Chapter 4 Part 1

“Mana. Turn off the TV and listen to me.”

“Oh? Can’t we talk while I watch this?”

“No. This is important.”

“Buh-uh. Alright,” she said as she turned the TV off. “What is it?”

My OC turned around to face me—legs crossed, with absolutely no qualms about her stomach being halfway exposed and her hands being greasy as she continued to munch down on potato chips.

“I can’t believe I have to say this… but you gotta take a shower. And we have to wash your clothes, too.”

That’s right. It had been a couple of days since Mana materialized in my apartment, so it was fairly obvious she wasn’t going anywhere now. But while I was trying to navigate all the ins and outs of living with another person—and a girl at that—this absolute slob apparently had no problems lounging around in the same clothes for two days. She spent all her time in them, and even slept in them, too. I was patiently waiting for her to realize she had to do something about it, but apparently she had no concept of basic hygiene.

But I couldn’t keep my head buried in the sand any longer.

She’s like those sweaty guys that invade conventions…

“Hmm… I guess you have a point. I never thought about it. My clothes are starting to smell of food all the time, and it makes me hungry.”

“Is that your damn problem?! How about your sweat? Or BO?”

“Silly Ju. Girls don’t smell!” She said as proudly as a three-year-old when they managed to count up their age.

“No, no. They certainly do,” I said, trying to make her take the hint. I mean, it’s not like she stank or anything, but it wasn’t just the smell of food coming off her, I can say that much.

“Silly Ju! Fictional characters don’t sweat!” She said as proudly as—you know the deal.

“Come on now…”

“Well, alright. I admit I also want to shower. But I was hoping you’d take the hint!

“What hint?”

“I don’t have any other clothes to change into, you know. Unless you keep a stash of women’s clothes somewhere.”

“I don’t have anything like that! But well, I guess you have a point.”

Part of me had been resisting buying clothes for her. It was kinda like I was still expecting she’d just poof out of existence, meaning I’d be stuck with a bunch of women’s clothes and no good explanation for having them. Plus, clothes were expensive.

But the situation had reached a breaking point.

“Alright, alright,” I said as I got up. “Then I’ll go out and buy you some. I know your sizes, so it shouldn’t be a problem finding something that fits you. You go take a shower in the meanwhile.”

It’ll be super embarrassing to buy women’s clothes as a man, but I guess I have no choice.

Ordering them online would take a few days to arrive, and we needed to solve this situation now.

“Hey! If you’re buying clothes for me, I wanna pick them!” She said, pouting.

“You can pick more clothes later, alright? This is just to tie us over for a couple of days.”

“Ehh… Alright then.” Hmm? That was quick. “So what am I gonna be wearing in the meanwhile?”

“Ahh—” Right, I forgot about that detail. “I-I’ll leave you some of mine.”

“Uh, huh?” She said, that crooked smile of hers rising to annoy the heck out of me. “Why are you getting all bothered about that? Don’t tell me you have a fetish for—”

“I do not. Geez.”

“Eh-eh-eh. Alright. Then I’ll be going now.”

And before I could even say anything, Mana started taking off her tank top.

Right there in the living room.

“W-what the hell are you doing?!”

“Hmm? Taking off my clothes. Don’t tell me you shower with your clothes on.”

“Of course not! I’m asking why you’re taking your clothes off in front of me!”

She hadn’t stopped at all, instead holding the tank top in her hand, her torso fully exposed save for her black bra.

Damn, are they big—wait, what the hell am I thinking?!

“Does it matter? What is mine is yours. You did design me, after all.”

“I doubt that’s how it works,” I said, averting my eyes.

“Huh… so you actually do see me as a woman. Aww, you’re so cute!”

“Shut the hell up and go take that damn shower!”

“Ah-ah, alright, alright!”

And she (thankfully) proceeded to trot her way to the bathroom—stumbling over herself, of course.

I got up and grabbed my house keys and wallet. “Just leave your old clothes in the basket, alright? I’ll wash them later. And there are clean towels under the sink.”

“Okay!” She said as she closed the door behind her.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

But just as I was about to go out, I felt Mana pulling on my sleeve.

“Juuuu…”

“Huh? What is it?”

I began turning around, but then I remembered that she was probably still half-naked, so I stopped myself.

“I… huh…” She began saying. “I can’t take off my bra!”

“You what now?”

“I mean, I think I know how to take it off,” she began. “But I just can’t seem to get the hooks!”

Oh, I see the problem.

Mana’s dexterity was pretty much nonexistent. She couldn’t even hold chopsticks right; of course she wasn’t able to unhook those tiny hooks, and she couldn’t even look at them.

“Sigh. Fine, just turned around. I’ll do it.”

“Yay!” She said, and after a little while, “I’m done.”

I turned around to see Mana’s pale, shapely back framed by the straps of her bra, her white hair pulled in front of her.

This is stupidly erotic…

“Wait, can you even do it? Aren’t you a chronically lonely virg—”

“Just shut up for a second,” I interrupted as I grabbed the hooks. “I’ve drawn bras from the back before, so I had to study how they work, okay? There, it’s done,” I said, as I unclasped the bra and straps. “You’re fine now, right?”

“Yeah! Thanks—”

Just as she said it, I saw the bra, without its support, fall right out of her shoulders.

She wasn’t holding it in the front?!

“Oh, there it goes! Ah-ah-ah!”

“Just shut up and go take the shower, okay?” I said as I turned around as fast as I could. “Geez.”

Phew. This isn’t good for my health.

I really had a hard time dealing with her.

For once in my life, I was actually looking forward to leaving the house.