Things he would never normally see were now lined up in rows before his eyes. The sheer variety of styles and colors was dazzling, creating an intense visual assault that left Muten Natsu at a loss.
Cute bows, delicate lace, hazy chiffon, smooth silk, translucent mesh…
Muten Natsu shook his head, forcing himself to calm down.
As he steadied his breathing, the images flooding his mind gradually faded.
Sitting quietly on a chair in the shop, Muten Natsu decided to wait there until they finished shopping.
The shop assistant wore a polite smile. It was a scene they had seen countless times before.
As Orihime Inoue and Rukia Kuchiki began selecting items in earnest, their different body types naturally led them in different directions.
Just when Muten Natsu had finally calmed down completely, Orihime Inoue's voice sounded beside him.
"Muten."
"Ah!" It was like he'd been startled awake. For once, Muten Natsu reacted without his usual laziness.
Orihime Inoue held up two pieces, one white and one pink, showing them to him. Ririn was perched on her shoulder. "Which one do you think is better?"
"Ahem!" The images that had just faded surged back into Muten Natsu's mind. "I think… the one you like more is better."
The shop assistant looked at Muten Natsu with a faintly amused smile.
How innocent. The other girl must be her close friend, and this boy her boyfriend.
Even though they were already dating, they were still in that awkward, clueless stage.
Youth really was beautiful.
Orihime Inoue puffed out her cheeks in mild frustration. "I like both of them, so I can't decide."
"Then buy both."
"That would go over my budget." Orihime Inoue shook her head, then her eyes suddenly lit up. "Muten, which one do you like more?"
Muten Natsu froze.
Orihime Inoue would wear the one he chose.
The one he chose would be worn by Orihime Inoue.
He couldn't keep thinking about it.
"How about this," Muten Natsu said, coming up with a way to avoid choosing outright. "You buy one yourself, and I'll give you the other as a gift." Afraid she might refuse, he added, "Consider it a reward for helping me find Ririn."
"Alright…" Orihime Inoue blinked. She understood that Muten Natsu was just looking for an excuse to give her something. Quietly, she resolved to keep working harder on her cooking and make even more good food for him. "So which one do you want to give me?"
Muten Natsu: "..."
Seeing his silence, Orihime Inoue tilted her head. "You don't like either of these styles? Should we look at something else? Though most of what I can wear is pretty similar…"
"I like this style," Muten Natsu said at last, forced to make a choice. "I'll choose the white one."
"Then if you're giving me the white one, I'll buy the pink one." Orihime Inoue happily went to pick out the other piece.
Muten Natsu returned to his original spot to wait.
Calming himself once more, the images in his mind gradually faded away.
Just as Muten Natsu finally calmed down completely, Rukia Kuchiki's voice sounded beside him.
"Muten."
"Ah!"
"There are so many kinds here. Help me pick one."
"Huh?"
"Aren't you familiar with the World of the Living?"
"I don't know everything…" Muten Natsu said helplessly. "Why don't you ask Orihime to help you?"
"Orihime's busy choosing things for herself," Rukia Kuchiki said. She had considered asking the shop assistant, but worried that her lack of common sense might raise suspicion. "And you're just standing around, aren't you?"
The shop assistant looked at Muten Natsu with a faint smile.
How innocent. Looks like the other girl is her best friend, and this boy is her boyfriend.
Even though they're already dating, they're still in that awkward, clueless stage.
Youth really is—
Wait a second.
This scene feels oddly familiar.
Didn't this exact situation just happen a moment ago?
The shop assistant's gaze toward Muten Natsu subtly changed.
Youth is truly complicated.
"…Alright." Having already gone through this once, Muten Natsu stood up and went to browse together with Rukia Kuchiki.
He quickly understood how Rukia Kuchiki felt.
There were simply too many styles here. This one looked good, that one also seemed nice.
Muten Natsu had originally planned to just pick something at random, but considering it was Rukia Kuchiki's first time, he decided to take it seriously and help her choose properly.
Before they realized it, they had already passed through several sections.
The styles on the shelves gradually changed along the way.
Rukia Kuchiki stopped in her tracks, staring at one item in confusion. "There's even something like this? It would shift with the slightest movement. Is it held in place with Reiatsu?"
Muten Natsu glanced at it. "This kind of design probably never considered stability in the first place."
Or rather, it was designed specifically not to be stable.
Rukia Kuchiki was clearly baffled. After observing it more closely and imagining herself wearing it, her face turned red at a visible speed. "Th-this… this…"
She instinctively looked away.
Only to see even more incomprehensible designs.
One image after another surfaced in her mind.
Rukia Kuchiki's face was practically steaming.
"Huh?" Orihime Inoue happened to pass by and saw the two of them frozen in that particular section. "Do you like this kind?"
"No, we—" Muten Natsu shook his head hard. "There is no 'we.'"
Rukia Kuchiki also shook her head with equal force. "There is no 'me'!"
"Oh, I get it!" Orihime Inoue suddenly looked enlightened. "Rukia hasn't seen this many styles before, right? I was busy picking things for myself and didn't want to bother her, so when I saw you were free, I asked you to help her choose. But you hadn't seen this many either, so you didn't know what to pick. You just kept walking and somehow ended up here. Am I right?"
"Yes, yes, yes!" Muten Natsu and Rukia Kuchiki nodded repeatedly. "Exactly!"
"Actually, you could've just asked the shop assistant," Orihime Inoue said, taking both of their hands. "When I came here before, I didn't understand anything either. The shop assistant helped me the whole time."
Leading them away from that area, Orihime Inoue found a shop assistant. Letting go of Muten Natsu's hand, she waved and greeted her.
"Miss, there are so many styles here. My friend doesn't know which one to choose. Could you help us?"
"No problem," the shop assistant replied with a smile, then looked at Muten Natsu and Rukia Kuchiki. "Do either of you have allergies to certain materials?"
Muten Natsu: "…I'll pass, thank you."
Watching Orihime Inoue and the shop assistant help Rukia Kuchiki choose, Muten Natsu rubbed the item in his hand, feeling a bit emotional.
Without realizing it, Orihime Inoue had grown into someone so reliable…
Wait.
When did he end up holding this…?