The streets were filled with the warm, cheerful atmosphere of Christmas. The moment they stepped outside, the festive spirit was impossible to miss. Storefronts glittered with colorful lights, while themed decorations and Christmas trees could be seen everywhere they looked.
Shop windows displayed beautifully arranged gifts and ornaments, drawing passersby to stop and admire them.
Christmas music echoed through the stores, and smiling sales clerks attentively helped their customers.
Having spent most of her life in the Soul Society, Retsu Unohana rarely had the chance to see such a bustling scene. She looked around with obvious interest.
"See anywhere you'd like to go?" Muten Natsu asked. "I'll take you."
"Hmm?" Retsu Unohana tilted her head. "Aren't we supposed to buy the holiday decorations first?"
"It's still early. Those won't take long to buy."
"Hmm... Then let's get a couple of outfits." Retsu Unohana's gaze shifted. "I don't have many clothes in the World of the Living. After a certain someone got mine dirty, I barely have anything left to wear."
A blush appeared on Muten Natsu's face. He took Retsu Unohana's hand and headed toward a clothing store. "Let's look over there."
Feeling the warmth of Muten Natsu's palm, Retsu Unohana's lips curved faintly upward. "...All right."
Her gaze lingered briefly on a passing couple. Then, copying the girl she had just seen, Retsu Unohana slipped her arm through Muten Natsu's.
"What is it?" When she noticed Muten Natsu looking down at her, Retsu Unohana smiled and raised her head. "If you don't like it, I can let go."
Come to think of it, until now they had either been in bed or on the sofa. Even after going outside, they were still pressed close together just as they had been at home. Only now did Retsu Unohana truly realize how much taller Muten Natsu had grown. She actually had to tilt her head back to look up at him.
"I like it."
Muten Natsu lowered his head and kissed Retsu Unohana's slightly cool lips, feeling her warm breath against him.
"I like it very much."
"Mmm~" Retsu Unohana breathed out a faint cloud of mist. "Doing this even when we're outside..."
"If you don't like it," Muten Natsu said, meeting her eyes, "I can hold back."
Her hand tightened around his arm. Retsu Unohana lightly bit her lower lip. "You... You know I can't bear watching you hold yourself back."
"Right." Muten Natsu leaned down and stole another kiss. "I know."
Her glistening lips had been kissed red. Retsu Unohana lightly pinched his arm, her eyes curving with amusement. "Then do you know what I'm thinking right now?"
"I do. We should hurry up and get going. We can kiss more when we get home."
"Naughty boy."
Retsu Unohana lightly poked the tip of his nose and followed him.
"Welcome~"
The sales clerk greeted them with a smile. Her gaze moved between the youthful Muten Natsu and the mature, elegant Retsu Unohana before finally deciding that Retsu Unohana was the more likely customer.
"Would you like me to show you some of our new arrivals?"
"No, thank you." Retsu Unohana looked around the store. "Muten, why don't you choose a couple of outfits for me?"
"Me?"
Muten Natsu began looking through the clothes carefully, searching for something that suited Retsu Unohana's presence.
The first thing to catch his eye was a beige coat. With some help from the sales clerk, he paired it with several other pieces.
When Retsu Unohana emerged from the fitting room, she was wearing white casual trousers. Their excellent drape, combined with the high-waisted cut, perfectly emphasized the length of her legs. As she walked, even the loose fabric traced the rounded contours beneath it in a way that drew the eye.
The fitted black turtleneck on her upper body balanced out the looseness of the beige coat, further emphasizing her slender waist and the fullness of her chest.
"You have excellent taste~" the sales clerk praised sincerely.
She said things like that often enough as part of her job, but this time she genuinely meant it.
The exact same clothes could look completely different depending on who wore them.
Retsu Unohana's presence was simply too striking. Even an outfit made up of simple, understated colors took on a unique charm when worn by her.
Retsu Unohana spread her arms. "Well?"
"Hmm..." Muten Natsu studied her carefully. "It looks good... but..."
His gaze shifted.
"Try this one too."
When Retsu Unohana emerged from the fitting room again, she was wearing an off-white fitted knit dress with a high folded collar and vertical ribbing. The dress hugged every curve of her figure. The vertical lines shifted subtly in spacing as they followed the rise and fall of her body from top to bottom.
Over it, she wore a short down jacket in the same color. Its distinctive puffiness made her figure appear even longer and more slender, while the contrast between the smooth outer fabric and the knit dress created a striking sense of depth.
The sales clerk stared blankly.
Only moments ago, she had thought the previous outfit did an excellent job of highlighting Retsu Unohana's figure. Now that she saw this one, she realized that the earlier clothes could almost be said to have concealed her best features.
The alluring way the vertical ribbing spread across her chest hardly needed mentioning. What the sales clerk envied most, however, was the waist-to-hip ratio that the fitted knit dress displayed so perfectly.
The loose casual trousers had hidden it before, making it almost impossible to notice.
Now, enclosed by the fitted dress, its breathtaking appeal was immediately obvious.
Especially when she walked. The knit fabric clung lightly to Retsu Unohana's legs, forming subtle folds with every step. The effect was elegant, yet carried an intoxicating sensuality.
Retsu Unohana placed her hands on her hips and shifted lightly from side to side. "Do you like this one?"
"Hmm..." Muten Natsu looked even more conflicted than before. "Try these too."
The sales clerk was stunned.
Even this wasn't good enough?
But almost immediately, her disbelief gave way to a trace of anticipation.
This young man clearly had a good eye. Now she wanted to see what other surprises he could come up with.
It wasn't until Retsu Unohana stepped out in the next outfit that the sales clerk finally realized something.
Of course!
What best suited Retsu Unohana's ideal waist-to-hip ratio wasn't a long dress at all.
It was jeans.
Compared to the softer, more graceful impression from before, Retsu Unohana now looked distinctly more mature and commanding in jeans and a gray sweater. The contrast between the loose gray sweater and the tight-fitting jeans gave her an appearance that was both relaxed and crisp.
If the previous outfit had possessed the elegance of formalwear, this one gave her a more casual, effortless sharpness.
Retsu Unohana folded her arms across her chest. "What about now?"
Muten Natsu frowned deeply. "It feels... like it's still missing something."
The sales clerk was speechless by this point.
This still wasn't good enough?
Could there really be something that suited her even better?
The thought had barely crossed her mind when she saw Muten Natsu select several more pieces and hand them to Retsu Unohana.
Wait...
The sales clerk's breath caught.
The previous outfits were one thing, but this combination definitely wouldn't work.
It didn't suit this beautiful woman's aura at all.
She wanted to stop them, but Retsu Unohana had already taken the clothes and entered the fitting room.
The sales clerk sighed.
This time, she decided she would definitely have to talk them out of it when Retsu Unohana came back out.