"Wow, that was so fun, Onee-san!"
Blasting her way out the doors to Bellows, Sora-chan held her arms out like a plane ready to soar in the sky. It was significantly darker outside, but it wasn't too late in the night to call it quits. Just down the way, the shopping district was still in full bloom, and that's just where we were heading.
"I'm glad you had fun, Sora-chan."
The plane I labeled as the Hino Express came gliding back around and touched down at my feet.
"I had no idea you were such a nut about STARS and music in general!"
"A nut?! Is that what you think I am?!"
Before I knew it, this middle-schooler was labeling me something strange. I liked music, but I'm not a "nut" as she slanderously implied.
"Sora-chan, that was rude! Apologize to Onee-chan!"
With force, I walked in front.
"Come on, everyone, let's go pick out an outfit for Taylor-sensei!"
I intentionally raised my voice, earning the crowd of girls to follow at my command. I've been given the name "princess" by the boys and girls in my primary school. Mae-chan told me that's what people would call me. Well, right now, I was being just that as I let my heels kick me and my group forwards.
"Eh, Onee-san…I mean Madoka-san, I'm seriously sorry!"
Sora-chan rushed up to me in a panic. I wasn't actually mad at her though, just a tad annoyed. Instead of expressing that though, I hugged her suddenly.
"Don't worry about it!"
I made my tone as sugary as I could. Maybe I did go too far…but I'm not a nut. I like music, I follow all the latest gossip for STARS, Hasu-kun, and the like…but I'm not a nut!
We all flowed down the street and made our way inside the shopping center. Our main goal was the clothing shops, preferably ones that were of the latest trend. Not only are we dressing up Taylor-sensei, but she'd need to fit the theme of a wild young fan of STARS.
"What are we looking for, Onee-chan?"
Hana-chan bounced her way up to the front as I was thinking about the right stores to go in.
"Trendy, new, stylish…"
There was a brand store called Krystal Clear that had a bunch of the newest styles in. However, the price was beyond me, and I doubt anyone here could afford it…besides Sophia-san that is.
"Hey, Sophia-san…how much money do you have on you?"
"Eh, why?"
"This is important, Sophia-san."
She shrugged.
"Mommy only gave me an allowance of 80,000yen. I don't want to spend it all in one place."
Everyone's jaws dropped to the floor. Here I spent my hard-earned money to pay for 6 people at the karaoke place, and this shark was a walking goldmine.
"Sophia!"
Mae-chan cried out as she crossed her arms. She reminded me of her mother with her expression, and that actually terrified me.
"W-What, Mae-san?!"
"Don't you think it's only right for YOU to be the one who picks out things for your dearest Onee-chan?"
We all turned to the delinquent who began to cower in fear. She held out her hands as if we were going to throw punches at her.
"N-Now hold on everyone!"
Hana-chan spouted out from the crowd of murderous girls.
"What, punk?!"
"Hana-chan!"
I scorned her aggressive behavior. I've never seen her get that hostile before. Probably the mood was getting to her, so I pulled her to me and held her in my arms like a mother would do her child.
"Listen Sophia-san…I was going to pick out the cheapest and most elusive things I could. I think it's a good idea, however…"
I pushed out hot air as I calmed down.
"This disguise is the key piece of our operations. You have to be willing to help spend money if you want all this to work out."
"W-Why am I being yelled at?! I didn't do anything!"
"It's because…"
I started.
"You're cheap!"
Hana-chan ended. The blow to her ego caused her to back up at the hit.
"…I-I get it…I get it."
Admitting defeat, she took back to her feet and shook her dirty blonde hair.
"I'm not much of a fashion buff, so a lot of this is going to have to fall on Madoka's expertise."
Mae nodded.
"Mado-chan can do it. If we had time to dye her hair, I would be the one who could help though."
I imagined Taylor-sensei in the same color blue as Mae-chan's hair. The idea was terrifying, something that should never leave the head of a high school girl. My body shook as I spun my head back and forth. Hana-chan fell out of my grasp as she rushed away like a suspect running from a law enforcer.
"No, we're going to get her a special wig cap. I'll make sure Mari-san knows how to use it before that night."
Yuko-chan nodded.
"Oh…I was wondering about her long golden hair. I-I mean…it's brighter than Conway-san's."
"Huh? Hey, my dirty blonde is beautiful! So, what if her hair is shinier than mine?!"
Yuko-chan jumped behind Sora-chan. I wasn't prepared for her to have that kind of outburst either. It seemed that Yuko-chan touched on another point that Sophia-san gets self-conscious about. To not pull her chain any longer, I pointed to the store we needed.
"Let's go to Krystal's. They should have everything we need."
Everyone muttered their acceptance as we all crowded in. It was only expected that a bunch of staff came running up to our group.
"Oh, what can I do for you?!"
The woman dressed for success asked as she hawked over our group.
"Are you looking for clothing for your Christmas dates? I can make sure you're fabulous for your partner!"
A slightly more rugged man who was also handsome tried to charm us as he circled Mae-chan. I don't think anyone here was ready to be assaulted like this, me included. So, I calmed down and tried to gather what I needed to say. Refuse them so we can shop in peace.
"That's enough! We know what we are looking for and don't need help!"
The shark took the lead as she walked in front. With the confidence of one million men, she took on the fearsome duo.
"Are you sure, ma'am?"
"Yes, I am sure. If you'd like me to spend money on this establishment, please refrain from hawking over us during our shopping!"
There was a new level of respect given to the cheap shark that night. She held her own as they bowed and scattered like roaches. With a self-satisfying grin, she turned back to me.
"Now hurry up, and tell us where we're going."
"O-Oh, right."
I took the lead now and dragged the crowd with me. We first started with a wig. I told them that we are looking for a darker color to hide her. As we all knew, Taylor-sensei was like a walking lighthouse.
"Hm, what about this one, Onee-chan?"
Hana-chan picked up one. It was long and curly. I loved the dark purple color, and it even came with clips to make a cute bun or too.
"I think you found just what we're looking for, Hana-chan."
Yuko-chan leaned in as she looked at the newfound treasure.
"G-Good work, Koda-san…"
She complimented her to her surprise. That adorable flower turned bright red as she walked next to Sora-chan. Even her best friend was giving her a hard time as she nudged her shoulder. I held up the prize and explained my reasoning.
"I'm sure we can imagine Taylor-sensei. When I think of her, she reminds me of the sun, bright and full of life."
I shook the wig bag for added effect.
"What we're looking for is the opposite. Dark, expressive but powerful. If one thing is certain, Simpson-san knows her best friend well. So, we have to throw her for a loop."
"Right!"
The majority cried. Sophia-san on the other hand gave it a haphazard shrug.
After a round of picking up clothing, we all came to a consensus on her style. Hopefully, the sizes were picked out properly. All we could go on is memory and Sophia-san's lackluster agreements.
"I think it's going to look great, Mado-chan!"
Mae-chan held all the clothing in her hand. She rubbed her cheeks on them, and it was slightly embarrassing the way she went about it.
"S-Stop it Mae-chan, people are watching!"
I could see Sora-chan jitter with excitement. It's like she wanted to do it just for the sake of it too. However, Yuko-chan held her hand timidly. Thankfully that was enough to stop her from going buck wild on the material.
"That's everything, Sophia-san, let's get out of here."
She shrugged her shoulders as we made our way to the counter. I wouldn't lie, Sophia-san was acting strange. But then before we reached check out, she put her hand on her hips and turned back to the sea of friends.
"I'm not cheap!"
We all lunged back at this sudden attack.
"A-Ah…W-What do you mean, Conway-san?"
Yuko-chan hid behind me despite her being the one to speak up first. Gosh…she was getting cuter by the minute.
"You heard me! I just believe in saving my money and buying the bare minimum to survive!"
Her cheeks were getting as red as a lobster. I probably shouldn't be thinking this, but I wanted her to start pitching at us. Even her hands were bright red.
"A-And to show you I'm not c-cheap…ahh…g-go pick out some clothing! An entire set on me!"
As if a gust of excitement and love hit me, all the adorable clothing that I saw on the way to get Taylor-sensei's stuff flooded back into my mind. I made a mental note of everything…EVERYTHING.
"Ah…Onee-chan?"
I could barely hear Hana-chan's shaky voice. My mind was becoming one with the idea of getting the cutest thing possible.
"Are…you…sure…Sophia-san?"
I needed to make sure. Now her red face had a bundle of doubt on it. But instead of receding her orders, she shamefully nodded.
"Go…crazy, everyone."
"It's happening! Everyone, it's happening! My fantasy is coming true!"
I cried as I pushed the group back towards the women's section.
"M-Madoka-san…ah…please remember I only have a budget of 80,000, ah…I mean, 120,000 yen!"
But it was too late, the demon in me had been released.
"Everyone, we're dressing Hana-chan and Sora-chan first!"
Mae-chan jumped for joy, along with Sora-chan. It looked like Hana-chan and Yuko-chan were still on the fence, though.
"Alright you two, put these on."
Sora-chan leaped from one side to another.
"Wow, this is trendy! I don't think I've ever worn something like this…ah, would you mind helping me put it on, Onee-san?"
The flower popped up again as she pushed Sora-chan.
"Eh?! No! She can't help you!"
"Ah, why Hana-chan?"
"Because she's my Onee-chan, not yours!"
"Aww, are you jealous of me spending alone time with your beloved Onee-san?"
Sora-chan kicked the floor with excitement.
"Madoka-san, you should have seen her this morning. She went on and on about you finding my book for her. It was super adorable. I think she sees you as a superhero."
"S-Shut up, Sora-chan!"
All this sudden praise was getting to me. I had to take a deep breath and calm down before deciding what to do.
"Okay, settle down, you too. How about this, I'll come in with the both of you and help you get dressed."
Now both the middle schoolers got excited as they hopped up.
"Thank you, Onee-chan!"
"Thanks, Onee-san!"
"Unbelievable…"
Sophia-san scorned as she looked at her wallet. It seemed to be the only thing on her mind, but I didn't care. This was a dream of mine, to fashion up my friends for a big event!
"You three wait here and tell me what you think when we're done."
"O-Okay, Madoka-chan."
Yuko-chan, sitting in the middle of the Mae-chan and the shark, spoke up. Mae-chan teased her by poking her nose. Sadly, Sophia-san was counting her money on her phone. But instead of saying anything, I closed the curtain and turned to the first two subjects.
"Onee-chan…"
Nervously, Hana-chan looked at her set.
"Are you sure this will fit me?"
"Of course!"
Now she picked a corner and removed her school coat. The figure of her small and shapeless body started to emerge. It's been a while since I've seen her like this. The last time was in the Onsen. I didn't want to make them feel uncomfortable, so I turned around and began looking up STARS on my phone.
What did STARS stand for?
Shion.
Towa.
Aoi.
Rika.
Sara.
The main 5 girls that make the acronym, STARS. Shion was a country bumpkin who came to Hiroshima to find fame. Towa used to be a book lover and a bit of a geek who dreamed of seeing the lights from an idol's perspective. Aoi was a fragile girl who was often in and out of the hospital growing up. But she recovered and pursued her life-long dream of singing. Rika used to be in and out of gangs growing up, but she was rescued by the producer, and now she's the hot-headed bad girl that makes me scream when I hear her solos.
But Sara…I have a special place in my heart for Sara. I copied her hairstyle in middle school and always found her as a parallel to me. An only child who always wanted to make her family proud. She started as an average girl going to school and one day, she joined a talent contest. It was there that she was scouted. Her story isn't anything special…but it hit right at home.
I can't believe it…I turned down the chance to meet them. But that goes to show me how special Taylor-sensei and Sophia-san are to me now.
"Yo, Onee-san."
Being called, I turned to Sora-chan only to see her stark naked. Her innocent bright green eyes captured me...
"S-Sora-chan!"
"What?"
"Y-You don't have to remove your underwear."
"I told you that, idiot!"
Hana-chan scorned, still in her fluffy white bra and panties.
"Sorry! I wasn't thinking!"
She knocked her head in a panic.
"Anyway, where do I start here? This is kind of strange, Onee-san..."
As she complained, she slipped back on her bra, covering her fairly nice-sized chest for her age. But I digressed, and I looked away.
"I'll show you, don't worry, Sora-chan."
After the battle of putting back on her underwear ended with no casualties, I walked over to her and fixed the shirt she was talking about. It had a different button pattern that was faster but had a slight trick to it. It was off pink and added to her girly but daring charm. Once that was on, I helped her pull her skirt up and adjust it to her liking. She also had a dark coat that went over her shoulder, hanging down just enough to expose her shoulders. With a black pleated skirt and sock that had diamond holes that flowed down to her bright pumps, the first girl was finished. Sora-chan was the bad girl you didn't want to mess with.
"This looks awesome, Onee-san!"
"You look so cute, Sora-chan! Oh my gosh!"
"O-Onee-chan, what about me?!"
When I looked over, the brilliant Hana-chan blew my expectations away. I wanted to go with a color that Hana-chan never wears. So a white collar on a red fluffy coat got my blood racing. Her pleated red and black skirt that finished with bright white socks and stylish pumps blew me away. She was…the idol I've always wanted. Before I knew it I screamed and grabbed her In my arms.
"Cute, cute, so…super…cute!"
She flashed Sora-chan a smug look, but all her best friend did was jump on the train.
"Eh?! I can't breathe, you two!"
We smothered our Hana-chan with love…
"I present you with the middle schoolers."
As an announcer, I showed the rest of the girls the prizes we created.
"Oh wow…Koda-san…Hino-san…you…look amazing."
Yuko-chan clapped.
"Holy cow, they really do!"
Mae-chan reached out her arms, and Sora-chan ran into them. I'm not sure when they had this kind of communication with one another, but it was something else.
"I have to keep all the suitors away from you two."
"Hehe, stop. You're embarrassing me, Mae-chan!"
Sophia-san nodded.
"You both really do look wonderful. I have to say, Madoka-san…you have a way with this."
I wasn't expecting that compliment from Sophia-san, but I put my hand behind my back and thanked her warmly.
"Hehe, alright, who is next? Ah, Yuko-chan and Mae-chan!"
The two called out stood up and made their way in. I turned to the shark whose face was beet red.
"You're next, So-chan!"
"Oh, shut up!"
I hid behind the curtain with my next two girls. For Mae-chan, I got something more boyish and cooler to fit her tomboy delinquent attitude. As for Yuko-chan, I wanted to express her tall but adorableness to the max.
"Ah…Madoka-chan…"
"Hm, yes Yuko-chan?"
She waited for a moment then closed her eyes and confessed.
"I-I am not ready…to show you…m-my body yet!"
I wasn't expecting her to be so blunt…but then what Takade-san told me…it all made sense now. Why she wouldn't have wanted to bathe with me either that day. So, to respect her wishes, I turned around just like I did with Sora-chan and Hana-chan. Yuko-chan was slowly getting more and more confident, and it was growing.
"Well, some of the designs I've chosen for you are the newest. They are a tad tricky, and I want to help you guys…but don't worry, Yuko-chan I won't watch you get dressed."
I told her with a tender voice. I wanted to respect her wishes, but she'd likely call for my help anyway.
"Oh…T-thank you, Madoka-chan..."
Mae-chan giggled.
"But you're okay with me seeing your everything, Yuko-chan?! So cruel!"
"S-Stop, Watanabe-san!"
"I'm gonna tell Madoka-chan about that picture you've been drawing-"
"Noo! Stop it!"
Those two…I've grown to love them in their own ways now. As they got dressed, I tried to bide my time by looking up more gossip about STARS on my phone. What came up was Sara. She was showing off her dog. It was pure white and fluffy. She was bathing the dog in a bunch of bubbles. Its fluffy white hair reminded me of…
"Yuko-chan,"
I whispered.
"Huh? What is it, Madoka-chan?"
As I heard Yuko-chan call me out, I turned back to her.
"Huh? What do you need, Yuko-chan?"
I turned only to see the bright pure white, shapely body. Yuko-chan certainly matured and it struck me more now. My mouth dropped as my heart began to slam against my chest.
"Oh my…Yuko-chan."
"Ehh! Don't look!"
"S-Sorry!"
I took a peek at Mae-chan chan before turning back around. She was toned, sporty, and super cool in her heart pattern underwear. When did Mae-chan become so…
Calm down, I needed to calm down.
After a bit of searching more, Yuko-chan tapped my back. When I turned, I was met with a pink dress with white suspenders. They latched on the pink skirt that flowed down to her see-through stockings. In the end, pure white pumps finished her off.
"…I love it, Yuko-chan!"
I adored her new look. It was then that Mae-chan pulled me from her and held me tight. In her rugged blue jacket, bad girl skirt that was black and blue. She reminded me of the perfect boyfriend if I had to be honest. Because she looked handsome, cool, but cute all at the same time.
"Mae-chan! It fits sooo well!"
"Well, my wife picked it out!"
My eyes began to spin as the heat rushed to my head. In a panic, I slapped her relentlessly.
"Shut up, Mae-chan!"
Now finished, the next two girls came out.
Hana-chan and Sora-chan started clapping. Sophia-san did too, but it was a tad delayed. She shrugged her shoulders and confessed.
"Mae-san, you look wonderful. And…I never knew Mihara-san could be this adorable."
"Ehhhhhhh?!"
She cried, hiding behind me.
"Next is us, So-chan!"
"Arrgggh, fine!"
Now together in the booth, I handed her the set of clothing. She gave me a vicious stare before taking hold of it and finding her own corner of the room.
"I don't know how you push me into things like this."
"I think it'll look cute on you, Sophia-san."
"…Fine."
The clothing I picked out for myself mirrored the dark and trendy fad. With a dark purple and black theme. A black shirt with a purple coat over it. The vest wrapped around and ended cutely. There, a black bow hung from my neck. The purple pleated dress and stockings made for the ultimate cutely dark style.
As I turned to Sophia-san, she had on a bright vest that wrapped around her in a dark blue coat. There were golden buttons and her skirt had small frills on it. I wanted her to be the star of the show when she was on stage. This wasn't just for her; it was for Linda and the world to see who she truly is. A cute girl in love was the statement I wanted to make for her.
"Wow, you own that well, Sophia-san."
"…Thanks, I guess? I'm sure the price tag won't."
Now with all of our concert clothing picked out, Sophia-san paid. Thankfully it all came out to around 50,000 yen, well under her targeted goal.
"Well, that's pretty much it. Should we get some food then head our separate ways, guys?"
Mae-chan concluded, nodding with acceptance.
"Yeah, I'm hungry."
Sora-chan shined.
"I'll pay for this, Sophia-san, alright?"
"Huh? Oh, if you want. I'm in the mood for something good and fried."
With everyone in agreement, we made our way to the food court.