Stepping out of the fitting room, only three thoughts remained in Muten Natsu's mind.
First, don't look at Orihime Inoue, so she wouldn't feel awkward.
Second, don't look at the shop assistant, so he wouldn't feel awkward.
Third, he had just promised Rukia to help her.
Conveniently enough, all three could be resolved with a single action.
So Muten Natsu walked straight into Rukia Kuchiki's fitting room.
He hesitated for a moment. "Should I step back out?"
Rukia Kuchiki kicked him lightly. "You're already in here."
Shop assistant: "???"
Rukia Kuchiki turned her back to Muten Natsu. "Look at this. It seems broken."
Muten Natsu looked at her back and noticed the zipper. "This?"
"Yeah. It won't come down."
"It's a self-locking type," Muten Natsu immediately spotted the issue. "You have to pinch the pull tab to open it."
For the sake of appearance, most dresses used invisible zippers.
Unlike regular zippers, invisible ones were smaller, with pull tabs barely thicker than a toothpick.
And all invisible zippers had a self-locking mechanism. Tugging at the fabric on both sides wouldn't work. You could only open them using the pull tab.
Rukia Kuchiki wasn't very familiar with things from the World of the Living to begin with. On top of that, the zipper was on her back and the pull tab was tiny, so it was only natural that she didn't know what to do.
Muten Natsu, on the other hand, was familiar with invisible zippers, and standing behind her made it easy to apply force.
He had just helped Orihime Inoue with her eyes closed. With his eyes open, this was even easier.
He raised his hand and smoothly pulled the zipper down.
Rukia Kuchiki knew Muten Natsu could handle it, but she hadn't expected him to do it so easily… and so fast.
Before she was mentally prepared, the dress had already slid down.
"Gh!" Rukia Kuchiki barely managed to hold the dress in place. Her face flushed as she glared at Muten Natsu through the mirror.
Muten Natsu rubbed his ear and looked away.
Rukia Kuchiki bit her lower lip. "Close your eyes!"
Muten Natsu obediently shut his eyes, then heard the soft rustling of fabric.
"All done." Rukia Kuchiki had changed back into her original clothes. Her voice was faint, with a slight tremble to it. "Let's go out."
The two stepped out of the fitting room, straight into the shop assistant's line of sight.
The shop assistant froze for a moment. "That fast?"
Muten Natsu: "?"
Despite all the twists and turns, Rukia Kuchiki and Orihime Inoue ended up buying clothes they were satisfied with.
Muten Natsu was completely exhausted, both physically and mentally. At last, it was time to go home and collapse.
"Wait." Rukia Kuchiki grabbed Muten Natsu. "It's not time to go back yet."
Muten Natsu's face fell. "What else do we need to buy?"
Orihime Inoue guessed what Rukia Kuchiki was thinking. "Your clothes."
"Mine?" Muten Natsu tugged at his black shirt. "That's not necessary."
Rukia Kuchiki planted her slender hands on her hips. "You can't keep wearing just that one forever, can you?"
"Actually…" Muten Natsu pointed at his shirt. "I have nine identical ones. I just rotate them."
"…That really is you." Rukia Kuchiki had originally planned to pick one piece for Muten Natsu, but now it seemed she'd have to choose a few more.
Orihime Inoue pointed toward another shop. "How about trying sportswear?"
Dragged along by Rukia Kuchiki and pushed forward by Orihime Inoue, Muten Natsu walked into the store and changed into the athletic shorts and tank top they had picked out for him.
"Hmm…" Orihime Inoue tilted her head. "Something just feels off."
Although he was usually lazy, the constant strain from using his Zanpakutō and the tempering of his soul kept Muten Natsu in better-than-average shape. His muscle lines were clearly defined, and his posture was perfectly fine.
But no matter how you looked at it, the sporty tank top and shorts just felt awkward on him.
Orihime Inoue had a new idea. "Let's try a beach style!"
Bright, colorful clothes instantly brought to mind the ocean, sandy beaches, and cacti, brimming with youthful energy.
Still awkward.
Rukia Kuchiki refused to give up. "Let's check that shop."
Muten Natsu changed into a casual style, but somehow it still felt strange.
"Ah…" Orihime Inoue seemed to realize something. "Is it because…"
Rukia Kuchiki clearly noticed it too. "His face!"
Muten Natsu's features were quite striking, but his soft hair hung low, his eye sockets were slightly sunken from past experiences, and his gaze was perpetually languid. Combined with his smooth black hair and a face that seemed to run in energy-saving mode, barely showing any expression, it created a unique air, as if he might fall asleep at any moment.
There were many ways to solve this problem.
Orihime Inoue found a baseball cap for Muten Natsu and put it on him, covering his hair and eyes. After changing into light-colored jeans and a T-shirt, he immediately gave off the vibe of an athletic teenager.
Rukia Kuchiki picked out a pair of sunglasses for him. Muten Natsu changed into white pants and a dark blue, fitted sleeveless top. With the sunglasses hiding his eyes and his hair loosely gathered back, he instantly looked sharper and more capable.
But Muten Natsu couldn't keep wearing a cap and sunglasses all the time. After discussing it together and experimenting for a while, Orihime Inoue and Rukia Kuchiki finally reached a decision.
Black slim-fit pants paired with a loose hoodie. The hoodie's neckline was noticeably wider than most, revealing Muten Natsu's collarbones and breaking up the monotony of the dark colors.
The hoodie's excellent drape perfectly accommodated Muten Natsu's naturally lazy demeanor, while the slim-fit pants, tied together with a belt at the waist, created a smooth transition. The clean lines of the lower half blended seamlessly with the relaxed feel of the upper half.
That constant sense of drowsy sluggishness that made people worry he might fall asleep at any second was subtly transformed into a calm, effortless ease and elegance.
Muten Natsu studied his reflection in the mirror. He hadn't expected that such simple changes in clothing could have such a dramatic effect.
Orihime Inoue and Rukia Kuchiki high-fived each other, full of accomplishment, and broke into happy smiles.
Muten Natsu smiled just as brightly.
Being satisfied with how he looked now was one thing, but more importantly…
He could finally go home.
Carrying the shopping bags on the way back, Muten Natsu noticed an elderly man by the roadside with a chain hanging from his chest.
With a Chain of Fate on his chest, the old man was clearly a Plus, what people in the World of the Living would call a ghost.
Muten Natsu was just about to shed his Gigai and become a Shinigami to perform Konsō.
But the old man noticed his gaze first and ran over happily. "You can see me?"
Muten Natsu nodded. "Very clearly."
"That's great!" The old man was so happy he was on the verge of tears. "Help me! Please help me!"
"No problem." Muten Natsu tapped his chest, shedding the Gigai and becoming a Shinigami. "I'll help you right away."
As he spoke, he drew the Zanpakutō at his waist, preparing to perform Konsō.
The old man froze for a moment, then turned around and bolted.
And he was fast.
So fast that even rabbits would call him grandpa.