Seraphim is a Bystander

Clothing
 
This time, it’s from Seras’s point of view.
It had been a few days since I was accepted into the Futaba family thanks to Aoi’s forceful introduction.

At first, Mom tried to prepare a separate meal for me apart from Aoi’s, but over the past few days, she’d started to get used to me.
"Aoi~? Your father and I are about to—oh? It’s Seras-chan?"
"What’s up? Want me to switch with Aoi? He was just reading a book anyway."

It had gotten to the point where no one was surprised even when I was the one who had switched in for Aoi.
"Hm, it’s Seras… Yuuka, wouldn’t it be more convenient if we took Seras with us?"
At first, both of them called me “Seras-san,” but now they just said “Seras-chan” or “Seras.” Though Dad still seemed unsure how to interact with the suddenly appearing (??) daughter, and there was a faint awkwardness in the air.

"You're right! She probably needs a lot of things, and it’s best if she picks them out herself!"
"…So what is this about? I don’t need to switch with Aoi?"
Mom and Dad walked into our room, tossing back and forth a conversation that made no sense to me.

Aoi was asleep, and I was the only one awake. So if they had business with me, this was perfect.
"Exactly! Your father and I were just about to go shopping for things Seras-chan might need—so why don’t you come with us?"
Apparently, what they wanted was to have me join them for some shopping.

It made sense. Even if I didn’t show up often, Aoi occasionally encouraged me to interact with the family. That meant I’d need a few things of my own eventually.
"If that’s the case, I don’t mind. I may look like this, but I’m strong—so feel free to make me carry all the bags, okay?"
"Wonderful! Then let’s get going!"

In response to my reply, Mom looked more cheerful than usual as she started getting ready to go out. I also picked through Aoi’s wardrobe and found something I could wear. I guess I’ll tie my hair up…
After finishing getting ready, I stood in front of the mirror. Even though it was Aoi’s clothes, same height, same hair length, the bone structure and facial features were unmistakably feminine. Unlike the androgynous Aoi, I clearly looked like a girl wearing men’s clothes.
“Sigh…”
“Seras-chan, are you ready?”

As I was feeling fed up with my reflection, Mom, now ready, came into the room. …Oh right, ever since we started talking directly, I’ve been calling them “Mom” and “Dad.” Calling them “Mother” or “Father” to their faces just feels too stiff.
“Yeah… I can go anytime.”
“Great! Then let’s head out.”

And so Mom and I left the house and walked to a large nearby shopping center.
Even as we walked, Mom continued to chat with me excitedly.
“Is there anything you want, Seras-chan?”

“Your hair and skin are so beautiful, Seras-chan~”
“Do you have a favorite food, Seras-chan?”
…She kept talking non-stop like this. I felt like she was calmer when around Aoi and the others…

“Mom… you seem really happy?”
“Do I? Maybe I’m a little overexcited.”
“Is something making you happy?”

“Of course! This is my first time shopping with my daughter! Aoi and Ritsuki are both adorable, but this is my first outing with a daughter!”
“…Right.”
Guhh…!

Ugh… Just like with Ritsuki, she’s so pure I can’t even deny it. Sure, I’ve spent like 2.5 billion times more hours in a girl’s body than a boy’s, but still! Facing it again like this with a clear mind and schedule is kind of rough.
“Well, since we’re out, let’s buy lots of clothes!”
This is bad… If I don’t act now, she’s going to put me in a skirt or something…!

“Uh… I’m not really into super cutesy stuff, to be honest…”
“Leave it to me! I’ll pick out the perfect ones for you!”
“Ah—okay.”

…Yeah. There’s no escaping this.
And so, a beautiful, beaming woman and a dead-eyed cross-dressing girl walked into a women’s clothing store together, forming a rather mysterious pair.
~~~~~~

“You look great in this! Can you try this one next too?”
“…Okay.”
I was finally released from Mom’s fashion spree around the time we’d tried on who-knows-how-many outfits and ended up with six shopping bags.

“I might’ve bought a little too much.”
“A little…?”
By the time we’d finished going around the clothing shops, both of our hands were completely full.

Since we still needed to buy other necessities, we took a break at the food court for some ice cream while we waited for the family car to arrive.
“I’m sorry, Seras-chan. I got way too carried away… Just wear whatever you feel like, okay?”
“…Well, I can’t deny that everything actually looked good. I’ll wear them if the opportunity comes up.”

Fortunately, most of the clothes Mom picked were on the boyish side, just like I’d hoped. …Though about one-third were frilly, cute clothes that snuck their way in.
As she ate her ice cream, Mom gave me a slightly scolding look and spoke up, as if something had just occurred to her.
“Still… I had my suspicions, but I didn’t think you really weren’t wearing any underwear.”

“…Well, I didn’t need any.”
Yeah. The final fortress I had hoped would remain intact was easily breached.
The very first time I went to try on clothes, Mom nonchalantly noticed I wasn’t wearing anything under, and before we even bought any outfits, she had me measured and bought me underwear too.

The fortress I’d guarded for 5 billion years… utterly destroyed. The strength of a mother truly is terrifying.
“Goodness… Seras-chan, your body’s already starting to grow. You have to wear the proper things, okay?”
“…Yes.”

Sure, if you think of it from a human perspective, bodies degrade over time, so I guess it makes sense. But still… I’m a Seraph, you know? I really don’t need it.
“Seras-chan? You will wear them, right?”
“…Understood.”

Scary. Mom is scary. Please don’t instill fear into a Seraph from point-blank range.
And so, after we finished our ice cream, the car arrived. It was finally «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» time to move on to buying actual necessities for my daily life.