When the sales clerk saw Retsu Unohana emerge in the new outfit, her last shred of hope vanished.
Since all of Muten Natsu's previous choices had been excellent, she had still held on to the possibility that [maybe this one would actually suit her].
But...
A white turtleneck sweater with a black jacket, plain jeans with black knee-high boots.
The volume of the white sweater made the fullness of Retsu Unohana's chest even more striking, while the tight jeans emphasized her ideal waist-to-hip ratio. Paired with the sharp, streamlined black boots and a black outer jacket with a cut similar to a jacket, the entire outfit gave her an even stronger mature, commanding air.
To be fair, there was nothing wrong with the combination itself.
The problem was that it didn't suit Retsu Unohana's gentle demeanor at all.
If anything, the two seemed to clash.
The sales clerk had been about to offer some advice, but when she saw the conflicted look on Muten Natsu's face, she realized there was no need for her to say anything.
The previous outfits really were better after all...
"Excuse me." Retsu Unohana pointed to a white crew-neck sweatshirt. "Could you hand me that one?"
"Y-Yes, of course!"
The sales clerk immediately handed her the sweatshirt she had pointed out.
Just changing the sweater wouldn't be enough... Hm?
When Retsu Unohana stepped out of the fitting room again, the sales clerk's breath caught.
She had only changed a single piece of clothing, yet to the sales clerk, it was almost as if she had become a completely different person.
It was because the sweatshirt, unlike the previous turtleneck, had a crew neck that exposed Retsu Unohana's snow-white neck and delicate collarbones.
What truly held the sales clerk's gaze, however, was the wild, striking crimson mark between those collarbones, shaped like a red spider lily.
Retsu Unohana closed her eyes slightly and casually pulled out the hair tie holding back her long hair. Her cascading black hair spilled down around her shoulders.
Then her eyes opened halfway, her gaze lifting slightly.
She had only changed one article of clothing, yet a sharp, intimidating presence suddenly washed over the sales clerk, making her almost afraid to look directly at Retsu Unohana.
Even inside the warm store, a chill ran through the sales clerk's entire body, as though she had suddenly fallen into an icy cavern.
Before, the clothes had wrapped Retsu Unohana in softness and grace.
Now, Retsu Unohana's own sharp presence completely overshadowed what she was wearing.
The sales clerk finally understood.
Those earlier outfits were the ones that had never truly matched Retsu Unohana.
When she saw the light in Muten Natsu's eyes, the sales clerk suddenly remembered something a senior employee had told her when she had first started working there:
["When a woman asks the man accompanying her to choose clothes for her, she isn't trying to become the kind of woman he likes. She wants to know which side of her he likes."]
"Please wrap up all of these." Muten Natsu indicated several of the outfits Retsu Unohana had tried earlier. "Thank you for your help."
"My pleasure."
Having gained a much deeper understanding of her senior's words, the sales clerk felt as though she had just taken a major step forward in her career.
Retsu Unohana slipped her hair tie into Muten Natsu's pocket. "Why don't I pick out a couple of things for you too?"
Muten Natsu took her hand. "Sure."
The sales clerk smiled and led them onward. "The men's section is this way."
She found herself looking forward to seeing what kind of clothes Retsu Unohana would choose for Muten Natsu.
"Hmm..." Retsu Unohana looked from side to side. "Where's the children's section?"
The sales clerk froze. "...Huh?"
...
"Wow~" Rangiku Matsumoto linked arms with Momo Hinamori. "I heard it would be lively, but I never expected it to be this crowded!"
"It really is..." Momo Hinamori was almost overwhelmed by everything around her. "The World of the Living really is different."
"It usually isn't this crowded in other years. That's because..." Orihime Inoue paused. "Because this year's winter has been relatively mild, so more people are going out."
In reality, because Karakura Town was a Jūreichi, it had always experienced a considerable number of supernatural incidents.
During the Great Battle of Karakura Town, many people had also died unexpectedly.
Although the Soul Society had done everything it could to minimize the impact, it was impossible to account for every detail. Inevitably, even more strange incidents had spread among the public like urban legends.
People dreaming that they were walking through an empty city, inexplicably jumbled memories, missing periods of time...
All of it had left the entire town under a gloomy cloud.
At times like these, an even livelier atmosphere was needed to bring people some happiness and help ease their frayed nerves.
That was why this Christmas had even more promotions and special events than in previous years.
However, considering what Momo Hinamori had been through, Orihime Inoue chose not to mention any of those heavier matters.
"It's a shame Muten and Captain didn't come out with us." Rukia Kuchiki sounded a little disappointed, her violet eyes reflecting the colorful lights along the street. "I don't really understand the holiday, but it's actually pretty fun."
"Captain Unohana probably prefers a quieter atmosphere..." Rangiku Matsumoto blinked. "But even if they don't come out, you can always bring the festive atmosphere home with you!"
Orihime Inoue looked curious. "Bring it home... how?"
"Like this!" Rangiku Matsumoto pointed toward a shop. "Christmas outfits!"
"So cute~" Momo Hinamori looked at the red Christmas outfit with white fur trim displayed on a mannequin. "You could pick out a few and take them home. That would instantly make things feel festive."
"I think this one would look perfect on you!" Rangiku Matsumoto pointed to one of the outfits and recommended it to Orihime Inoue. "The design is really good!"
"T-This one..." Orihime Inoue's face turned bright red. "Isn't this a little...?"
"You'll only be wearing it at home anyway," Rangiku Matsumoto coaxed. "Why not choose something a little daring? You might get an unexpected reward~"
"And this one." Momo Hinamori picked out another outfit for Rukia Kuchiki. "This one looks really cute!"
Rukia Kuchiki and Orihime Inoue exchanged a glance, then also picked out suitable outfits for Muten Natsu and Retsu Unohana.
Once the two of them had their new clothes, they were clearly no longer as focused on shopping as before.
Rangiku Matsumoto noticed immediately. "Thanks for staying with us this long. From here on, Momo Hinamori and I can look around by ourselves."
"Mm-hmm." Momo Hinamori could also tell that Rukia Kuchiki and Orihime Inoue were eager to head home. "Don't worry about us."
Rukia Kuchiki and Orihime Inoue didn't insist on staying. After saying goodbye to the two of them, they left.
"All right~ Now it's free time."
Rangiku Matsumoto stretched, then glanced in a certain direction.
"I just remembered I have something important to take care of. I'll contact you later through the Denreishinki."
Before Momo Hinamori could reply, Rangiku Matsumoto had already walked away.
From a distance, Rangiku Matsumoto watched the now-solitary Momo Hinamori and the figure of Tōshirō Hitsugaya slowly approaching her.
"Good luck, Captain," Rangiku Matsumoto murmured, a smile appearing on her lips.
"I'm not late, am I?"
A familiar voice sounded beside her, and a hand reached out in front of her.
"Want... some dried persimmons?"