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Shinobu had never expected Mitsuri’s uniform to be this comfortable, yet it proved far better than she’d imagined.
With far less fabric than a standard uniform, it gave her ample freedom to stretch, pivot, and twist through movements that demanded a higher degree of flexibility. Now she understood why Mitsuri preferred it; that sense of unrestrained motion suited the Love Hashira’s breathing style perfectly.
There was only one problem: Ever since she started wearing it, Tomioka Giyuu’s gaze kept sliding downward every so often. Shinobu knew she was short, but not that short, so that could only mean…
“My, Tomioka-san,” she chirped, “I didn’t realize you were that kind of pervert.”
Giyuu immediately looked away, flustered. “I didn’t mean to. Sorry, Kocho.”
If an outfit like this could draw even a single reaction from the stoic Water Hashira, then Mitsuri must endure that sort of attention every single second. The thought made Shinobu feel a flicker of sympathy for the poor girl.
“But why are you wearing that thing today?” Apparently, Tomioka Giyuu had not suffered enough humiliation; he still found the gall to continue the conversation despite being caught staring.
“Isn’t it obvious? The demon we’re facing today reportedly targets beautiful women. Dressing like this should lure it out faster, or at least that’s the idea.”
“It’s unnecessary. Normally you already look…”
“Look what, Tomioka-san? If you’re trying to irritate me, I’m afraid I won’t fall for it today.”
“No, I mean…” The man seemed to think better of it and shut his mouth at once. Good. Wearing something this revealing already felt weird enough to her; she had zero patience for whatever nonsense he was about to come up with. Shinobu pulled out the letter she’d received from En earlier and scanned the Lord’s neat, careful handwriting.
“But before the mission, we have a brief Pillar meeting with Oyakata-sama,” she said without looking up. “This way, Tomioka-san.”
Since their mission required a bit of preparation beforehand, the other Pillars had already arrived before them and were chatting idly. Mitsuri was laughing at something Obanai said (Shinobu bet it was not even that funny) when she noticed the two of them approaching. Her eyes lit up.
“Shinobu-chan!”
To Shinobu’s surprise, Mitsuri still wore her usual outfit: the same open buttons revealing half of her chest, the same short skirt that rode well above her knees.
“Huh?” Shinobu blinked. “Kanroji-san, I thought you lent me your uniform already.”
“Ah, the one you’re wearing is actually my spare! It’s a bit small for me, so I thought it would suit you better. How does it feel, Shinobu-chan? Is it uncomfortable?”
“No, it fits better than I thought. Thank you, Kanroji-san.”
As expected, many of the male slayers’ eyes drifted toward both her and Mitsuri. The older woman seemed oblivious, likely long accustomed to it, but Shinobu was not. She already disliked all the stares she often received in her normal uniform, let alone this… brazen attention. She fought to keep the vein in her forehead from throbbing.
Having stood quietly between the two women the whole time, Giyuu finally spoke. “There are leaves caught in your hair, Kanroji-san.”
“Eep! Thank you, Tomioka-san. I didn’t notice.”
Shinobu cast Giyuu a sideways look: his eyes stayed level with Mitsuri’s the whole time and not dipped downward even once. Mitsuri had dressed like this ever since her very first Pillar meeting; he must have grown accustomed to it after the first few times.
“By the way, why did you two arrive together? Did Oyakata-sama pair you up for another mission?”
“Yes,” Giyuu replied and turned to Shinobu. Once again, she felt that same strange intensity in his eyes as they ran somewhere below her neck. A vein throbbed visibly on her forehead; she cleared her throat and deliberately grabbed both sides of her haori to pull them closed over her chest. Giyuu immediately looked up, a flush across both of his cheeks.
What the fuck was wrong with this man today? Wasn’t he always the epitome of self-control? There were plenty of days when he wouldn’t react no matter how people spoke to him or how much she prodded. And yet all it took to get his attention was her undoing a few buttons? Men really were still men, after all; she should have known.
***
“Kocho, I need to talk to you about this.”
“About what?” Shinobu asked distractedly, all her senses still alert for anything out of place. They had finished their meeting with Oyakata-sama and were now on their way to the mission site.
“I know you have to dress like this to lure out the demon. But when it appears, could you… Could you change back into your normal uniform?”
Shinobu stared at him incredulously. “What a ridiculous request, Tomioka-san! When it appears, how exactly am I supposed to find the time to change my outfit?”
“Then at least tie the front of your haori or something.” Giyuu had the audacity to blush. “I… I really can’t concentrate if you, um, look like that.”
“I may look stranger than usual, but you’ll get used to it soon enough, Tomioka-san. You have no trouble being around Kanroji-san, after all.”
“You don’t understand.” The pink crept down his neck. “You’re different.”
“Different?” Shinobu scoffed. “How so? Are you saying I’m not pretty enough for clothes like these? Let me tell you, Tomioka-san – if I hadn’t devoted my life to the Corps, I would have–”
“No, no.” Giyuu hurried to interrupt. “I’m sorry, Kocho. I didn’t mean it like that. You… you just… what I mean is…”
Honestly, Shinobu had no idea what he meant. But watching him struggle for words like this was oddly amusing; her irritation dissipated in an instant at the sight.
“Fine, then. I’ll do as you ask so you can, quote, concentrate, unquote.” She flicked her hand dismissively and pulled the front of her haori closed.
Giyuu nodded in thanks, still visibly flustered. Really, who would have thought one single afternoon would give her so many of his facial expressions that they could last an entire month? What a pervert.
Shinobu made a mental note to gift him some Western erotica magazines for his birthday next time.