Few minutes later...
I slowly step out and grab a clean, fluffy white towel, wrapping it around my body.
So soft against my skin...
"So many human conveniences," I mutter under my breath.
I go to reach for my old kimono, but then I remember Haruka's words: "Not suited for our date... a more modern, efficient outfit is required."
"She's… right," I admit silently.
My old kimono is ruined anyway. So I have no choice but to try on the outfit that Haruka has chosen for me.
I wonder... What kind of outfit would she pick for a "social data-gathering" date? And what exactly is she planning?
Suppose... Suppose... It actually makes me super sexy...?
...
I shake my head at the thought, dismissing it quickly. No. This is about answers, not… that. It's for the test. And nothing more.
Looking around the bathroom, I don't see the new clothes.
"Huh? Where are they?"
Wait, I didn't grab them... Did I just leave them in her room?!
I let out a groan of frustration.
Of course. In my haste to escape her "analysis," I just stormed into the bathroom without the clothes she gave me.
Now I have to go back out there wrapped in just a towel.
In front of Haruka.
This is somehow even more humiliating than stripping in front of her. At least then it would have been quick.
There's no way around it.
I tighten the towel around my chest as much as possible and inch toward the door.
Grabbing the door handle, my heart pounds.
"It's just Haruka", I tell myself.
A strange, analytical, probably-perverted human, but still… just Haruka...
With a final deep breath, I steel myself and slowly open the door, peeking my head out first.
Haruka is sitting on the edge of her bed, thumbs tapping at a small rectangle of light.
"What is that?"
The words come out of my mouth before I can stop them.
Haruka glances up from the device, her eyes alight with casual interest.
"Ah, finished already?"
She holds up the rectangle.
"This? It's a gaming handheld device,"
"Specifically, a pre-Calamity model I managed to restore. Highly efficient for processing certain types of… recursive entertainment algorithms." Haruka's lips quirk into a playful smirk, and she gives me a slow wink.
I stare blankly at the device, then back at Haruka, my gaze drawn to the enticingly distracting sway of her twin hair flaps.
I don't understand a single word she just said. The only thing in my mind is how soft her hair must be.
"Kotori loves playing these with me, you know," Haruka adds, before getting up from the bed, setting the device aside.
"Anyway, ready for Phase Two: Acquisition of Optimal Attire?"
I step fully out of the bathroom, my arms wrapped tightly around the towel, my face burning with renewed shame.
"I… forgot the clothes," I mutter, staring at the floor.
Haruka blinks, then her face breaks into a wide, impossibly smug grin.
"Oh, did you now?" She taps her left finger to her lip.
"Well, then, this presents an interesting logistical problem," Haruka proclaims, her tone oozing with playful theatrics.
"I need to provide you with the clothing, but you require privacy to put it on. My best assessment? You'll need to re-enter the private chamber so that I may deposit the articles of clothing, after which I will exit, allowing you to proceed with your privacy protocols unimpeded."
She gestures dramatically toward the bathroom door I just exited. Her suggestion is perfectly logical. Annoyingly so.
"Isn't that… inefficient?" I retort, mirroring her own logic back at her.
"Going in and out like that?"
Haruka's grin widens. It's a genuine, brilliant smile that lights up her entire face, and it's… dangerously captivating.
"From a purely logistical standpoint, yes, it introduces an extra step," Haruka concedes, tapping her chin thoughtfully.
"However, a superior, more efficient method would be direct assistance. I could help you get dressed. It would reduce overall time expenditure and ensure the outfit is aligned perfectly with its design specifications on the first attempt."
Before speaking again, she pauses.
"That would, of course, be the optimal solution. But I am accounting for your… previously established privacy parameters."
I glare at her, caught in her logical trap. I either admit my inefficiency or let her… help me get dressed. There is no winning.
"...Just get the clothes," I grumble, defeated.
Haruka gives a victorious, almost silent 'aha!' gesture and turns to the outfit she'd laid out on her bed.
Then, she picks up a small, dark piece of fabric. It's shaped like… an inverted triangle.
"Panties," Haruka says, holding them up with both hands.
"...What?"
"They go under everything else. Very important. Fundamental. You can start with these." She hands them to me with a nod of encouragement.
I take the small piece of fabric, holding it awkwardly in my hands.
"H-How do you… what is this for?!"
Haruka's eyes widen, genuinely startled by how absurd my question sounds.
"What is it for? Horikita, it's for 'hygienic containment and foundational comfort.' It's standard protocol for modern human attire."
Haruka shakes her head, disappointed by how little I know.
"Honestly, how do you even function without them?"
I look down at the scrap of fabric in my hands, then back up at her. Function? I've functioned perfectly fine without… whatever this is! We don't wear things under our kimonos. It's… normal. Isn't it?
"We… we don't use these," I mutter.
"You don't?!"
"No underwear? Ever?"
I shake my head. Her incredulous stare is so intense, I instinctively take a step back.
Haruka is silent for a full five seconds.
"How do you manage female hygiene?"
"Menstrual cycles, vaginal discharge... the logistics are complex. Are you using some form of internal plug? Or perhaps a demon specific ability I have yet to record? Or maybe—"
"I-I don't need to answer that!" I cut her off, my face now so hot I think steam is coming out of my ears.
How can she just ask these things?! How dare she?!
"It is my command responsibility to be prepared."
"Infection vectors, resource management, and understanding the operational limits of my unit members are critical parameters. Your biological functions are data. This is no different."
"Unit?"
"You are currently under my protection. Temporarily, at least. That makes you part of my unit."
I stare at her, dumbfounded. Me? Part of her… unit? The idea is as foreign as these… panties.
"And as your temporary commander, I need a full understanding of your capabilities and limitations. Therefore, your answer is not just relevant; it is a tactical necessity."
There's no convincing her, is there? No logic will override her own twisted, impeccable logic. My face burns with shame, but also… an infuriating respect for her flawless logic. She is truly relentless.
I hold the panties out to Haruka, sighing in resignation.
"...Just show me how to wear them," I mutter, defeated, averting my gaze.
Haruka takes the panties back from me and holds them up, orienting them with practiced ease.
Then, she crouches down.
"First, you step one leg through this hole," Haruka instructs, pointing to one of the leg openings.
"Then the other leg through this one."
I move my left leg forward, lift it awkwardly, and, a bit unsure, carefully slide it through the right opening.
And after that, with a little wobble, I step my right leg into the other opening.
"Now, pull them up,"
"Firmly, but with care. You want a snug fit. Not too loose, not too tight. The goal is equilibrium."
I bend down, grabbing the panties as Haruka lets go with her hands, and I slowly pull the fabric up over my thighs.
I keep pulling until they go under the towel, past my pubic area, settling snugly against my hips.
It feels… strange. Constricting. But also… secure?
"Perfect," Haruka says as she stands.