"...So?"
"Huh? What?"
"How did Arte react?"
Amelia asked, stealing glances at Arte.
*How did she react?*
It took me a long moment to realize what she was getting at.
Ah, so that’s why she’d been fidgeting with Dorothy’s arm in the car—she was trying to push me and Arte together somehow.
She hadn’t been able to say anything in the car for fear Arte might overhear, so she’d waited until we got to the department store to bring it up.
"...You didn’t actually try to set me up with Arte because of *that*, did you?"
"What else would it be for?"
"Ugh..."
No wonder I’d kept feeling her eyes on me.
Amelia was so desperate to get me and Arte together that she’d pulled another stunt.
"Nothing happened."
"Th-that can’t be..."
"I’m serious. You were watching the whole time, weren’t you?"
"Well, yeah, but..."
She must’ve thought we were whispering to each other.
I couldn’t help but feel exasperated at the sight of her muttering like that.
If she’d been that focused, there’s no way she could’ve missed it.
We really didn’t say a word to each other.
Amelia had been trying to pair me and Arte up for a while now, but honestly, I wished she’d stop. It was starting to feel like... Arte wasn’t just *not* interested, she might actually be *repulsed* by the idea.
"Well, if that’s the case, we’ll just have to move on to the next plan."
"...Do I *have* to go? Can’t I just skip it?"
"Do you think we spent all that time dressing you up for nothing? That’d be a waste of time."
"I guess, but..."
I couldn’t argue with that.
Sure, I’d been forced into it, but the fact remained—I *had* been dressed up.
If I just gave up now, all that effort would’ve been for nothing. It’d be a shame.
No matter how much I hated it, if I refused to use the outfit they’d spent hours putting together, they’d be disappointed.
Dorothy, especially, had been so excited, pouring out all sorts of fashion knowledge as she styled me. She must really be into this stuff.
If I bailed now, I could only imagine how she’d react...
My relationship with Dorothy had been a little awkward compared to Amelia, but this whole thing had brought us closer. If I suddenly backed out, she might be really let down.
"By the way, how’d you even convince Dorothy?"
"Hmm?"
"You didn’t... tell her about Arte’s true identity, did you?"
It didn’t make sense.
Dorothy didn’t know a thing about Arte’s real self, yet she’d been so eager to help, practically throwing a fit over it.
And Amelia wasn’t the type to just blurt out something like that.
"Oh, uh... I just mumbled something vague, and she bought it right away?"
"Huh?"
"I said you and Arte weren’t officially dating, but you both had feelings for each other and things weren’t progressing."
"...That’s just your *wishful thinking*."
"I panicked and just said the first thing that came to mind. But weirdly, she accepted it without question."
That’s why, back then... I’d thought she was ruthless, even a little scary.
But to think she’d just blurted out some nonsense and Dorothy had taken it at face value...
...I don’t get it.
Why on earth?
"Anyway, Dorothy still doesn’t know her—"
"What are you two whispering about?"
"Ah, Dorothy. It’s, uh... nothing important."
"If it’s nothing, then come over here already!"
"...Huh?"
"Hurry up, hurry!"
As Arte and I were walking and talking, Dorothy suddenly dashed toward us and grabbed my arm, pulling me along.
"W-what? What’s going on?"
"A-ah, hurry!"
With no choice, I decided to follow wherever Dorothy’s hand led me.
Once we reached an empty hallway, she finally let go of my arm.
"Phew… her gaze was piercing…"
She must’ve been talking about Arte. True, she had been staring at me intently.
Though Amelia had rushed in to cover for her before disappearing.
"…So, why did you call me over?"
"I came to give you a warning."
"A warning?"
"You’re coming with us to buy swimsuits now."
"…Sigh."
"W-what’s with that sigh?"
Ugh, how do I even explain this?
I had already made up my mind to go. If nothing else, I had to consider Dorothy’s kindness in setting this up.
But… even so.
Even though I’d decided to go, now that it was right in front of me, I didn’t want to…
"…Hey, Dorothy. Do I *have* to go?"
"Of course you do. We’re going to buy swimsuits."
"But… I’m a guy. Won’t it be a little… you know?"
"…What? You were worried about *that*?"
Dorothy’s look of pity annoyed me.
Of *course* I’d be worried about that! What else was I supposed to think?
If three girls were picking out swimsuits in a department store and some random guy was just standing there, *I’d* think it was weird.
What kind of guy would even be there?
What’s his relationship with them?
People would obviously wonder.
"I’m the only guy. It’d be weird for me to be in the women’s swimsuit section."
"…It’s fine. Amelia and I don’t see you as a man."
"…Why does that sound even worse? You know that, right?"
"I just don’t have any interest in someone who’s already taken."
Taken?
What kind of relationship did Dorothy think Arte and I had in her head?
What had Amelia even told her?
I wanted to ask, but I didn’t.
I had a feeling the answer would be even stranger than what I was imagining.
"…No, that’s not it. When Arte tries on a swimsuit, you *have* to compliment her. Got it?"
"Uh, y-yeah…"
"Absolutely. And keep your eyes *only* on Arte, not on us. Understood?"
As soon as she finished, Dorothy dashed back to her original spot, leaving me to my thoughts.
Amelia must’ve pulled another stunt.
Now there was one more person trying to meddle in my relationship with Arte.
"Wow, it’s so pretty. What do you think?"
"It’s fine… but isn’t it a little too revealing…?"
"Eh, it’s a swimsuit. What’s the big deal? It’s not like you have any flab. Here."
"W-why are you suddenly touching my stomach?!"
"I just thought maybe your stomach was sticking out…"
"That’s *rude*!"
Amelia and Dorothy’s chatter reached my ears.
I couldn’t bring myself to open my eyes, so I squeezed them shut even tighter—only to feel like their voices were getting louder.
"Arte, aren’t you going to pick one?"
Maybe it was because I’d been sitting quietly, just listening to the two of them.
Amelia asked me, her voice full of curiosity.
"Y-yes…? Ah, I-I don’t really know much about these things…"
"Oh? Then should we pick one for you?"
I quickly nodded at Amelia’s lifeline.
"Please do."
"Got it, leave it to us!"
Fortunately, Amelia and Dorothy didn’t seem to notice that I had my eyes closed.
Just like during the entrance ceremony, sometimes being half-blind actually worked in my favor.
I couldn’t even tell if my eyes were open or closed.
I’d once asked the author about it. Why the hell had they put me in this body?
The answer was simple. …Because it’s cool.
Of course that’s what the author would say.
"…H-Hey, Arte! How’s this? Is it okay?"
"Ah, yes. Thank you. I like it."
"Hurry up and try it on! Now!"
At Amelia’s urging, I scrambled into the fitting room.
Phew, that was close.
Maybe because I’d never been in a store that sold women’s swimwear before, but I didn’t know where to look. I’d been so flustered that I’d just closed my eyes.
Fortunately, it seemed Amelia had decided to pick out the swimsuits for me.
"Author-nim, I’m going to resent you for this…"
[Wait, why me…? Swimsuit fashion shows come up a lot in stories, don’t they?]
"Shut up."
I knew there were web novels heavily influenced by light novels that included scenes like this.
And I also knew the author wanted to use that kind of material.
That’s why I’d suggested it. Let’s go pick out swimsuits.
It was good that the author wanted to use the material, so guiding them in that direction had been the right move. It had been…
But what I’d overlooked was that *I* would have to buy a swimsuit too.
"Well, I don’t have a choice. Let’s just put it on… Huh?"
[…Whoa. A bikini.]
"…"
What is this?
I’d been trying to get dressed as quickly as possible, but the scrap of fabric in my hands was tiny.
Right, people called this a bikini.
When I’d first taken it, there’d been so much fabric in my hands that I’d assumed it was a rash guard or high-waisted bottoms… but I’d been tricked!
It wasn’t *just* a bikini, though.
As if to explain what that extra fabric had been, a pareo that could be wrapped around the waist was flaunting its presence.
There was a top too. It was meant to be layered over the bikini.
It would’ve been fine—if it hadn’t left my navel exposed and barely covered the underside of my chest.
The top was white, and the pareo was made of a sheer material that didn’t hide a thing.
…Then what was the point of the top and pareo?
"Arte, are you taking long?"
"…J-Just a second. I’ll be right out."
Ah, damn it.
Do I *have* to wear this? Seriously?
Amelia must’ve been trying to be considerate.
During swim class, everyone else wore bikinis while I was the only one in a modest one-piece.
…But if she was going to be considerate, I wish she’d been *a little* more so.
No matter how I looked at it, this outfit seemed to serve no purpose.
"Arte?"
"…J-Just, just a minute. One second."
"How does it feel?"
"I want to leave."
I answered Amelia’s question honestly.
I *did* want to leave.
Why was I even here?
Being surrounded by women’s swimsuits was unbearably embarrassing.
"Okay, I’ll let you out."
"Really?!"
"Yeah. Just describe what Arte looks like for me."
"Huh?"
"She’ll be out soon. Just wait."
That’s when I realized it.
I could hear Dorothy and Amelia’s voices, but I couldn’t hear Arte’s.
I’d been so focused on ignoring the swimsuits out of embarrassment that I hadn’t noticed anything else.
Swish, swish.
My sealed senses expanded in an instant.
…She was in there, right? Arte?
My unnecessarily sharp hearing and intuition vividly delivered the sound of Arte changing clothes.