CH 6

V1: EPISODE 6: COMMUNICATIVE DISORDER AND THE MAKEOVER.

Beauty parlour 『World breaker』. Next to it was a joint establishment boutique.

The name of the store was 『Reverse of the world』. The signboard depicts a beautiful girl in her strongest form, “final limit.” Seeing this for the first time, it certainly looks like a boutique.

At any rate, he followed them into the boutique.

This store was a little different, it had regular clothes, but it also had maniac clothing…there was a section dedicated to the so-called ‘speciality’ costumes.

Nene went in there without hesitation and began choosing all sorts of clothes.

“Hmm, I wonder which one is the best. Oh, I like this one. I can’t throw this one away either. You know what, let’s put them all on.”

“E-Eh, all that, w-what?”

Yui’s eyes turned monochrome as she was brought clothes from all over the place that she had never seen before in a regular store.

“Okay, first this and then this! Here we go, Yui-chan!”

“Y-Yuuma……”

“Um…Onee-chan? Moderation please?”

“Fufufu, don’t worry. I’ll make her look extremely cute.”

Yui was pulled into the fitting room. She looked at him as if she wanted help, but he decided to trust Nene here and let her go.

“Hey, hey, banzai, take off your clothes……..ahhhh, you look so cute♡, so smooth♡, so squishy♡.”

“Au….”

He heard such voices coming from the fitting room.

“Ah, hey, Yui. Are you okay?”

“U-Um, yeah…somehow.”

“Onee-chan, please don’t do anything weird to her, okay?”

“It’s going to be just fine. Trust me. Hah…..even so, Yui is just too cute…her skin’s so smooth…I could just eat her up….Lick.”

“Hello? Are you the police?”

“Hey!? I’m just kidding!? Kidding you hear!”

“Yui, if it’s really impossible, you can tell me, okay? I’ll stop this right away.”

“I-It’s okay…….if Yuuma stays near me, I won’t be afraid…..besides…..”

“Besides…?”

“…..I want Yuuma to tell me how cute I am again…..”

I was once again struck by those words. I also heard traces of Nene’s strange voice, “Ough!?”

From that point on, it became even quieter compared to a short while ago.

The only sounds that I could hear were the rustling of clothes and the sound of Nene’s voice helping her get dressed.

(Yui is getting dressed behind this curtain right now……)

I imagined it for a moment and shook my buzzing head.

“And finally, put on this Alice band. And we’re done! You look so cute, Yui-chan.”

“Am I really going to have to go out in front of Yuuma dressed like this?”

“What? Isn’t this cute?”

“I mean, it’s cute, but…”

“Okay, you just admitted to yourself that it’s cute! Well then, it’s time to meet face to face～.♪”

“Ah!?”

The curtains were opened.

──Someone cute was standing there.

Yui’s clothes were the so-called maid outfit. The maid outfit she wore came along with an Alice band and a pure white apron with lots of frills that gave off an orthodox feel.

I’ve seen similar clothes like them at maid cafes and other places.

But, seeing Yui, who I always played with, fidget shyly as she wore that…..emotions that I couldn’t put into words began welling up inside me.

I couldn’t say a word.

I was just left speechless as I gazed at Yui’s figure.

Perhaps unable to bear such silence, Yui began to operate her phone.

『Say something! This is so embarrassing! It’s even harder for me when you’re not even giving me a single response!』

“A-Ah, sorry, um….yeah, you look cute.”

I’ve called Yui cute many times before, but this time, it was different. This time, it felt as if my soul had been snatched away.

When Yuuma said this, Yui’s originally red face turned even redder, and she hid her face behind her phone.

“Hey, are you okay?”

“Y-Yeah. It’s just kind of strange…I’m embarrassed, and yet….I feel awfully happy.”

After some time, the both of them grew silent. They were each too embarrassed to say another word. Nene had an extremely satisfied smile on her face as she watched over the both of them.

“U-Um…Nene-san….”

Surprisingly, it was Yui who opened her mouth first.

“Hmm? What’s wrong?”

“Other, clothes…”

“Other clothes?”

“I want to try other clothes. I want to show them to Yuuma…”

When Yui shyly said that, Nene’s face immediately turned red.

“Okay, leave it to me, Yui-chan! Just give me a minute! Y-Yui-chan is too cute right now. This is dangerous, aah, this is really dangerous, crap, calm down me! Yuu-kun, really, thank you so much for bringing over such a sweet girl today!”

While shouting such a thing, Nene ran in to get the other clothes.

From there on, it was like a fashion show for Yui.

Nurse clothes, kimonos, Gothic Lolita, white Lolita, and so on.

“H-How about this one?”

Yui’s face turned bright red as she begged for his opinion about the Chinese dress she was wearing.

It had a considerably tight slit, which generously exposed her white thighs. She appeared embarrassed and fidgety, but even so, she still looked up at him with somewhat expectant eyes.

“Hey, if you’re embarrassed, you can always refuse, you know?”

“It’s embarrassing….but, if it gets Yuuma to call me cute…then I’ll gladly do so….”

He felt his heart flutter again at those words.

（Again, with those misleading words…!)

Somehow, he desperately endured keeping his attitude from showing. Nene was also writhing behind Yui, covering her face.

…..To tell you the truth, Yuuma was looking forward to seeing what Yui would look like.

He had to wait quite a while as she was changing, but that didn’t really bother him that much. If anything, it kept him in even more suspense, which only made his heart beat faster and faster.

Above all, Yui was putting on this kind of fashion show because she wanted him to see her. How could he not be thrilled?

“Nene-san, what else do you have?”

“Tee-hee～, I’m glad Yui-chan’s getting into it. Wait, that’s right…hey, Yui-chan, you read Maoshitsu too, don’t you?”

Yui nodded her head repeatedly.

“I like Fee-chan the best….”

“Alright, wait here a minute.”

Nene went to get her clothes and came back again. The curtains were closed.

And then, after a while, Yui came out…wearing a Fee-chan cosplay.

The dress has a medieval European feel, with subdued colours. Yui’s original white hair. Her shy expression. It was all completely in character with Fee.

“Well～, actually, I made this a little while ago, but I couldn’t wear it because I was too tall and big around the chest area.”

Nene says this happily.

“I know Fee-chan is a Lolita character within the story, but I thought it would be uncomfortable if I made her a Lolita, so I tried to imagine her as a slightly grown-up version of herself. Yui-chan looks good in it, so I’m glad. It’s like it just fits perfectly. Look, look, I had a lot of trouble making each of the frills here.”

Nene explains quickly and confidently, puffing out her chest.

However, I could hardly understand her explanation.

At first glance, I felt my heart skip a beat. I was so taken by the sight that I couldn’t think straight.

“H-How…is it? Does it suit me…?”

Yui was asking me for my opinion.

In this situation, the right thing to do would be to say『cute』

and praise her, but I couldn’t find my voice.

I stared at her, and I immediately felt embarrassed and turned away from her upon noticing it.

“J-Just as I thought, do I look weird after all?”

“N-No, it’s not that.”

Yui was starting to get depressed, but I couldn’t think of anything clever to say. Then Nene came to my rescue.

“Hmmm～. No, Yui-chan. Yuu-kun is just frozen because Yui-chan is too cute. Look, look, his face is red up to his ears, right? That’s how boys are.”

“I-Is…that so….?”

I barely nodded at Yui’s words.

“Yeah…..it’s cute….”

Somehow, I managed to squeeze that much out. Yui’s face was also red up to her ears. Her face was downcast with embarrassment, but even so, her mouth slackened as if she was delighted.

“H-Hey, Yuuma? Do you want to pat my head?”

“Huh?”

“Somehow now. I want Yuuma to pat my head…I want you to touch me….”

It was phrased in a way that could be misinterpreted in various ways, but I didn’t even have time to pay attention to it. I did as I was told and patted her head.

Yui’s hair was soft and silky, and it felt good to stroke it.

When I stopped stroking her hair, she would press her head against my hand as if begging for more.

Yui happily squinted her eyes as I was patting her, but contrary to the usual, I felt nervous. …..My heart was pounding in my chest the entire time. Also, Nene was rolling around the floor.

“Hey, hey, Yui, since we’re here, why don’t we take a picture?”

“A picture?”

“Yes, Yes. Yui-chan, you’re trying to overcome your communicative disorder, right? To be more brave and confident. So, so, why don’t we take a picture?”

“U-Uh…”

“Or rather, let me take it! After all, Yui-chan is so cute! Isn’t it human nature to want to take pictures? Right? Yuu-kun?”

“W-Well, yeah…”

Frankly, I understood how she felt.

I wanted to take a photo of Yui and leave her as she is now.

Setting it as my phone’s wallpaper… It’d be embarrassing for others to see it, so of course, I won’t do it, but when bad stuff happens, I want to see it and be healed.

“Y-Yuuma….”

Yui pinched my sleeve. Looking up at me with upturned eyes.

“If it’s okay…can Yuuma do it together with me?”

When she said that, I nodded almost reflexively.

──Now Yui was just being foul. I don’t think I could refuse her even if she begs me.

And so, Yuuma also decided to cosplay as Mao, the butler and protagonist of “Maotshitsu”.

He put on the sleeves of the butler uniform that Nene had bought and styled his hair accordingly to match the main character’s appearance.

After which, he returned to where Yui was.

“….Like.”

It was an embarrassingly curt reply.

After which, Yui just continued staring on at Yuuma.

“Hey, Yui-chan. It’s good manners to tell people what you think.”

“A-Ah, yeah. Um, it suits you, Yuuma. You look cool?”

I know it’s flattery. However, in any case, having Yui say it makes my heart throb. I desperately try to hold back the smirk from showing on my face.

“Well then, I’m going to get ready for the photoshoot.”

Nene said so and left.

She left both Yuuma and Yui alone.

“…………”

“…………”

“It looks good on you.”

“U-Um, yeah, thanks…. It looks good on Yuuma too….”

“…………”

“…………”

Silence.

Normally, Yuuma would have brought up a random subject, but no words came out. The sound of their heartbeats was loud.

“I’m ready. Come here.”

Nene’s voice came from the back. The silence was ripped apart, and both Yui’s and Yuuma’s shoulders relaxed.

“What’s wrong?”

“Ah, I’m okay with photo shooting, but I’m not very good at photography …”

Yui was apparently hesitant to go on the shoot.

(Yes, I shouldn’t have been nervous. I was the one who brought Yui here. I should be the one to ease Yui’s nerves.)

Suddenly, I remembered the first time I played games with Yui at the Internet cafe.

(Yui liked my natural voice──it was a low pitched voice, and when I said some shoujo manga lines to Yui, she was addicted to it…okay, that’s it. That’s the only way to relieve Yui’s tension here. )

Right now, Yuuma was dressed as Mao, the main character of Maoshitsu, and Yui was dressed as Fee, the female protagonist.

(If that’s the case, within the story, I could reenact the scene where a nervous Fee was escorted to the ball for the first time.)

I knelt down in front of Yui.

“What’s wrong?”

Yui looked uneasy, but I put all my energy into my expressions and said so in an attractive male voice.

“Don’t worry. I’ve come for you. Please take my hand, young lady.”

Then I held out my hand.

──Poof, Yui’s face turned so red that it looked like it was about to catch fire.

(Oh, what? Isn’t this reaction different from the last time?)

Yui’s gaze wandered shyly for a few moments before she said,

“T-Thank you very much” and timidly placed her hand on Yuuma’s.

(Small!? Soft!?)

I was utterly surprised to see that her hand was much smaller and softer than I had imagined. How could they be so soft when she was so thin and tiny.

Holding her hand gently, I stood up and pulled her along.

My heart has been thumping since a while ago. My hands are sweating so much that I’m starting to worry that I’m making her feel uncomfortable.

──What kind of expression does Yui have on her face now?

I no longer have the time to check even that. But, I could feel that our hands were tightly connected. That made me feel somewhat happy.

In the back of the store, there was a small studio for filming.

I stood in front of the green wall (the background will be combined by computer later) where the photoshoot will occur.

A light was turned on, and Nene, holding an expensive-looking camera, was excitedly fiddling with the camera settings.

“Then, I’ll take the photo…ahhh, Yuu-kun’s expression is so cute. Yui, could you make your way out from behind his back?”

I wanted to lead Yui in a cool way, but when the camera was pointed at me, I ended up getting nervous.

By the time she got to Yui, she was completely hidden behind my back. However, in a sense, it was also a faithful reproduction of the original work, since Fee’s character was also like this.

But still, I somehow managed to get a few shots and see what it looked like.

….To be clear, it just felt like I was being dressed in a costume.

Within the story, Mao was a tall and good looking guy, so it’s obvious that I would be lacking in various departments. In addition, I also closed my eyes a few times.

Yui’s, however, was a good fit. Her frightened expressions and embarrassed feelings were natural, perfectly reproducing the original work. There wasn’t a hint of acting at all. Well, there was no acting, so that’s obvious.

“Do I look cute in the photo…?”

“Yeah, cute and adorable.”

Embarrassed, I said it bluntly once again.

Yui, however, seemed happy every time Yuuma said she was cute, and Nene also had a dishevelled smile on her face as she watched the two of them.

“How about recreating a scene within the story! I’ll do my best for the background! Hey, hey, how about a scene like this?”

Nene operated her phone and brought up a scene of Mao holding Fee in his arms like a princess.

“No, no, this is…”

When you’re carrying someone in your arms, you’ll naturally be touching someone’s body with all your might. In my case, I’ll be touching Yui’s.

I don’t particularly want to touch anything that I’m not supposed to, so I think it’s a very bad idea…..however, Yui tugged on my sleeve.

Kui Kui

“I’d like to try it……”

“Huh?”

To be honest, I was surprised. I didn’t expect Yui to say something like this to me, even though she looked embarrassed just standing there like a normal person.

“I’m having fun, doing all kinds of things together with Yuuma…so I’d like to do a lot more…things together with him…”

“………..”

Even such casual words made me nervous. But it’s my best friend who’s saying this. So I definitely can’t shy away from it.

“T-Then…here we go.”

“Kya!?”

I carried Yui in my arms like a princess.

I thought of the time when I gave Yui a piggyback ride before. Her body felt light. And soft.

I was careful not to let my nervousness show on my face as I continued on with the photoshoot.

After that, we went on to reenact some of those magical scenes, such as the scene where Mao teaches Fee magic and kisses the back of Fee’s hand (I felt it would be dangerous to really do it, so I only imitated it).

And finally, she imported the photos into her personal computer and combined them with backgrounds, magical effects, and so on──.

After all, was said and done, it was well after dark when we headed home.

On the bus ride home, Yuuma and Yui were chatting about their day.

『Sorry, it’s getting all late. Will, you be okay with your curfew?』

『Yeah, it’s okay. I told them that I’d be pretty late. If anything, they were pretty happy that I made friends who could play with me that much.』

── Was Yui aware of the changes to herself that have occurred in this short period of time?

Before going to Nene’s store, she was trembling, her back was rounded, and her expression was stiff.

But now, her back was stretched diligently, and she was smiling happily. Her make-up was done beautifully, and her clothes were coordinated by Nene.

Yui was so engrossed in talking with me that she did not notice, but people on the street were glancing at us until we got on the bus.

The reason for this was surely not only because of Yui’s unusual white hair.

The only problem was…

『When Yuuma took me to the store today, I honestly wanted to leave right away.』

『I’m extremely sorry about that. I should have explained it a little better.』

『I think I would have turned it down before I went if you had explained it to me. Nene is a nice person. I had never done cosplay before, but she was nice to me and gave me lots of compliments.』

『Ah……in case you’re wondering, that wasn’t the only heartwarming reason, you know? A potential newcomer comes in, we grab him and try to drown him in the cosplay swamp.』

『Isn’t that a super scary reason!?』

Yui was happily laughing while chatting.

（She’s cute, just as I thought……）

I wish I could see that smile more often. I want to dote on her, make her smile, make her laugh, and so on.

“? Yuuma, what’s wrong?”

“N-No, it’s nothing.”

I couldn’t help but avert my gaze.

To cover it up, I sent her a super-play video of “Grand Gate” that I had found on the Internet the other day, and she was easily absorbed in it.

After a while, we got off the bus, and I sent Yui home while talking about nothing else.

“Oh, mum and daddy are already at home.”

Yui muttered as she heard the lighthearted exchanges coming from inside the house.

“Well, I’ve kept you up late, and I’d like you to apologize again.”

“Mm.”

“I’ll see you around.”

I said so and turned around…and that was when.

“…..Yuuma.”

Suddenly, Yui squeezed my hand with both of hers to hold me back.

“Yui?”

“That…well, um? Well…um…errr….”

A serious expression. She was embarrassed while desperately trying to convey something.

“…….”

The two words『confession』 popped up in my head at the sight of this.

Yui took a deep breath, and…

“W-We’re going to be friends forever, right?”

I almost shook.

“O-Oh? What are you saying at this stage?”

“B-Because Yuuma has helped me over and over again, and I didn’t give you anything in return…so I’m anxious…”

“You don’t have to say such things. Don’t worry about it.”

“U-Um, yes……but let me know if you need anything, okay? If there is anything I can do, I will do it.”

“Hey, uhm!? N-Nevermind……”

“?”

“Just don’t say anything to girls…..”

“……!?”

After thinking about it for a little while, Yuuma apparently realized what she had imagined. Her face turned bright red, and she waved her hands around.

“W-Wait, you’re mistaken!? I didn’t mean it like that…..!”

“I know! I know! Anyway, this conversation is over! Good!?”

“Uh-huh.”

──Although I said that it was over, there was a strange atmosphere.

I scratched my head to cover my embarrassment.

“I’ve said it many times before, but I enjoy having you around with me. So don’t be anxious about every little thing. We’re best friends…right?”

“……!”

I was embarrassed to say it, but the effects were great.

“U-Uh-huh! Ehehehe……♪”

Yui said, laughing happily.

（She’s way too easy……Actually, I guess I’m not one to talk.）

Seeing Yui smiling like that makes me happy too. I want to make her even happier.

I found myself naturally reaching out, lightly stroking Yui’s head.

Yui closed her eyes and pleasantly accepted my stroking.

I felt a tightening sensation in my chest when I saw her like that, and I was thrilled and……a little bit distressed.

“Well, it’s pretty late now. Shouldn’t you go home?”

“Yeah. See you tomorrow.”

I turned my back and walked away quickly.

Yui waves to me as she sees me off, but I don’t look back.

….Yui and I are best friends.

I’m enjoying this relationship.

I hope this relationship will continue forever.

──But.

If Yui’s words earlier had been “please go out with me,” what would I have said in response?

(Because it’s different! Yui isn’t like that!)

Shaking my buzzing head, I shook off the delusion that had sprung up in my head.