After accompanying the three girls shopping for only a short while, Kabe already regretted it.
Picking clothes back and forth and taking forever to decide was one thing, but why did all three of them have to take turns trying everything on?!
Sure, it was extremely pleasing to the eyes, but it was way too exhausting.
Unlike them, he only cared whether the size fit and the style was passable. If it was, he paid and left.
If someone looked into his bedroom wardrobe, they would find that his clothes were painfully uniform. Mostly short sleeved shirts or button ups, and aside from shorts, almost all his long pants were jeans.
Only his shoes had a bit more variety. Boots, leather shoes, sneakers, a few different types.
Overall, his style was monotonous and boring to the extreme.
Erza seemed to notice this as well. While Mirajane and Ariès were changing clothes, she walked over to Kabe, who was sitting in the waiting area flipping through a magazine, and asked,
"Do you want us to pick out a few outfits for you too?"
"No, no. Absolutely not. I'd rather go fight Natsu than waste time picking clothes."
"Hmph. Sorry for wasting your precious time then."
Erza puffed out her cheeks and turned her head away in annoyance.
"That's not the same at all."
Kabe quickly closed the magazine and stood up, eagerly leading her to the clothing racks. He personally picked out a red strapless long dress and held it up.
"When I change clothes, I'm just torturing myself. Watching you change clothes is art.
This dress suits you at first glance. Go try it on and let me see."
As he spoke, he took advantage of the clerk not paying attention and gave Erza a quick pat on the rear.
With her face turning bright red, Erza was ushered straight into the fitting room.
Only after the curtain closed did Kabe finally let out a breath and return to his seat.
But before he could rest for even a moment, Mirajane, now changed, pulled a shy Ariès over to ask for his opinion.
"How do we look?"
Wearing a pink pleated short skirt, Mirajane spun around in front of him.
Her lively and cute appearance made Kabe raise his thumb without hesitation.
"Young, bright, perfect."
After praising her, his gaze shifted to Ariès, who was shrinking shyly behind Mirajane.
She was wearing a creamy white, form fitting dress that hugged her curves tightly, fully showcasing her figure.
"Sexy and alluring, with a huge contrast. Of course… it'd be even better if I could see it in private."
"S sorry…"
Ariès lowered her head shyly, her little face nearly burying itself in her chest.
'This is so embarrassing, wearing something like this… but if Master likes it, then I'll buy it.'
"Hm, it still feels like something's missing."
Mirajane looked the two of them over, then suddenly had a spark of inspiration. She waved her hand and called the store clerk over.
"Bring out all the stockings and pantyhose your store has."
Clerk: "!!!"
Kabe: "Hiss~ hiss~ This is acceptable!"
After that came a glorious stretch of visual appreciation.
To please the three girls, Kabe completely emptied his vocabulary, praising them until all three finally had smiles blooming on their faces.
After paying and carrying bags upon bags, he thought the shopping trip was finally over.
But he had underestimated a woman's persistence in these matters.
After being dragged around to buy all kinds of accessories, shoes, cosmetics, and a pile of flashy yet useless "daily necessities," Kabe, who felt like he had lost half his life, was finally allowed to return home.
"Haah~ I haven't shopped this happily in ages. My feet are kind of sore from all the walking."
Kicking off her newly changed slippers, Mirajane sat cross legged on the sofa, grimacing as she rubbed her smooth feet.
Sitting opposite her, Kabe felt like every bone in his body was about to fall apart. He glanced up briefly, then collapsed back onto the sofa and stared at the ceiling, complaining.
"Stop rubbing them. Wrapped in leather shoes all day, those stinky feet. You've really got the nerve to touch them."
"Who are you calling stinky?! My feet have never smelled!"
Mirajane instantly bristled. As if to prove it, she bent her leg and brought her foot up to her nose, sniffing it.
"Sniff sniff~ See? Not smelly at all… bleh~"
Watching Mirajane nearly gag but still stubbornly refuse to admit it, Kabe, Erza, and even Ariès could not help laughing.
Kabe laughing was one thing, but seeing her shopping companions laugh at her too made Mirajane instantly furious.
"What are you laughing at? You two aren't any better!"
With that, she pounced like a hungry tiger and grabbed Erza, who was closest to her, shouting as she did,
"Ariès, quick, take off her shoes and smell them. Let's see if her feet stink too."
"I I don't! I wore sandals when I went out, there's no way my feet smell!"
Erza kicked her long legs desperately as she struggled, loudly protesting.
Ariès stood there flustered, unsure whether she should follow Mirajane's command.
"Hurry up. If you don't take hers off, I'll take yours off later."
That single threat made Ariès shudder.
Without hesitating any longer, she crouched down, held Erza's legs with one hand, and used the other to remove the white bunny slippers from her feet.
After hesitating briefly, Ariès leaned forward slightly and took a gentle sniff.