"Ah, well, anyway... T-Today, we're going to buy a swimsuit for Miss Agnes... along with mine and someone else’s too..."

"...Fine. Just don’t go on about my body right in front of me. If you bring it up one more time, I’m leaving."

"...Understood, Miss Agnes."

Well, she certainly had a lot of hysteria.

When it comes to talking about what swimsuits would suit her, there’s no avoiding the topic of body types, but Agnes had all sorts of unreasonable demands.

Guess I’ll have to avoid mentioning Agnes’s height and figure as much as possible or find ways to skirt around it.

"So, this 'someone else'?"

"Ah, today's outing is not just me and Miss Agnes. It’ll be the two of us plus one other person going swimsuit shopping."

"...I thought it was just going to be the two of us."

"Originally, that was the plan, but somehow I ended up getting a request from someone else."

Honestly, Agnes is pretty much the only person I could call a friend here at the Academy, so naturally, I’d only thought of going out with her.

Seraphina is a bit too high-ranking to be considered a friend, Cerista and I are still a bit awkward, and girls like Ligeia and Lara, well, they’re just into me for their own reasons.

Agnes was the only one I felt comfortable enough with to have this kind of outing. But thanks to a 'coincidental' encounter with Seraphina recently, we ended up adding one more person to our swimsuit shopping adventure.

"I’m not comfortable around the other magic club girls. I’m not going."

"I’m sure it’ll be fine. She’s not in the magic club, and she’s someone you know."

"...I know her too?"

"Hello, Lady Lilith! And Lady Agnes!"

"...Natalie?"

Agnes turned around, calling her name as a girl with bright orange hair suddenly appeared.

Natalie, with her usual confident fashion that showed off her abs, bounced over to us with a spirited ponytail swing. She was practically drenched in sweat, as if she’d been doing something quite intense.

"Hello, Miss Natalie."

"...So the other person was Natalie?"

"Sorry to keep you waiting! I was just having a grueling workout session with Thomas..."

"...So you were sparring with him until you got exhausted?"

"Yes, Lady Lilith."

If Thomas heard her, he’d probably deny it right off the bat.

"Swimsuit shopping with her? All she cares about is swords and sparring."

"Huh? Swimsuit shopping? What do you mean? All I heard from Princess Seraphina was that I should meet up with you two today..."

Seraphina had asked me to bring Natalie along, but it seems she hadn’t been given the full story. Or maybe Seraphina tried explaining, but Natalie didn’t really listen.

I suppose Seraphina had her reasons. Some people prefer to secretly pick out swimsuits to surprise everyone at the beach, while others treat it as a date excuse.

For someone like Seraphina, who has two significant rivals for the hero’s attention, she can’t afford any risks. She likely roped Natalie into our group to prevent anyone from suggesting they all go swimsuit shopping together.

"Princess Seraphina asked me to bring Natalie along. She suggested I help her pick out a swimsuit too."

"My swimsuit?"

"Yes. You’ll be taking the marine exploration course with the hero as well, right? Choosing a suitable swimsuit is part of a lady’s basic preparation, and it helps to have another opinion."

"Oh, I’m fine! I’ve had my swimsuit since I was a kid, so there’s no need for a new one."

"And just how long ago was that, Miss Natalie?"

"Let’s see...about seven years ago. I was around fourteen at the time!"

"Isn’t it about time you bought a new one, then? Surely you’ve grown since you were fourteen?"

"..."

As soon as I mentioned height and bust, I felt Agnes’s gaze boring into me, but there was no getting around it.

In Luminor Academy, swimsuit designs change drastically depending on whether the protagonist is involved. If someone else picks for them, these two end up in pity-worthy swimsuits.

If I want to avoid seeing Natalie or Agnes in unflattering swimsuits that seem tailored for niche tastes, I have to step in.

"Anyway, neither of you will be leaving today without at least one new swimsuit. I’ll make sure each of you gets something that suits you perfectly."

"...Fine."

"Understood! Please guide us, Lady Lilith!"

And so began our journey to find swimsuits for two girls who seemed entirely disinterested in attracting any male attention.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

There are two main stores in the Luminor Academy shopping district where you can buy swimsuits.

The first one is close to the academy but has a limited selection. Most items there are reasonably priced, but the quality isn’t great.

The other one is a bit farther away and sells a wider range of high-quality clothing, though it’s pricier.

Of course, there are other clothing stores around, but these two are the only ones that sell swimsuits with water-resistant enchantments.

"Lady Lilith? I think I see some swimsuits in that store! Let’s grab one quickly and head back!"

"No, we’re not buying there. We’ll be going to Amourange Boutique in the center of the district."

"What? Isn’t that place incredibly expensive?! I’m sorry, but I can’t afford clothes from a place like that..."

"...Are we really buying something so expensive for a swimsuit we’ll wear for only a week? It’d be easier to just buy something from the first store and be done with it."

"If you’re that worried about money, I’ll buy them. Is it so difficult to invest in yourself?"

"...That’s not what I meant."

"S-Sorry!"

How am I supposed to shop with these two?

It’s understandable that Natalie, being a commoner, would worry about money, but I didn’t expect this from Agnes.

It’s clear they’re both completely uninterested in spending on themselves, at least from a friend’s point of view.

"...I was planning to use the money Princess Seraphina gave me for Natalie’s swimsuit anyway. She asked me to look after Natalie and handed me some gold coins."

"Is that so...? B-But I can’t accept such charity from the princess..."

"Take it up with the princess if you have any complaints."

Of course, Natalie, being a commoner, could never actually complain to the princess, so basically, it meant 'shut up and follow along.'

With their reluctant attitudes, we made our way to Amourange Boutique. As we entered, a well-dressed saleswoman approached us.

"Welcome. Can I help you find something today?"

"Ah, um, I, uh..."

"..."

As soon as we stepped in, we were greeted by a display of swimsuits. Natalie stammered, clearly flustered, while Agnes, uncomfortable with the attention, looked away.

"I’m here to look at swimsuits for the upcoming summer course. Would you mind just showing us where they are? We’d like to browse on our own."

"Of course. We have summer outfits on discount, including swimsuits. Feel free to browse this way."

After subtly limiting the staff member’s involvement to just pointing us to the swimsuits, I led Agnes and Natalie to the swimsuit section.

Now the real battle begins. I have to make sure they try on as many different swimsuits as possible and find the ones that suit them best.

"Miss Natalie, why don’t you try these ones? And Miss Agnes, these will suit you... Oh, and this one too."

"...What?"

"You can try on each one I give you. While you’re at it, I’ll look for others that might suit you."

"..."

"..."

Agnes, my best friend here, and Natalie, my favorite character from my previous life—I couldn’t just let their swimsuit choices go unchecked.