Chương 21: Wait, is this a date?
An adventure it was, Kia realized, as she stood right outside the fragrant and cloth-laden room. She sensed something unusual and voiced her concern. "Um, this is a clothing store."
The woman who had taken hold of her wrists turned to face Kia, responding, "You're not going to walk around and order food dressed like that, are you?"
The stains from her ruined meal had left their mark — a large swathe of grease discoloring her shirt in an unappealing pattern.
Kia grasped the hem of her shirt and replied, "Maybe? Sometimes a touch of abstract art adds interest to the world."
Midnight playfully waved her hand in disagreement. "Nonsense, a bird needs its feathers. You look like a raw chicken. What style do you prefer?"
Ignoring Midnight's comment, Kia said, "I don't have any preferences other than it covering me. Look, I just really need to go get my burgers and move on—"
"Ah! In that case, I'll show you a variety!" Midnight started rummaging through clothes, each with unique differences. Classic t-shirts, cardigans, crop tops, even polo shirts; each item had some design element that set it apart. "Are you more conservative? Or perhaps something a bit cuter, to give you a less mature look."
Kia was handed stacks of clothes, each in a different color that complemented her hair. "Wait, I'm not looking for anything special."
"That would be a waste! Just look at you..." Midnight scanned Kia from top to bottom. "We might need better pants as well. Come, let's find something for you."
Kia couldn't protest as she was ushered towards the changing room while Midnight grabbed a few more articles of clothing along the way.
Meanwhile, Kia pondered why Midnight was going to such lengths. "Have you ever considered skirts? You have nice thighs."
Kia winced; her wardrobe at home contained skirts, but she had sworn never to wear them. "No."
"Here, try these on!" Midnight exclaimed, thrusting a knee-length skirt toward Kia's face. Midnight didn't even notice Kia's discomfort.
Kia remembered a crucial detail whenever she was with her mom as a child.
This shit would take long.
"I'm going to die…" Kia uttered.
After enduring an hour-long ordeal of trying on and discarding clothes, Kia felt ready to slip into a vegetative state.
"Ughhhh!" Kia groaned loudly, enough for Midnight to take notice, now understanding why shopping took women so long. "I'm never coming back here. I should've just stuck to ordering food online... but then again, it's more expensive."
"You could have at least given more items a try. The skirt looked lovely; it's a shame we're leaving it behind. If you wore something like that every day, heads would be turning so hard they'd snap."
The sheer variety was mind-boggling for someone accustomed to men's shopping experiences. Men often grabbed the nearest item on sale and called it a day. Kia had to navigate through a plethora of options just to meet Midnight's satisfaction with a simple purchase.
Kia sighed. "I did look nice… no, that's not why I'm complaining! Why are you doing this? I'm a random stranger that you bumped into and now you're spending a few thousand yen for a replacement for my shirt. In the end, we just went with a normal black top. Although, it's not even normal, how can people walk around with this much collarbone and boob silhouette with how tight it is? This is why I prefer looser clothing."
Midnight gazed at Kia for an uncomfortably long moment. The slight smirk on the hero's face made Kia cringe. "I'd say it was worth it."
"You didn't answer my question." Kia attempted to cover her exposed skin as much as possible, only causing the older woman to smile wider.
"I can't resist."
"That's not a real answer. Aren't you forgetting something?"
Midnight froze, pressing her hands to her head in a moment of panic. "Ah! I forgot what I came here for!"
"Ya think?" Kia remarked bluntly.
Midnight hurried back, dragging Kia once again into the store. Eventually, they made their way back to Wendy's, with Midnight carrying two bags.
Finally, it seemed like the day was coming to a close.
Out of curiosity, Kia engaged in idle conversation while they walked. "What did you get?"
One of the bags contained an unmarked brown bag filled with markers, whiteboards, and various craft items, along with some rope. Although Kia had a good idea of what Midnight might use them for, she needed a topic of conversation.
"It's for a cat. I'm making a scratching post," Midnight explained.
"And the markers?"
"I'm a teacher. The markers ran out, and the whiteboards are for future use."
Curious, Kia asked, "Don't schools provide supplies?"
"They do, but I like to be extra prepared when dealing with kids," Midnight replied.
"Why didn't you buy them somewhere cheaper than a mall?"
Midnight lifted the bag with emphasis. "I bought these because I was already here. The one I really wanted is in this bag." She raised the bag on her right.
This time, Kia was puzzled. Midnight had instructed her to stay put during their shopping trip. When Midnight returned, she was carrying a glossy black container with a logo.
"Is it clothing?" Kia guessed.
"More than that," Midnight winked. "This brand has sections restricted to adults, if you get what I'm saying. I was looking for something to experiment with and wanted to buy this before the rest of the week started. My Saturdays and Sundays were… busy, to say the least."
"...oh …OH!" Kia almost yelled, Midnight did have that kind of risque hobby, at least she thinks so. "You don't mind being public about that?"
"Why should I?"
"I didn't expect someone with such a reserved look to have that kind of interest."
Of course, Kia already knew Midnight was the R-rated hero, she just needed to reinforce the idea that she hadn't met Midnight before.
Contrary to the exaggerated and sexual nature of her hero costume, Midnight wore an arguably more boring look than whatever Kia had. Kia even had to wonder the first time they bumped into each other whether it was actually Midnight.
Midnight pondered for a moment. "Maybe I should buy you some too."
"Nope, I'm perfectly fine," Kia quickly replied. "I prefer men's clothing for a reason — they provide more coverage, and the deep pockets are a bonus."
"So you're a tomboy?"
"What if I told you I was a man?"
"If a man had that much meat behind them, I'm disqualifying myself as a woman." Midnight joked but uncharacteristically apologized right after. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean anything by that."
"No, it's fine," Kia reassured. 'It must be hard trying not to act like her hero persona as a civilian.'
<>
Fast food, as the name suggests, is supposed to be quick from ordering to receiving. Kia appreciated that; it should always be that way. The entire detour felt worthwhile in the end, akin to venturing into the desert just to savor a cone of ice cream fully.
"I'm going to thoroughly enjoy devouring these," Kia declared, clutching the two generous burger buns tightly this time. She glanced left and right more times than necessary, if another person somehow shows up, be it a damn villain or who else, she'd rather nuke them to submission just to enjoy her burgers.
"You're going to eat both of those by yourself?" Midnight asked, sliding her credit card back into her wallet.
"Yep."
Kia saw Midnight make measured gestures with her hands, contemplating the sizes. "How are you going to fit all that meat in that mouth?"
"With great difficulty. Now if you excuse me, I'll head to Dominos to get something else."
That had seemed to break Midnight's neutral stare. "You're eating more?! I'm afraid you'd die from a heart attack."
Kia chuckled. "Ha! I'm not worried. Healthcare is free, and everyone dies eventually. I choose my own fate, and that fate involves indulging in grossly oversized fast food!"
Midnight's expression turned sour. "...Just don't overdo it. Are you okay with that though?"
Kia was puzzled. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"You have a nice figure."
That comment hit a nerve, making Kia rub her head. "Yeah... I'll just have one cheat day every three weeks or so. I don't eat much anyway."
"What's your daily diet like?" Midnight inquired.
"Noodles."
"And?"
"Energy drinks."
"Oh dear," Midnight's expression shifted to genuine concern as Kia admitted her unhealthy habits.
"I know. I've been thinking about trying to take better care of my body."
Laziness had been Kia's norm, but as time passed in this new world, she realized it wasn't sustainable. That's why she had also started learning makeup and dedicated herself to going to the gym.
To maintain an audience and live effortlessly, she knew she had to take care of herself. Kia didn't notice the irony — to have an effortless job, she'd need to put in more effort than she had in the past decade.
Pushing aside those thoughts, Kia sharply exhaled. "Look, it's getting late, and I really want to finish my meal."
Midnight checked her phone and was surprised by the time. "Wow, it's already getting dark. I'll join you. It'll be my dinner. I won't eat too much because I don't like greasy food, but it's nicer to have company than to eat alone."
"...Why me?" Kia asked. "You could find someone else. You mentioned being a teacher; don't you have colleagues you could call?"
"Most of them are busy and our schedules always end up not matching. Plus, I'd rather have food for both my stomach and eyes." Midnight teased.
'Isn't the staff mostly male? I guess that'd make sense.' Kia mused to herself. 'I wonder…'
If Midnight didn't know much about Kia and her involvement in criminal activities, wouldn't being together with her be an incredibly risky yet potentially clever move? It was akin to a drug dealer setting up shop right next to a police station — highly improbable for a criminal to operate so close to the authorities.
It would be the last place anyone would think to look. Could Kia make this scenario a reality? There was also her quirk to consider.
Kia delved into her mind, attempting to identify Midnight among the people she had 'attracted' with her abilities.
Initially confident, Kia wondered why Midnight kept dropping hints of compliments and teasing her. Was it because she was attracted to Kia? Confidently, Kia assumed there was an attraction.
But to her surprise, there was no such attraction to be found.
'...Huh? Midnight doesn't feel anything for me?' Kia was puzzled. 'Could my quirk be wrong? No, that's impossible. Even lust would have made her part of the collective consciousness. So, the most plausible explanation is... she isn't attracted to me?'
"Are you okay?" Midnight called out to her. "Do you want me to find us a seat?"
They were already there in front of the store, Kia had completely zoned out but at least she kept her mind steady. "We'll find one together."
As they settled down, Kia gathered her determination. It was a risky plan, but it made sense. She would befriend Midnight as her normal self, avoiding the spotlight, and eventually make Midnight forget about her criminal past!
It would work; Kia just needed to seduce Midnight!
But for now, she needed to focus on the taste of the food.
"What would you like?" Midnight asked, interrupting Kia's devious thoughts.
"Meat and cheese, lots of it," Kia stated simply. "Stacked high. I'm willing to splurge."
"That's a lot of food in one sitting."
"My body is ready."
"I'll order the 9-inch—"
"9 inches?! That's too small!" A very distant Vine boom could be heard. It was even more awkward when some patrons started looking at Kia's sudden declaration. "Sorry if it costs more, but I need at least 12 inches, that's the smallest I can accept," Kia insisted.
Midnight whispered, signaling Kia to be less enthusiastic about the size of her pizza. "I admire your boldness, but 12 inches is quite large."
"Large? That's average!" Kia retorted, ignoring Midnight's cues. "You should see me handle 16 inches; anything smaller is just an appetizer."
After looking at the menu, Midnight returned with disappointing news, especially for an American. "They don't have anything bigger than 13 inches."
"Fine," Kia shrugged it off, realizing it might be too much. 'I guess I shouldn't expect gigantic portions in Japan.'
After ordering and paying for her own food, Kia was seated in front of Midnight in the most casual way she'd ever been with one of the people meant to teach a class full of main characters.
Who would've thought that not even a month had passed and she was already involved somewhat with the plot? Still, with what hand she was dealt, Kia was going to make the best out of it.
"What's your name?" Midnight asked.
The question made Kia realize they hadn't even exchanged names, as she had gotten used to referring to her as Midnight in her thoughts.
Kia's silence prompted Midnight to answer first. "I'm Kayama."
'Is that her last name?' Kia wondered. 'I've never paid attention to last names. Wait, what's my name again... uh...' Kia extended her hand. "Osorezuki."
"Interesting name. Thank you," Midnight replied.
"For what?" Kia asked, curious.
Midnight smiled. "Every time someone recognizes me in public, it tends to attract a lot of attention, and I end up with little privacy. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the attention, but it can get overwhelming. I assume you were trying to avoid that, right?"
It was a misunderstanding but a welcome one. Kia's little attempt to get the hell out of dodge was noticed, and Kia took a mental note to keep her actions a bit more tame next time. At this point, Kia was an open book. That had to change.
"...I just didn't want to inconvenience you. You mentioned you were busy," Kia explained.
"It was a bit excessive though, I know you're just trying to be respectful but it almost sounds like you're trying to run away in fear!"
"Yeah, I was so scared~"
"Thanks for trying, anyway. Sorry for keeping you so long; it's a bad habit of mine," Midnight apologized.
"A habit? Dragging strangers around?" Kia laughed.
"Only the cute ones," Midnight replied with a playful grin.
"Ah." The unexpected comment made her stutter, inviting another teasing look from Midnight. "O-of course."
Kia wasn't unused to compliments but them coming from such a casual and face-to-face nature felt different. It didn't help that Kia's face felt warmer than usual, damn the power of a hot woman.
At least this meant Kia wouldn't be gushing over dudes any time soon. The whole 'seducing the hero' plan is getting harder to reach when Kia can't even handle simple teasing.
The food came with some small talk passing by, it was a few baked potato wedges for Midnight and a large-sized pizza being set down for Kia alone.
"Finally, I can enjoy these two together…" Kia opened up the two burgers she had, removed the bottom bun and top button of one of each burger, and stacked them. Creating the monstrosity that was a quadruple-stacked Baconator.
A beauty to behold, Kia concluded, taking the entire girth of the burger in her palms. "Mmph, armh… mmmm!"
Midnight was too shocked to start eating. She'd just seen a girl ignore eating respectfully and decided to wolf down a burger, biting, chewing, and swallowing simultaneously. "Has anybody ever told you that you emanate sensual noises while you eat?"
"Uh, yeah." Kia stopped to wipe her mouth before answering fully. "I've recently discovered that I do that for many things." Kia takes two slices of pizza on the table, folds them together, and points them straight at her mouth but stops when her hair gets in the way. "Do you have a hair tie? I can't focus."
"I do." Midnight searches around her bag before handing out a tie, one with a specific cat symbol on it. "Wait, don't touch your hair with the amount of grease on your fingers. Come over here."
Helping Kia get her hair tied up and sitting back down, Kia continues to eat as much as possible. Gag reflex be damned, she was going to make sure she wouldn't taste anything but juicy meat.
After what felt like months, Kia licked her fingers clean, groaning as she poked her belly, now bulging out from the entire table of food.
"Urghh… I'm done! Haha! Oh God, I shouldn't have raised my arms like that." Kia felt her eyelids close. "I'm ready to have a siesta throughout the night until tomorrow afternoon."
Midnight was half-impressed, half-worried. "A small body like yours can eat an entire family's meal. Are you ready to go?"
"I can't move… but… worth it!"
Midnight looks down at her phone, realizing a text has been sent to her. "I need to go, thanks for being with me and keeping me company, I needed it after a stressful weekend. Promise you won't tell the media I was here?"
"I won't, I don't care about telling people I met a well-known hero."
Midnight stood up, giving one final smile. "It's been fun, Osorezuki."
Kia quickly snapped her eyes open and stopped Midnight as she was leaving. "Wait!"
"Yes?"
"...Can I have your number?"
Smooth.
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