Car Trouble?
(The next morning - 8:50am)
Misao stood outside the exclusive clothes shop with a bottle of coke in her hand. The store wasn't open until 9am, but Misao though it best to come a little early just in case Okon arrived. Misao leaned against the brick wall of the shop and yawned loudly. Shin had been in an accident at kindergarten and it was a lot easier for them to ring Okina then to ring herself. Misao didn't own a cellular phone, but had always gotten the number of wherever she worked just in case something like this happened. Perhaps it was time to start thinking of purchasing one.
Shin-chan had fallen off the playground equipment at the kindergarten and landed awkwardly on his right arm. Misao had rushed straight from the Shinomori residence and headed for Tokyo General Hospital. Once she reached emergency, puffing heavily, she followed the wailing sound of a young boy yelling 'I want my mummy'.
Misao sighed as she stood up properly watching a familiar silver limousine approaching the store she stood against. Misao stifled another yawn, having stayed up the entire night to make sure Shin-chan could sleep. He had x-rays taken on his arm, the doctor twisting it here and there, her little boy sniffling all through the process. Misao knew he was very lucky though, as there was no signs of any broken bones, just some swelling, bruising and a sprained wrist. He'd have to stay home for a bit, maybe two days at the most and then ease himself onto the playground equipment, taking it slowly…as well as drawing and writing. Misao was nervous when she watched his right arm twitch every now and then, but the doctor reassured her that everything would be fine in a week or two. They had said his muscles and nerves had quite a shock at Shin-chan falling over, but they'd heel nicely, just like the rest of him. He had various bruises and scratches on his right leg as well…but he wasn't fussed about that. Shin-chan was a very strong boy, but going through the shock of falling so suddenly and not having his mum care for him straight away sent the young boy into tears.
While Misao worked during the day, Okina, Megumi and Genzai-sensei rotated as they offered to look after Shin-chan. Misao thanked them gratefully for being such kind and caring friends…and relatives. Since that event happened Misao made the decision of Shin-chan being watched by Genzai-sensei tomorrow night while she was at the cocktail party. Okina had been surprised when Misao told him about where she was going…and with whom as well, but he was making her go saying Shin-chan would be all right with Genzai-sensei.
Shin on the other hand started complaining about wanting to stay with 'Uncle Sano', but Misao told him no over and over again. He ended up giving her the silent treatment but never for too long though. What the little boy didn't know was Misao was making Sano stay the night at Genzai-sensei's as well, this being her surprise to Shin for being so brave at the hospital. Besides, Ayame and Suzume-chan loved playing with Sano as well so she was sure they would have tons of fun.
Misao watched the limousine pull up, Okon stepping out of the car wearing a long black velvet skirt and a dark brown velvet top. She placed on a small smile waving at Misao and then turned to speak to Soujiro for a few moments. Misao had glanced down at her very plain and quite average outfit then looked to Okon once more. Yep, she had fashion and class where as Misao was just plain…and quite unfashionable. She didn't have leisure time to buy herself outfits…she had a son to provide for…and that was hard for a single mum her age. She worked two jobs, part time study and whilst trying to place in more time to bond with her child. The first couple of years with Shin-chan were extremely hard for Misao; he always being sick and she had a lot of hospital bills to pay for. Misao waved to Soujiro as he drove off, going lord knows where and waited for Okon to approach her.
"Ohayo Misao-san." Okon voiced happily and Misao nodded in return voicing her own good morning as well.
"Shall we get a cup of coffee since we are a little early? Or would you prefer to start in different dress stores so we can get this over and done with quickly?" Okon questioned Misao to see what she preferred doing.
"I think quickly is good for me. I'm not really one for…well my bank balance can't buy me such outfits that's for sure." Misao peered into the window and bent down, looking at the price tag of a purse.
"Okay…so I can't even afford a purse then…" Misao corrected herself and turned to look at a giggling Okon.
"Miss Misao you needn't worry about such things. Master Shinomori is paying for everything, including your hair and makeup appointment, didn't he tell you?" Okon questioned and Misao scratched the back of her head and laughed nervously.
"I…I might have missed that part." Misao lamely replied. Misao followed a fast paced Okon, she deciding on all the places they'd be visiting and where they would start off for the morning.
* * * *
(Three hours pass by…)
"Okon-san, can we have a rest? I thought mechanics was hard, but shopping…ouch, that has to be the worst thing in the entire world!" Misao retorted dramatically and sighed as she was dragged into another clothes store. Misao plonked herself into a cushioned chair, the store lady glaring at her for doing so, but smiled at Okon as she mentioned Aoshi Shinomori's name and so on.
"Good afternoon madam, what exactly are we looking for today?" The store woman spoke politely to Misao, only because the card Okon held up happened to belong to the Shinomori household.
"Misao-san here is going to a cocktail party tomorrow evening. She'll need a dress, most probably a shall or coat if needed, a pair of shoes and a purse." Okon butted in before Misao could get a word out. The store owner glanced at Misao and Misao sat up properly and cleared her throat.
"Exactly what Okon-san is saying is true. I need to find a dress suitable for a cocktail party, something stylish and feminine but very elegant as well. Most of the dresses in here I have already tried on…and I must say they are extremely cheaper at the other stores as well." Misao contorted as she moved around the shop, speaking in a snobbish tone of voice. If this woman was going to look at her as though she wasn't worth anything, then she sure as hell wasn't going to but up with it! Pretending to be rich and snobby wasn't hard at all. You walked with ease and grace as though nothing could get in your way…and you face slightly tilted up, as though looking down at everyone from 'above'. Misao smiled inwardly at the flabbergasted noise the storeowner made. Misao picked up her backpack from the ground and left the store, voicing her opinion for Okon to follow.
"Okon-san let us depart, we have much shopping to do." Misao was outside and walking amongst other pedestrians, Okon running lightly to catch up.
"Misao-san that was most rude of you." She chided Misao like she was an older sister.
"You never saw the way she looked at me…and besides I already tried on all of those dresses as well. We've been shopping for three straight hours, can't we have a small rest at least?" Misao was practically begging Okon and observed as she sighed in defeat and nodded her head.
"Come on Misao-san, I know a wonderful café just around the corner." The tow women walked in silence, Misao gazing in shop windows to see if there was anything that caught her eyes. It just so happened that across the road, in a very small store, not as fancy as the others, something did catch her eyes. Misao halted on the pavement, people glaring at her for stopping so suddenly.
"Okon-san, I think I've found the dress!" Misao spoke excitedly and hurriedly crossed the street, totally ignoring Okon's shouts to ait for her.
Misao stared into the glass window the black dress hung tightly on a headless mannequin doll. Misao entered the dully lit shop, cringing at the powerful smell of the incense burning in a corner somewhere.
"May I help you?"
"AH!" Misao yelled and swiftly turned around to see a short old lady smiling at up at her.
"Um, that dress in the window…can I try it on?" Misao spoke lamely and quietly. She watched the old woman smile at her and then she observed as she took the dress off the mannequin and proceeded to place it into her arms.
"Just change in the room dear." The old woman spoke pointing to a white door and Misao walked over towards it and closed it shut loudly. She stripped out of her sneakers, jeans and baggy shirt and slipped the dress on. The zip did up under her right arm, hiding it away from view. The black dress was made of smooth cotton fabric and was quite light in weight. It hugged Misao's curves from the top to her waist and then the material fell loosely to her ankles…actually covering her small feet. Misao turned to look in the mirror on the side, the back as cut low Misao reminding herself she'd have to go out and buy a new pair of underwear…low cut ones at that. She needn't wear a bra at all either. Misao faced the front again and looked at herself in the mirror. The front of the dress, the chest area reached al the way up to her collarbone, she not needing to wear a necklace at all. The sleeves were short and stopped just were her collarbones ended. Misao ran her fingernails over the small shining beads on the front, they scattered evenly over the chest area on the dress and then sprayed lightly to the right side of the dress. They became less and less as the dress reached to her feet. The beads happened o change colours from red, to blue to even green! It really depended how the light shone on it.
"This I it!" Misao spoke excitedly to herself and stepped out of the change room to see he old woman and Okon waiting for her. Misao self-consciously stood in the middle of the small store ad waited for their decision on what the dress looked like on.
"M-Misao-san you look wonderful!" Okon replied in slight shock. Misao blushed out of habit at being praised and received a smile from the old woman as her answer. The old woman walked over, her wrinkled hand rubbing at her chin, much like her grandfather did at his beard. She hummed and hared and finally came to a decision.
"Young lady you'll be the most beautiful young woman at the event you are going to. Place your hair up, get some dangle earrings, matching handbag and shoes and you'll knock them dead…even the young man you happen to be going with."
"O-Okon-san you told her about the party?" Misao stuttered and blushed at the same time. The thought of Shinomori-san complementing her was making her even redder!
"Wait, I have just the shoes for this occasion…and purse as well." The old woman spoke and made her way to the front window to bring back a pair of high heel shoes and a purse. The shoes were slightly pointed at the front sheer black like the dress and with a small black buckle to tie them up around her ankles. The buckle happened to be the beads on the dress. The purse was small and quite elegant the broach on the front being the beads on the dress and shoes as well, they changing colours also. Misao hitched up the dress, a split in the front going al the way up to mid thigh region. Misao placed her hand on Okon's shoulder as she stepped into the high heels, they being about three inches high…and that was three inches too high for Misao. At least they were slightly thicker heel then usual high heel shoes. The old woman did them up and Misao placed the purse in her hand as she stared at herself in the mirror. She was a completely different person that's for sure!
"We'll take them!" Okon spoke happily, Misao's eyes bugging out as she saw the price of the dress, shoes and purse.
"But Okon-san…" Misao got no further as Okon whipped out the Shinomori card and charged the entire outfit to it.
"No buts Misao-san. Master Shinomori wants you to look especially wonderful tonight…and money is no object, so it doesn't matter if we spend a few thousand yen okay?"
"A few thousand yen!" Misao yelled incredulously, but shut her mouth as Okon gave her a silent stare telling her there was no chance in hell she was going to win this argument. Misao took the bag from the old woman and thanked her profusely for her help as Okon dragged her out of the store.
"Not exactly my choice of store Misao-san, but you have done well." Okon responded and smiled over at a quiet Misao.
"Is something wrong Misao-san?" Okon spoke in a soft tone of voice, fearing she'd upset the young woman.
"Okon-san, I think…I mean…I'll have to buy some…lingerie for this dress. Nothing I have will suit it, since well, it shows…" Misao spoke softly and a little embarrassed. Okon smiled over at a blushing Misao and then took her hand in hers comfortingly and strolled her to a lingerie shop a couple of stores away.
"I think this will go nicely with the dress Misao-san." Okon commented ad Misao turned to her left to see her holding up a lace g-string. Misao scrunched her face up at the thought of wearing it and uttered her remark.
"And what the hell is that supposed to cover? I might as well go naked!" Another customer glanced Misao's way, Misao eyeing them silently as if to say 'What the hell are you staring at' and they quickly moved on to another rack of lingerie. Misao picked up a pair of silk black underwear, low cut ones and held them up to get Okon's point of view on them.
"I much prefer something like this. I'll feel more comfortable that way."
"Tell you what Misao-san, we buy both and you can try them both with the dress okay?" Misao parted her lips as though ready to complain once again but quickly closed them shut and nodded her head. Who was she to complain about getting free clothes and a free makeover as well. What scared Misao the most was whether or not she had to return the favour to Shinomori-san…and what would it entail.
"Misao-san I think we are finished for the day. Shall I take these to the mansion for you and you can go home and relax…maybe practice trying to fit in with…people like us I guess." Okon responded awkwardly and heard a small laugh from Misao. Okon sighed thanking the gods she wasn't offended or anything.
"Thank you Okon, but I thin I might take the shoes with me…I haven't worn shoes like this before and really need the practice." Okon handed over the bag with the shoes and waited for Soujiro to come and pick her up as she rang the car phone telling him of her location.
"Misao-san, I had fun today." Okon spoke to the shorter woman beside her. Misao laughed and placed a smile on, she nodding her head and responding in kind.
"It was definitely and eye opener but I had fun too. Oh, which reminds me, what time do I have to be in town for the hair and makeup appointment?"
"Just come to Master Shinomori's mansion between 1 and 2 in the afternoon. Master Shinomori has had many women as his dates to such functions and they always get ready at the mansion. Besides we pay these women a lot of money and so Master Shinomori makes them come to the mansion to do their jobs. Well here is Soujiro-kun, so I better be off. Enjoy the rest of your day and try and relax and not think about tomorrow evening too much Misao-san." Misao waved to Okon and then shouted to her before Soujiro closed the door to the limousine.
"Don't show the dress to anyone Okon-san!" Okon waved her hand in promise and Misao watched the limousine drive off, she sighing in relief at this day being over and done with.
"Okay, time for something to eat." Misao muttered to herself and walked off as she heard her stomach grumble for the hundredth time in a row already. She'd get a quick bite to eat and pick up some take away as a surprise for Shin-chan since she had the ret of the day off, and he was after all the only person she wanted to spend more time with.
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To be continued…
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Authors Notes: Arigatoo Minna-san for the birthday wishes and for the 100 reviews! (^_^) How wonderful it is to have so many people liking my story…its truly great and keeps me writing as I mentioned before. Truly it does and I am grateful for everyone being patient on my other unfinished works (although I get the occasional death threat though).
Big thank you's to my constant reviewers, I don't know how many there are, and I'd feel terrible if I left anyone out…so…
*Huggies and flowers to all of you*
Oh and if anyone is wondering, the next chapter will be the cocktail party…with a blushing Misao here and there and a shocked Aoshi everywhere! lol! Don't mind me I'm just excited I've finished this chapter and am actually updating my site. If you know and love doujinshi please go check it out:
www.noahazuma.com
Ja! Till next time! (^_^)