfit makes me feel too insecure. Before I can say more, Haruka-neesan heads into the store. How long will I have to wait? Filled with fear and unable to do anything, I sneak into a narrow alley extending from the arcade, hoping to stay less visible. Even if it might not make much difference, being less conspicuous is somewhat calming.

“If you love clothes so much, you should spend money on yourself.”

These clothes are certainly not cheap. The sewing is well done, and there are no loose threads. They are not the kind of cosplay outfits you find in discount stores.

Furthermore, Haruka-neesan has dressed me in quite a number of outfits, and since it’s supposed to be a secret from the family, she must be taking them to the cleaners herself. With that many, even if Haruka-neesan is significantly taller than average, she should be able to find cute clothes that fit her.

Eating the crepe I’m holding in my left hand, I watch the entrance of Kato’s Clothing Store, which shows no sign of Haruka-neesan’s return. Maybe I have to wait here until she comes out?

“Hey, you.”

“Huh?”

I turn towards the voice. A little girl stands in the alley where I thought no one was around.

I quickly correct my initial thought that she might be a middle schooler. The black sailor uniform and white scarf she’s wearing are the uniform of the well-known Seishin Girls’ High School in this area. Despite it being a warm spring, she wears thick black stockings and black loafers. Her long, shiny black hair flows straight down, covering her entire body.

The pure white skin stands out against the all-black outfit. Her eyes, shining through the trimmed hair, gaze directly at me without mistake.

If I had met her on a summer night, I might have mistaken her for a ghost or something. Her mystique, as if she is slightly out of the ordinary, paralyzes me with a shiver.

She walks straight towards me at the entrance of the alley and presses me against the wall. Relieved that she is shorter than me and doesn’t look very imposing, I am taken aback when she leans in and whispers into my ear with her crimson lips.

“Would you like to be my doll?”

“Eh?”

The crepes I was holding fall to the ground with a sad, squishy sound as I am pushed. But such a minor sound doesn’t matter now.

Her breath brushes against my cheek, providing a strangely warm and somewhat unsettling sensation.

“If it’s a cute girl like you, you would certainly suit me.”

I am mistaken for a girl. While I am pleased that she hasn’t recognized me as a boy, I feel extremely conflicted. But right now, that’s not the issue. To avoid revealing I’m a boy through my voice, I slowly shake my head.

“I see, that’s a shame. But you have no right to refuse.”

She raises her hand next to her beautifully smiling face. For a moment, I think she’s going to slap me, but the reality is even more cruel.

“I don’t want to be rough, but this is your fault.”

Two men in black suits, who had apparently been waiting in the alley, lift me up by my sides. I, a small boy, am easily carried and then shoved into a pitch-black car.

“Oh, Nao? Where did he go? Did he manage to escape?”

I hear Haruka-neesan’s voice searching for me as she returns. If she is aware that I might escape, she should stop dressing me up like this and dragging me around. If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t be in this situation.

I can’t answer Haruka-neesan’s distant voice. While I might manage to deal with one girl, facing three people could put Haruka-neesan in danger.

“Oh, so you were with friends. Nao, what a lovely name.”

I silently stare at her as she smiles with a glossy expression from the opposite seat in the car.