My stepmother's burden is my ex-girlfriend.

This time, I couldn't figure out what he meant.

So I just gave a casual reply and we waved goodbye to each other.

Walking home, I thought about it for a moment.

As long as you're not out and about? In other words, it's okay indoors? Why not outside? Because people will see you?

...Because there are many outsiders?

──～～～～！

The moment I understood, a surge of heat rushed to my head, and I tugged at the hem of my short skirt.

He didn't want other people to see my legs—that's what he meant by that.

Possessiveness? How disgusting!

If it were me now, I would have despised it long ago, but back then I was pitiful and no one loved me, and I actually longed to be the object of someone else's desire.

And it was him.

He, who seemed indifferent to everything, actually showed me such obvious possessiveness.

I had a smile on my face until I got home.

And from then on—I never wore miniskirts again.

◆

Xiaoyue and I sat on the edge of the planted area at the corner of the intersection, watching the crowds of people coming and going.

Because of the holiday, it was rare to see people wearing suits or school uniforms; almost everyone was dressed casually. I felt a strange sense of admiration. Now I realize that almost everyone in the world possesses at least the basic knowledge of dressing appropriately so they don't feel ashamed to be seen in public.

Which one do you think it will be?

My classmate Xiaoyue suddenly asked me this question, so I answered like this:

"I think the answer is obvious."

"So... what type do you think it would be?"

"Hmm—Lolita style or something?"

"No, no, it's not that exaggerated—besides, I heard those clothes are very expensive."

"Xiaoyue, what do you think?"

"I might as well wear a uniform."

"Oh, that makes sense...after all, uniforms are very convenient."

"It's so convenient—just thinking about not having a uniform to wear makes me think, 'Oh my god, this is so troublesome!'"

"Once you get to university, you'll have to worry about what to wear every morning, right?"

"Oh my god, this is so troublesome!"

Xiaoyue laughed and said:

"However, you should still prepare yourself mentally first."

"That's true, just in case it really turns into a Lolita."

"But to be honest, I don't know how to prepare myself mentally."

"indeed……"

As we chatted, we spotted the people we were waiting for in the crowd.

As soon as we stood up, she came running over to us, looking slightly anxious.

"I'm so sorry...! Am I late...?"

Regarding Higashito Izana's attire—she was already out of breath after running only a short distance—we silently took stock of her.

The upper body consisted of a shirt printed with strange English words and a wrinkled hoodie. The English words on the shirt were stretched into a horizontal line by the bulging mountains on the chest, forming an even more enigmatic code.

The lower half is made of denim pants. Originally, they should have been bright blue, but after multiple washes, they have faded and are now almost sky blue.

Having confirmed these points, we made our decision in our minds.

"...Phew~"

"Huh? What's wrong? What's reassuring you?"

"It's alright~ it's just plain old-fashioned."

"I was wondering what to do if it was a Lolita outfit or something, but if it's just plain tacky, that's fine."

"Huh! Am I being bullied? Are you guys bullying me?"

Dongtou (the unsophisticated girl) became teary-eyed.

Wearing this to a nearby convenience store is fine, but it's not appropriate to wear this when going out with female friends like today. Luckily, it was us, otherwise she would have been teased, saying, "Please, why are you dressed like this?!" (laughs) "So tacky!" (laughs) and she would have had to just smile and be polite.

"I'm going to announce today's schedule, Dongtou!"

Xiaoyue pointed straight at the student at the east end.

"Let's name it! 'East Head Isana's Major Makeover Project'!"

"Eek...!"

Dongtou had only known that they were going out to play on the weekend, and when he heard that, he was so scared that he rolled his eyes.

"Because we didn't have a chance to check your casual clothes while we were working on winning over Irito-san. Summer vacation starts right after the final exams, and we wanted to figure out a way to help you before Higashi-san embarrasses herself in front of Irito-san!"

"Excuse me, why are you so sure I'll embarrass myself? You haven't seen me in casual clothes, have you...?"

"I imagine you're not exactly flush with cash, but don't worry."

I ignored her remarks and continued speaking.

"This time, Xiaoyue and I will each contribute half of the budget."

"Eh...! No, no, how can we let you pay for this...!"

"It's alright, it's alright! Consider it a farewell gift from us!"

"That's right, that's right... but the price is that you must agree to one of our conditions."

"W-what...conditions...?"

Xiaoyue and I smiled slightly and said in unison:

"You're not allowed to complain about the clothes we recommend; you absolutely have to wear them."

"Hey..."

That's right.

The purpose of today's gathering is the "Higashitou Izana Makeover Event," or it should be called the "Higashitou Izana Dress-Up Doll Fun Event."

"Don't worry, don't worry, I won't let you wear anything too hot, right, Yume?"

"Yes, of course. I won't dress in a way that's offensive to public morals."

As we walked through the shopping mall, we repeatedly emphasized safety, but Dongtou was trembling like a squirrel being targeted by a wolf.

"You...you guys aren't lying to me, are you...? You're not going to make me wear clothes that show my midriff or anything, are you...?"

"No way! Even in summer, wearing that would make me look like a female pervert!"

We walked into the clothing store, laughing cheerfully.

As the calendar turned to June and temperatures gradually rose, these stores became filled with summer clothes.

Among the dazzling array of cool accessories, Xiaoyue immediately exclaimed "Oh!" and picked up a top from the shelf.

"Found a cutie."

"Stop! That's the type of clothing I absolutely can't wear! It'll show my cleavage!"

"Enough with the nonsense! Just wear it!"

Xiaoyue suddenly acted like an abusive father, grabbing a pair of hot pants that looked exactly like a swimsuit from nearby and shoving them, along with Xiaokeai, into Dongtou's hands.

"Do I... do I have to wear this...? I'll look like a sex symbol in a horror movie! Seriously? Are you guys crazy?"

"No complaining allowed!"

"You absolutely have to wear it!"

"Ehhhhhh~...!"

We hurriedly pushed Dongtou's back and shoved her into the fitting room.

After we stood guard with our arms crossed for a while, she probably gave up, because we heard the sound of clothes rustling from behind the curtain.

"...Um...! Wait...this is a little small... Waaaaah~...!"

"Do you need my help?"

"No, no need, thank you for your kindness...! Your voice sounds so lewd...!"

"Tsk! I was hoping to see her bare, extra-large breasts."

"That's too much of a indulgence of desires."

Although I'd also like to watch it.

About a minute later, a terrifying sound came from behind the curtain:

"Um...I'm wearing...Is there nobody around here...?"

"No—it's just us—"

"Really? I believe you...? I believe just that...!"

About ten seconds after he finished speaking, the curtain was suddenly pulled open.

Upon seeing Dongtou's appearance, Xiaoyue and I both gasped.

Although the little cutie was stretched to the point of bursting, it still managed to barely cover Dongtou's ample breasts.

However, as a consequence, the hem of her clothes became too short, and her navel was completely exposed.

The hot pants don't seem to fit properly either, they're sunk into my plump thighs—

In short...

"That's... obscene enough..."

"That's why I said it!"

The student at the east end called out while pulling up the curtain.

It was so obscene that it left people speechless.

Walking around dressed like that would get you arrested by the police for distributing obscene materials.

"My mom repeatedly told me... that I'm not allowed to wear clothes that are too revealing... saying that my figure is no longer sexy but vulgar..."

"Your mother really knows you..."

"I quite like it, though. But we can't let Dongtou get a criminal record for being a pervert."

When it comes to choosing more conservative clothes, it's my turn to step in.

This is because I'm a woman who's famous for refusing to show my legs despite being a high school girl (on social media).

I looked around the shelves in the store, picked out some decent styles, and went back to the front of the fitting room.

"How about this one? The neckline is narrower, so it won't show too much skin."

"Hmm—it seems like I'm being a little cunning, but it's not bad, is it? It feels quite innocent."

"...Does my taste seem like I'm playing mind games?"

"Yume, it's okay! You're so cute, so I can accept it!"

So you're playing dirty tricks... Oh, I see...

Although I felt a little bothered, I had Xiaoyue's permission, so I handed the clothes I brought to Dongtou in the fitting room.

"Hmm, this is alright..."

After a rustling sound and the sound of clothes falling to the ground, the curtain was pulled open.