Translator: Reo
Editor: PalenMisha
Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!
Chapter 78 – A Change of Clothes – Toki
We reveled in our joy together, and after I finished eating, I begged Laham to take a photo with me.
Though I’m the one who asked him, it seemed that Laham also wanted to have a photo taken with me. That made me happy.
I was in the middle of putting on a kimono that Laham recommended, saying that it would look good in the photos. The kimono was blue and white, decorated with a Suzaku-like bird1 and white feathers. It looked like something a noble from the Heian period2 would have worn… a female noble.
“To make the outer pattern pop you should use that pattern in this color! This is definitely better—”
“No. It would look best if we put this and this together.”
Laham and Assam wouldn’t stop bickering. Which was why I found it hard to tell them that this was actually a woman’s kimono.
“Toki (sama) which one do you prefer?”3
They hounded me for an answer and I swallowed a sigh.
I guess if they’re getting that heated up about it, I have no choice but to give up. Both options were pretty, though I’d like to refrain from wearing women’s clothing.
“Laham photo, Laham clothes. Assam photo, Assam clothes. Ok?”
They reluctantly agreed to my solution. Afterward, I got dressed up like a doll, had the photos taken, changed clothes, and did it all over again.
“This gorgeous kimono really suits you. Should we choose this one for your debut?”
“No! Don’t want. Sorry.”
It was pretty and all, but sadly, although it suited me, it was a women’s kimono. I knew that Assam and Laham had no ill intent, but I am a man.
“Toki? You don’t like a kimono in this color and pattern? Sorry. I didn’t notice.”
“I also apologize. I disregarded what kimono Toki-sama would like to wear.”
They both misunderstood and started apologizing to me.
Wrong! That’s not the problem here. The color and pattern were pretty, I just didn’t like that it was a women’s kimono.
As the two of them got dejected, I tried to explain.
“Wrong. Kimono pretty. Color, pattern like. But…”
As I started saying this a thought occurred to me. Even to the untrained eye, the amount of effort that was put into this garment was palpable. If I tell them why I don’t want to wear it, won’t the affection Assam and Laham had poured into it be thrown away along with the garment?
“But?”
As I hesitated to end my sentence, Assam urged me to continue. I had no choice after rejecting the kimono like that. Ultimately, I didn’t want to wear women’s clothing.
“That… thing women wear. Sorry. No wear again,” I said, looking at the ground apologetically.
“!!!”
Assam and Laham’s eyes opened in surprise. The rest had a similar reaction.
“I apologize, Toki-sama!”
“Sorry, Toki.”
“We’ll help you get changed.”
Laham and Assam apologized, and Joo and Tomi offered to help me change.
I managed to tell the visibly dejected Assam and Laham that I liked the color and pattern and didn’t want them to throw the kimono away. We settled on retailoring the outfit into menswear.
I could endure being seen like this by my friends but didn’t want the whole country to see me in women’s clothes.
Afterward, I changed into a men’s kimono and we redid the photoshoot. There was one person who was enjoying it more than the rest of us.
“Tsugura… your nose is bleeding.”
As Laham said, blood was dripping from both her nostrils. She cast a purification spell on herself and then opened her mouth like nothing had happened.
“I took both videos and stills today. I can have it printed out for whoever wants copies. Please raise your hand if you’re interested.”
“Me!!”
She didn’t even need to ask as everybody in the room raised their hands. Of course, I also raised my hand with enthusiasm. With that done, everyone went back to their jobs.
“Your Highness, this…” Tsugura handed the revue over to Assam.
It seemed that after checking that everything was ok, they were going to release it to the world tomorrow night or the day after. For now, it was decided that we’d take a careful look at it after lunch.
