Clusterhug

4

And so they went.

It was a casual event for most students, but with Aiura pulling her around and pointing at the most normal things as if they were a rare sight, and Teruhashi having gone only once with someone else and in the same town, it felt a little bit more like an adventure.

A strange one, but an adventure nonetheless.

It was a funny little shop— a different one than she'd visited with Saiki, Nendou, and Kaidou— on the far side of town, about a fifteen-minute walk from her house and a little under ten minutes from school. She'd never been to Aiura's house, so she could only assume it was nearby.

It was made to look like a cottage of some sort, with signs and birdfeeders hanging near the window. The display window was adorned with both painted and fake flowers trimming the edges; pastel colors of clothing were displayed. It appeared somewhat old but well-kept, with a shingled roof and bricks lining the bottom. It was far from traditional, but still held a few elements of such.

This doesn't look promising.

But Aiura was already brandishing it (the best she could brandish a store, anyway), and she was rather excited about doing so.

"This is the place I go with some of my girlfriends from school," she said, hardly getting to finish before she laughed. "I really gotta stop using the word 'girlfriend' for anyone but you, huh?"

Teruhashi gave a polite smile.

This place looks quaint. A little too quaint, if you ask me. I mean, I don't think I've even heard of this place... She seems excited about it, though.

Teruhashi had never hung out with anyone specific after school, including Aiura, so whatever clothes she wore on her days off, presuming she frequented the shop and wore their products, were a complete mystery to her. At the moment, Aiura was in a miniskirt and a shirt that seemed to fit her a bit too loose, but that didn't give her much to work off of, considering the shop looked to be entirely different, aesthetically.

"It looks small, but trust me— it's totally bigger on the inside." Aiura opened the door and bent down slightly, motioning for Teruhashi to enter. "After you, Madam..."

She is seriously taking this girlfriend stuff seriously...

It was an act of kindness usually spoiled by boys trampling over each other and fighting for her approval. She decided to enjoy it this once, and walked in, mumbling a flustered "Thank you."

It truly was bigger on the inside.

There were racks of dresses aligned similarly to most department stores she'd been to, along with shirts, skirts, pants, and just about anything else you'd find in a regular clothing store. Against the wall in the farther corner, was an assortment of men's clothes, as well as a small section of children's. Everything was arranged neatly and closely, but it was still considerably roomier than anticipated.

"Ta-da!" Aiura picked out a nearby skirt hanging on a rack and pulled it out to show. "There's so much stuff here! And everything is super comfy, too."

"Oh...There really is."

"Haha! I did good? Yes!" She pumped her fist. "Now let's pick some stuff out!"

Aiura gently pulled Teruhashi by the sleeve to one of the nearby racks before sifting through the dresses and checking the sizes.

"So, what do you like to wear...? You a classy lady, with all those poofy dresses? Or maybe a comfy t-shirt and skirt? Maybe even pants, if you're feeling adventurous...?" she teased, making a claw with her hand.