Chapter 152: Everyone's Choice
"Honestly, Mikan, Franklin—what were you two doing back there? If you don't come lead the way, even Big Sis and the rest of us won't know where to go!"
No sooner had Lala dragged them to the front than Nana's exasperated voice followed.
"Sorry, I was talking with my brother about… if he could only choose one person, who he'd pick. I got distracted."
After flashing Franklin a mischievous grin, Mikan ran straight to the front of the group, leaving Franklin frozen in place and sweating coldly.
"Um… Mikan was just joking. We were actually talking abou—"
Before Franklin could finish, Nana—who never missed a chance to stir trouble—cut him off.
"I'm curious too. If you could only choose one, Franklin, who would you pick?"
With everyone suddenly watching him and Nana waiting to see him squirm, Franklin calmed down completely.
Since he had already decided to walk the harem path, his answer was obvious. Realizing that, he smiled.
"That's a good question, Nana. If I could only pick one, of course I'd pick you. You're the only one here who doesn't like me at all.
If I choose you, I'm sure Lala, Bulma, Momo—they'd all choose me anyway. That way, we'd still be one big loving family."
Standing outside the circle, Mikan added with a laugh, "I'd choose my brother too. He's pretty dense, but he's useful when it matters."
"I would also choose master."
Ikaros' sudden statement drew everyone's attention. Nana had only heard about her from Momo and had always thought of Ikaros as silent and confused. Hearing her speak—much less siding with Franklin—made Nana frown slightly.
"I–I–I'd choose Rin too."
"I'd choose Mr. Franklin as well."
"Mm, I'd choose Franklin too."
Lala, Momo, and Bulma all stood behind Franklin, warming his heart instantly. Nana gave a loud huff and stormed toward a nearby alley.
Seeing her leave with puffed cheeks, Franklin walked over and scooped her up into a princess carry.
"Beast! Put me down—put me down!"
Ignoring her fierce struggling, Franklin said with a laugh, "We haven't even bought clothes yet, don't rush off. And you're the only one who knows the real me.
If you're not here, Momo, Lala, and the others will run wild with me. By the time you regret it, it'll be too late."
At his teasing smile, Nana puffed out her cheeks even more and glared at him fiercely.
"You wouldn't dare! I'm going to keep my eyes on you—don't even think about doing anything bad."
Once back with the group, she immediately hopped out of his arms. Feeling everyone's eyes on her, her pride screamed at her to flee—but Franklin rested his hand on her shoulder.
"Sorry, that joke went too far. I knew you didn't like me and still said that—my bad.
It's fine now. Let's head to the mall. Mikan, the store you mentioned should be around here, right?"
"Yeah, almost there—about two minutes away. And, bro, seriously, keep your jokes in check or I'm gonna get mad too."
Mikan's puffed-up expression made Franklin give a helpless smile.
"Got it. Let's hurry. Ikaros wearing my tracksuit is way too suggestive.
If we don't speed up, I feel like some righteous guy is going to come punish me. Even if Ikaros took the jacket off to explain, they'd never believe me."
A few words instantly shifted everyone's focus to Ikaros' outfit.
Nana was quickly distracted too. Seeing her slightly blushing face, Franklin knew she definitely understood things she shouldn't at her age on Blue Star.
"Really, Mr. Franklin, what are you even saying? I can't look at Miss Ikaros normally anymore."
Momo jumped in to smooth things over, successfully closing the topic of Nana's earlier outburst.
Five minutes later, the group of seven finally arrived at a large women's clothing store. Inside, the selection was so complete that Franklin was stunned.
From underwear to coats, from swimsuits to… intimate wear—everything was there. Franklin instinctively scanned with his senses, then quickly coughed and retracted them.
"Yeah… they've got everything. Ikaros doesn't really understand this stuff, so I'll leave her to you all. I'll look around elsewhere."
Just as he tried to slip away, Momo grabbed his arm, and Mikan grabbed his other.
"Bro, you can't leave. Lala, Bulma—they're picking these for you. If you're not here, what's the point?"
Momo nodded seriously. "Everything—inside or outside—is chosen with you in mind. If you leave, the effort is meaningless."
Just like that, Franklin was left speechless. Seeing Lala's pleading eyes and Bulma's threatening stare, he sighed and nodded.
"Fine. I'll pick everything one by one. But first, help Ikaros choose a few outfits—her current look is way too eye-catching."
With passersby staring nonstop at Ikaros' collar and black tracksuit, Franklin hurriedly pushed the girls into the store.
Once seated outside the fitting rooms with Ikaros quietly standing beside him, the other five disappeared into the racks. When they returned, each carried an outfit.
"Rin, what do you think of this one?"
Franklin looked at the bunny-girl outfit in Lala's hands and rubbed his face helplessly. He was about to refuse—but the idea of her wearing it at home wasn't exactly bad.
Before he could speak, Nana snatched it away.
"No weird ideas! I'm watching you!"
Franklin straightened his expression. "As if I would. Don't show it to me—help Ikaros change first."
"Master, what should I do now?"
"Mikan, you start. Help Ikaros change."
Then he looked at Ikaros. "Go inside the fitting room, take everything off, and listen to Mikan."
Ikaros stepped inside. Lala, having lost her outfit, followed immediately—far too curious about Ikaros' mechanical body.
Sounds of rustling and metal pieces falling came from the room. After a while, Ikaros stepped out wearing a white sleeveless top, with a teal jacket over it and a simple skirt on the bottom.
Compared to her revealing battle suit and black track jacket, this was much better. Even with the collar looking a bit out of place, she was still striking.
"Try to find clothes where the collar on her neck can pass as an accessory. Otherwise, changing her outfit ends up having the opposite effect."