A Shopping Pseudo-Date With Toko-senpai!

Thursday.

Apparently, today is another “affair date day” for Karen and Kamokura.

Karen had told me, “On Thursday, I’m going shopping with some friends from back home and then we’re going to hang out.”

Of course, Kamokura told Toko-senpai something similar: “I have a meeting at my part-time job on Thursday, and then we’re all going for a few drinks.”

In Kamokura’s case, since he and I went to the same high school in addition to Toko-senpai, he probably realized that using “friends from back home” as a lie was risky, as there’s no telling how or where the truth might leak out.

That said, I was feeling a bit upbeat today myself.

That’s because I had a promise to go shopping for my clothes with Toko-senpai.
This was something we discussed on Monday, back when we decided on “X-Day.”

“A lot of guys are indifferent to fashion, but you really should have a sense of cleanliness,” Toko-senpai had said.

“A sense of cleanliness? My parents wash my clothes almost every day, though,” I replied.

“I’m not saying you look unhygienic. I phrased that poorly. Should I say… it’s better not to look ‘sloppy’?”

“Sloppy?”

“Think about the university. In our Faculty of Science and Engineering, for example—everyone wears worn-out sweatshirts or fleeces, checked shirts, and jeans. There are a lot of people who dress like that, right?”

“I guess.”

Even as I spoke, I realized I was wearing a fleece hoodie and a thick cotton shirt on top, with a pair of jeans I’d been wearing since high school on the bottom.

“When clothes look ‘limp and worn out,’ the person wearing them ends up looking a bit shabby too.”

Well, she wasn’t wrong. Most of the guys around me look like that, so I hadn’t really paid it much mind.

“It doesn’t have to be expensive. Brands like Unishiro or ZU are enough to give you a crisp, clean appearance.”

But I’ve never had an interest in fashion. Since I was a kid, I pretty much just wore whatever my parents bought me without complaining.

“But I have absolutely no fashion sense, so I don’t know what kind of clothes to buy.”

After thinking for a moment, Toko-senpai said:

“Fine. Then I’ll go with you. Next time Tetsuya and the other one have a tryst, let’s go shopping together.”

And that’s how I ended up going shopping with Toko-senpai today.

When I arrived at the Shinjuku Station Southeast Exit, Toko-senpai appeared almost immediately.

“You’re first again today,” she said with a smile as she saw me.

“No, I barely waited at all. We were probably on the same train.”

Today, Toko-san was wearing a thin white half-coat, a blouse with a small floral pattern, and a black long pencil skirt. The skirt had a slit up to the thigh, and the occasional glimpse of her bare leg was quite alluring.

I could see the eyes of the men around us being drawn to her. Being the one she was meeting, I felt a complex mix of pride and a sense of bashful unworthiness.

We headed to “ZU,” a casual brand shop near Shinjuku Sanchome. Inside, rows upon rows of mass-produced clothing were lined up.

“When I try to pick clothes, I get overwhelmed by the sheer variety. I wonder what fits me, how to coordinate things, and what will match the clothes I already have.”

Toko-senpai pointed to a panel of a model displayed in the store. He was wearing slim black bottoms and a black jacket. Underneath was a long-sleeved T-shirt with horizontal stripes.

“Don’t overthink it. If you buy a set of items introduced by a shop like this, you can’t go wrong. Those were chosen by professionals.”

“Is that so?”

Still, dressing exactly like a famous model I recognized felt like a bit of a high bar.

“You’re of average height but you have a slender build, Isshiki-kun. I think most clothes will look good on you.”

Saying that, she pulled out the same items the model in the photo was wearing and held them up against me.

“This is good for a monotone style, right? Now, we should also get something a bit more casual and bright.”

She then picked out some beige cotton pants, a calm red thick-fabric shirt, and a brown vest-style hoodie.

“Try these on for now. If the size is wrong, I’ll swap them.”

Doing as I was told, I tried on the clothes she chose in the fitting room. Each time I changed, I stepped out to show Toko-senpai, who was waiting outside.

“Yes, that’s good. It suits you well.”

She spoke with a satisfied look. In the end, we bought one more set—slim jeans and a light green sweater—bringing the total to three sets of clothes.