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“Wah! Sorry, Kyoji! Minori! I might have remindered, a little too late, that there are some things you should to not mix when putting in the laundry, but I thought that did not apply to what was doing, because Kaeru's cape has white! I listen when Kyoji talk about the right way to laundry but! The white fluffy fluffy trim! But I see, that did not work out... I am very sorry,” Pierre said, sulking.
On the floor of Minori's apartment Pierre sat amidst a bunch of slightly pink laundry items, ranging from messy to half-folded, all of which had originally been white. Well, it certainly wasn't what Minori or Kyoji expected to be greeted with after waking up that midmorning and lazily making their way into the living area. The staining colour was noticeable at a distance, but when Minori bent down to feel the stuff, it was dry. He knew Pierre would only ever covertly do something unfun that he's not used to, like laundry, if he wanted to help Minori and Kyoji out. So he also must have thought drying might somehow help even further, with undoing the colour mishap, but it looked like it did not.
Ah... he didn't just stop at washing little Kaeru's cape, the one from his mascot suit is in here too... Minori thought to himself. That was a strong dye too... This nearly three-feet-long exceedingly red garment whirling around, wet, with their socks, shirts, spare pillowcases, and other white fabrics could only spell trouble...
Minori appreciated Pierre's effort, though, and didn't want to see the teary, worried expression on his face anymore.
“It's okay, Pierre. Don't worry your head about it! Now, I don't know as much about this as Kyoji, but I'm sure it's fixable.”
“Well yeah, don't worry, Pierre,” Kyoji said. “We can bleach some of it back to white. Oh—”
“Oh?” Minori asked.
“Well... I know we don't have much bleach left and would need to get more. And...a few of these might not come out so good, but it's no big deal.”
Minori stood and considered the laundry in front of him, inspecting.
“Ah... Yeah you're right... You've said anything with graphics will fade if you use something like that, right?”
“Yeah. But... It's okay.”
“Oh, no, Kyoji...there was RS in that load, wasn't there?” Minori knew how much Kyoji loved to buy from that affordable clothing brand, even if his own opinion of it was...
Kyoji shifted his eyes to the ground, staring blankly. “Yeah.....”
“I'm so sorry,” Minori said, one hand on Kyoji's shoulder.
Pierre murmured and motioned to get up from his spot, when Kyoji spoke again.
“It's really not something to worry about, and there's no way I could be mad at you, Pierre. I could uh...teach you more things about laundry... Oh, only if you want me too, though. Also, I'll be fine, Minori-san.”
He must have wanted to reassure the other two with eye contact, though that wasn't exactly what happened when he met Minori's eyes.
“Wait, what's with that look on your face?”
“Uu..... Kyoji!” Minori couldn't help the pulling of his cheeks into a smile as he thought about how positive this situation had become. “Could this possibly be fate, a happy little frog cape incident telling you to finally give in and freshen your wardrobe up a little?”
“Uh, I don't know why fate would think that's so necessary...”
“How about just what I think, then? You could be soo much more handsome if you tried, you know? You need some clothes that really suit your looks so you can reach your full potential. In looks. And confidence! And now's a better time than any, don't you think? I'm not saying we do a complete overhaul of your closet or anything but let's just get you into an outfit that really makes you look wow, for now, and then, ahh—”
“Minori-san, you sure are insistent on this.”
Minori softly giggled. “Well, I feel a bit less shame in being pushy when it's you guys who are staying over at my place. I've got to want what's best for my guests huh..... How about as the host, I insist that we go on a sort of family outing~”
“But I'm almost always ove—” Kyoji started, but Minori pressed a playful finger to his lips.
Pierre spoke up excitedly. “Minori, has a point! And if you need more bleach, must head out, also head to buy clothes when out?”
“Exactly, Pierre. It's our day off, let's go to the mall.”
“Yafuu! I love malls!”
“You two...” Kyoji gave a small sigh. “...I guess so.”
“Yay! It's decided~”
“I love to malls because another place where people, coming up to you, smiley smiley!” Pierre said after walking away from a sales representative, full of enthusiasm.
“Haha... I guess you've just got that touch with retail workers, Pierre...” Kyoji said. The three of them were walking leisurely through walkways full of clothing stores, though Kyoji seemed a bit more wound up than usual. All of Beit were kind of going off in their own directions, like they just couldn't help it that day. Kyoji could have been worried about Pierre's bodyguards not sticking close enough to the boy, or whether Beit would be recognized as idols by the other shoppers and inadvertently cause a scene Kyoji was too self-conscious for.
“Oh, they have her new line!” Minori exclaimed, and beelined it to a clothing rack in the mouth of a shop's entrance.
Kyoji strolled in, following after him, and stood a bit back as Minori rifled through blouses and frocks.
Minori knew it was a bit of a detour from the reason they came to the mall in the first place, but they were all prone to being distracted by their own things. And this designer, was definitely one of Minori's things. His heart swelled with pride as he thought about how under a year ago she had graduated from being an idol, and was making it, still, but with her clothing and makeup lines instead. He cheered her and her group on when they were idols, of course, very fervently actually... But he also loved watching his favourites continue to find success in careers after leaving the business. Any kind of product endorsement by his past or current favourite idols, he would shamelessly admit, would be on his radar the moment it was announced.
Sheepishly, he'd have to say that the majority of the time, he'd buy it automatically out of something like habit. It's for support! Though maybe it was as much support for him as it was support for them. In his younger years, he didn't exactly know or care about how he treated himself...so he was thankful for how many good hand creams and skin products his idols gushed about on their blogs and lead readers like him to discover. It kind of made the beneficial effect that they were already having on his soul with their energy and songs...tangible. When it came to clothes, it was awkward at first, especially when salespeople would approach him and assume he was shopping for a sister or other woman. But what he found was a true appreciation for feminine styles that crossed over to other, non-idol affiliated, brands as well. He really didn't discriminate, idols were more like his first step into really considering the stuff, but the realization that clothes don't have any gender came from his own experiences, and enjoying his own body in it. His uncle, though kind, couldn't really be considered someone who gave him much guidance on things like how to dress well when he was growing up. Though regrettably, it's not like Minori had given him much opportunity...
Kyoji came up next to Minori who was combing through some shelved sweaters. He cleared his throat.
“You know... I don't really think there was anything wrong with my clothes beforehand,” Kyoji started.
Minori's attention was held, but he wondered where Kyoji was going with this.
“I mean, I didn't. I kind of go back and forth on what I think because of... The most important person to me, who actually thinks about this stuff, is you. I know we're here because Pierre got reds into the whites and all so it's fine but... You've wanted me to get some fancier clothes for a while, haven't you?”
Kyoji continued still. “I mean, you've said it before. And I do want to look good for you, but it's just I'm really comfortable in what I wear partly because...it's kind of freeing how different it is from the stuffy things I had to dress in when I was living at...my father's.”
Minori softened at that, and could hardly believe that his earlier words had caused Kyoji this kind of worry.
“Kyoji, I get it. I'm not really the kind of person who believes 'the clothes make the man', you know?”
Kyoji grumbled a bit, a low sound so cute that it made Minori chuckle tenderly. He faced Kyoji full-on and slithered his arms at Kyoji's sides, clasping his hands behind Kyoji's waist. Did Kyoji really not think he got it?
“Mm...the Kyoji I love is absolutely free to do what he wants, and he's always figuring it out for himself. And at his core, he's still the same strong, smart, persistent, caring, patient, lovely,”
“Minori-san, please...”
Minori had to smile and cut it short at that. Embarrassed Kyoji... Too cute. The only place he had to wriggle was in Minori's arms. But he leaned into Minori's body in kind, a chaste but reassuring gesture for the still-concerned older man.
“You know, I was just thinking that we all have different upbringings, and you're already aware I don't blame you one bit for how you feel about the things your parents pushed you into. And RS is...fufu, it's just a Kyoji thing at this point isn't it? I can't even be upset,” Minori said.
He looked up, smiling. “I fell in love with a man who I never saw out of a convenience store uniform for quite some time, and I didn't think twice about it.”
Kyoji shifted his eyes, his cheeks a newly dusted pink. “Th-thank—” he started, fumbling. Minori giggled.
“Okay,” Kyoji said. “You say all that, and I'm happy. But don't think I want to stay...comfortable or complacent just because it suits me, when what I really want to do is not let you down, if I can help it. I know from what you say, and how much you focus on me...that it's important to you lately that I could be...more handsome.”
“Don't pay it any mind. You know I'm super excitable,” Minori said, brushing him off.
Kyoji was silent, nerves probably not put to rest with just that. Minori thought on how to proceed. Minori often used “the fans will love it too!” as a way to persuade him when he brought the topic up to Kyoji before, so Kyoji..... Damn he probably thought this was way less silly and selfish a wish than it was. He's so eager to please...
“How about this?” Minori said. “I'll pick out some clothes for you, but I'll avoid the things you associate with bad memories. If you find that you really don't like something, just let me know and I won't add it to the pile. We can do this together.”
Kyoji's eyes widened a little, looking livened up by the idea. “Yeah, let's do it.”
“Mm, great!” Minori pulled away from their embrace. ...Hmm, I think we were kinda cuddling in public, haha. Well anyway, it was time to get to work. Pierre would be a fantastic clothes-picker-helper too, wherever could he be right now? Minori thought to himself.
He realized that neither the potential repercussions of a public display of affection nor Pierre's whereabouts were anything to worry about when he looked back at the shop's storefront. Pierre's SP were there, those tight-lipped men tasked with guarding him actually making up a human barrier preventing anyone from wandering into the shop from the outside mall...which was a shopper's right...uhh... And Pierre was practically bouncing on his toes trying to see above their shoulders, since they weren't going to let even him in just yet. The sole other person in the shop, supposedly the clerk, was now a noticeable presence because of how awkward they looked not knowing how to deal with the big men, but still hovering near them and seeming like they wanted to say something.
Kyoji looked exasperated, but Minori just found it so amusing. The physical contact wasn't at any level warranting this, but he knew with how easily flustered and moved, as well as protective, the bodyguards were, coupled with how public of figures Beit were speedily turning into...
He let the bodyguards know it was okay to relax, and Pierre bounded through the barrier, carefree the moment he got to be with Kyoji and Minori again.
“Kyoji! Minori! Finally, found you! What are doing now?” Pierre asked.
“Still doing just what we came here for, Pierre, looking for some great clothes for Kyoji,” Minori replied. “We'd love for you to give your input as well.”
“Okay!! I excited, I can help Kyoji looking better.” Pierre said.
“Well, we love Kyoji no matter how he looks. But Kyoji all dressed up makes me so weak in the knees!!!” Minori had chosen to speak truth earlier, but he was in tease-mode now, and addressed Kyoji with a pat on the shoulder, “And you know the same goes for all your fans.”
“Haha...” Kyoji blushed nervously.
Pierre looked puzzled. “Is that, good thing? Weak knees, weak legs, not bad for walking? Is not dangerous?”
“Fufu Pierre..... I just mean that he takes my breath away.”
“Err, that's bad too.” Kyoji said.
“Aha, you're right...” Minori thought better than to double down on the damage and jokingly insinuate that Kyoji was a vicious, unrepentant criminal, out there stealing hearts!, and instead piled clothes into his arms while going off the handle to Pierre explaining about having to help the poor guy get more in touch with his princely roots, since he was surely a real prince who, like Pierre, was really from another land, and the thing with his "parents" had probably been a mix-up at birth, and—
Kyoji cut through the nonsense. “This is so... Can we ring these up and go?”
“Ah, but you haven't tried anything on yet, Kyoji. Pierre and I have got these picked out for you and no matter how sure we are they'd look amazing on you, as lovely as you already are, please try them on to be sure of the sizing and things.” Minori smiled meekly. “And please step out to show us, when you do.”
“... Alright, I get it I get it.” Kyoji said, and took the clothes and went into the changing area. Minori and Pierre were not far behind, able to glimpse his tiny, flickering smile along with his bright pink cheeks.