The next day was Monday, and Makoto picked them up at the college gate after classes like he'd promised.
"Let's go," he said. "I just got paid from my part-time job today, too."
Mika was waiting by the gate, looking like the perfect popular student she was. In an immaculate uniform, with hair tied back in a neat ponytail. She was chatting with a group of her friends when she spotted his car. Her face lit up with a smile that made the other girls turn and stare. She waved at him.
Yuna exploded out of the school building like an angry cannonball. Her uniform was wrinkled and disheveled, her twin-tails askew. A scowl darkened her face. She shoved past a group of underclassmen, bag slung over one shoulder.
Mika said goodbye to her friends and practically skipped over to the car. She slid into the back seat. "Hi! Thanks for picking us up."
Yuna yanked the passenger door open and threw herself into the seat with a huff. She didn't say a word. Just glared at the dashboard, radiating pure teenage angst.
"So," Mika said from the back, her voice sweet and innocent as usual. "Where are we going first? The lingerie store, or the pet store for the collar?"
Makoto said as he started driving toward the mall. "We're getting dinner first. And then we're gonna go buy some pajamas, so you won't have to steal Yuna's favorite unicorn ones next time."
Yuna made a sound halfway between a scoff and a growl. "She's not allowed to touch my unicorn pajamas ever again." But there wasn't real heat behind it, just territorial posturing.
The mall buzzed with bright lights, upbeat music, and the steady hum of shoppers. They headed to the food court first.
"I want ramen," Yuna declared loudly. "The spicy kind with extra pork."
Mika smiled. "I think I'll have the chicken salad." She looked at Makoto, then at Yuna with mischief in her eyes. "I'm trying to watch my figure. For my... lingerie show for him later."
Yuna's chopsticks nearly snapped.
Makoto returned with steaming ramen for Yuna, a fresh salad for Mika, and katsudon for himself. He poked Yuna's belly. "Don't worry about your weight. I don't mind having a chubby hug pillow."
Mika picked delicately at her salad. She took a small bite of lettuce. "You're right, Yuna. You're not chubby, you're soft." She glanced at him. "And I'm sure he appreciates that."
Yuna choked on her noodles. She swatted his hand away, her cheeks flushing red. "I'm not chubby, you fat pig!" But she immediately started shoveling ramen into her mouth anyway.
Makoto giggled and pinched Yuna's cheeks. "You know it turns me on when you call me a dog or a fat pig, my little sis." He looked at Mika. "Do you want to try calling me that too, Mika?"
Mika's fork froze halfway to her mouth, a cherry tomato balanced on it. A slow blush crept up her neck. She looked from his eager face to Yuna's horrified one. Then a wicked smile played at her lips.
"Oh, I don't think I could do that." Her voice dropped lower. "It seems a little disrespectful." She set her fork down with a soft click. "But if you really want me to..." She leaned in, whispering conspiratorially. "I could try."
Yuna had been watching this exchange with growing horror and morbid fascination. She finally snapped. "NO!" The shriek was raw and possessive. "You are NOT allowed to call him a pig! That's MY job!"
She pointed a trembling, noodle-covered chopstick at him. "And you! Stop encouraging her, you disgusting masochistic pervert!"
Makoto sighed theatrically. "There goes my double humiliation fantasy."
He finished his katsudon and waited for them with a fond smile. "Time for some clothes shopping, then." He pulled their hands as they walked into a clothes store. "Pajamas first."
The pajama section was a wonderland of soft fabrics and cute designs. Racks of matching flannel sets, tables piled high with fuzzy onesies, and walls adorned with silk and lace.
Yuna forgot her earlier outrage completely. She flitted between the racks like a hummingbird, eyes wide with glee. Mika followed with a knowing smile, her gaze lingering on the more sophisticated options.
"So," she said to Makoto as Yuna got distracted by a rack of Sanrio-themed sleep shirts, "what kind of Pokémon do you think I am?"
Yuna, who had been eavesdropping, snorted. "You're a Jigglypuff. Because you're annoying and you put people to sleep with your boring good-girl act."
Mika just smiled sweetly. "And what does that make you, Yuna? A Meowth? Because you're always scratching and obsessed with shiny things?"
Makoto answered Mika with a fond smile. "She's my Pikachu." He put the cutesy yellow one in Yuna's hand.
Yuna stared at the bright yellow Pikachu onesie. Her face went through several expressions before settling on horror. "I am NOT wearing this. It's childish and tacky." But she clutched it to her chest anyway, a small smile tugging at her lips.
Mika giggled. "He's right, Yuna. It suits you." She turned to him, eyes glinting. "So if she's Pikachu and I'm Jigglypuff..." She gestured to the rack of onesies. "What would you be, Makoto?"
Yuna snorted again, hands already holding a Snorlax onesie. "He's my Snorlax. Because he's fat and sleeps all the time."
Makoto grinned. "Fine. You can keep insulting me with that fat joke, and I'll press my thick, fatty body on top of you next time, Yuna.
Yuna's cheeks flushed red. "I wasn't insulting you!" she sputtered. "I was... being affectionate!" Under her breath, she muttered, "And I wouldn't mind you pressing your fat body on top of me..."
Makoto took the pajama from Yuna's hands. "An XL size, huh? It seems like I really should try losing some weight."
Mika smiled. "I think you look fine. You're cuddly." She gave him an encouraging look.
Yuna glared at her. "He's not cuddly. He's a furnace. And he sweats all over you in the middle of the night."
She turned to him with a wicked glint, then grabbed a Jigglypuff onesie for Mika off the rack with a triumphant smirk and shoved it into Makoto's hands. "And now, it's time for the main event." She started walking toward the lingerie section, hips swaying just a little too much.