Chapter 203: The Bear Wears a Dress

Chapter 203:
The Bear Wears a Dress

 

IT WAS THE DAY OF Misa’s party, and the day I encountered my greatest foe. Slaying it? Impossible. I couldn’t run, either. I’d come face to face with the most dangerous thing that I could encounter since coming to this other world.

And I never thought that things would come to this, never could’ve imagined it. Who would believe that Noa and Fina would betray me like this? Truly, I could trust no one. Even those I held the most faith in betrayed me.

I searched for a way to escape, but the psychological damage of my betrayal left me near-catatonic. And now my nemeses were approaching me, holding a dress, and leaving me with no time to think…

“Here, Yuna! We prepared a dress for you, so please change.” Noa held a beautiful dress in her hands.

Had she been Milaine or Ellelaura, I could’ve shaken her off and made a break for it. But today was Misa’s birthday party and the challenger approaching was a ten-year-old girl. I couldn’t strike back or run.

“Noa, let’s talk about this. Once we talk it out, you’ll see things my way.”

Negotiation was the only option.

“You do look wonderful in your bear clothes,” she said, “but today is Misa’s party. Please wear a dress with us, Yuna.”

Noa held a black and white number as she cornered me. According to Noa, it was made with Kumayuru and Kumakyu’s colors in mind. Noa and Fina had chosen it together, they said.

Sure, it was a pretty dress. Yes, I happen to be a girl. If this had been in my old world and I had a choice between the bear onesie and a beautiful dress, I would’ve definitely said yes to the dress. I did want to wear pretty dresses, but I had my scruples about taking off my bear onesie.

“Fina, why didn’t you say anything?” I wouldn’t have known how to respond if she told me, but at least I would’ve had time to think.

“Yuna, that’s when you left me behind and went home.”

I had left Fina behind with Noa back then, thinking that it’d take a long time for them to choose a dress. And no, I hadn’t run off because I was afraid that I’d end up dragged into the dress shopping too. Not at all! I was simply considerate about not getting in Fina and Noa’s way.

“Also, Lady Noa asked me not to say anything because it’d be a fun surprise for you on the day of the party.”

I suppose most girls would find this pleasant. After all, how often do you get to wear a fancy dress like this? But now that I was used to my bear onesie, I was way more embarrassed about wearing a dress.

“Yuna, are you not going to try it on?”

“Well…it might not be the right size.” I was wearing a bear onesie. They couldn’t know what size I actually was. In fact, my measurements were top secret. Yuna Clearance only, thank you very much.

“It’s okay. Lala knew how tall you are, and we checked your size in the bath.”

In the bath? But we’d only recently taken a bath together. Wait, wait, it must have been at the king’s birthday festival!

But…no, no way she could know my actual clothing size just by eyeballing me.

Besides, she had to consider how much time had passed since then. Human beings, they grow day by day, you know? I was sure I’d grown and as for my weight...that probably hadn’t changed. But…boobs? If I’d grown boobs...

I checked from over my bear onesie. Hm, I couldn’t really tell.

“We made sure from when we were in the bear bath earlier and in the normal one yesterday that you haven’t changed sizes,” said Noa with a smile that oozed confidence. “It should be okay.”

Children say the most innocent things, but they sure can sting. Psychological damage, critical hit. At this rate, she seemed likely to defeat me before the party began.

“Why are you so against it? It’ll make Misa happy too,” Noa continued.

“Uhh.”

“And you’re pretty, Yuna, so a dress would look lovely on you.”

“Hhhh.”

“Fina, don’t you want to see Yuna in a dress?”

“Yes.”

That look on Fina’s face…it said that she’d wear one, too, so I had to go through with it. It’d be easy to run out of the room, but if I did make a break for it, it’d be hard for me to go to the party.

I wanted to attend for Misa. If I ran instead of participating, I’d be doing a disservice to her after she bothered sending me an invitation. Ugh, there was no escape!

“O-okay. But I have some conditions.” As a last resort, I told Noa what I wanted. She reluctantly accepted.

Noa and Fina were already in their dresses. I thought Noa looked cute in her dress the other day, but Fina ran a tough race in hers. Noa’s was red and Fina’s was light green. Noa wore hers confidently; she was used to wearing fancy dresses. As for Fina, she shrunk into herself.

“Uh, I feel so embarrassed.” I was the one who was really embarrassed.

I wore the black and white dress, and it fit perfectly. How’d they figure out my size just by eyeballing it? And they had the nerve to tell me I hadn’t grown at all!

“Yuna, you look wonderful! You’re so pretty!” But Noa’s praise just made me feel awkward. In my old world, I never wore a dress like this. I mean, how many people wore fancy dresses and went to parties at my age? Not any rando off the street, that was for sure.

I stood in front of the mirror and felt even more embarrassed at the sight of myself. Maybe it was because I wasn’t used to this look? It…wasn’t a good look.

“Your long black hair is pretty,” said Noa, “so a white and black dress looks good on you.” Yeah, but Noa’s golden hair was much prettier.

“Aw, you look so pretty, Yuna! I could never look like I belong in a pretty dress like this.” Fina was even more self-deprecating than me. As far as I was concerned, Fina looked much better. The light green dress was way cute. Fina looked great.

“You’re cute, Fina. I’m…nah.”

“You’re not nah. You’re cuter than me, Yuna.”

And now we were both blushing. A nuclear war of compliments, with mutually assured embarrassment.

“It’s fine. You both look great,” said Noa. “I’m sure that Mother and Father will be so surprised when they see.”

So I’d be in front of people looking like this? Sorry Misa, but I just want to go home now. And I was sure that Fina felt the same. I gave up and started to creep toward my bear gear—I’d stripped and thrown it to the ground. I started with my bear shoes and both my bear puppets.

“Yuna, are you really putting those on?”

Yep. These were the conditions for me to wear the dress. That was the trade: I’d wear the dress if I could keep the bear shoes and puppets.

So…well, I was wearing a beautiful black and white dress with shoes and bear puppets from a onesie.

Since I’d come to this world, my bear onesie served me for pretty much my entire daily existence, 24/7 unless I was in the bath or something. I couldn’t just pull all of it off. I tried to just have my puppets and shoes with me, but that hadn’t been enough to make me feel comfy.

Sure, I might’ve been comfortable just having an all-powerful weapon and flimsy paper armor while doing quests in the past, but I just didn’t have that mindset these days. I didn’t really get why some gamers liked being exposed like this, especially if it meant you’d die in just one hit. Then again, this wasn’t a game anymore.

I gently put away my ultimate armor, the bear onesie, into my bear storage.

 

After we were all wearing our dresses, we headed to the room where the party would be.

The party would be held in a different place from Gran’s, apparently. It seemed that Misa really had just invited close friends. I heard that the only ones going were Misa’s family, the Fochrosés, and the people who worked for Gran.

When we got to the place, Cliff and Ellelaura were already there with a couple of other people. People were staring at me, but…maybe I was just being self-conscious?

Ellelaura smiled as she came over. “Oh my, Yuna. You look so charming today.”

Thanks to your daughter.

“But what are those?” said Cliff, looking exasperated at the sight of the bear hands and feet. “Why are you wearing that?”

“You agree, Father? Yuna said that the condition for her wearing the dress was to let her have her bear hands and feet. She’s so pretty, it’s such a waste.”

I couldn’t take off the bear puppets or shoes, no matter what they said. If I didn’t have the bear puppets, I couldn’t use magic. If I didn’t have the bear shoes, I couldn’t move fast. I couldn’t just let them go.

I don’t think I’ve even tried running since elementary school. If I didn’t have the bear shoes, even Fina and the other girls could probably outrun me. Heck, the orphans were probably faster from running after those kokekkos.

“Still, it feels strange to see you without your bear outfit…”

Yep. I was feeling strange all around. And unsettled, too.

“…but it does look good on you. If any boys saw you, they’d probably rush over to propose.”

A rush of boys? No thanks. Do not need, do not want. “You should save your compliments for your daughter.”

“Of course. Noa and Fina are cute, but you’re far prettier in your dress, Yuna.”

Hurray. I sighed and tried to get to my seat, but I had no idea where to even sit. I’d never been to an aristocrat’s party before, so…what was I supposed to do? I struggled with that until Meishun came over.

“Mademoiselle Yuna, Mademoiselle Fina, your placements are this way. Please take a seat as you wait.”

So we were sitting according by family—that meant the Fochrosés and Fahrengrams, then Fina and me. The employees were sitting a little farther away.

I sat down and waited.

It was kind of cold in the dress. Thanks to my onesie, I was always at an optimum temperature. I never minded the cold before. But with a skirt, my legs were freezing. I’d only been away from it for a short time, but how I yearned for the mighty bear onesie.

While I sat and waited, Gran, Misa’s parents, and finally, Misa came into the room. Then, as Gran looked around the room, his eyes fell on me.

“I was wondering who you were...is that you, Miss?”

C’mon, didn’t he recognize me? It wasn’t like I ever pulled my bear hood super low over my face in front of Gran.

“Yuna, you’re so pretty,” Misa told me.

“Thank you. You’re looking pretty yourself, Misa.” Even if she was just being nice, it was better than her making fun of me.

We all got to our seats and kicked off the party.