Page 40 of Yumi and the Nightmare Painter

“I…” she whispered. “There’s so much…”

“Their selection,” Akane said, “isacceptable.” She leaned in. “Shinzua Shopping Center has more cutting-edge trends, but the prices there areinsane. This place is a good balance.”

Prices.

Right,money. Normal people neededmoneyto buy things.

Yumi panicked. “I have misled you, honored Akane! I don’t possess any money for—”

“It’s fine,” she said. “I’ll cover it and charge your brother. Trust me. He’ll pay me back. I’ll makesureof it.”

Oh. Well, she supposed that he owed her that much. She pointedly didn’t look toward him as she nodded.

“So, three outfits?” Akane said. “One skirt, two pairs of pants, some shirts?”

“No!” Yumi said, too forcefully. “Um, dresses? Full dresses? Is that acceptable?” Maybe she could find something similar to what she’d worn at home. Even though…she had yet to see a single woman wearing anything of the sort.

“Sure,” Akane said. “This way.”

They wove between racks of clothing, and the garments all appeared so…slight. Shirts that fit tightly on the torso, skirts so light and flowing they seemed made of air and clouds. She and Akane emerged into a section selling dresses, and Yumi’s feeling of intimidation built. How did anyone choose? She had always worn what she’d been dressed in—never voicing an opinion. Because why would she need one of those?

She was about to tell Akane to find her the thickest, bulkiest dress—when she froze. Just ahead, a statue of a woman with no face stood on a pedestal, wearing somethinggorgeous. Flowing, but not insubstantial, the light blue dress deepened to a darker color near the floor—like it was the blossom of a flower. It did outline the form, as all of the dressesin this place did, but didn’thugit like the skirts that Akane favored. Instead it had a fluid, rippling sense to it.

To wear something like that… It would flare when she turned. It would leave her shoulders mostly bare, save for two straps, though the neckline wasn’t nearly as daring as the other dresses’. It would show more of her than she had ever exposed.

But it was like the gown aqueenwould wear. A queen from a story. A woman, not a girl of commanding primal spirits.

“Ah,” Akane said, stepping back to join her. “Someonehasremarkablygood taste. What’s your size? I’ll go get one off the racks.”

“No!” Yumi said, taking her by the arm. “I can’t, honored Akane. It’s too…daring.”

Akane glanced toward the dress, then back at Yumi, who blushed. (Perhaps Akane was thinking that wearing a sweater as a skirt was the actual daring maneuver.)

“Look,” Akane said, patting her hand. “I won’t force you to do anything you’re uncomfortable with. But you’re in the city now, Yumi. There’s no better time to try out something new—be a littledaring, so to speak. It might not seem so to you, but that dress is actually pretty conservative here.”

Yumi refrained from eyeing Akane’s own skirt, which appeared about one yawn-and-stretch away from flipping up and turning into a belt instead. Perhaps…the other onewasconservative. And the spirits hadn’t punished her for the lies she’d been forced to tell…so maybe theyknewshe’d have to do things differently here. To accomplish their designs?

That was her excuse, at least. In truth, looking up at that dress—and realizing she could simplychooseto wear it—awakened something in her. This inclination hadn’t been sleeping deeply, hadn’t been hiddenfar underneath the surface. It had been lurking, even back in her world. Liyun would have called it dangerous.

Liyun wasn’t here.

“Let’s try it,” Yumi whispered, clinging to Akane.

“Great! What’s your size?”

Yumi felt herself blushing. “I…don’t know. I’ve never been shopping before.”

“What?”

“I just always wore what was given to me.”

“Siblings?” she said (lowly). “You’re the youngest then? That’s rough, always wearing hand-me-downs. I know how it feels. So this is your first time?”

Yumi nodded.

“No wonder you look like a moth in a light bulb factory,” Akane said. “How about this: you point out a few other mannequins with a style you like, and I’ll gather together a selection of similar things, then bring them to your changing room to try on. That way you don’t have to pick from hundreds of options, only a dozen or so.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Yumi said (highly). “Thank you, Akane. You are an honor to your family, your lineage, and the spirits themselves.”

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