Vignette looked a little embarrassed at the full-of-expectation face of Kitagawa Marin, hesitated, then nodded slightly and turned toward Shion.
"Are you really not worried it'll get ruined? Clothes can't always be altered back and forth."
Making clothes smaller was easier, but after enlarging, they broke more easily. A perfectly fine outfit, altered again and again, would just be destroyed.
"If possible, I want to buy this outfit! No matter the price, I'll pay it!"
Kitagawa Marin also realized she couldn't just alter someone else's clothes recklessly just because Shion said even if it broke it was fine. She hurriedly spoke up.
Her family wasn't especially wealthy, but not poor either. What's more, she had her side-job as a reader model. She could afford expensive clothes.
It was just that getting finely made, non-shoddy cosplay costumes was very difficult. The ones sold on the market were basically cheap items with terrible fabric.
Later, she would ask Vignette to see if she could help make some of the character costumes she had always wanted to cosplay but could never manage to produce.
"That's no problem, you don't need to worry. Clothes are meant to be worn. If they break, I'll just have them remade."
Shion shook her head at those words. She was a little surprised Vignette knew tailoring and could alter clothes, but cosplay costumes weren't unique. If one broke, then it broke.
What a pity. Even among so many beautiful cosplay costumes, she quite liked this one named Shizuku Kuroe's outfit.
Not that she liked the character herself, just that the character's story suited role-play very well.
She had even been thinking before about having the young lady wear this Shizuku Kuroe cosplay, put on the chains, and play a master-servant role-play game with Master Hikigaya.
"Thank you very much! I'll try my best not to damage it. If I do, I'll compensate you!"
Kitagawa Marin looked at Shion gratefully, her words resolute.
If she altered someone else's clothes to wear, and damaged them without compensating, that would just be shameless.
"Just take lots of pretty photos, that's enough. Master Hikigaya being willing to bring everyone to the Rurikawa house to play is recognition of us. I hope everyone has fun today."
"No problem with that!"
Kitagawa Marin patted her chest, her face shining with a bright, cheerful smile.
Of course she'd take tons of pretty photos. This place didn't just have Shizuku's cosplay, there were lots of other amazing cosplays too.
"The dressing mirror is on that wall. Makeup for cosplay is here. These clothes are all clean, so once you've chosen you can just change directly. I'll go call a maid to bring tailoring tools, and later we'll head outside for the photo shoot."
Looking at the pure-hearted, sunny gyaru with no scheming in her, Shion smiled faintly. After a simple introduction of the costume room, she turned and left.
"Eh, no changing rooms?"
Yuina looked around with some surprise, realizing there were none. Just a large mirror for them to check the results after changing.
But having no changing rooms was honestly better. With so many of them, even two wouldn't be enough.
Aside from a very few, everyone knew each other well. Even if they didn't, they all knew about each other's relationships with little Hiki. Giving each other advice on outfits would be pretty nice.
Too bad Yumiko wasn't feeling well and couldn't come. When they called to ask her, her voice had sounded tired and even a little hoarse.
Yuina shook her head regretfully, then ran with Minami and Rin to the cosplay section, full of excitement.
Iris, smiling sweetly, glanced at the big mirror on the wall, then led Aegis, Lumilia, and Lala to the professional outfits area to look for clothes Hachiman might like.
Shion and Komachi pulled along the taciturn Sakurase Shino past the cosplay section, heading straight to the fashion section for proper clothes, completely ignoring the other areas. Well… because the other ones were too peculiar. Either with too little fabric, or tails and such. Only the fashion outfits felt decent.
Elio and Elusi pushed the wheelchair-bound Meroune to the racial outfits section.
Though the mermaid princess Meroune couldn't move easily, she still came along.
Even if she couldn't gain the Master's affection, just seeing him share deep bonds with everyone made her happy enough.
Almost no one minded the lack of changing rooms. The only ones still standing where they were: Kitagawa Marin, and the angel-demon pair Vignette and Gabriel.
Kitagawa Marin, though a little curious about other cosplays, wanted more to fix the Shizuku Kuroe outfit first. After all, other cosplays might also have been made to Tsubaki's measurements. Better to fix this one first.
Otherwise, to stand before so many exquisite and beautiful cosplays but not be able to try them one by one would be pure torture.
"Vignette, don't tell me you think that by helping Marin alter clothes, you can skip changing into them and avoid the photo shoot?", Seeing that nearly everyone had left, Gabriel curled her lips, staring straight at Vignette.
To suggest something so risky as altering clothes? Normally Vignette would never.
Even if she wanted to help, she'd think first of sacrificing herself, not breaking someone else's outfit. Unless, she wanted to avoid something, forcing her to act this way.
"Eh? Vignette, you don't want to take photos?", Kitagawa Marin blinked, looking at Gabriel's odd tone and Vignette's stiff face, confused.
Wasn't everyone here because they wanted pretty photos?
"How could that be? Altering one outfit won't take long. After I finish, I'll just pick something for myself," Vignette avoided their eyes, not daring to meet Gabriel's or Marin's gaze.
If she could, she definitely wouldn't have come. One didn't need to think hard to know something bad would happen at this photo shoot.
Almost everyone here was close to Hachiman. Even Marin, beside her, had at least a nodding acquaintance with him through classes with Nijichi Natsu and the others.
But what could she do? Even hiding behind work didn't help. Hachiman would still come find her, ignoring her difficulties completely.
"But these outfits don't suit Marin's figure. After you fix this Shizuku Kuroe cosplay, there are still lots more waiting for you. Maybe others will want theirs adjusted too, so you'll have to do it anyway."
Gabriel suddenly grabbed Vignette's hand, staring blankly at her.
"In short, don't even think of escaping. You're fixing the clothes, and you're also putting them on one by one for Hachiman to photograph!"
"What did Hachiman give you? We're supposed to be on the same side!", Vignette's eyes widened, staring in shock at Gabriel's sudden betrayal.
"Hachiman didn't give me anything! It's just that during class you sit safely in another room, while I sit beside him, suffering endlessly, forced to flee home," Gabriel accused furiously, "You said we were on the same side, shouldn't we share in both hardship and joy?"
Last time, she had already been seen by Hachiman while undergoing punishment, holy light ignored.
This time, Vignette had to be seen too.
"...You call this sharing hardship and joy?", Staring at Gabriel's nonsense spoken so seriously, Vignette was dumbfounded. Dragging her down with her to be seen by Hachiman, that was "being on the same side"?
"If you think it's unfair, then let's pull Raphiel into this too. After last time, she's been hiding from us. Let's go settle accounts with her together."
Gabriel spoke righteously. Among the three of them, she had lost the most. Now Hachiman openly tempted her into corruption in class, and she couldn't even resist, only flee.
And Raphiel, the one who had egged them into long-distance movie watching, had vanished ever since, seemed like she'd fled in guilt.
"...", Vignette.
'Truly a demon, wanting to drag Raphiel in too.'
Though… she really did feel it was a little unfair. That night had been all of them together, yet only she and Gabriel were punished now.
"???", Kitagawa Marin, waiting for the tailoring tools, stared at Gabriel and Vignette before her, confused.
They seemed to be talking about something strange, why couldn't she understand?
She knew during class everyone had been involved, except Gabriel had fled.
But who was this Raphiel suddenly mentioned?
Did Yumiko have a new love rival?
———
On the other side—
Walking along the looping corridor toward another changing room, Sayo secretly cast sidelong glances at Hachiman, who walked between her and Midorikawa Akira, her heart full of questions.
Even the current head of the Rurikawa family, Rurikawa Tsubaki, only had them call her "Young Lady." Yet this Hikigaya was called "Master."
It seemed his position in the Rurikawa family wasn't ordinary, far beyond simply being the young lady's beloved.
From a glance at the many girls who had just come along with him, few seemed not to like him.
If he were just the young lady's partner, seeing such a scene, Head Maid Shion wouldn't ignore it.
Sayo kept spinning her imagination about Hachiman's relationship with Rurikawa Tsubaki and the other girls.
But since Head Maid Shion hadn't explained, no matter how curious she was, she wouldn't recklessly ask.
Unlike the originally outgoing Sayo, the taciturn Midorikawa Akira didn't even look at Hachiman, guiding him forward with steady gaze.
"Master, we've arrived at the changing room."
Midorikawa Akira stopped slowly before a door, turned, bent down, and softly reminded him.
"Master, if you need anything while changing, just call us."
Sayo quickly set aside her thoughts, and with Midorikawa Akira, stood on either side of the door, bowing.
"..."
Hachiman looked at the two maids' calm faces, then at the tightly shut door, and slowly pushed it open.
He was immune to charm or illusion-type magic. He shouldn't have been tricked.
But judging from the feel of their walk, hadn't the maids just led him in a circle?
Was the Rurikawa mansion's changing room layout this strange? Two rooms right next to each other, yet you had to circle around, was this to prevent peeking?
Still puzzling, Hachiman stepped into the dimly lit room. Instantly, the whole room lit up.
———
"Welcome back~ Master~", A black-haired, black-eyed young girl with a slender figure, wearing a black-and-white maid outfit, stood prettily at the center of the room. Seeing Hachiman enter, she lifted her skirt with gloved hands, her fair face flushed, and shyly curtsied, voice trembling, "One-day-limited maid Tsubaki at your service~"
"...So this is the surprise Shion mentioned?"
Hachiman glanced back at the now-closed door, then turned again to look at Rurikawa Tsubaki. His eyes traced down from the black-and-white hem of her skirt, past her pale glowing skin, and landed on the chains at her slim ankles.
As expected of Kaede and Shizuku's close friend. Kaede and Shizuku used handcuffs, and Tsubaki used leg shackles.
Not surprising. But was this "cheating"? While Kaede and the others were changing, he was led here to enjoy Tsubaki's maid service.
"N-no, it's not that I wanted to give you a surprise. Shion suddenly locked me up…", Feeling the heat of Hachiman's gaze, Tsubaki's face went crimson. She shook her head quickly, she'd never think of something so bold.
She had thought this was just an ordinary photo shoot gathering. Who knew Shion would bring her into the changing room and directly lock her feet.
Although her legs were chained, she wasn't bound to one spot. She could still walk. But going outside like this would be unbearably shameful.
"Then, Tsubaki, you mean you don't like this?", Hachiman studied her in maid attire, stepped forward, lifted her soft chin, and smiled.
"Lying isn't good. Did Shion forcefully change you into this outfit after you resisted strongly?"
"Be honest, do you like dressing this way?"
"…I don't dislike."
Looking at Hachiman easily holding her in hand, Tsubaki bit her lips, her heart pounding, breath heavy, eyes moistening.
She didn't even know whether she liked it or not, but at least she didn't dislike it.
Just as Hachiman said. If she truly hadn't wanted it, she'd have resisted strongly. Shion couldn't possibly have changed her clothes so easily alone, and even left her here with the door unlocked, not worrying she'd escape.
Her flushed face wasn't even from imagining what Hachiman might do later. It was shame, shame that even knowing he was her best friend's lover, she still yearned for such things to happen.
"Thinking too much again? Kaede already forgave you. Stop blaming yourself," Hachiman looked at the hazy, self-blaming Tsubaki, leaned down, gave her chin a playful bite, then let go, wrapping her slender body into his arms, chuckling into her ear.
"The scumbag who's fickle and wants a harem is me. Kaede's anger is only at me, never on you."
"Of course, if you really feel guilty toward Kaede, afraid she'll sulk, then why not work together with her to make me bow my head?"
"…That's impossible."
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