Kamishiro Rize had changed into a lavender dress. The delicate, silky fabric shimmered under the store lights, exuding elegance and charm.
"How does it look?"
She twirled slightly, showing off the outfit in front of Kanzaki Ryoma.
"It looks good. As expected, purple suits you very well."
Ryoma's tone was serious, offering his genuine opinion.
"Then I'll go with this one," Rize decided without hesitation.
"But honestly, with your looks, you'd look good in anything," Ryoma added casually.
It was simply the truth. A naturally beautiful girl could pull off any outfit effortlessly—unless, of course, she deliberately dressed to look ridiculous, which was another matter entirely.
"My, my, aren't you quite the flatterer?" Rize teased, feigning shyness with a playful smile.
She then picked out a white dress and tried that on as well, once again seeking Ryoma's input.
"This one looks great too. Purple and white both suit you well. But maybe other colors would work too? Why not try on a few more?"
Ryoma's tone remained thoughtful.
"No need. These two are enough. As long as you think they look good, that's all that matters."
Rize's smile carried a hint of amusement.
"Alright, then let's wrap things up and head back."
However, Ryoma had overlooked one crucial detail—Rize hadn't bought any underwear yet.
"Why are you in such a rush?" Rize leaned in slightly, her voice playful. "I still need to pick out some underwear. You're going to help me, of course~"
Before Ryoma could react, she had already turned around and headed back to the fitting room to change.
For a moment, Ryoma was stunned. Was Rize actually being serious? It was one thing to give opinions on clothes, but lingerie...?
He half-convinced himself that she was just teasing, but when Rize emerged from the dressing room in her usual outfit, she grabbed his hand and led him straight to the lingerie section.
"You said purple suits me, right? How about this?"
Rize lifted a sultry purple lingerie set, holding it up for Ryoma to see.
"Wait, you actually want my opinion on this too?"
Ryoma blinked, still trying to process the situation.
"Why not? You're my boyfriend, aren't you? Isn't this totally normal?"
Rize's tone was casual, as if discussing something as mundane as picking out socks.
"The thing is... our relationship isn't really—"
Before Ryoma could finish, Rize playfully placed a finger over his lips.
"Shh. Don't be so shy."
"...Fine. If you don't mind, I won't either."
Ryoma let out a small sigh, deciding to roll with it. "But don't expect me to give detailed feedback."
"No need for that," Rize chuckled. "Just tell me if it suits me."
"If that's all… then yeah, this purple set definitely suits you."
There was no hesitation in Ryoma's voice. If she wasn't embarrassed, why should he be?
"Great. Then I'll take this one. Now, pick another set for me."
Without giving him time to protest, Rize moved on and selected a bolder, crimson red ensemble.
"What do you think? Sexy?"
"...Yeah, but I feel like white would suit you even better."
Ryoma answered without thinking, but his words seemed to trigger something in Rize's mind.
"Oh~? Is that so? Let me guess... you prefer white lingerie, don't you?"
"Well... yeah," Ryoma admitted. There was no use denying it.
"I see, I see~" Rize mused, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "So, that means you must like white stockings too, no?"
Her voice carried an unmistakable teasing edge.
Even though she was a ghoul, Rize had a deep understanding of human fashion trends. She often read fashion magazines, and her stylish choices weren't just about vanity—they were a tool. Dressing elegantly made it easier to lure in unsuspecting men who fell for her charms.
Ryoma, meanwhile, didn't bother denying her assumption.
"...Yeah, white stockings do look good."
"Thought so." Rize smirked. "In that case, I'll grab a pair of white stockings too."
She usually wore sheer nude tights, but if Ryoma preferred white, she was more than willing to indulge him.
"You don't have to dress based on my preferences," Ryoma said, his tone suddenly serious. "You should wear what you like."
"Don't worry. I think white stockings are pretty too," Rize reassured him.
"Then I've got no complaints."
Ryoma nodded, finally closing the discussion.
---
Meanwhile, outside the store, Kirishima Touka and Yoriko kuroiwa stood by the glass storefront, watching everything unfold.
Through the clear display window, they could see Kamishiro Rize modeling outfits for Kanzaki Ryoma's approval—right down to picking out lingerie in front of him.
The sight left both girls visibly unsettled, though for very different reasons.
Touka felt a strange sense of shock watching Rize act so flirtatiously with a human boy.
Yoriko, on the other hand, was more concerned about what this meant for Touka. To her, it looked like Ryoma and Rize were an obvious couple. And if the guy Touka liked was already dating someone else… well, there wasn't much she could do to help her friend.
"Touka, no matter what happens, I'll support you," Yoriko said suddenly, her tone full of determination.
She was saying this to keep Touka from getting discouraged.
"Thanks... Wait, what exactly are you supporting me for?"
Touka had started to thank her on reflex before realizing something was off.
"Obviously, I support your love life," Yoriko said with a knowing smile.
Touka instantly placed a hand on her forehead, feeling a headache coming on. She knew that denying it outright would only make things worse, so she decided to say nothing.
But her silence only deepened the misunderstanding. Seeing that Touka didn't refute her words, Yoriko became even more convinced that her friend harbored feelings for Ryoma.
In that case, the first thing she needed to do was investigate whether he was actually dating Rize.
And the best way to clarify that… was to ask directly.
"By the way, Touka, how did you even meet him? Where did you first see Kanzaki Ryoma?"
At this point, Touka still wasn't aware of Yoriko's scheming. She answered absentmindedly, "The first time I saw him was at Anteiku, the café where I work part-time. But I don't really know him that well."
"Got it." Yoriko smiled mysteriously, saying nothing more.
But in her mind, she had already decided on her next move.
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T/N: do tell me how the quality of this particular chapter'a quality is... Actually, this one was translated by the other translator of my team so, it would be good to know your opinion cus if you liked his quality, then I'd be more than happy to give the Tokyo ghoul project to him while I work on the other ones...
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