While Ayano had grown to be a strong fighter, there were still some things she needed to work on; like being observant. All the while she followed Kazuma to the nicer part of the city, she failed to realize that they were being followed by a relatively large group. "Hey."

The sudden outburst from Kazuma grabbed her attention and she quickly made eye contact with him. "I'm not dragging you along dressed like that."

Ayano looked down at her uniform. It was scuffed with dirt from when Kazuma threw her back during the fight. Not to mention a few small tears from where twigs were caught in his strong winds. "How I look? What about how you look? My outfit, even in this condition, is much nicer than yours!" She grasped her skirt and sent Kazuma a challenging smirk.

"Who said I wasn't going to change? Look, I'll be right down the street. Pick yourself out something nice. I'll come back and pay for it." Kazuma looked Ayano from head to toe thoroughly before turning his back on her.

"Something nice, huh? Oh, I'll pick the nicest dress you've ever seen, Kazuma!" Ayano spun on her heels and confidentially walked into the store.

Upon entering she was awestruck. This was no department store. It was full of top name designer dresses, shoes, and accessories. "He wants me to get something from here? Where are we going to eat?"

"Hello ma'am. May I be of any service to you this fine evening?" A middle-aged woman approached Ayano, dressed in an elegant black cocktail dress.

"I'm looking for a dress, I suppose." Ayano's eyes wandered the store as she saw glorified summer dresses to potential wedding dresses.

Wedding dresses. Her face flushed a shade to blend her eyes and hair on her face. She quickly regained her composure and turned away from the woman. "I'm looking for a dress that I can wear out to dinner. As you see, my school uniform clearly won't do. And don't worry; price isn't of concern to me. I have someone coming who will pay my tab!"

The sales woman nodded graciously and led Ayano further in the store. "Do you have a color that you prefer? Or shall I bring out a few suggestions?"

On their last real dinner, Ayano had worn a long pink dress. Kazuma seemed to approve of it, but then again, Kazuma would approve of anything that shows off a woman's figure. "Well, I guess I'm not really sure. I had a lovely pink dress, but it was ruined. But I'm starting to think that maybe pink is a little too young for me. I am a woman now after all." Ayano looked down at her chest and patted her hips; her curves were more defined than they had been before.

"I think I have the perfect dress for you then. Please, it's right over here."

The store was surprisingly large for a top designer line. It probably had several different big names working together to increase revenue, especially because there was everything from slacks to accessories. Kazuma must have known this, and lead Ayano there in order from her to get an entire outfit, from head to toe. After just a few moments Ayano found herself standing in front of possibly the most stunning dress she had ever seen. "If you don't mind me saying, no one is ever too old for pink. It just depends on how you wear it, don't you agree?"

The sales lady took the dress from the rack and gently handed it to Ayano. Ayano's crimson eyes shimmered and she walked in to the dressing room to make sure the dress fit properly. She slid the dirty uniform off her body, protected by the locked door in front of her. Down to just her undergarments, she looked herself over, silently judging the imperfections she saw in herself. She did not look into the mirror again until she carefully zipped up the dress.

Her reflection bounced off the mirror and back in Ayano's eyes. The design of the dress was relatively simple. Her shoulders were left exposed as the white strap which held the dress up wrapped around the back of her neck. The top of the dress came down to a low pale cream V-neck, leaving her developed cleavage visible in an adult, yet innocent, way. Just below her chest a black ribbon wrapped around and was tied in a gracious, thick bow accenting her already small waist. Below the ribbon, the dress faded to a darker cream, making her already pale skin look much lighter. Starting at the top of her left hip, small light pink flowers decorated the front of the dress which faded down and the whole dress became the light pink shade, while the flowers became a darker pink. The entire length of the dress flowed just above the top of her bare feet.

Ayano twirled in the mirror and the dress spun around her body, hugging it gently. She adored the way the dress not only looked, but looked on her. Kazuma was definitely going to pay for it. Now the only issue that remained was finding a good pair of shoes and maybe even a hair piece. As she exited the fitting room, the sales lady clapped her hands together, "Oh, it looks absolutely looks stunning on you ma'am! I'm sure your boyfriend will be completely speechless when he sees you tonight!"

Boyfriend. Ayano's face flushed with a color as pink as her dress, but she did not protest since the lady was being so helpful. "Uh, y-yeah. Speechless boyfriend. T-totally." She fiddled with the dress and avoided eye contact.