"Hitori, putting on the Bride attire is very troublesome—shall I help?"
Kitahara volunteered with a righteous expression.
"N-No!"
Hitori's small face flushed crimson, her head shaking vigorously like a pellet drum:
"I-I-I... I'll change by myself..."
(No way! Having Kitahara-kun help me change into a wedding dress is far too embarrassing no matter how I think about it—absolutely not!)
"Alright, if you can't manage it on your own, call me for help again." Kitahara hadn't expected Hitori to agree in the first place; he just wanted to find a chance to urge her along. "Hitori, hurry up and change."
"Oh..."
Hitori agreed verbally, but moved as sluggishly as a snail, failing to reach the fitting room door even after a long time.
"This won't do."
Kitahara sighed helplessly and decided to put some pressure on Hitori:
"Lunch break is almost here. Tomori and Anon will be coming to the Onsen Dimension for a short rest soon. If Hitori doesn't hurry, you might run into them... You wouldn't want everyone to catch you, right?"
"A-Absolutely not!"
Hitori's eyes widened in panic. She finally stopped dawdling like a snail and dashed into the fitting room like a wisp of smoke.
Kitahara casually dragged over a chair, sat down to rest, and read a book.
However, before long, a soft exclamation suddenly came from inside the fitting room:
"Ah..."
Kitahara turned his head to look over, lightly raising an eyebrow:
"Hitori, what happened?"
"N-Nothing..."
Hitori's voice was stammering, visibly flustered.
"Sounding that flustered clearly means something happened." Kitahara's tone turned solemn, "Speak up quickly."
"U-Um... that..." Hitori hesitated, her voice tense, "The Fox Spirit Mask... accidentally fell off."
"The mask fell off?"
Kitahara's eyes lit up slightly. Closing the book in his hands, he stood up.
"I-I'm sorry..." Hitori's voice was full of apology, "I don't know if it broke."
"An upgraded item won't break that easily." Kitahara said warmly, "The mask isn't welded to your face; accidentally bumping it off is completely normal. Hitori, you should be worried about your own safety right now."
"Eh?"
Hitori's voice sounded bewildered.
"After the mask falls off, misfortune will soon come knocking. Hiding inside the Onsen Dimension won't help either." Kitahara said in an eerie, teasing tone, "So... Hitori-chan, be good and open the door."
"Ah... open the door?"
Hitori was visibly panicking.
"That's right, open the door." Kitahara guided her step by step, "Tomorrow is the band's performance. Hitori, your finger bones might even fracture under the influence of misfortune."
"The fingers will fracture?"
Hearing this, Hitori was startled.
"In the state of being haunted by misfortune, any bad luck could happen. The possibility of fractured fingers cannot be ruled out." Kitahara said seriously, "Hitori wouldn't want the performance to be ruined, right?"
"Which means..."
Kitahara revealed his true intentions:
"Hitori, open the door quickly."
Hitori: "..."
As a guitarist, fractured fingers would make it completely impossible to perform, right?
Everyone had worked so hard to prepare for so long—she must never let the performance be canceled because of her.
(There's no other choice, I can only let Kitahara-kun in...)
Hitori hesitated for a few seconds. Her gaze soon turned resolute; with a flushed face, she covered her chest with one hand while nervously opening the fitting room door with the other.
"Hitori, I'm coming in."
Kitahara stepped into the fitting room, his gaze quickly falling upon Hitori.
The girl's school uniform had already been taken off. Due to staying indoors year-round without seeing sunlight, Hitori's skin was pure white, dazzlingly bright under the light—it felt even whiter than the Bride dress hanging on the nearby rack.
However, Hitori was shyly lowering her head right now, her cascading pink hair tightly concealing her cheeks, making it impossible to see her expression, which inevitably left one feeling a bit regretful.
"Hitori, put on the Bride attire as soon as possible." Kitahara said with a solemn expression, "With me here, I definitely won't let you get hurt."
"Oh..."
Despite agreeing verbally, Hitori didn't move at all.
(So embarrassing, so embarrassing, so embarrassing...)
(The school uniform has already been taken off, leaving only underwear on. To wear the Bride attire right in front of Kitahara-kun... something that shameful is absolutely out of the question!)
"Why isn't Hitori moving yet?" Kitahara urged, "The misfortune could erupt at any moment. Put on the Bride attire quickly. Don't forget, we still need to verify its affix effects."
"I-I understand..."
Hitori stammered in a quiet response, but in a state completely overflowing with shame, she still couldn't get her body to move.
Seeing Hitori's glistening earlobes flushed crimson, Kitahara sighed. Taking the Pure White Bride from the rack, he stepped directly in front of Hitori:
"Looks like I can only help out."
"U-Um..."
The ahoge on top of Hitori's head twitched shyly as she still tried to save herself.
Kitahara simply handed the Bride dress over:
"If you don't let me help, then Hitori, change by yourself."
"..."
Hitori instantly fell silent.
Changing into the Bride dress right in front of Kitahara-kun was definitely impossible to do.
"Hitori, lift your foot."
Kitahara crouched down halfway, rolled up the Bride dress, and gave soft instructions.
Having searched for corresponding videos in the morning, he knew the correct way to wear a wedding dress was just like a one-piece dress—slipping it on from the feet upward—so Kitahara moved quite smoothly.
"Mmh..."
Hitori nervously lifted her right foot.
"Very good, the other foot."
"..."
With Kitahara stepping in to help, the progress of putting on the Bride dress rose rapidly, soon reaching Hitori's waist.
"Hitori, your underwear needs to be taken off."
Kitahara reminded softly.
"Ah...?"
Hitori looked up in a panic. Her fair, doll-like face was already deeply flushed, like a ripe, succulent apple, as her peach-blossom eyes looked over pleadingly and timidly.
"Don't worry, Hitori, I promise not to take advantage of you." Kitahara raised his right hand with an upright face, "Having Hitori take off your underwear is purely for photography considerations. When wearing a wedding dress, one truly cannot wear underwear, as it severely affects the aesthetic."
"B-But..."
Hitori stammered, entirely too embarrassed to speak the rest of the words.
(But without underwear, I'll be exposed, right?)
"Here, use this as an emergency fix."
Kitahara took out a box of adhesive bandages and handed them to Hitori.
These were limited-edition bandages acquired yesterday, originally intended as a gift for Tomori. But given the special circumstances, he naturally took them out for Hitori to use.
"..."
Hitori parted her lips, took the bandages in utter shame, quickly turned her back, and whispered in a voice barely audible:
"K-Kitahara-kun, don't peek..."
"Don't worry." Kitahara guaranteed crisply, "I definitely won't peek."
After a rustling sound, Hitori quickly succeeded in 'equipping' the adhesive bandages.
"Phew..."
Hitori quietly let out a breath of relief, raised her eyes to look at the full-length mirror in front of her, and instantly opened her eyes wide in panic.
She saw that Kitahara had already turned around at some point without making a single sound, gazing toward the mirror with an appreciative look.
As their eyes met through the mirror, white steam instantly erupted from the top of Hitori's head.
"Uuu..."
Hitori was so embarrassed that she transformed on the spot, crouching down with her head held in defensive mode.
"Y-You promised you wouldn't peek..."
Hitori's voice was full of grievance.
"I was looking at the mirror fair and square just now, so of course it doesn't count as peeking." Kitahara retorted with righteous confidence, while reaching out to pull Hitori up, "Hang in there, only the very last bit is left."
Hitori was completely dizzy, her brain overloaded with high temperature from shame, having no choice but to let Kitahara do as he pleased.
A moment later.
The Pure White Bride was finally properly and completely put on.
"It's still missing something..."
Kitahara pondered for two seconds and quickly found the issue.
Hitori's hair was too long; covering her eyes would severely ruin her temperament.
"Give me a comb."
Kitahara activated the ability of the [Scale of God], and after paying money, a comb materialized out of thin air in his hand.
"Hitori, don't move, I'll comb your hair."
Kitahara rested a hand on Hitori's shoulder and began helping to comb her hair.
Although he had no previous experience combing a girl's hair, as long as he had strong enough control, he could naturally shape the hair into whatever hairstyle he wanted with ease.
A moment later.
Hitori with a high bun updo made her official debut.
"Hitori, look up at the mirror." Kitahara's voice was lively, being generous with his praise, "Look at the world's most adorable bride beauty."
"..."
Hitori instinctively lifted her head, her peach-blossom eyes timidly looking toward the mirror, her eyes widening rapidly and uncontrollably.
The person in the mirror was wearing the Pure White Bride, holding fresh flowers with both hands. Although she had no makeup and wore no accessories, she was indeed... indeed super cute.
(Eh, eh, eh, is the person in the mirror that cute really me?)
(No, no way...)
(I'm not that cute at all; it must definitely be because of wearing the Pure White Bride, right?)
"It has nothing to do with the Bride dress; Hitori was originally super cute." Although Kitahara couldn't read minds, he understood Hitori's subtle expression at a glance, "Right now, you're the world's most adorable."
"Ehehe~"
Hearing Kitahara's sincere praise, Hitori couldn't help showing a slightly smug expression, but the moment her gaze met Kitahara's in the mirror, she hastily and shyly lowered her head again in a panic.
"Let's head out first." Kitahara held Hitori's little hand, "Misfortune strikes within a short time. If no unlucky incidents occur after an hour, the effects of the Bride dress can basically be confirmed."
"Mm-mm."
Hitori nodded hurriedly.
Although the fitting room wasn't small, staying inside for so long was still somewhat stuffy after all.
Coming outside and breathing in the fresh air, Hitori quietly let out a breath of relief.
The next second.
Kitahara's voice suddenly rang out:
"Hitori, look up."
"Ah...?"
Hitori looked up instinctively, only to see Kitahara raising his phone at some point.
Click.
The scene was instantly frozen.
"Hitori really is super cute." Kitahara nodded with satisfaction, turned the phone around, and held it up in front of Hitori, "If you went to apply as a model, you'd be hired in minutes."
"N-No way..."
Looking at the photo where her mouth was slightly open with a dazed expression, Hitori shyly averted her gaze.
"Come, come, let's take a few more." Kitahara said with high spirits, "The next time Hitori wears the Pure White Bride will have to wait until after we graduate from university."
Hearing this sentence, the ahoge on top of Hitori's head twitched shyly, and white steam welled up once again.
(Wearing the Pure White Bride after graduating from university—that would be g-g-getting married...)
"Hitori, change your pose."
"..."
"Raise your head, don't always look down."
"..."
"Smile a bit, don't purse your lips."
"..."
Click, click.
The sound of taking photos continued endlessly.
Unlike the super-tsundere Manager Seika, Hitori was exceptionally well-behaved and obedient; though extremely shy, she would never refuse.
"I've taken over a hundred photos, that should be about enough." Kitahara looked at the photos on his phone and nodded with satisfaction, "Do you want me to send the photos to Hitori?"
Although Hitori was super shy, she still endured the embarrassment and nodded:
"Please..."
Wearing the Pure White Bride for the first time, she naturally wanted to keep the photos safe.
Hitori even wanted to secretly print them out using a printer after returning home; of course, the printed photos had to be hidden well, and under no circumstances could they be discovered by Futari.
"Getting the photos is no problem." Kitahara smiled and looked over, "Every time Hitori gives me a kiss, I'll give you a photo."
Hitori looked up in shock: "B-But there are over a hundred photos..."
"Then kiss over a hundred times." Kitahara said without the slightest hesitation on his face, "Do your best, Hitori, I believe in you."
"..."
Seeing that Kitahara was blatantly teasing her, even Hitori, who was as docile as a lump of dough, couldn't help puffing up her cheeks at this moment:
"Kitahara-kun is so unfair!"
Kitahara looked down with burning eyes:
"There are even more unfair things—does Hitori want to know?"
"N-No, I don't..." Hitori's face flushed crimson as she hastily averted her eyes, "Give me a photo if I kiss you, no lying allowed."
"I promise not to lie." Kitahara raised his hand to swear, "Otherwise, I'll let Hitori hate me."
"I-I won't hate you..."
Hitori mumbled in a low voice, covering her chest with her right hand, her blushing face standing on tiptoes.
An hour slipped by quietly.
Hitori had already obtained more than half of the Bride photos, and at this moment, she was panting from exhaustion, so they could only stop here for now.
"No misfortune has occurred for so long; looks like there won't be any danger." Kitahara raised his hand to wipe the silver thread of saliva from the corner of his lips, "Hitori can change back out of the Bride dress."
"Okay..."
Hitori breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly ran back to the fitting room.
"Do you need my help?"
"N-No need!"
"..."
After Hitori changed back into her school uniform and came out, Kitahara and Hitori stayed in the Onsen Dimension for a short while longer. During that time, everything remained safe and sound without any accidents occurring. It was finally confirmed that the effect of the [Flawless] affix was quite remarkable, perfectly nullifying the [Haunted by Misfortune] aftereffect of the Fox Spirit Mask.
"Let's go, we can leave now."
Kitahara took Hitori's small hand, and they left the Onsen Dimension together.
Buzz, buzz.
The moment the phone regained signal, several messages popped up on the screen.
Kita: "Kitahara-kun, how was the lottery result? What about the verification effect of the Pure White Bride?"
Anon: "I just heard Kita talk about the Bride dress—I want to wear the Bride dress too!"