Marry X Princess

XXVII: Last Stop

It was the morning before the face off with Emil, and on a day where I would have valued uninterrupted rest the most, my phone went off. Because of course it did.

I grumbled and pushed the button to turn on the screen, and my tired eyes were blasted with beams of unholy OLED light. I cursed myself for not turning the brightness down the prior night and found that I had a message from none other than Cynthia.

I forgot to mention that you will need to bring your own attire to compete in the gauntlet. Considering all that I've had my hands full with recently, this was the last thing on my mind, and I admit it escaped me. To make up for my mistake, I placed some money in your account. It should be enough to purchase something to wear. I don't have the time to make it to Valport today, so you'll need to do it yourself. You are capable of shopping for yourself, aren't you?

I rolled my eyes at her patronizing attitude and the lack of an apology for ruining my morning. All I wanted to do was wallow in bed for at least a day, but the blonde who had promised we were "in this together" had seemingly left me out to dry yet again.

With that thought in mind, I texted the person who hadn't left me out to dry despite her insanity.

Not so good morning, Eva, I texted my mentor. Cynthia just told me that I need to buy some athleticwear for the gauntlet tomorrow. I don't know where to start. Can you help me?

She responded very quickly.

I love hearing from you first thing in the morning, you know that Shinsuke? Buuuuut, I'm afraid I can't help you today! I'm busy putting together some last-minute materials for you tomorrow. I will send you the address to the place I buy my athleticwear from, though! You can't go wrong with their selection. Good luck! <3

Her reply disappointed me a bit, but I thanked her. Having a place to go to get the clothes was at least a helpful start. And so, I allowed my blankets to swallow me up and deposit me on the floor. I rose to my feet lazily and threw myself together with the enthusiasm of someone getting ready for a double root canal.

I eventually found the will to exit my apartment and came face to face with Mizuki in the outdoor corridor. She seemed confused but pleased to see me.

"Good morning, Shinsuke," she greeted me. "What are you doing up so early?"

"I could ask you the same question," I chuckled.

"I didn't sleep much, so I decided to do some chores this morning. What about you?"

"Apparently, I need an outfit for the fight. I'm heading to a store Eva recommended to buy something. Did you want to come along?"

Her eyes lit up and she replied, "of course!"

"I was hoping you'd say that."

My childhood friend joined me, and we made our way to the subway. Across the city, we quickly found the store that Eva told me about and stepped inside. It was a place called the Concrete Jungle. It was indeed an athletics store and had the trademark smell of one. I had only ever been in a few similar stores a handful of times in my life, but the smell of those kinds of places was always undeniably distinct from the smell of walking into any other kind of store.

One thing that did set the place apart, however, was its aesthetic. It was jungle themed, with lots of indoor trees and plants, and the colors green and brown as far as the eye could see. It was a pretty unique look for a store, I had to admit.

"Well, here we are in jock land," I observed.

"But haven't you become quite athletic lately, Shinsuke?"