Tactical Embarrassment

Warmth enveloped me as consciousness slowly returned. My eyes remained closed, savouring the comfortable weight distributed across my body and the gentle symphony of breathing that wasn't my own. Something soft tickled my nose, hair, I realised groggily. Actually, several different textures of hair.

Wait.

My eyes snapped open to the dim morning light filtering through the enchanted skylight I'd created in my sanctuary bedroom's ceiling. The memories of last night flooded back in a rush: the steaming onsen with its aphrodisiac-infused waters, Ruri and Noel appearing unexpectedly, Miyako returning and joining us, and the four of us moving to my hidden bedroom with its oversized bed and mirrored wall. The passion that had lasted well into the night.

I found myself on my back, with three sleeping women using various parts of my body as pillows. Their bare skin was warm against mine; soft curves pressed to my sides; limbs intertwined in a complex puzzle of intimacy that both delighted and frightened me. If there's an isekai protagonist handbook, I'm pretty sure "waking up with your harem" is chapter one, right after "getting hit by Truck-kun."

To my right, Miyako's platinum blonde and pink-highlighted hair splayed across my chest, her face peaceful in sleep, lips slightly parted. Without her usual makeup, she looked younger, more vulnerable somehow. Her tan skin contrasted beautifully with the cream-coloured sheets, her remarkable H-cup curves rising and falling with each breath. She had one leg thrown possessively over mine, one arm draped across my chest, fingers loosely intertwined with someone else's, Ruri's, I realised.

Ruri lay on my left side, her platinum hair with its distinctive silver pattern spread out like a moonlit waterfall. Her long rabbit ears with their matching silver patterns twitched occasionally in her sleep, perhaps responding to dreams. Her lavender eyes were closed, long lashes resting against her cheeks, her L-cup figure partially covered by the sheet that had somehow survived our evening's activities.

Noel was curled against Ruri's other side, one cream-coloured rabbit ear with delicate gold tips flopped adorably over her face. Her blonde hair framed her face in a golden halo, her K-cup curves partially visible where the sheet had slipped down.

I lay completely still, afraid to disturb any of them. The physical evidence of our night together was everywhere: discarded towels on the floor, the faint scent of the onsen's enchanted water still clinging to our skin, the lingering natural perfumes of four different bodies mingled together in the sheets. My infinity stamina had certainly been put to the test.

How had I ended up here? Just seventy days ago, I'd been Andie Ryuu, unremarkable student with an embarrassing figurine collection and a hopeless crush on the Kimochi sisters. Now I was in another world, leading a group of classmates and locals, building vehicles for an expedition, and somehow waking up with three beautiful women sharing my bed.

The cosmic joke department clearly hadn't lost its touch.

Miyako stirred first, her amber eyes fluttering open slowly. When her gaze focused on me, a sleepy smile spread across her face, somehow both innocent and knowing at once.

"Good morning," she whispered, her voice husky from sleep. She stretched against me like a contented cat, setting off a cascade of sensations I tried desperately to control.

"Morning," I replied softly, careful not to wake the others.

Her hand on my chest slid up to cup my cheek, and she leaned in to press a gentle kiss to my lips. When she pulled back, her eyes were bright with affection.

"Some night, huh?" She glanced at the still-sleeping Velunari women. "I didn't know rabbit girls had so much stamina."

"I think the onsen water might have had something to do with it," I whispered back. "Analysis showed it had some kind of aphrodisiac properties."

"Is that what we're blaming?" she teased, her fingers tracing lazy patterns on my chest. "Not your Divine Selections of... what was it again? Perfect Touch? Pleasure Transfer? Temperature Play?"

"Shh," I hushed her, feeling my face heat up. "You're going to wake them."

"Too late," came Ruri's melodic voice as her lavender eyes opened. "Some of us have sensitive hearing." Her ears perked up, rotating slightly to better catch our whispered conversation. "Good morning, Andie-kun."

"Good morning," I replied, still feeling awkward about the whole situation.

Noel stirred next, reaching up to brush her flopped ear away from her face before her violet eyes opened. She blinked several times, seemingly confused for a moment before recognition dawned. "Oh. Good morning," she said, her diplomatic composure returning despite our intimate circumstances.

"So," Miyako broke the brief silence, "that was... educational." Her tone was light, but I could hear the genuine curiosity beneath it. "I learned some interesting things about Velunari customs last night."

"I hope it was a pleasant cultural exchange," Ruri replied with a smirk that made my heart rate spike. "Though I must confess, despite my centuries of theoretical knowledge, last night was my first practical application."

Miyako's eyes widened. "Wait," she blurted, looking at Ruri in surprise. "That was your first time? But you seemed so..."

"Indeed," Ruri nodded, not seeming embarrassed in the slightest. "Extensive knowledge of pleasure arts doesn't necessarily mean direct experience."

"Me as well," Noel added quietly, a slight blush colouring her cheeks. "It's not as uncommon as you might think among our people."

Miyako sat up, holding the sheet to her chest. "But you both seem so experienced! How is this your first time? And you're..."

"Over three hundred years old?" Ruri finished for her, seeming amused by her shock. "Time moves differently for us, Miyako-chan. Three centuries for a Velunari is barely entering adulthood."

"Three hundred?" Miyako's jaw dropped. "You're both over three hundred years old?"

"We've seen over one hundred triple convergences," Noel confirmed with a dignified nod that somehow looked perfectly natural despite our current state of undress. "Which translates to approximately three hundred of your Earth years."

"But we're considered quite young by Velunari standards," Ruri added, her silver-patterned ears twitching with amusement. "We won't even begin to show our age for another millennium or so."

"And in all that time, you never...?" Miyako gestured vaguely, clearly still processing this new information.

"Time moves differently for us, Miyako-chan," Ruri explained with a playful smile. "Centuries can pass while we focus on our studies and duties. What might seem like an eternity to you is merely a phase of life for us."

"That's... wow," Miyako said, shaking her head in wonder. "So last night was the first time for both of you. And here I thought Andie and I were special with our first time back at the sanctuary."

I winced slightly at the memory being discussed so openly, but couldn't help smiling at the recollection of that night in the men's bath, when Miyako had finally confessed her feelings.

"So, all that flirting and suggestive commentary..." Miyako narrowed her eyes at Ruri.

"Was mostly teasing, yes," Ruri admitted with a mischievous smile. "Though I certainly meant every word about finding him delicious. His magical essence has fascinated me since our first meeting."

"Being a virgin doesn't mean I lack knowledge or desire," she continued with a wink when Miyako looked stunned. "Only opportunity."

"How does that even work?" Miyako asked, genuinely curious. "I mean, with centuries of life..."

Noel saved us from the awkwardness. "It's a matter of demographics and social structure," she explained in her measured diplomatic tone. "The Velunari have a significant gender imbalance, approximately twenty females for every male."

"Twenty to one?" Miyako's eyebrows shot up. "That's... wow."

Ruri nodded. "Our social structure adapted accordingly. Males typically live semi-nomadic lives, returning to settlements only every six to twelve months while training outside. When they do return, they're..."

"Pounced upon immediately," Noel finished with unexpected directness. "The most assertive females secure positions in the male's retinue quite quickly."

"And you two missed the boat every time?" Miyako asked.

Ruri's bell-like laughter filled the room. "We were always too busy with our respective duties. I with my magical research and ritual dancing, Noel with her diplomatic endeavours."

"We've both had opportunities to join existing arrangements," Noel clarified, "but preferred to wait for a more... direct connection."

"Well, you certainly got that last night," Miyako muttered, though there was no malice in her tone, just stunned disbelief. "So, in Velunari society, it's normal for one guy to have multiple female partners?"

"Precisely," Noel nodded. "It's not merely accepted but expected. A male with only one female partner would be considered quite unusual, perhaps even selfish, depending on the context."

"And females are... okay with sharing?" Miyako asked cautiously.

"We're raised with this understanding from birth," Ruri explained. "The concept of exclusive pairing simply doesn't exist in our culture. We value harmonious cooperation rather than competition for male attention."

"Though there can still be hierarchies within a male's retinue," Noel added. "Often based on seniority or particular skills and contributions."

"This is so different from Earth," Miyako said. "In Japan, having multiple partners is considered cheating. It's taboo."

"Your monogamous traditions are fascinating," Noel said with diplomatic tact. "But they wouldn't be practical for our population dynamics."

"I think what we have here," Ruri said with a grin, gesturing to the four of us, "is a beautiful cultural exchange programme."

"More like a deflowering programme," Miyako quipped, then laughed at my expression. "What? You've taken three virginities now. That makes you the 'Deflowernator.'"

I groaned and covered my face with my hands while the women laughed. This conversation was quickly veering into territory I wasn't prepared to navigate before breakfast.

"I didn't exactly plan this," I protested from behind my fingers. "And technically, Miyako and I were each other's first time over a month ago."

"You still took our virginities last night," Ruri pointed out with a playful smile. "After centuries of waiting, I might add."

"Can we please talk about something else?" I begged, feeling my face heat up even more.

"Oh no," Miyako said, settling in more comfortably. "I think the girls deserve to know the whole story of us."

"What story?" I asked suspiciously.

"How long I harboured feelings for you on Earth," she replied, her amber eyes softening. "How I thought I'd lost you forever when the summoning circles came. How we found each other again in Voluptaria."

"I'd very much like to hear this," Noel said, sitting up and arranging the sheet more modestly around herself.

"Me too," Ruri added eagerly, her ears perking forward with interest.

Miyako's voice took on a storyteller's cadence. "It started in middle school. Andie was this quiet, kind of mysterious boy who always had his nose in a book or was staring after the Kimochi sisters..."

"I wasn't always staring after them," I protested weakly.

"Yes, you were," Miyako retorted without missing a beat. "Anyway, I noticed him because he was different from the other boys. He didn't try to show off, didn't care about being popular. And he was smart, like, genuinely smart, not just good-at-tests smart."

I listened in fascination as Miyako recounted her perspective of our history, how she'd deliberately engineered "accidental" encounters, how she'd manoeuvred to be paired with me for projects, how she'd started gaming just to have an excuse to talk to me more.

"I'd been harbouring feelings for him since middle school," she continued, "but this blockhead never noticed, no matter how many signals I sent."

"In my defence, I thought you were way out of my league," I said.

"As I told you then, leagues are stupid," Miyako replied, poking me gently in the ribs.

Her voice grew more emotional. "And then when we got separated during the summoning to Voluptaria, I thought I'd lost my chance forever. I spent days helping organise everyone, trying to keep the group together, all while this hollow feeling inside me kept growing."

"Andie mentioned you tackled him and kissed him when you reunited," Ruri said with a grin.

Miyako laughed. "I completely lost it. One minute I was gathering berries by the river, the next I saw him standing there looking all confused and adorable, and my brain just shut down. I literally threw myself at him in front of our entire class."

"It was quite a moment," I admitted, remembering the intensity of that reunion. "Though I had no idea why you were so emotional at the time."

"Because you're dense," Miyako said fondly, poking my chest. "Then later, when everyone was settled in the sanctuary..."

"Oh, speaking of the sanctuary," Noel interrupted, looking around. "Andie, this hidden bedroom is quite impressive. I assume you used your Transform ability to create all this?"

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"Yes," I nodded. "Though I didn't expect it to get quite so much... use." Seriously, I had just wanted a quiet place to myself, not an isekai protagonist's love nest. The universe clearly had other plans.

"The bed is particularly well-designed," Ruri observed with a wicked smile. "Almost as if you were expecting company."

"I wasn't!" I insisted. "I just... like space."

"Mmhmm," all three women hummed disbelievingly in unison, then broke into laughter.

Miyako continued her story, "I found him alone in the men's bath that night, and we finally had our first real conversation about feelings. I barged in claiming the women's side was too crowded," she explained with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Then I confessed everything, how I'd been trying to get his attention for years, how I'd managed our gaming guild just to spend time with him."

"Her confession was passionate enough to finally penetrate my thick skull," I added with a smile.

"And you participated in an extensive exploration of Andie's divine selection abilities," Ruri finished with a grin. "How romantic."

"It was romantic," Miyako defended, though she was smiling. "In a weird, isekai sort of way."

"And now here we are," Noel observed, gesturing to our current arrangement. "An Earth girl and her longtime crush, joined by two Velunari diplomats, in a hidden bedroom crafted by Transform magic."

"Life's funny that way," I said, still marvelling at the strange turns my existence had taken.

Ruri stretched in a way that threatened the sheet's already precarious position. "So, will we be making this arrangement a regular occurrence? Or was it a one-time cultural exchange?"

All eyes turned to me, and I felt my mouth go dry. What was the right answer here? On Earth, the situation would be unthinkable, I'd be considered the worst kind of player. But here in Voluptaria, with its different cultural norms...

"I... I wouldn't mind... sometimes... if you wanted to..." I managed to stammer, then added quickly, "But I wanted to do something first."

"Something first?" Miyako repeated, her eyebrow arching curiously.

"Are we talking about a formal ceremony?" Noel asked, ever the diplomat. "Velunari have various rituals for establishing relationships."

"Or perhaps some sort of test of worthiness?" Ruri suggested, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Though I believe you've already demonstrated your... capabilities quite thoroughly."

"No, it's not, I just," I floundered, then took a deep breath. "Can we talk about this later? There's a lot of work to do on the vehicles."

"He's right," Miyako said, coming to my rescue. "We need to focus on finishing the transport for our journey to Takejin territory. Personal stuff can wait."

"Always so responsible," Ruri sighed dramatically, but her smile was genuine. "Very well. Though this conversation isn't over, Andie-kun."

The serious moment passed, and we began the awkward but strangely intimate process of disentangling ourselves from the sheets and each other. As the women moved around the room retrieving their scattered clothing, I tried not to stare, and failed miserably. How could I not notice the way Ruri's platinum hair cascaded down her back, or how Noel moved with elegant grace even when simply picking up a discarded towel, or the way Miyako's curves caught the morning light as she stretched?

"Enjoying the view?" Miyako caught my gaze and called me out.

"I, uh," I began, then gave up pretending. "Yes. Very much."

That earned me appreciative smiles from all three as they continued dressing. Miyako pulled on her distinctive Gold-Trimmed Black Wickedgrace Adornment Set, the enchanted lingerie hugging her curves perfectly. Noel's undergarments were more modest but no less elegant, a set of cream-coloured lace with subtle gold accents that matched her rabbit ears. Ruri's choice was the most flamboyant, dark blue lace with silver threading that formed protective magical runes, the quarter-cup design emphasising rather than concealing.

I forced myself to focus on my own clothing, pulling on a simple set of undergarments and my usual attire. By the time we were all dressed and presentable, the morning was well underway.

"Ready to face the day?" Miyako asked, adjusting her clothing one final time.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I replied, still uncertain how we were going to explain our joint emergence from my hidden sanctuary.

"Remember," Noel said in her diplomatic tone, "in Velunari culture, this would be considered a perfectly normal arrangement. Perhaps that perspective might help."

"Let's just get this over with," I sighed, moving toward the concealed doorway that led back to the "decoy" room and then to the main sanctuary.

As expected, our arrival in the main dining hall caused quite a stir. The moment we entered together, me visibly blushing, the three women following closely behind, conversation faltered and every eye in the room locked onto us. Expressions ranged from shock to amusement to knowing smiles.

"Good morning, everyone," I managed, trying for casual and failing spectacularly.

A wave of muffled giggles swept through the female side of the dining area. At the male table, Kazuki, Sora, Yuto, Ryota, Masato, and the other jocks stared at me with expressions ranging from disbelief to grudging respect.

"I, uh, we," I began, then stopped, having no idea how to explain our situation.

Miyako stepped in smoothly. "We were discussing cultural differences between Earth and Voluptaria. It ran late, so we crashed in Andie's quarters."

More giggling erupted, but her explanation at least gave everyone a thin veneer of plausible deniability to work with. The women separated from me with perfect composure: Ruri practically bouncing with each step, her silver-patterned ears perked high; Noel maintaining her diplomatic dignity despite the whispers that followed them; and Miyako smiling serenely, completely unbothered by the attention.

I reluctantly made my way to the male table, immediately met with expectant grins.

"So," Kazuki began as I sat down, "cultural discussions, huh?"

"Very educational," I replied, focusing intently on the food Emi had prepared.

Ryota leaned across the table. "Three of them? Seriously?"

"We're not discussing this," I hissed back.

"Come on," Sora pleaded. "You can't just walk in with three gorgeous women and expect us not to ask questions."

"Watch me," I retorted, shoving a piece of bread into my mouth to avoid further conversation.

Fortunately, a distraction arrived as Amakata-sensei stood up from her seat and cleared her throat for attention.

"Everyone," she announced, her voice carrying across the dining hall, "I have something I'd like to say."

The room fell silent as all eyes turned to our teacher.

"Since coming to Voluptaria, our relationships have evolved beyond the traditional teacher-student dynamic," she began thoughtfully. "We've become more of a family, supporting each other through challenges none of us could have imagined."

She paused, looking around at all of us with a warm smile. As she spoke, the formal mantle of authority she'd always carried seemed to slip away, making her appear suddenly younger and more approachable.

"Given that, and the fact that the age gap between us isn't actually that significant, I've been thinking..." She took a deep breath. "I'd prefer to set aside the formal 'sensei' title. I'd rather be an onee-chan to you all, a big sister figure rather than a distant authority."

Her announcement was met with surprised murmurs.

"So," she continued, "I'm fine if people want to call me 'Keiko onee-chan' from now on. It took me some time to come to this decision, but I believe it's the right one as we move forward together."

For a moment, there was stunned silence. Then Hitomi broke into applause, quickly followed by the rest of the class. The sporty girls seemed particularly delighted, having always been closest to our teacher during the journey in Voluptaria.

As I watched the reactions ripple through the room, I marvelled at how much our group had transformed. We'd arrived as strangers in a strange land, clinging to familiar social structures for stability. Now we were creating something new, a hybrid culture combining elements of our Earth heritage with Voluptarian customs and necessities.

The old social categories, nerds, jocks, gyarus, class reps, sporty girls, studious groups, remained only as gentle teasing points, functionality trumping hierarchies. Even our teacher had shed her formal role in favour of something more authentic. And here I was, formerly the loner with useless abilities, now somehow in a relationship with multiple women while helping lead our little community.

The cosmic joke department really had outdone itself again.

After breakfast, I found myself with unexpected free time. The vehicle construction was progressing smoothly without my direct involvement. Hitomi and Hina had the engine team well-organised, Naoki, Masato and Yuto were handling chassis fabrication, and even the interior upholstery was nearly complete under Haruka's direction.

I retreated to my private sanctuary's workspace, a small space off the lounge next to my "public" bedroom, that I'd designed for crafting and personal projects. Once alone, I pulled out the Concordium alloy that Seven had given me, the divine metal she'd said was enough for exactly 51 engagement rings. I'd been putting off working with it, but after last night... well, it seemed prudent to at least prepare for future possibilities.

The material shimmered with an otherworldly light, metallic yet somehow liquid in appearance. Using my Transform ability, I carefully crafted eleven rings from a small portion of the alloy. The power flowed through my fingers, shaping the impossible material with precision as I gave each ring a design that shimmered with subtle patterns reminiscent of flowing water or starlight, depending on how the light hit it.

As I set the eleventh ring alongside the others, I realised my oversight, I didn't know the ring sizes for any of the women. The crafting had been straightforward with my Transform ability, but size adjustments would require personal measurements.

I returned the remaining alloy to my inventory, contemplating how to solve this problem discreetly. While examining the rings, an inspiration struck. I pulled out my divine smartphone and opened the Bazaar of Wonders app, scrolling through the newly available materials.

The list was extensive: standard fabrics like lace, silk, and cotton, but also exotic options like Lunespun Silk, Solspun Silk, Shadow Silk, and Stellaspun Silk, magical fabrics from various planes of existence.

If we were travelling to Takejin territory, we should look like a unified group. Something inspired by our junior college uniforms would be perfect, not exact replicas, but garments that created visual cohesion while being practical for travel. And measuring everyone for uniforms would provide the perfect cover for collecting ring sizes without raising suspicion. Sometimes my infinity intelligence actually comes in handy.

I needed help from someone with genuine fashion skills, though. Haruka, with her tailor job class, would be the ideal partner.

I found her in the garage area putting the finishing touches on one of the recliner seats, her Tailor abilities allowing her to create perfectly contoured upholstery.

"Haruka," I called, approaching her workstation. "Do you have a minute?"

She looked up from her work, a pin held between her teeth. "Mmph?" She removed the pin and smiled. "Sorry. What's up, Andie?"

"I was wondering if you'd be interested in a side project," I said. "Something for the group that uses both our abilities."

"What kind of project?" she asked, setting aside her sewing tools.

"Clothing," I explained. "Something for everyone to wear when we reach Takejin territory. Something that makes us look like a cohesive group, inspired by our school uniforms but adapted for this world."

Haruka's eyes lit up. "That's actually super cool! But..." Her enthusiasm dimmed slightly. "That's, like, a ton of work for forty people."

"I thought of that," I said quickly. "We could create one male and one female template, then use my Transform ability to replicate them in different sizes. I just need someone with actual fashion sense to design them properly."

"And you came to me?" She smiled, clearly pleased, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Well, I am totally done with this boring upholstery, and this sounds way more fun than whatever Hitomi wanted me to do next." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "We'd need everyone's measurements, though."

"We could announce it at lunch," I suggested. "Get volunteers to help with the measuring, work through the afternoon, and hopefully have everything ready by dinner."

"Ambitious," Haruka commented, "but doable with enough hands. Especially with your Transform ability to help mass-produce once we have the templates."

"So, you're in?" I asked hopefully.

"Definitely," she nodded. "Let's make this happen."

At lunch, Haruka and I stood to make our announcement. The buzz of conversation died down as people noticed us waiting to speak.

"Everyone," I began, "Haruka and I have a project we'd like to work on this afternoon, and we need your help."

"We're going to create new uniforms for everyone," Haruka continued enthusiastically. "Something that makes us look like a unified group when we reach Takejin territory, based on our Paradise Heights uniforms but adapted for our current needs."

Excited murmurs spread through the gathering.

"New clothes?" Airi perked up. "I'm so in!"

"Will they be comfortable?" Ryota asked practically. "No offence, but school uniforms weren't exactly designed for adventuring."

"They'll be completely redesigned for functionality," Haruka assured him. "Just inspired by the original aesthetic."

"And why are we doing this?" Viktora asked, her fox ears twitching with curiosity.

The truth was, I'd been imagining how Ruri, Noel, and the other Voluptarians might look in clothes inspired by our Earth aesthetic. But saying that out loud would be embarrassing, so I improvised.

"Three reasons," I explained. "First, it will help us look like a cohesive group to outsiders. Second, it will give everyone fresh clothing options beyond what we've been wearing be it for those that came from Earth or those from Voluptaria. And third, the Takejin are known to be very formal and traditional, appearing as a unified group will help in our diplomatic interactions."

I was rather proud of how reasonable that all sounded, considering I'd just made one of them up on the spot.

Airi, who knew me too well from our gaming guild days, caught my eye from across the table and smirked knowingly. "And I bet Andie's just dying to see how the Voluptaria locals would look in Earth-style uniforms," she added playfully.

Several people laughed as heat rushed to my face.

"I, that's not," I stammered, but my reaction only confirmed her suspicion.

Ruri's ears perked up at that, and she flashed a bright smile. "I, for one, am quite intrigued by the concept of Earth fashion. Consider me volunteering to be measured first."

Noel nodded approvingly from her seat. "Personal curiosities aside, it is a sensible approach. The Takejin do indeed value formality and structure. A uniform appearance would likely earn their respect."

"So how can we help?" Hitomi asked.

"We need everyone's measurements," Haruka replied. "We'll set up in the workshop beside the female wing entrance after lunch. Anyone who isn't actively needed on the vehicles can help with measuring, fabric preparation, or assembly."

"I can help with measuring," Aoi volunteered immediately, looking excited.

"Me too," Rina added.

By the time lunch ended, we had a solid team of volunteers ready to assist. The workshop was quickly transformed into a makeshift tailor's studio, with measuring stations, fabric samples spread across tables, and Haruka's design sketches pinned to the walls.

People began arriving in groups for measurements, creating a lively atmosphere filled with chatter and laughter. I tried to keep a low profile, using my Transform ability to create basic garment forms that Haruka could then refine with her Tailor skills.

When the Velunari women arrived for their measurements, I seized my opportunity. As Aoi measured Ruri's wrist for sleeve length, I casually approached.

"I need to check something for the uniform design," I said, taking Ruri's hand. Under the pretence of measuring her finger length for gloves, I slid a measuring tape around her ring finger, mentally noting the circumference. "Just checking proportions," I explained when she gave me a knowing look.

"Of course you are," she replied with a wink that made my ears burn.

I repeated this with Noel, who raised an elegant eyebrow but said nothing, and later with Miyako, who immediately caught on.

"Ring sizing, huh?" she whispered when no one else was in earshot. "Smooth, Andie. Very smooth."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I muttered. "It's for... tactical gloves."

"Right," she smirked. "Tactical."

Throughout the afternoon, I managed to collect ring sizes from all the women while maintaining the pretence of uniform design work. Some, like Miyuki and Mochi, gave me curious looks but didn't comment. Others, like Hitomi, narrowed their eyes suspiciously but seemed to decide not to press the issue.

The measuring process became a social event in itself. The gyaru girls in particular seemed to enjoy helping, making exaggerated comments about everyone's proportions that left some blushing and others posing proudly.

Meanwhile, the uniform design evolved as we worked. For the women, Haruka created a base design that echoed our school uniform, a pleated skirt in a subtle navy plaid, a white blouse with navy accents, and a light jacket that could be worn or removed as needed. The male version featured similar colours but with trousers instead of skirts, both designs modified for durability and movement.

"I've added hidden pockets," Haruka explained as she showed me the prototype. "And the fabric is reinforced at stress points. Plus, everything is designed to layer for different climates."

"It's perfect," I said, genuinely impressed. "Let me help with the production."

Using my Transform ability, I replicated the base garments in various sizes as people's measurements came in. Haruka then added the finishing touches with her Tailor skills, ensuring perfect fits and adding personalised details for comfort.

We didn't stop at formal uniforms. Haruka's gyaru fashion sense came into play as she designed casual wear options, shorts, skirts, and tops for daily use, plus unisex t-shirts and trousers that everyone could wear when not in "official" mode.

By dinner time, we had completed forty complete uniforms, plus casual wear options for everyone. The garments were neatly folded and organised by person, ready for distribution.

"We did it," Haruka said, admiring our work with satisfaction. "I haven't had this much fun with fashion since our last shopping trip in Harajuku."

"It wouldn't have been possible without you," I told her sincerely. "Thanks for making this happen."

She smiled, her usual gyaru confidence returning. "Please, I was born for this. Now let's get these distributed before dinner, I'm starving!"

As we gathered the clothing bundles to take to the great hall, a sense of quiet satisfaction settled over me. Not only had we created something practical for the group, but I'd also managed to secretly collect all the ring sizes I needed for my future plans, whatever they might turn out to be.

"Coming?" Haruka called from the doorway, arms full of neatly folded uniforms.

"Right behind you," I replied, taking one last look at the workshop.

The simple act of creating these uniforms felt like more than just a clothing project. It symbolised our evolution from displaced individuals into a cohesive group with shared purpose, a family of sorts, bound not by blood but by shared experience and the strange, wonderful paths that had brought us together.

As I gathered my share of the clothing and followed Haruka toward the great hall, I reflected that for all the confusion and awkwardness of my new relationship situation, and despite the challenges still ahead on our journey, there was a simple joy in creating something useful for the people you care about. Sometimes the most meaningful bonds weren't forged through grand gestures or heroic battles, but through these everyday acts of service and connection.

Dinner, and the impromptu fashion show that would inevitably follow, awaited.