Chapter 5: Beautiful Girl Goes Shopping at the Mall (Part 1)

Kaname and I were sitting in the back seat of my mom’s tiny car.

Apparently, we were heading out to buy clothes and underwear with money extorted from Dad.

As for why Kaname was coming along—he was just the designated bag carrier. Dad stayed home to wait for a package being delivered that afternoon.

I still remember the look on his face when he realized he couldn’t come with us—tears of blood, I swear.

Honestly, I didn’t see the point of tagging along. Mom could just pick out whatever she wanted, right? She somehow knew all my sizes anyway, so what was I even doing here?

So, why was I here?

Because when I clung to the sofa and refused to move, Mom pried me off like it was nothing. Then she princess-carried me all the way to the car and tossed me into the back seat. And that brings us to now.

“Let’s buy you lots of cute clothes, okay?”

“I don’t need cute clothes!”

“Oh, come on♪ I bet you could make any boy fall head over heels for you~.”

Before I could make any boy fall for me, my soul would’ve already died.

Still… I was already in the car, so there was no escaping until we reached our destination. I gave up and turned my eyes to the passing scenery outside.

But something else bothered me more than the view.

“…Hey, Kaname?”

“What is it, Ayu-neechan?”

“Don’t you think you’re a little… close?”

“Well, it’s a mini car. The back seat’s tiny, can’t help it.”

“R-right…”

Kaname’s arm was pressed tightly against mine—so close it felt weird—but yeah, these cars are cramped. I guess it couldn’t be helped.

I turned my eyes back to the window.

Then, Kaname slowly took my hand.

“Uh, Kaname?”

“Oh, sorry. Did I bump you?”

“Yeah. It’s fine though.”

That wasn’t really a “bump,” more like full contact—but sure, whatever. It was cramped anyway.

I went back to staring outside.

Then, his hand suddenly rested on my exposed thigh—my skirt being way too short didn’t help.

I opened my mouth to protest, but his arm slid inward even faster.

“Hey—Kaname!? Quit it, that tickles!”

“Whoa, Ayu-neechan, your thighs are super soft! And so smooth!”

I tried to push him off, but it was like shoving a wall—he didn’t budge at all. With the seatbelt locking me in, there was nowhere to escape.

Kaname, realizing I couldn’t resist, started happily stroking my thigh however he pleased.

“Eep! S-stop it already…”

I curled up as much as I could, unable to run or fight back.

“Alright, Kaname-kun. If you mess with my cute little Ayumi any further, I’ll toss you into oncoming traffic~.”

“Yes ma’am. Man, it was just getting good, too.”

“Jeez! That was awful! I was half disgusted and half dying from being tickled! Don’t mess around like that!”

“For someone who got all that attention, you forgave him pretty fast, huh? Mom’s worried you might be too easy, Ayumi-chan.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Who knows~?”

I didn’t really get it, but thanks to Mom’s timely intervention, Kaname finally pulled his hand away.

Phew—saved. Good job, Mom.

Still… girls’ skin really is sensitive, huh? If I were still a guy, that would’ve just tickled a bit, nothing more.

…Then again, when would a guy ever have his thighs stroked like that? Actually, do girls ever have that happen either?

“By the way, are we there yet?”

We’d been in the car for about forty minutes now.

I thought we were just heading to the nearby Uniqlo or something, but apparently not. At this distance, even if I tried to run away, there’s no way I’d make it home on foot…

The car finally stopped in front of a huge shopping mall.

If I remembered correctly, it was called Mama Port.

Mom, Kaname, and I stepped out of the car and walked through the parking lot.

Whoa… it’s massive.

Back in middle school, I hardly had any friends, so I’d never had stories about “hanging out at the mall with buddies” or anything like that.

Kind of hard to believe, but… I was actually starting to feel excited.

We walked side by side—Mom on the left, me in the middle, Kaname on the right.

I glanced at one of the guide boards along the way. The map was ridiculously huge, and the number of stores… insane. This wasn’t a shopping mall anymore—it was basically an entire city.

Still, what really caught my attention was how people kept staring at me as we walked.

“Hey, Moth—uh, Mama. Do I look weird or something?”

Close call. Mom was obsessed with being called “Mama.” If I slipped and said “Mom,” I’d get the butt-smacking punishment.

And honestly, it wasn’t even the pain that bothered me—it was the shame. Fifteen years old, and getting spanked.

I’d thought she was joking at first, but the look in her eyes the last time I’d said “Mom” made it clear she was dead serious.

“I’ll let that one slide for now. So, what’s up?”

“I feel like everyone’s staring at me.”

Maybe it was just social anxiety from being a loner for so long. Though… yeah, technically, being a guy-turned-girl was weird.

“Oh, come on. Anyone would turn their head if they saw a cute girl walking by.”

“And who’s this ‘cute girl’ supposed to be?”

“Ayu-neechan, you really need to accept reality.”

Sure, when I looked in the mirror, the face staring back at me was… kind of pretty.

But when it’s your own face, “pretty” or “not pretty” stops mattering. Losing my old face—the one I’d lived with all my life—was way too heavy to care about this one.

Besides, the word cute alone made me want to rebel on instinct.

Even though I wasn’t doing anything, people kept glancing my way. Back in middle school, I’d always stayed a background character, so being the center of attention made me squirm.

Every now and then, I’d hear someone whisper, “She’s so cute!” or something like that. Ugh. I was dying of embarrassment. I should’ve never left the house.

My face got hot, and I couldn’t help but lower my head.

“Haa… haa… Ayumi-chan, the way you naturally pull off those perfectly-timed shy-girl gestures—it’s just too good.”

And, of course, my reaction only made the surrounding onlookers even more delighted.

Even with everyone’s eyes on me, we finally reached our destination—

A women’s underwear shop.

Mom, I’ve hit my limit.

“Welcome,” the store clerk greeted us with a pleasant smile as we stepped inside.

Ah, and of course Kaname stayed outside. He was probably munching on a hamburger somewhere by now.

“Hehehe, Ayumi-chan. Let’s get you not just sports bras, but some cute lingerie too.”

“Mom—uh, Mama, can I just… go home now?”

“What are you talking about? This is our sanctuary, Ayumi-chan!”

Cute lingerie? Who cares. It’s not like anyone’s going to see it anyway. Besides… what am I doing inside a woman’s sacred domain?

The frilly, pastel atmosphere of the shop, and the sight of delicate lingerie everywhere—it was pure visual poison.

All right. I should leave. Maybe I’ll grab a burger too.

Just as I turned to head for the entrance, a hand seized the back of my neck—I couldn’t move an inch.

“You can’t escape from Mama.”

What are you, the Demon King!?

In the end, I was herded—no, thrown—into a fitting room. I’d begged at least not to pick anything myself, and Mom had agreed to just choose and have me try them on.

When she said, “Are you sure? You won’t regret this?” the tone of her voice sent a chill down my spine.

Shopping for lingerie while giggling with my own mother—after fifteen years as a son—was nothing short of torture.

At that point, even being treated like a dress-up doll inside the fitting room felt like the lesser evil… though that assumption might’ve been a mistake.

After spacing out for a bit, Mom returned with several sets of underwear.

I didn’t really care. Maybe I’d just pretend I tried them on and say I did—

“Make sure to tell me once you’ve got them on, okay? I’ll be checking.”

There went my last hope.

I hung the sets on the wall hook and picked one at random.

Hmm… yeah, this is exactly what you’d picture when you hear the word “bra.” Pale pink, decorated with a small ribbon, and overall, way too cute. The panties were a matching set, just as girly.

“…So, uh, how do you even put this thing on?”

It wasn’t shaped like the sports bra I’d managed to figure out earlier, so I had no clue. Fasten the hooks first and then slip it on? That didn’t sound right.

“Ayumi-chan, do you know how to put it on?” Mom’s voice came from outside the fitting room.

“Of course I don’t!”

“I thought so~ Mind if I come in?”

“Wait—no! I said I’m fine! Let’s just go home already!”

“You can’t quit now—you’re only halfway up your path of womanhood!”

What path of womanhood!?

Before I could protest, Mom had already barged in.

“First, take off your top. And the bra too.”

I didn’t even have the strength to refuse. Resigned, I removed my shirt.

In the mirror, a nearly naked girl stared back at me. This is so embarrassing…!

My whole body flushed from shame, and I instinctively covered my chest with my hands.

“Muhaaa! This is incredible! I should’ve recorded it!”

That’s illegal! I swear, I never know what Mom might do once she starts going off the rails—it’s terrifying.

“Ahh, Ayumi-chan, your skin is just flawless… I could look at you forever.”

“M-Mama, please—just tell me how and get out already.”

I’ll never get used to calling her “Mama.” Seriously, at my age—almost graduating middle school—it felt ridiculous. Do girls my age normally do that?

“Oh, don’t rush me. Now, which one are you trying on first?”

“This one…” I held up the bra I’d picked earlier.

“Oh, you’ve got a good eye! That’s one of Mama’s top recommendations. Well, we’re buying everything here anyway.”

“Wait, if you’re buying them all, why even bother trying them on?”

“Silly girl. Mama’s judgment is flawless, but we still need to check if the size fits, just in case.”

“…Huh.”

Being able to tell someone’s size just by looking—what a completely useless superpower. Not a waste of talent, but a talent that’s a waste.

From there, Mom gave me a quick tutorial. Once I saw how it worked, I couldn’t believe I’d ever wondered how to put one on in the first place—it was ridiculously simple.

“Make sure you remember your size, okay? When you start buying them alone, it’s best to get measured again.”

“My size?”

“Yep. You’re a 65B.”

Sixty-five, huh… Compared to the numbers you see from gravure idols, that sounded small. N-not that I care about losing to them or anything!

“Ayumi-chan, you’re totally thinking it’s small, aren’t you?”

“Wha—how did you—”

“Oh my, what a cute little worry. You really are growing into a proper young lady♪”

Guh…! I’d been seen right through—and worse, I actually was worrying about my chest size like some self-conscious girl! How embarrassing!

“But remember, bra sizes are based on your underbust. The three sizes you hear about use the top bust measurement. The cup size comes from the difference between the two. For you, Ayumi-chan, your top bust would be around… seventy-eight, I think.”

…So it wasn’t that small after all. I breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Wait, why am I relieved!? What does it matter whether I have a chest or not!?

“Well, it’s not that big either, though.”

Hmph. It’s not like bigger is always better anyway. Ugh, seriously—why am I getting so worked up over my chest size!? Get it together, me!

“Alright, looks like you’ve got the hang of it! Mama’s stepping out now—I’ll keep bringing more, so keep trying them on!”

In the end, I tried on over twenty sets, and she bought almost all of them. The clerk was probably thrilled; Mom was throwing money like confetti.

As for the panties, she just bought matching ones for each bra. They don’t allow trying those on—not that I wanted to.

She’d picked reasonably priced sets, but with so many, quite a few of Dad’s bills ascended to heaven that day.

So… what am I even supposed to do with this mountain of underwear?

By the time we left the lingerie store, I was completely drained.

And we still had more shopping to do. We hadn’t even bought actual clothes yet.

…Great. This day just keeps getting heavier.