Even though she was still a little lost in the haze, not quite sure what had really happened with Kyo, Anon figured that as long as Kikukawa Kyo was back to her usual self, that was what mattered most.
Besides, with Kyo now lying so peacefully across their laps, neither Anon nor Tomori wanted to disturb her rest.
The mood among the three began to relax again. The golden light of sunset streamed in, slowing the world around them, as if even time itself was taking a breath.
With things finally calm, Anon found herself with enough peace of mind to really take in Kyo after her bath. In the bathroom, she'd had the desire but not the guts; as soon as they'd come out, she'd been caught off guard by Kyo's devastating question.
Her very first thought now was—
Kyo's taste in casual clothes is just… awful!
Here she was, right in the prime of her youth, but she wore the plainest shirts and pants imaginable, not a single stylish detail in sight. How could anyone call this a real Japanese JK (high school girl)?
And on top of that, Kyo herself was so cute, with a mysterious, elusive aura that made anyone instantly curious. For her to be stuck in such boring clothes was a total waste, at least in Anon's eyes.
To Anon, these were the kind of bland outfits only middle-aged people would pick. For Kyo to wear them… what a waste!
"Hey, Tomori, we were planning to go to the aquarium together, and Kyo agreed to come too, right?" Anon leaned over and whispered, careful not to wake the supposedly sleeping Kyo—though honestly, who could say for sure if she was really asleep or just pretending with her eyes closed for a while.
"Yeah." Tomori nodded. Kyo really had agreed, though she'd said they'd have to set the date for a little later.
"Then after the aquarium, how about we hit the mall and go shopping for clothes?"
The moment she mentioned shopping, Anon's whole demeanor changed; her eyes started to sparkle with excitement. For her, just wandering around the mall, checking out whatever was trending, was more than enough for a perfect afternoon.
"Kyo's fashion sense is just way too plain—I mean, I'm thinking I'll help her pick out a few outfits that actually suit her. Oh, and we can check out some cosmetics too! I've been following this beauty vlogger and picked up some tricks."
Anon's voice dropped lower, probably because she was badmouthing Kyo's clothes right in front of her. Feeling a bit guilty, she glanced over at Kyo's face…
Only to lock eyes with Kyo herself.
Ack!
"Ohhh?" Kyo's tone was meaningful, dragging out the syllable. "So that's what Anon-chan thinks of my outfits, huh? Sorry for hurting the eyes of the great Anon-sama."
"I-I didn't mean it that harshly…"
As Anon rambled, she glanced down at Kyo lying across her lap, her clothes in a frankly disheveled state. An idea popped into her head.
"I mean, just look, Kyo…" Anon started talking faster, hoping to distract Kyo with words and keep her from noticing what she was about to do.
With her eyes still fixed on Kyo's face, Anon's hand crept down toward where Kyo's shirt met her waist.
Ever so carefully, she pinched the hem of Kyo's white shirt—like a surgeon about to perform some life-or-death operation—her movements tense, focused, painstakingly slow, until she'd lifted the fabric enough to peek underneath.
Oh wow…!
It was like prying open a tightly closed oyster, only to find the delicate flesh and a perfectly round, pale pearl inside.
At this range, Kyo's belly was perfectly smooth, without an ounce of extra flesh—completely flawless.
Her fair, soft skin glowed under the light, curving gently where her pants hugged her waist, even her tiny bellybutton looking especially cute.
As the shirt lifted, the sudden breeze seemed to make Kyo's stomach flinch, a tiny, instinctive contraction.
What a rare sight…
Kyo's pale skin dazzled Anon so much that she actually forgot what she'd been saying a second before.
"…Cough. With a figure like yours, Kyo, not to mention your looks and that unique aura—you really are wasting your potential with such plain clothes, don't you think?"
"Anon," Kyo's tone was almost resigned, "you're really not subtle at all. Even Tomori's noticed."
Anon spun around, and sure enough, Tomori was watching her, occasionally glancing at the hand still gripping the hem of Kyo's shirt.
With a start, Anon let go, tucking her hands behind her back. When she saw that Kyo's shirt had flopped down without properly covering her stomach, she rushed to pull it down—then quickly withdrew again, eyes darting away as if nothing had happened.
"Is my stomach really that interesting?" Kyo asked with genuine curiosity. Sometimes, when she and her sister watched TV together, she'd rest her head on her sister's lap, and her sister would absentmindedly pat her belly.
Hmm… Now that I think about it, my sister's a girl too. She likes poking my stomach, and so does Anon. Sister = girl, so Anon = girl?
"I was just looking at your clothes, not your stomach!" Anon blurted out, not very convincingly, her cheeks flushing and her heart pounding.
"So… are my clothes really that bad?" Kyo tried to crane her neck to get a look at her own outfit. She actually liked this simple, clean style.
Kyo then glanced at Tomori, her eyes asking for backup.
Tomori shook her head in confusion. She never paid much attention to everyday clothes either—she usually wore a baseball jacket and plain shorts.
Once, when the whole CRYCHIC band switched to casual clothes for weekend practice, Riki had teased her for dressing like a little boy.
"I-I don't really know about that stuff…" Tomori stammered. If the topic were penguins or insects, she could jump in with enthusiasm, but when it came to fashion, she was totally out of her depth.
"I just think, sometimes, when you put on something nice—even if it's just on the outside—it can change the way you feel on the inside too. Don't you want to give it a try, Kyo?"
Anon remembered what Kyo had said earlier, about her obsession with change, and she brought it up now.
Right on cue, Kyo perked up.
"Alright, let's go clothes shopping together. That sounds pretty good."
"Yay!" Anon cheered, already planning how she'd put off guitar rehab tonight just to pick out some new looks for Kyo.
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T/N: Kyo's train of thought questions if liking her belly makes Anon as much of a "girl" as her sister, who is female, i dont get it either