Cherry Scented Linens

Kazuya pulled into a busy parking garage somewhere near the outskirts of Tokyo, close to the red-light district that I detested so much. I had a feeling that he knew I was uncomfortable, but I wasn't necessarily trying to hide those feelings either. He simply shrugged at my grimace and said,
"I don't care much for this place either, kid. But Masaaki is a good tailor."

I followed closely behind him as we exited our vehicle, feeling the confused and almost hateful stares from the adults who resided in this personal oasis. I heard a little rumor that members of this district were starting to take action against the troubled youth and delinquents who often used this place to loiter, but I thought that I would secretly be offended if they lumped me in with such pathetic humans.

I hadn't noticed at the time, but my arm had found its way around Kazuya's, my body hugged close to his. My grip seemed to have annoyed him quite a bit.

"Stop clinging to me, puppy. These people are going to think I'm a lolicon, dragging you into a love hotel."
He whispered urgently and gently shook his forearm.

"S-sorry... I'll be more careful."
I said, in a whisper.

"It's fine, just stay a few feet away."
He huffed softly as he chewed the butt of his cigar.

* * *

I did exactly as instructed, following a few feet behind him as he led me down a sketchy flight of stairs into an underground, neon-lit clothing store. The musk of vintage fabric and cherry-scented vape juice hung heavily in the air, and the sound of blaring afro beats and heavy bass rattled my eardrums. I instinctively covered my ears with my palms, looking a bit childish as I walked further into the labyrinth.

Kazuya stopped inches from an almost bald man, who had a nicotine vaporizer in one hand and a sewing needle in the other. He was wearing a bright yellow polka-dot suit, with some sort of rainbow flag plastered onto the backside of his blazer. The music must have been even too loud for this bald man, as Kazuya shouted multiple times,
"Masaaki! Yo, Masaaki?! Turn this shit down!"

Finally, the man he had been calling out to turned around, blowing smoke from his nostrils and smirking lustfully. He adjusted the knob on the wall beside him, turning the music to a respectable volume before placing his fingertip against his dimple and winking.

"Ah, my favorite customer~ Come closer, Kazuya-chan, I missed your scent~"
The bald man giggled.

"No thanks, I don't swing that way. I have a client for you."
Kazuya furrowed his brow, biting a bit harder on his poor cigar.

"Phooey! You never visit me anymore, Kazuya-chan~ I'm starting to think you only use me for my work~"
The bald man puffed his cheeks in a pout.

"That's because I do only use you for your work. Stop acting like we're ex lovers, or something."
Kazuya swatted the bald man's hand away from getting too close.

"You'll appreciate my charms one day, Kazuya-chan~"
The bald man looked past Kazuya, and landed his feline-shaped eyes directly onto mine.
"Until then, who's that bombshell cutie behind you?"

I couldn't believe I was blushing at being called a "bombshell cutie," but it definitely lifted my spirits. I walked a bit closer, still sticking close to Kazuya's side as the bald man eyed me up and down.

"Mika,"
I said, my eyes slightly downcast.

"Mika, huh?"
He approached me slowly, and I could see a hint of disgust as he stared at my black dress. This flamboyant man seemed to have such a deep love for handling fabrics and fashion that I was sure that my dress was causing him a great deal of discomfort. Speaking of discomfort, without me noticing, the bald man sliced my dress from my body and began wrapping those masculine hands under my armpits, a soft vinyl tape hugging my chest.

"What are you doing?!"
I shrieked.

"Relax, little Mika. I'm just getting a feel for your size~"
The bald man began feeling up my backside, that flaccid tape still tightening around me at my waistline.

"K-Kazuya! I don't like this!"
I shouted while looking behind me, but Kazuya was already halfway out the door. My eyes widened in fear.

"Sorry, puppy. I know it's awkward, but you're in good hands. I'll be outside; I don't really want to see you naked."
With that, Kazuya disappeared out the door, leaving me with this strange man.

"Relax, little Mika~ This is standard procedure in my shop~"
The bald man made a few marker lines on the vinyl tape before retracting his hands from my ass.

"Why are you talking like that?! It's damn creepy."
I used my hands to cover my chest, despite having been clad in a bra that was a bit too big for my nonexistent breasts.

"Oh, honey~ Are you homophobic? Well, I suggest you change that attitude; these are the 2020s~"
The bald man stifled a giggle, puffing on his cherry-scented vaporizer as he jotted down something onto a notepad.

"Homophobic? N-no... I don't have a problem with that."
I felt a bit saddened to think that maybe this bald man in the yellow suit assumed I hated homosexual people, and I wanted to apologize for potentially acting offensive. That was until his hands found their way back to my chest and began squishing. Once again, I shrieked,
"Eep! Don't grope me like that!"

"Grope?! Oh no, no, no, honey~ I told you, I'm just getting a feel for your size~ Besides, the only person I truly want to grope is that hunk, Kazuya-chan~"
His voice turned slightly husky toward the end of his sentence, and he retracted his hands to finish writing his notes.

"You said your name was Mika, yeah?"
The bald man rifled through a nearby coat rack, checking the size tags before settling on one that he deemed would fit.
"Your name means many things in the Japanese language~ For instance,"
He slid the blazer coat onto my torso, using his sewing needle to hem the sleeves a bit shorter.
"Your name can be translated to 'beautiful fragrance' or 'three trees together.' Perhaps, it could also stand for 'quick and nimble' or something far more intense, like 'resembling God.' I would say all of those definitions describe you perfectly, my little Mika-chan~"

"Beautiful fragrance? Quick and nimble?"
I adjusted my tired shoulders a bit.
"I... suppose so. What's your name, mister?"
I stood perfectly still once again, allowing him to finish his mending on the coat's hem.

"I have many names, but you can call me Masaaki~ Only special men get to hear my real name, Mika-chan~"
The man known as Masaaki gave me an innocent smile, but I could tell it was hiding something darker and deeper behind its surface. Whatever trials and tribulations Masaaki had endured, there was no denying that he had amazing mental fortitude.

I gazed at myself in the mirror, admiring how perfectly snug my new rose-patterned blazer hugged my small frame. If I ignored the fact that my lower half was only wearing panties, I thought I actually looked kind of cool.
"It fits well. I've never had clothes that were tailored just for me. I'm used to digging mine from the residents' garbage bins during spring cleaning."

Masaaki frowned, walking over to a new rack containing pants.
"My condolences, honey~ No girl should ever have to go through that~ I'll be sure to provide you with clean clothes from now on, so don't you worry that cute little mind of yours one bit~"
He held up two coat hangers, one holding a pair of rose-patterned slacks, and the other an elegant, tight black pencil skirt.
"Would you prefer slacks or skirts, my little Mika-chan?"

"I... suppose a skirt? It's better for the summer heat, right?"
I studied the rose patterns on both of the garments, noting that the slacks definitely looked better, but favored the idea that a skirt would provide a lovely breeze to my lower half for the next couple of months.

"Mhm~ A skirt will keep those legs nice and cool, but if you want to switch to slacks, just give me a ring~"
Masaaki chuckled and slid the pencil skirt around my waist, zipping it up and giving my bottom a playful pat.
"No tailoring needed~ You're a perfect fit, Mika-chan~"

I did a half-twirl in the mirror, watching as the skirt hugged perfectly against my lower half. The blazer looked so smooth against my skin that I felt bad for having the Bara-gumi cover the expenses.
"I love it! I... feel really cool in this."
I must have been blushing quite heavily, as Masaaki gave my cheek a small pinch before snapping a picture with his smartphone.

"Mind if I hang this up? I want to remember that look of joy on your face forever, little Mika-chan~"
He happily smiled.

I nodded enthusiastically.
"Of course! Thank you for everything, Masaaki-chan!"

"Chan?"
Masaaki smirked mischievously.
"Sure, I'll be your friend, Mika-chan~"
He gave my hair a ruffle between his fingers, to which I couldn't help but lean into.

"I'd better get back to Kazuya. Will I see you again?"
I rushed toward the door, looking back over my shoulder at Masaaki.

"I have a feeling we'll meet again, my little Mika-chan~ Until then, take this~"
Masaaki tossed a paper card into the air with deadly precision. The paper swooshed loudly before slicing into the particle board next to the doorframe. It was his business card, with an address, phone number, and even an email.

I took the card and stuffed it into my suit pocket, smiling as I bowed my head low.
"Thank you, Masaaki-chan. Until then."

* * *

"You look sharp, kid. The boss will be pleased."
Kazuya chuckled and gave me a slight nod of his head.

"I feel sharp, too. I've never had such nice clothes before."
I spoke with a bit more confidence in my voice as we traversed the red-light district of Tokyo. I didn't feel the urge to cling to Kazuya's side anymore, and even considered the possibility of coming back here on my own one day to visit Masaaki. "Until then," rang in my mind like an innocent promise between schoolchildren, not that I knew what school was like, but being able to have a friend outside of the yakuza made my heart flutter with excitement.