Chapter 24:

Girl Time

Looking the Wrong Way

After a few days, Akio returned to work.

Junko handed him an envelope. "Welcome to the party. There's a lot of work for you to catch up on."

"Thanks," Akio sighed, glancing at the envelope. "What's this?"

"Your reward for the team games. Some sort of voucher."

Akio looked at the voucher. "A trip to the zoo?"

"You too?" She crossed her arms. "I swear they just gave us vouchers for places we've partnered with. How cheap."

"At least you two have something family friendly," one of their coworkers grumbled. "I have three young kids. How am I supposed to entertain them at a tea museum?"

Tea museum? Akio turned to their coworker. "You wanna trade?"

The coworker blinked. "What? Really?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks, Akio. I owe you one."

After they traded vouchers, Junko raised an eyebrow at Akio. "Why would you want to go to a tea museum?"

Akio shrugged. "Just felt like it."

As Shinichi and Miyo left work for the day, Akio approached them. "Mind if I join you?"

"Akio? You going home too?" Miyo asked.

"Yeah." A casual smile spread across his face. "Figured I'd grace you with my presence."

Miyo stared blankly at him, unimpressed. "Right..."

"You could look a little happier, you know?"

Shinichi blinked, looking between the two of them. I can definitely take a hint. "I just remembered I need to run an errand. You two go on without me."

Miyo turned. "Oh? You sure?"

"Yeah." Shinichi gave them an awkward wave before walking off.

Akio glanced at Miyo. "You upset that it's me walking you?"

She avoided his gaze. "Seems like you're doing better."

"Thanks to a certain someone."

"I didn't really do anything."

"You helped break my fever and you fed me." He smirked. "Though, I think you wanted to do that part for fun."

"I-I did not." Her voice softened. "I just wanted you to feel better."

"And I do." He hesitated slightly. "So, as thanks, I want to take you somewhere."

"Huh? But you don't have to thank me for anything. I should be the one thanking you for all your efforts with... ya know."

He pulled the voucher from his pocket. "Then to call it even, how about we go to this together?"

Miyo looked at it. "A tea museum?"

"Yeah... Thought you might like it." His voice came out more unsteady than he would've liked.

Miyo fell silent for a moment, her heart pounding.

Akio anxiously watched her. "Do you want to?"

Her eyes beamed. "I do."

Akio let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Sounds good then. I have to catch up on work this weekend, so what about next weekend?"

She nodded. "I look forward to it."

"Me too."

The next day at lunch, Miyo found herself with Junko and Sana.

"This is much better than eating with those grandpas." Sana stuffed her face. "I swear they're so boring. I need girl time."

Junko chuckled. "If we're talking about boring, those vouchers the company gave us are so lame. Do they really think I'm going to go to the zoo?"

"Wow, that is lame." Sana cringed. "I got wine tasting. Be jealous."

Miyo sighed. "Somehow, I feel like they gave you that one on purpose."

Junko nodded. "They're totally trying to lock in a regular drinker."

"Am I... just an alcoholic to you two? I got drunk once on the trip."

Junko glanced at Sana. "I saw enough that one time to tell you drink often."

"You know... If I recall, Miyo drank a lot that night too."

"But she didn't get drunk and end up dancing on a table."

"I-" Sana stopped herself and continued eating.

Junko chuckled. "Miyo, what voucher did you get?"

"Oh, I got the zoo one too, but I ended up giving it to Shinichi."

"Oh?" Sana smirked. "Are you two going to go together?"

"No. It's not like that." Miyo's eyes lowered before quietly continuing. "Shinichi and I decided to just be friends..."

Junko and Sana fell silent. "Oh..."

Junko gave Sana a look before awkwardly turning back to Miyo. "Well, it's his loss anyway."

Sana hummed in agreement. "Exactly, don't let it get you down."

"You two don't need to comfort me... I'll be okay."

Miyo fidgeted with her fingers before hesitantly continuing. "But I was wondering about something..."

They both tilted their heads. "What?"

"I kind of need help with my wardrobe..."

Sana blinked. "Your wardrobe?"

Miyo nodded. "I'm going somewhere kind of nice, but all I have are work clothes..."

"What kind of place?" Junko asked.

"A tea museum," Miyo replied.

Sana tilted her head. "I didn't know you were into that kind of thing."

Oh? Junko's smile turned to a smirk. "When are you going?"

"Next weekend."

"Then this weekend we'll get you ready for it," Junko chimed.

Sana beamed. "Yes! Girl time. We're going shopping and..." Her smile widened. "We're going to the wine tasting place too."

Miyo blinked. "The wine tasting too?"

Junko sighed. "Of course you'd include that..."

The weekend came, and Miyo met Junko and Sana at the mall.

Sana looked Miyo over. "Yeah, definitely need to find you less professional clothes."

Miyo looked down. "Is it that bad?"

Sana shook her head. "It's not bad, but... You don't go out much, do you?"

"Sana!" Junko nudged her.

"It's okay," Miyo awkwardly chuckled. "I mean she's right. I don't go out besides work..."

Junko wrapped an arm around Miyo. "Well today, we're going to change that and find something new for your wardrobe."

Sana wasted no time in dragging them into a clothing store.

Within moments, Miyo's hands were filled with a stack of clothes.

"Try them on." Junko took a seat.

Miyo stared at all the clothes. "This is a lot..."

Sana took a seat beside Junko. "We'll be right here so come out and model for us."

Miyo hesitated before eventually going into the fitting room.

Too much time passed without Miyo coming out.

"Miyo? You good?" Junko called.

"I-I don't think any of these suit me..." Miyo's voice came from behind the curtain.

"We'll be the judge of that," Junko huffed.

"Do we need to go in there with you or are you coming out?" Sana asked.

Miyo took a deep breath. "I'll come out..."

Miyo awkwardly stepped out, uncomfortably tugging at the clothes. "Well?"

Sana and Junko looked at her and then each other. "No."

The next outfit came with even more hesitation.

"Even I can tell this doesn't suit me," Miyo said as she came out.

Sana and Junko nodded in agreement. "Next."

Miyo somehow fumbled with the third outfit. "Something's wrong."

Junko got up and popped her head behind the curtain.

"Why are there so many straps?" Miyo whined.

Junko laughed. "I don't even know how you got tangled in this."

Sana snorted from the outside as she listened to the chaos of rescuing Miyo from the endless straps.

The next few outfits were a blur of head shakes and bickering between Junko and Sana of what worked, but ultimately none were quite right.

By the time they left the store, Miyo was already drained. "Maybe I don't need new clothes after all."

Sana shook her head. "It was definitely the store. Don't worry, we'll find something that suits you better." Her eyes quickly scanned the mall. "And I think I've found it."

Sana led them to a new store and in no time they piled on clothes for Miyo to try.

Miyo again took her time in the fitting room, but when she did step out, Junko and Sana's eyes lit up.

"Oh my goodness." Sana jumped up. "This is much better."

Miyo looked down. "It is cute... but I don't know if it suits me."

Junko nodded. "It does. Definitely more your style."

"Now try the rest on," Sana squealed.

After trying on what felt like half the store, opinions being debated, and an argument about which color was better, they finally agreed on a few new outfits for Miyo.

Junko glanced at Miyo as they left the store. "Happy with it?"

She nodded. "Thank you both for coming with me. I don't think I could've picked these out if I were by myself."

Sana tilted her head. "Why not? They're super cute."

Miyo looked down at her shopping. "They are cute, but it's not something someone like me could wear..."

Junko frowned. "Someone like you?"

"Well, you know I don't get out much, so how could I wear such things?" Miyo let out a small breath. "I probably would've talked myself out of it since I only ever go to work."

"Honestly, I think you could wear the blue one to work." A smirk grew on Sana's face. "But now that we're friends, you should expect to get out more. I need a drinking partner, after all."

Junko sighed. "Oh please no."

"Relax." Sana waved her hand dismissively. "I didn't say every night."

"Why was every night even an option?" Junko replied flatly. "But anyway, you don't need a special occasion to wear something other than work clothes. I mean, you wore some cute stuff on the work trip, remember?"

"Yeah... But those weren't mine."

Sana raised an eyebrow. "They weren't?"

"They were Akio's sister's." As soon as the words left her mouth, Miyo froze.

Junko and Sana turned. "What?"

Miyo's grip tightened around the shopping bag. "I-I mean I-"

"Hold on. Back up." Junko rubbed her head. "Akio's sister? He has a sister?"

"That's the part that you're stuck on? The real question is why are you borrowing his sister's clothes to begin with?" Sana questioned.

"I-It just happened." Miyo said quickly.

Sana crossed her arms. "That explains nothing."

"A-Akio brought his sister's clothes because I wanted to wear something cute for Shinichi..." Miyo shyly admitted.

"Wait. Akio also knows about your feelings for Shinichi?" Junko asked.

Miyo avoided their gazes. "It's a long story..."