The next day, Rex returned to the shopping district and the mall. He stepped inside and took in the grand interior, then glanced at Rose and Ruby, who were walking closely on either side of him.
"What are we doing here again?" Rex asked.
"What do you mean? We're here to buy swimwear," Rose replied, hooking her arm through Rex's.
"Yep, exactly. It's summer now and we're going to the beach tomorrow, so it's only natural to do some shopping first," Ruby said.
"But aren't you working, Rose?" Rex asked.
"Oh... the office gave me a week off since I just got married, so... I'm not working right now," Rose answered.
"The forms were actually submitted already?" Rex asked.
"They were, yesterday... and the whole process is already finished. I'm an insider, after all, hehe," Rose answered proudly.
"And do I really have to come along for the swimwear? Aren't you two the ones buying them?" Rex asked, confused.
"Of course you have to. You're the one who's going to choose which ones look best on us, my husband," Ruby answered.
"Exactly," Rose added.
"Sigh... fine, whatever, let's go," Rex replied, giving in.
"Okay... let's go!" Rose and Ruby replied enthusiastically.
They began walking through the mall. Rex, who rarely or almost never went to malls, felt lazy being there, while Rose and Ruby seemed full of energy. They visited shop after shop just to browse. Everywhere the two girls went, almost every eye turned to look at them—teenagers, parents, even kids, men and women alike. Their looks were definitely above average, which naturally made Rex feel a bit uncomfortable. He wore his hood up to cover his head and face, feeling restless because being with them made him the center of attention.
"This is exactly why I hate crowded places like this," Rex muttered in his head.
After walking around and browsing, they finally reached a shop for lingerie and swimwear. Rex felt incredibly reluctant to go in, but the two girls with him pulled him inside. They started looking around while Rex just stood there like a statue, watching them. Seeing the two of them split up to look at various swimsuits, Rex remembered the time he had accompanied Grace to buy swimwear back when she was still a bit chubby and shy, and how he had encouraged her to be confident. But then, he remembered how Grace had broken up with him and visualized her cold face. A twinge of pain flickered in Rex's heart, though it didn't leave him a mess like it used to.
"Does this look good?" Rose asked, suddenly standing in front of the dazed Rex while holding up a black string bikini.
Rex looked at the outfit Rose was showing him and nodded, but he saw Rose pout.
"You're just saying yes to say yes... would it look good on me?" Rose asked, pouting flirtatiously.
"Yes... it's good," Rex replied with a faint smile.
Rose studied Rex's face, then she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave his cheek a quick kiss. Rex was caught off guard, not expecting it at all.
"Hey," Rex muttered, touching his cheek.
"Don't overthink things. We're going to have fun tomorrow," Rose said.
"Yeah... you're right. Okay... that suit is nice," Rex replied, returning to his usual self.
"That's more like it. I'm going to try it on," Rose said, letting go of him.
Rex turned to watch Rose walk cheerfully toward the fitting room. Before he could even catch his breath, someone tapped his shoulder. He turned to see Ruby holding a mature bikini that only covered the bare minimum and showed a lot of skin.
"Does this look good?" Ruby asked, showing off a white bikini with black horizontal stripes.
"Isn't that a bit too revealing?" Rex asked, examining the bikini.
"Hmm... is it? Well then, this one can be for when we're just in the bedroom, hehe," Ruby joked.
"Huh... don't be ridiculous. Just go pick something else," Rex said, spinning Ruby around.
"Hehe... alright, alright. Don't be so shy, we're husband and wife now, even if it's only been a day," Ruby replied.
"I know," Rex replied. In truth, he was embarrassed because so many people were watching him interact with Ruby, and it made him feel restless.
Ruby quickly went to grab another set, while Rex could only sigh and wait in front of the changing room since Rose was still inside. Not long after, Ruby returned with several other bikinis and showed them to Rex.
"Which one is good?" Ruby asked cheerfully.
"They're all good," Rex answered, because in his opinion, they really were.
"Ugh... let's do this: I'll put them on, then you look and pick one, okay?" Ruby said excitedly.
Without waiting for a response from Rex, Ruby dashed into the empty stall next to Rose. Rex just sighed, but he felt grateful that the memories of himself with Grace suddenly didn't hurt anymore and didn't trigger any feelings. He placed his hand over his chest and looked down at it.
"Maybe it's because of them... I don't feel the pain anymore when I remember what happened, even though I haven't forgotten... maybe I should get used to leaving the house more often. For these past two years, I didn't dare step outside because I was afraid everything would remind me of things... turns out I was wrong," Rex muttered in his heart.
"Whoosh!"
Suddenly, the sound of curtains being pulled open rang out in unison. Rex lifted his head and his eyes went wide; his jaw practically hit the floor. Rose was wearing a black two-piece string bikini that looked perfect on her sexy, slender body. Right next to her, Ruby was wearing a white two-piece with black polka dots; she looked incredibly curvy and sexy because her chest was so large that the top looked a little too small.
"What do you think?" Rose and Ruby asked at the same time, then they both turned to look at each other, sizing one another up.
"Um... they both look great... Rose, it suits you... but Ruby, ask for a slightly larger size," Rex said.
"Huh, why? Am I fat?" Ruby asked, looking down at her body.
"Your racks are too big, it's pathetic," Rose teased.
"Huh... but isn't this good? You like them big like this, don't you?" Ruby asked Rex, using both hands to lift her chest, showing off on purpose. She even stepped out of the stall and stood right in front of Rex, pressing her chest against him.
Rex was speechless from embarrassment. The shop assistants watched them, covering their mouths to stifle their laughter, while the other male customers were clearly staring at Ruby, even as their partners tried to stop them.
"Yes, it's fine... the color is nice... so if you want that one, it's okay. Just get back inside, quickly," Rex said, exhausted.
"Okay, I'm buying it," Ruby said, walking back to the stall and heading inside.
"Ugh... whatever, I'm getting this one," Rose replied, also heading back in while rolling her eyes at Ruby's antics.
Rex just shook his head and covered his face, truly wishing the floor would swallow him up out of pure shame.
"Uh... this is seriously exhausting, but this is the first time I've ever felt like this. I guess it's fine," Rex muttered in his head.
After that, Rose and Ruby bought their suits, though Ruby chose a slightly larger size after Rex explained that the beach would be crowded and she would draw too much attention if everyone was staring at her. Of course, Ruby took it a bit differently; she thought Rex was just being jealous and didn't want other men looking at her, which was why she agreed to the larger size.
Once they finished with the swimwear, they continued wandering through the mall, looking at clothes—even picking out some things for Rex, which only made him more tired. After they'd had their fill and finished eating, they headed home to get ready to leave the city. They were heading east to a resort managed by the city of Subterra, tucked away under a dome in a small town called Sieria Resort Town.