"H-Huh?!"
Who could that be?
I walk towards the door and ask,
"Who is it?"
"It's me, Kaito," Kaito says from the other side.
"Can I come in?"
Kaito? What does he want?
"W-What do you want?" I ask, my voice trembling slightly.
"I, uh… Brought you some clothes."
"Clothes?"
"Yeah," Kaito replies.
"I figured you might want something better than that… That outfit."
I hesitate for a moment, unsure what to do. On the one hand, I desperately want to change out of this ridiculous outfit. On the other hand, the thought of seeing Kaito again, after… everything that just happened… It's too much.
If he sees me like this...
I step back from the door in panic.
Ah,
I-I can't face him right now—
Dressed like this...
And in a moment of heat.
I trip over my own feet and hit the floor with a loud thud.
"Ouch!"
"Horikita? Are you okay?!"
Kaito opens the door without waiting for an answer.
"What was—"
...
His words cut off as his eyes land on me.
"Black... Panties..."
My entire body freezes.
He's looking at me.
He's really looking at me.
My legs are apart, and the miniskirt is up high on my thighs.
He can see everything.
His eyes move down my legs, then back up, lingering for a heartbeat too long on the shredded fabric and exposed skin.
Then, slowly, his gaze meets mine.
Kaito swallows hard.
I can't breathe.
"I… I should've knocked," Kaito says, averting his gaze and quickly taking a step back.
His attempt to flee, however, doesn't matter.
He's already seen me like this.
Do I cover myself? Do I yell at him to leave? Or do I… something else?
I'm not sure.
Kaito is already turning to leave when I say,
"W-Wait."
He stops at the doorway, his back turned to me.
"D-Do you…"
"...Do you think I look... Stupid?"
"Stupid?" He repeats.
"Th-This outfit,"
"It's stupid, isn't it?"
"Well,"
"It's certainly... Eye-catching."
I flinch at his word. He does think I look stupid! My chest tightens. He's just being nice.
"That outfit is named 'gyaru' in Japan, so I assume Haruka was going for that image," Kaito responds.
"What image?" I ask with curiosity.
"That outfit is meant to present... Well, what Haruka would call 'cuteness' and 'sexiness' in her data-driven way, to get attention."
"And...?" I ask, almost afraid of his response.
Kaito turns around to face me, and his expression is so earnest that it stops me short.
"But it doesn't matter what I think," Kaito says softly.
"What matters is what *you* think. If you're not comfortable in it, then it doesn't matter how good it looks. It's just… A waste of fabric."
"What does... Matter?"
Kaito takes a slow step into the room.
"What matters is that you're safe, and that you're being yourself." He pauses, then walks towards the bed.
"And if 'yourself' means being a warrior, or someone who likes looking cute, or both... That's your call. No one else's."
He places a neatly folded pile of clothes on the bed.
"These aren't anything fancy. Just my T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. Hopefully, they're more your style."
My eyes follow him intently as Kaito turns around and heads for the door.
"One more thing," Kaito says, stopping at the doorway.
"Kotori has been standing outside your door for a while now."
Kaito doesn't wait for my reaction. He gives a small nod and then steps out, closing the door softly behind him.
I push myself up from the floor and then look at the clothes Kaito left on the bed.
I've never seen these kinds of clothes before.
Walking towards the bed, I pick up the T-shirt.
It's dark grey, made of a soft, simple fabric. I hold it up. It's huge. It would probably reach my knees. And the sweatpants… they're just as big.
I look down at my torn outfit, then back at the simple and comfortable-looking clothes Kaito left behind.
He… He didn't laugh. He didn't make fun of me. He didn't even seem fazed by my ridiculous state. He just… talked to me.
He saw the mess I was, the torn clothes, the exposed skin, the embarrassing fall—and he didn't see a joke. He saw… me.
That's when I remember what Kaito said.
"Kotori!"
Placing the T-shirt back on the bed, I rush to the door and pull it open.
"Kotori, how long have you been out here?" I ask, my hand still on the doorknob.
"Twenty-eight minutes and fourteen seconds," Kotori replies with her usual precision.
"Why?"
"My directive is to remain in proximity to you," Kotori states.
"Your presence was detected inside this room. Waiting outside was the most logical course of action to avoid intruding while still fulfilling my directive."
Twenty-eight minutes. She stood out here, silent and still, for almost half an hour. Just… waiting. Because I told her to stay close.
She really does take my orders seriously.
"Come in," I say, stepping aside and gesturing for her to enter.
Kotori steps into the room, but she doesn't look around.
Those luminous blue eyes are fixed solely on me.
She takes in my state of undress—the torn blouse, the shredded skirt, the exposed panties.
There is no judgment, no teasing, no embarrassment. Only analysis.
"Your attire is compromised."
"Structural integrity is at seventeen percent. It is no longer providing adequate coverage or protection. This is an unacceptable vulnerability."
I instinctively cross my arms over my chest.
"I-I know that! Kaito brought me… These." I gesture vaguely towards the pile of clothes on the bed.
Kotori's gaze follows my gesture, then returns to me.
"You have not yet equipped the replacement attire. Is there an issue, My Pilot?"
My Pilot? What—
"I… I was about to,"
The truth—that I was too busy having an internal meltdown over Kaito and my own confusing desires—is too humiliating to admit.
"I see," Kotori says, taking a step closer.
"The process of changing can be inefficient when one is in a state of physical or emotional distress. Allow me to assist."
"Assist?!" I squeak, taking a step back until my legs hit the edge of the bed.
"N-No, that's okay! I can do it myself!"