Girl – Part 03
Just as they were nearly finished having lunch, Cecily turned to Lisa, remembering something.
“Huh? What is it?”
“Hmm…”
She stared intently at Lisa, scrutinizing her from head to toe. Lisa broke into a nervous sweat. What was this about?
“Hey, Luke!”
“What is it now—wait, hey!”
“Come here for a second.”
Cecily grabbed Luke by the collar and dragged him over. Luke tried to protest, but Cecily was relentless, ignoring his objections. Lisa watched, bewildered.
At a distance, the two started arguing about something. Lisa couldn’t make out the specifics but caught snippets like “I told you before” and “Why should I?” She was left only to wonder. Did they actually get along better than they let on?
After a short while, Cecily returned with a radiant smile, while Luke trailed behind, looking thoroughly disgruntled.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“No problem. What’s going on?”
“We’re going out into the city.”
“What?” Lisa blinked in surprise. “Going out into the city? “You and Luke?”
“The three of us—me, Luke, and you.”
“Wh-Why?”
Cecily chuckled eerily. “That’s a surprise.”
Confused, Lisa turned to Luke. “Are you sure? We have work this afternoon.”
“It should be fine. It’s not an urgent order,” Luke said, his face turned away. He sounded grumpy, but he did give his approval.
Lisa wondered if this was all right. She felt uneasy, yet at the same time she couldn’t stop her heart from racing.
For Lisa, going out into the city was synonymous with running errands—buying supplies, delivering orders, gathering scrap metal. She rarely went out for personal reasons. Though her employer hadn’t explicitly instructed her to avoid leisure, she had imposed these restrictions on herself without even realizing it.
So, Lisa couldn’t help but ask, “Is it work-related? Smithing?”
“Of course not,” Cecily said with a smile, taking Lisa’s hand. “You can relax.”
Despite Cecily’s reassurance, Lisa couldn’t easily switch her mindset. She was concerned about Luke, who followed silently behind them.
Still, her apprehension quickly turned to excitement once they arrived at the Third District’s shopping street.
“Wow!”
The Independent Trade City’s Third District was bustling with activity as it prepared for next month’s market fair. The city had become a lively hub, with vendors setting up food stalls along the busy shopping street, and even residential areas transformed into makeshift street markets. Vendors hawked from every corner, attracting crowds, including customers from far-off lands and citizens from other districts. The city, already a melting pot of varying hair colors, skin tones, and eye colors, saw even more diversity this time of year with the influx of visitors.
With the fair just around the corner, the atmosphere was electric. The small Lisa felt as though she might drown in the sea of people. Cecily held her hand tightly, guiding her through the crowd.
“There’s so many people,” Lisa mumbled.
“It’s great for the city,” Cecily said with a strained smile, “but with this many, security will be a nightmare soon.”
“So, where exactly are we going?”
“We’re almost there. Look.”
After weaving through the crowd, they arrived at their destination. In the city, stores selling similar items tended to line the same street. Lisa’s eyes widened as they stopped in front of one.
“Oh…”
Through the open door and windows of the shop, Lisa could see inside—a clothing store for women. Lisa looked up at Cecily.
“I’ve been wondering for a while now,” Cecily said, “do you have anything to wear besides those work clothes?”
“N-No. But I have three sets, so I mix and match them.”
“That won’t do.” Cecily placed a hand on Lisa’s shoulder, her brow furrowing. “A girl can’t live like that.”
“Right…”
“You’re interested in nice clothes, aren’t you? I’ve seen the way you look at them.”
“Ah, uh…”
She heard what I said, Lisa thought.
“Such a cute outfit. I wish I had one.”
Lisa had often been captivated by girls her size dressing up in various outfits. Whenever she was in the city, her eyes naturally gravitated toward them, and her imagination would run wild. What if I wore that outfit? Would this dress suit me? How would I look in that kind of clothing?
Since she’d started working at Atelier Liza nearly three years ago, Lisa had been rotating the same three sets of work clothes, and the frays on them were becoming noticeable. No matter how often she washed them, the smithing work would soil them quickly, and the fabric had grown weak, requiring constant mending. She knew full well that her clothes were in tatters.
Cecily was offering her the chance to pick out something she liked. It was an incredibly thoughtful gesture, but…
“Is it okay for me to dress up like other girls?”
Cecily looked back at her in surprise, momentarily confused by the question. But she quickly collected herself.
“Of course, it’s okay.” She turned around to seek confirmation.
Lisa nervously followed her gaze. Luke, standing awkwardly behind them, scratched the back of his head.
“I’ll pay for it, so just pick something already,” he grumbled. “I hate crowds. I’ll wait outside.”
Though she had tried to suppress her desires, Lisa had often imagined wearing these kinds of clothes one day.
But the moment she stepped inside the shop, she was overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices, including unfamiliar outfits. Lisa stood frozen, scanning the shop over and over, until eventually, she found herself feeling dizzy.
Cecily pulled her along, chuckling. “Let’s pick something together.”
Cecily quickly started browsing through the racks. She would stand in front of the clothes, arms crossed in thought, then pull one thing after another from the shelves, holding them up against Lisa for comparison. Flustered, Lisa could do nothing but let her do her thing.
“What’s your size?”
“Oh, um, I’ve never had it measured.”
A clerk came to measure her. Lisa was taken to the fitting room, stripped down to her undergarments while the assistant measured every inch of her with a tape. It tickled, and she had a hard time staying still.
By the time the clerk was finished taking her measurements, Cecily had already picked out several outfits. Since it was Lisa’s first time wearing such clothes, she was shown how to put them on, then retreated back into the fitting room.
As she prepared to change, Lisa paused. She stood in her undergarments, staring at the clothes in her hands.
“Is this really okay?”
“Hm? Did you say something?”
The entrance to the fitting room was divided by a fabric. Cecily’s shadow wavered just behind it.
“This is my first time doing something like this.”
“I figured. Luke really lacks initiative. Honestly, if he’s going to hire someone, he should take better care of them.”
“But just working for him is more than enough for me,” Lisa murmured, glancing down at the floor. “I’ve never gone shopping for clothes before. It feels like I’m forcing him to spend money on me, and I feel awful about it.”
“I think Luke just doesn’t know.”
“What?” Lisa looked up.
“It was my idea to go shopping today, and I was actually planning to pay for the clothes as a thank-you for all the lunches you’ve been providing. But when I told Luke, he insisted on covering the cost.”
The revelation shocked Lisa. Luke did that?
“I always thought he was stingy, so I was quite surprised when he offered to pay without hesitation.”
“You and me both.”
Cecily’s quiet laughter drifted through the curtain. “I don’t know exactly what kind of relationship you two have, but this is just my guess. Luke doesn’t know how to deal with a young girl like you.”
“…”
“He doesn’t know what would make you happy, or what he should do for you. That’s likely all it is. He doesn’t seem big on socializing, so he probably didn’t even realize you needed new clothes. If he’d known girls like to dress up, he might have offered to buy you something much sooner.”
“Do you really think so?”
“I think he’s more awkward than you give him credit for.”
Lisa looked at the new clothes in her hands and held them to her chest.
“I think you’re overthinking it,” Lisa said. “He probably just felt like doing this today for no reason.”
“If that’s what you believe, you might be right.”
He did nothing because he didn’t understand. Had he known, he would have acted differently.
Impossible, Lisa thought. She didn’t want to expect anything. Better to lock those feelings away than hope for what wouldn’t come.
Silently, she began changing into the clothes. Cecily, sensing the shift, said nothing more.
“I’m dressed.”
Cecily pulled the curtain open and folded her arms, studying Lisa.
“Hmm, I see. Let’s try the next one.”
There were still plenty of options. Cecily handed Lisa another outfit, and Lisa returned to the fitting room.
“I’ll give you one more reason for why I thought that way.”
Once they were out of sight of each other, Cecily began speaking again.
“Your workshop is called Atelier Liza, right?”
Lisa immediately knew where this was going. “Yes,” she replied softly.
“Lisa is just one letter off from Liza,” Cecily teased. “Coincidence?”
“I… think so,” Lisa replied.
She lost count of how many outfits she had tried on. After so many, she couldn’t tell what looked good on her anymore, so she left the final choice to Cecily.
“I-Isn’t this… a little too cute for me?”
“Not at all. It suits you perfectly.”
Standing in front of the mirror, Lisa saw a version of herself she had never seen before. The outfit felt light and comfortable. A shirt with the hem tied at one side, layered with a black vest, and a ribbon tied neatly at the collar. Her shorts left her thighs exposed. She wore a belt pouch around her waist, leather boots, and a glove on her left hand. Everything was brand new, paid for with the money Luke had given her.
Wearing something so different from her usual attire made her feel a little self-conscious, but she was more excited than anything. It felt like she had transformed into an entirely different person.
When they returned to the front of the store, Luke, who had been waiting for what felt like ages, glanced up at Lisa without a word. His face showed only relief that they were finally out.
“We’re done here, right? Let’s go,” he said.
Cecily protested sharply, but Luke brushed her off, as usual.
“Do you like it?” Cecily asked.
“I love it. Thank you so much for today.”
“From now on, you should wear that whenever you go out.”
“I will!”
Cecily nodded, satisfied.
“By the way, what about your job?” Lisa asked.
Cecily smiled playfully. “Actually, I had the day off.”
“You wear your uniform on your day off?”
“The district is busy with preparations for the fair, so I have to be ready to be called in at any time.”
With that, they said their goodbyes and promised to meet again tomorrow.
As they walked home through quieter streets, Lisa finally spoke up, breaking the silence.
“Thank you for the money. I’ll take good care of these clothes.”
Luke, walking beside her, gave a curt, “Sure.”
“What about work today?” she asked.
“We’ll push it to tomorrow.”
“What should we have for dinner?”
“Anything’s fine.”
“Um, such nice weather today, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“I hope it’s nice again tomorrow.”
“Yeah.”
Silence followed, just like usual. But today, Lisa felt different. The excitement of dressing up for the first time had lifted her spirits. Feeling a bit more confident, she decided to take a small step forward.
“Does it… look good on me?” She cast her eyes down, her face flushed. She held her breath, listening intently, pressing her hand to her chest as her heart raced.
She waited for his answer.
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
I’m so stupid.
Lisa wore a bitter smile. What was she expecting? Why did she allow herself to have hope? Luke was never going to say something like that.
After all, I—
She felt something on her head.
“Huh?”
Lisa looked up. She realized she had been on the verge of tears, and a few droplets fell as she lifted her head. She stared at Luke’s face. His nose was slightly red.
“Take good care of it.”
Perched on Lisa’s head was a small round hat. Luke must have bought it while waiting for her and Cecily outside the store.
“I was bored. Waiting, I mean,” he added, almost as an excuse, in his usual blunt manner.
Stunned, Lisa eventually said ever so softly, “I will.”
Her wilting heart felt surprisingly warm. She looked down, fighting back tears.
She knew she shouldn’t get her hopes up. But for now, she allowed herself a moment of happiness.
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