Starry Days & Sunlit Nights: Volume 2 - Haze of Shadows

Chapter 2.2 - It Still Counts, Right?

Boy, did he feel dumb now. He should have figured she wasn't really that serious about it. Now that he thought back, the way she asked him was a bit too casual.

He and Yumi were currently in the mall, browsing the various costumes, despite the party taking place the next day. If they were going as more than friends, she probably wouldn't be needing his opinion on her wardrobe.

The boy watched as the girl with pinkish hair zipped around the store, picking up different outfits, from a classic witch outfit complete with pointy hat, a bunny girl maid costume, and a ninja's garb, to a priestess outfit, a gangster suit, and a giant foam burrito.

Whoever ran this store must have had a thing for dressing up. There was even a bride's dress for crying out loud. Yumi never even touched that one, even if it was very noticable; but really, only someone totally lovesick would grab it in their right mind.

"Ooh! How about this one?" Yumi said excitedly. The clerk assisting her nodded in agreement. Jay came over to get a closer look.

"What about whi-?"

Yumi pressed her palm on his face in an attempt to block his vision. It worked. Although, he thought he saw white and red.

"Noooo! Not yet!" the girl protested while pouting. "You have to see how it looks on me. If you see it before that, it loses its impact."

She released her hold on his face and headed for the dressing room, leaving Jay scratching the back of his head. "Is that how it works?" he mused.

The boy waited by the dressing room, turned away from the curtain. While the girl was getting dressed, he tossed over a question.

"I'm surprised you didn't invite Kylie to come with us today."

"Oh, I did." Of course; that pretty much confirmed his earlier assumption about how serious she was. "She's already made her costume, and it turned out pretty cool."

"She was that excited for it, huh? Still doesn't explain why she didn't come, though."

"W-Well, that might be because she's probably sleeping right now."

"Why? It's five-thirty in the afternoon."

"Remember when we revealed my powers to her? Since then, she's been going over her notes and other findings since then, late into the early morning."

"Well, I couldn't blame her; she was pretty hyped about it. And she's dedicated, I'll give her that."

"Yup."

The boy heard the curtain slide open and turned to bear witness to the girl with strawberry blonde hair and amber eyes.

She was dressed in a crimson dress-like outfit with a pale ribbon on her back and frills lining her skirt, as well as a matching hat adorned with a pair of fluffy wings. In her hand was a magic wand with a sun topping it. A diamond-shaped ruby adorned each of her white elbow-length gloves and knee-high boots.

A magical girl outfit. It was really cute, and seemed to suit her-a little too well perhaps.

Jay tried to stifle a chuckle, but Yumi noticed and pouted. "I don't look that silly, do I?"

Jay shook his head, still grinning. "Not at all, I just think it's a bit too perfect for you."

Yumi twirled around, her poufy little skirt lifting up slightly during the motion. "Really? I used to be into this sort of thing when I was younger."

She struck a pose before the mirror. "I suppose I can set this one aside, but maybe there's something better."

Well, at least she was having fun playing dress-up. Perhaps it wasn't the kind of date Jay had expected it to be, but he had long decided to enjoy his time with Yumi either way.