Last Girl

Chapter 5

At the very least, I am happy to say that we did not have any more complications. Well... maybe I should rephrase that sentence. We didn't run into any more complications. Rather, Haruto created them himself.

"Sir with all due respect, I am already married. I have no interest in-"

"Under no circumstances will I allow you to soil my young Mistress's character."

Geez Haruto, why must you be so paranoid?

I'll admit the act of shielding me was touching at first. But now it has become a complete nuisance! How on earth is the tailor supposed to conduct a proper fitting if he can't even look at me?

Granted, I understand that what transpired earlier has put Haruto on edge. But the counteractive measures he was taking is starting to get out of hand!

I pipe up from behind Haruto as I try to inject myself into this 'stand-off'.

"Kurosawa-san, how is he supposed to take my measurements if he can't get within arm's length of me?"

Haruto paused in thought. It would appear he was trying to come up with an alternative solution.

"We can just buy one of the dresses that are already made in your size. We don't need him to take new measurements."

Nervously, the tailor whipped out a silk cloth and proceeded to wipe down his spectacles. Once he was done with the cleaning, he readjusted them back onto his face. From his skittish behaviour, it was apparent that he felt dubious in response to Haruto's suggestion.

"I am afraid that all of the dresses are custom-made. If you will only-"

Before the elderly man could finish his sentence Haruto rolled his eyes and cut him off.

"I'm afraid that option is not feasible. Good day sir, I apologize for wasting your time."

Just as Haruto grabbed my hand to pull me away, I pulled back in retaliation.

No. I wanted to buy a dress from this place no matter what! The quality of the material was impeccable. No to mention, the dresses resembled the styles of dresses you would see in a fairy-tale. Is it so wrong for me to wish to pamper myself like a proper princess?

"What is the matter, Miss?"

"I don't want to leave. I wish to buy a dress from here... You're the one who recommended this place after all."

Timidly, I lowered my head in disappointment and proceeded to roll back my shoulders.

"You know how much I value your opinion. So please... can you cast aside your protectiveness this time around?" I plead.

Haruto's poker face softened. He mellowed his eyes and exhaled in defeat.

"I don't wish to do this, but if you-"

"Darling, I'm back!" A high-pitched voice called out.

With the sound of the bell ringing, an elderly woman entered the shop. On the contrary, calling her elderly might be doing her a disservice. She appeared to be rather youthful despite her apparent old age. Adorning a jacquard knitted headscarf and dark shades on her eyes, she had what you would call that old Hollywood glamour. A timeless yet eloquent look that would never go out of fashion.

After she laid all of the shopping bags and boxes down on the counter, she took her shades off to reveal her smoky catlike eyes.

"Oh, darling, you won't believe what happened in Paris!"

"Honey we have company, maybe you should-"

"Our chauffeur got hijacked and Taro had to-"

The tailor raised his voice louder to interpose on the woman's ramble. "Honey!"

Taking a second to assess the nature of the situation, the woman looked to both myself and Haruto.

"Darling! Why didn't you tell me we had company? How rude of you to make me look like a fool!" The woman quickly reprimanded the tailor.

The tailor merely shook his head and rolled his eyes at what I presumed to be his wife's blatant idiocy.

Before I realized it, the woman had turned all her attention to me. She started to close in and before I had time to react, she pinched both my cheeks.

"Well, aren't you a cutie pie! I could just eat you up!" She cooed.

I was unsure of how to respond, so I simply attempted to smile at her in response. Strong emphasis on attempt. It's not exactly an easy feat to do when your face is being stretched out like playdough.

"Darling, could you please put my bags up in my room. I just have to assist this girl at once!"

Would you look at that? It appears that we won't have any more trouble now. If it's a woman who's fitting me, then he has no reason to be alarmed. Besides that, this is a great opportunity for me. To be able to talk with another female who is just so fashionable? I don't deserve it!

Just as the man was about to leave with his wife's bags, he stopped quickly in his tracks when he heard her cough. I was also taken off guard by the sporadic outburst of her cough.

Her fit was harsh and gritty and to be blunt, ugly. I was unsure of how to react appropriately. I knew what that type of coughing meant for another fellow female. It was almost certain death. That disease was still running rampant among the few surviving women. It's a wonder that I'm not endangering myself by just standing here.

"Honey... I thought you met with a doctor in Paris?"

"I did. He gave me some medicine. Don't worry, I'm sure it will take effect soon."

The heartbreak her husband tried to hide in his eyes was lamentably apparent. I can't begin to imagine what it must be like to just watch your significant other suffer like this. I'd imagine the pain is incomparable.

"Stop worrying about me. I've stuck around for this long, haven't I? No silly disease is going to take down this old hag!"

The smile she painted on her face fooled nobody. What a horrible burden to carry on your shoulders. I don't think I could ever be as brave as someone like her.

As she guided me into one of the other rooms, Haruto stepped forward in uncertainty. He was probably apprehensive about the woman coming into close contact with me. I don't know why, but I had this gut-feeling. It told me that I had nothing to worry about. How strange...

I shook my head and put my hands up to stop Haruto from coming forth. Respecting my wishes, he simply nodded and stepped back.

With my dress now bought, I was feeling better equipped for tomorrow. Sitting in the car that Haruto hired to take us home gave me a lot of time to think things over. I would need to assess Kaoru critically before I made a decision. I needed to seem him for myself to deem whether I found him to be suitable as a marriage candidate. Time can change people; I just hope it has allowed Kaoru to change for the good.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I wasn't sure if I was going to make a continuation of the markets. I felt like the last chapter was heavy on description rather than action. But I decided I would do some more world-building in showcasing the 'disease' and character-building between Aiko and Haruto. I promise you that as an apology for taking so long in introducing Kaoru, next week's chapter will be a lot longer.

Thanks for reading!