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“I still don’t know what we’re doing here, Totty,” Choromatsu grumbled, trudging resolutely behind Todomatsu as he led the way into the mall.
Todomatsu spun around on his heel and shot Choromatsu an incredulous look. “Are you serious? After the way you absolutely massacred your hair?”
“It wasn’t that bad—and look, I already dyed it back to black.” Choromatsu tugged at a piece of his bangs for emphasis. “Also, I thought I asked you to stop bringing that up every ten minutes. I learned my lesson, alright?”
“Oh, I’ll quit bringing it up...after we’re done here today, I won’t even need to bring it up anymore,” Todomatsu replied coyly.
“But what does the mall have to do with my hair, anyway?” Choromatsu questioned, only growing more and more confused...not to mention wary of whatever plan Todomatsu had concocted this time.
“Well, I gave it some thought, and I came to this conclusion—your atrocious haircut was clearly a desperate cry for help.” Choromatsu scowled and opened his mouth to protest, but Todomatsu held up a hand to stop him. “It’s obvious that what you need is a style update. New year, new you, or whatever you said. But it’s even more obvious that you aren’t capable of doing that alone, and that’s where I come in.”
“Style update?” Choromatsu repeated with a frown, hands on his hips. “What’s wrong with my style now? I happen to like the way I dress. It suits me.”
“Really, Choromatsu-Niisan?” Todomatsu asked critically. “I mean, look at yourself.” He appraised Choromatsu’s green plaid shirt and khakis with a judgemental eye, then shook his head with distaste. “You haven’t updated your look since high school, except for switching to contacts...which, by the way, are on their way out. Fresh new eyewear is in, so maybe I should add new glasses to today’s agenda too.”
“Agenda? Totty, this is a shopping trip, not some work assignment. And I am not your personal makeover project either.” Choromatsu glared at Todomatsu. “Didn’t I tell you I didn’t even want to go out today, anyway?”
Todomatsu inhaled slowly, then exhaled in a long breath. Bargaining with Choromatsu was no small task, but fortunately Todomatsu was cunning—he knew just the right keywords to use to get his way.
“But, Choromatsu-Niisan, think about it,” Todomatsu implored, with what he hoped was his most winning smile. “They say the clothes make the man, don’t they? Maybe an upgraded wardrobe would be just the thing you need to help you score a job. A new outfit could do wonders for your self-confidence, which in turn could help you excel at a job interview, and before you know it you’re scaling the runges of that social ladder and getting to the top! And that’s where you always wanted to be, isn’t it?”
Choromatsu paused at that, the words “job” and “interview” definitely catching his attention. Totty might have a point, he thought to himself. I always show up to my interviews in the same blue suit jacket and tie that my brothers all wear, and time after time I fail...maybe something that helps me stand out would make me feel better and give me the confidence I need to finally succeed. I mean, this is probably totally unfounded, but...it could be worth a shot. At the very least, I would make a better impression in nice new clothes.
Finally Choromatsu sighed, then fixed Todomatsu with a sharp look. “Fine, I’ll let you help me pick out some clothes. But,” he asserted, before Todomatsu could say anything else, “there will be conditions. I will only get one outfit, not a whole new wardrobe, and I refuse to let you do anything else to my hair. And it needs to be sensible—nothing bold or flashy or too trendy, something I approve of.”
“Who do you think I am, Karamatsu?” Todomatsu quipped drily, then rolled his eyes. “Okay, okay. We’ll go by your ‘conditions’ so long as I get to pick out a great new outfit for you. You won’t be disappointed, I promise!”
“I better not be,” Choromatsu resigned with another sigh. “Now come on, let’s get this done. I have a new book at home I planned on reading today.”
Todomatsu clapped eagerly, then grabbed Choromatsu by the wrist and dragged him toward the escalators. “I know just the place to start!”
——————
Choromatsu was not the biggest fan of malls. Sure, they were fun to look around sometimes, especially if there was a bookstore or a shop selling anime merchandise, but in general he wasn’t huge on shopping. And certainly not clothes shopping, not the way Karamatsu and Todomatsu were obsessed with it. He only bought clothing when he needed it, and kept his style basic—neat and preppy, and airing more on the conservative side. He liked fashion well enough but didn’t understand much of it, and preferred to stick to his more simple taste, tried and true.
Todomatsu, however, seemed intent on breaking him of this routine.
“Oooh! Here’s something else for you to try on!” Todomatsu squealed, pulling a soft green cardigan from a hanger and throwing it onto the growing pile of clothes in Choromatsu’s arms.
“Totty, isn’t this enough clothes for now?” Choromatsu griped, struggling to peer around the teetering stack of clothes to shoot Todomatsu a glare. “I think I’ve got half the store’s worth of merchandise right here and it’s starting to pull my arms out of their sockets.”
“Oh, quit complaining,” Todomatsu said tersely, waving a hand flippantly at his brother. “One must suffer for fashion sometimes.”
“Totty.” Choromatsu’s voice held a warning tone.
“Okay, fine, you whiner,” Todomatsu huffed, rolling his eyes--something he’d been doing a lot of on this particular excursion. “Just one more thing to pull the look together…”
With that he grabbed a pair of shoes--white, with pointed toes--and tossed them onto the top of the pile. “Okay!” he chirped excitedly. “Now let’s go to the dressing room and you can put all this on.”
“Lead the way, I can’t see much over this stack,” Choromatsu muttered, and followed Todomatsu to the back of the store where the dressing rooms were located.
“Here we go!” Todomatsu shoved Choromatsu unceremoniously into the first open dressing room and shut the door behind him. “Come out once you’re all dressed!”
“Um...I’m really not sure about some of this, these pants aren’t quite my style…” Choromatsu responded, his voice muffled from behind the door.
“It’s your new style,” Todomatsu reminded him. “Just give it a chance, you don’t know that you don’t like them if you don’t try it.”
“Well…okay.”
Todomatsu waited for Choromatsu to change, surveying his own reflection in the three-way mirror near the dressing rooms. He smiled cutely and winked at himself, knowing his fashion was perfectly spot-on today--the pink shorts and white button-up shirt were ideal for the warmer weather, and the hat added just the right playful note that rounded the whole outfit out. If only Choromatsu were more tuned-in to the world of fashion, then maybe he wouldn’t be so hopeless…
A few minutes later Choromatsu slowly emerged from his dressing room. “I really don’t know if this look is...well, me.”
Todomatsu looked up, and as soon as he gave Choromatsu a good once-over a long-suffering sigh escaped his mouth. “Duh, Nii-San! It’s because you’re wearing those clothes all wrong!”
Choromatsu gave him a baffled look. “What do you mean? There’s only one way to wear clothes, isn’t there?”
“No, no, no.” Todomatsu shook his head slowly, distraught by his brother’s ignorance. He took a step forward and surveyed the outfit one more time--green plaid short-sleeved shirt over a basic white T-shirt, tan khakis, the cardigan and the shoes--and grimaced. Ugh. How had Choromatsu screwed up the look he’d envisioned so badly?
“First of all, this shirt should not be buttoned all the way to the top--it’s supposed to look breezy and easy-going, not like it’s choking you.” Todomatsu began unbuttoning several of the buttons on the plaid shirt, revealing a sliver of the white shirt underneath. “Second, these pants are fitted at the bottom for a reason--you don’t cuff them like you do your jeans, you can see your socks this way and it looks super dorky.” He bent down to unroll the bottoms of Choromatsu’s pants. “Third, maybe that cardigan shouldn’t be part of the look, because somehow it looks more ‘old man’ than ‘young potential new employee’ on you. Also--”
“I get it, Totty,” Choromatsu cut him off sharply. “So this outfit isn’t for me, that’s what you’re saying?”
“It’s not awful...it’s just there are some adjustments that need to be made.”
Choromatsu stepped past Todomatsu to examine himself in the mirror, turning to check out the outfit from all angles. “I really don’t know, Totty...this outfit just feels too casual to me, I guess. It doesn’t feel right on me.”
“But Choromatsu-Niisan, I told you, we’re aiming for casual,” Todomatsu insisted. “You just need to get used to it. This is what people are wearing these days.”
“But I--”
“Think of it, you don’t want to look too stuffy and put-together all the time,” Todomatsu pressed on. “People will think you’re unapproachable. You won’t get invited to mixers or out to drinks after work whenever you finally land that job.”
“I--”
“Then again, maybe we’re limiting ourselves by sticking to green. Ever consider branching out and choosing a new signature color? Say, gray, maybe even beige?”
“Totty!” Choromatsu raised his voice, not enough to draw too much attention but enough to halt Todomatsu’s rambling. “You’re taking this way too far. Don’t forget, this is about me, not you. I know you’re all eager to revamp my wardrobe or whatever you said, but you can’t force your taste on me--I get a say in this, too. So would you please let me get a word in here?”
Todomatsu blinked, surprised by the outburst, then reluctantly said, “Okay...fine. What do you have to say then?”
“What I have to say is...I don’t like this outfit,” Choromatsu replied, tugging the collar of the shirt. “I like to button my shirts up all the way, it feels too sloppy to me otherwise. The pants are too snug for my liking. And these shoes pinch my feet too much for me to be able to walk. I don’t think fashion should hurt like that.”
“Okay...fair point, I guess.” Todomatsu shrugged indifferently, as if he weren’t really affected by this. Whatever, let’s see what he picks that’s sooo much better. “Then go ahead, show me--is there anything in this store you would be willing to wear?”
“Hm...give me a minute.” With that Choromatsu wandered around the store himself, Todomatsu trailing behind him.
Choromatsu paused at a rack of polo shirts, sorting through them until his eyes lit up on a green one. “How about this?” he asked, pulling the shirt free from its hanger and holding it up for Todomatsu’s inspection.
Todomatsu pursed his lips and studied the shirt. Polos were a little preppy for his taste but maybe it’d suit Choromatsu. It was a darker shade of green than he normally wore, too. Todomatsu found himself nodding slowly. “It could work. What about pants…?”
“How about these?” Choromatsu held up a pair of white jeans--pre-cuffed, to Todomatsu’s dismay.
“I don’t think…” he began, then stopped, thinking it over. “Sure, okay, why not.”
Choromatsu took his time, finding a belt that he liked and a pair of shoes that were the same shade of green as the polo. That’s where Todomatsu stepped in, claiming that would be too “matchy-matchy” and suggesting he swap out for a pair that went with the belt instead. Choromatsu accepted the trade-off, almost to Todomatsu’s surprise. By the time they returned to the dressing rooms, Choromatsu seemed more satisfied with his finds, while Todomatsu was still a little doubtful.
I still can’t believe he rejected my carefully planned-out outfit, he sulked, toying with his phone as he waited for Choromatsu to try on the new outfit. Fappymatsu is so stuck in his ways, what a killjoy...I mean, I guess I did push my choices on him a little aggressively, but how else will he change…?
The dressing room door swung open then, and Choromatsu stepped out. “Well, what do you think?” he asked.
Todomatsu scanned his eyes up and down, giving the outfit a thorough once-over. He had to admit...he’d had his misgivings, but the outfit did suit Choromatsu. He’d thought the polo with the belt would’ve been too much, but they complemented each other well, and the shoes tied everything together.
“Hm...well, it’s not my thing,” Tdomatsu began with a scrutinizing air, then smiled a little, “but I think it looks right on you. Of course, you need to accessorize more, maybe with some sleek new glasses and a watch…”
Choromatsu gave him a look, though it wasn’t really one of disapproval...though maybe just a bit exasperated. He walked up to the mirror and checked out the outfit on himself, too. “I like it,” he said at last, giving himself an approving nod. “It’s more comfortable than that other outfit, and I feel more like myself in it. I’m not sure it’s formal enough for an interview, though…”
“Oh! How about a new blazer?” Todomatsu suggested. “Your gray dress pants are still fine, but your old blue jacket is a little drab. Maybe a new one is just what you need.”
“Hmm…” At last Choromatsu shrugged. “Well, I guess it couldn't hurt to look for one, as long as it’s affordable. I’m definitely buying this, though.”
“Okay!” Todomatsu clapped his hands enthusiastically. “Come on, I saw a blazer when we were walking in that I think would be just perfect for you…!”
About twenty minutes later Choromatsu and Todomatsu exited the store, both of them carrying bags with their purchases inside and feeling pleased--Choromatsu because he’d ended up finding new clothes he liked despite not wanting to shop in the first place, and Todomatsu because Choromatsu had allowed him to help him a little in the end after all. Maybe he hadn’t gotten away with updating Choromatsu’s whole wardrobe or anything, but the new clothes were an improvement--and any look was better than the abomination that had been his hair not long ago. As long as they steered clear of that, Todomatsu reasoned everything else was fine.
“See?” Todomatsu probed, as they strolled out into the mall again. “That wasn’t so painful, was it?”
“It wasn’t,” Choromatsu conceded, glancing down at the bags in his hands. “I’m glad we went out, after all...thanks for convincing me to buy a few things. Sorry I was sort of an ass earlier.”
“Oh, you can make it up to me,” Todomatsu responded slyly. “How about we go get some boba tea? Your treat.”
“Fine. I guess a couple of boba teas isn’t asking too much,” Choromatsu relented without much argument. “Let’s go.”
As they headed toward the food court, Todomatsu peered sideways at Choromatsu again. He knew he said they’d avoid this, but…
“So Choromatsu-Niisan, are you sure you’re really attached to that hairstyle…?”
“Totty, no.”
“I’m just saying! You could get a little trim, maybe get it dyed a darker brown, it’d probably look super good on you…”
“No.”
“Oh! Or what about getting the side shaved off and dying the rest green—“
“That’s it, no boba tea for you.”
“Hey!” Todomatsu protested. “No fair.”
Choromatsu couldn’t help but laugh to himself as he led the way up to the boba counter, with Todomatsu hot on his heels. He may be ready for new clothes, but he vowed to stay as far, far away from hair dye and barber shops as humanly possible for a long time.
Although...maybe he could rock a green mohawk…