"Kamuro, why did you drag me here?"
Hikigaya was pulled along until they arrived at a trendy clothing store. A quick glance revealed more than a dozen couples and groups of friends milling about.
...I hate this. I just want to go home.
"I already have clothes to wear," Hikigaya protested.
"I just wore my school uniform today because I had to go to the student council. There's no need to buy anything new."
"It's fine. I'm in the art department, after all. I know a thing or two about character styling. Trust my judgment."
The implication was clear—Kamuro didn't trust Hikigaya's fashion sense at all...and he couldn't argue with that.
At home, it was always Komachi who chose and matched his clothes. He never paid much attention to it himself.
Isn't it enough to just wear something simple?
"Hmm... try this on first."
Kamuro browsed the store for a while before picking out a simple shirt and jeans and handing them to Hikigaya.
Fortunately, she hadn't chosen anything too flashy—just a basic outfit with a comfortable color scheme.
"No need to try it on, I'll just buy it as is..."
"Go try it on."
Kamuro interrupted him, pointing firmly to the fitting room nearby.
"…Yes."
Reluctantly, Hikigaya complied and carried the clothes into the fitting room.
He changed quickly, emerging just five minutes later.
"Well? How do I look?" Hikigaya asked, a bit embarrassed.
Despite asking, he didn't care about the outfit. His only concern was getting through this shopping trip as quickly as possible.
Kamuro tilted her head, scrutinizing him. "It's okay, I guess," she said, stroking her chin.
"But honestly, you don't look much different from usual. You're still missing something fresh."
"...Isn't this good enough?"
Hikigaya was almost at a loss for words. What did she mean by "fresh"? Did she expect a complete transformation from just changing clothes?
Let's face it, good-looking people can pull off anything. But for someone like him, it was more about staying clean and presentable. No need to overthink it.
"Yeah, just changing clothes won't cut it," Kamuro agreed, nodding.
"Then, we're done for today, right? Thanks for your help…" Hikigaya tried to end it there, hoping for some mercy.
"Let's go to the next store."
His hopes were dashed as Kamuro interrupted and pushed him towards the cashier. After paying, she dragged him to a specs shop.
—Wait, am I not myopic?
Just as Hikigaya was beginning to question the situation, Kamuro nudged his shoulder.
"You know, glasses aren't just for myopia. Some are purely for style."
"...Can you stop reading my mind?"
"Your expressions are just that easy to read," Kamuro replied casually, pulling him into the store.
Unlike the bustling clothing shops, this one was quieter, which only made it easier for the staff to notice them.
...Great. Just what he needed.
Hikigaya's eyes grew moist as he remembered the stark difference in treatment he received when shopping with Komachi. He was the one paying, so why did the shop attendants look at him like he didn't belong?
Do they not know the customer is always right?
"Oh, there's a lot to choose from," Kamuro remarked, scanning the displays. Even she seemed overwhelmed by the variety of glasses.
"Hikigaya, you should pick one too. What style do you like?"
"…Any will do," Hikigaya responded weakly.
"Yeah, the main thing is to cover up those dead fish eyes of yours."
Kamuro's bluntness was infuriating, but she wasn't entirely wrong, so Hikigaya chose to ignore the jab.
Now that he thought about it, Yukinoshita also wore glasses when working. If only he had known that earlier…
"Hey, how about trying these?"
Kamuro interrupted his thoughts, handing him a pair of dark blue, square-framed glasses.
"Uh, okay."
Hikigaya took the glasses and put them on, his movements mechanical. It felt a little uncomfortable, probably because it was his first time wearing something like this. The fit was tight.
And when he thought about it, wasn't this youthful look completely unsuited to him?
"Kamuro, is this necessary—what's with that look?"
He turned around to find Kamuro staring at him with a complicated expression.
"I'm talking to Hikigaya," she said.
"What?"
"I didn't realize your dead fish eyes had such... impact."
"...Seriously?"
Hikigaya was speechless. This girl had a knack for cutting others down without a second thought.
And the worst part? He couldn't even argue against it!
"Oh, there's one last thing missing."
Kamuro seemed to suddenly remember something, nodding to herself.
"Let's pay the bill first."
"…Fine."
At this point, Hikigaya had resigned himself to his fate. There was no escaping this. As they walked to the counter, Hikigaya couldn't help but notice the female clerks' lingering stares.
Wait, did they think he was a shoplifter? But they hadn't even left the store yet!
Even after paying, the clerks' eyes followed them. Hikigaya decided to ignore it, chalking it up to his self-consciousness.
That had to be it... right?
---
Ten minutes later, Hikigaya found himself in his room with Kamuro, who was looking around curiously.
He sighed, feeling a headache coming on.
"Uh, Kamuro," Hikigaya forced a smile, "Thanks for today, but... is all this necessary?"
"What do you mean? You bought all this stuff for a reason."
Kamuro lifted the bag she was holding, which contained shampoo, hair clay, styling spray, and other grooming products.
She intended to give him a new hairstyle…
"Okay, go wash your hair."
Seeing Hikigaya hesitate, Kamuro threw the shampoo at him, annoyed.
"It won't take long. Stop wasting time."
"…Fine."
Since he had already bought everything, Hikigaya figured he might as well give it a try. He was curious to see what Kamuro had in mind.
After washing his hair, Kamuro first blow-dried it, then took a small amount of hair clay on her finger, rubbed it between her hands, and applied it evenly to the ends of his hair.
She carefully combed his hair back, adjusting it with her fingers from the roots to the tips.
Her movements were surprisingly professional.
"All done!"
After a few minutes, Kamuro stepped back, surveying her work with satisfaction.
"Take a look," she said, holding up a mirror in front of Hikigaya. "If there's anything you don't like, I can fix it."
"Uh…" Hikigaya stared at his reflection, speechless.
"Damm. Who is this guy?"