Chapter 9: Of Panda Suits and Blue Hoodies
"Ohh… this place has a lot of cute things!" Ganko gushed as she looked around the shelves of the boutique. There was a huge selection of pink clothing. The other different-colored garments were a bit further in.
Tanya was between Domon and Kaoru, looking around like she just entered a Horror House. Kagerou was checking out a shelf by the entrance. Kaoru adjusted his hold on the several shopping bags he was carrying for Ganko and held out his free hand to Tanya.
"Come on, Tanya-chan." The Kougan-Anki master grinned. "They really won't stop till they think they're done."
Tanya allowed herself to take his hand and followed him to where Ganko was. Domon followed right behind them.
Recca struggled to carry several more shopping bags as he followed Yanagi around the boutique. Yanagi picked out a pink top with a cute bow on the collar.
"Tanya-chan!" She called out, as she and Recca went over to join their companions, "Try on this one." She handed her the top.
"And these!" Ganko added cheerfully as she held out a huge amount of clothing, which she piled into Tanya's arms.
Evidently, Tanya was getting used to this after the last twenty stores they had been in, for she obediently went to the fitting room to try on all the clothes they had given her.
"Wait!" Kagerou called out. "I think this one will look good on you too." She held out a pink shirt with a cupcake on it.
"O-okay." Tanya allowed Kagerou to add the shirt to the dangerously large pile in her arms. She sighed and stepped into the dressing room
'Here we go again…' she started to pull on the first shirt on top of the pile.
Tokiya and Fuuko had walked to Pretty In Pink in silence. By the time they entered, Fuuko strided ahead.
"Tanya's probably smothered under frilly dresses by now….. maybe I should have come with them….." She said out loud.
Tokiya was looking around, trying not to smile. This morning, Tanya told him she absolutely didn't know how to go clothes shopping and the last time she had been allowed to pick out clothes she liked, their mother ended up choosing for her still.
He reached his friends just in time to see Tanya emerge from the nearest fitting room.
"Um….. Ganko-san? Isn't this a Panda suit?"
"Ohh….you look so kawaii!" Ganko exclaimed. "You look so cute in anything we pick out for you! We'll have to get you all of this!" she began to collect all the garments they had Tanya try on.
"You look adorable, sweetie!" Fuuko came forward and hugged the little girl close.
"Hello, Fuuko-kun." Tanya said, returning the hug. "But this is a Panda suit, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is." Tokiya walked up to them, still stifling a smile.
"Oh, come on, Fridge Boy! You've got to admit this looks cute on her." Fuuko put down the plastic bag she was carrying and scooped Tanya up in her arms.
"Hold on," Recca held out a hat with panda ears. "I think this will complete the look. Right, Princess?"
"Oh, good find, Recca!" Yanagi kissed him on the cheek.
Fuuko placed the hat on Tanya's head, making her look like a Panda cub. The little girl buried her face in Fuuko's cuddle.
"Now you really seem like a Panda." Fuuko laughed. "Don't be shy. You look good."
Tanya finally looked up. She turned her gaze over to her brother to find a small smile on his face, as he looked at her. Was that tenderness in his eyes?
"See? She's making Fridge-Boy smile again!" Yanagi announced. "We are definitely getting her that Panda outfit."
"And now that I've got you here, we can pick out a few things for you too, Fuuko." Yanagi declared.
Tokiya picked up the groceries Fuuko had set down and watched in bewilderment as Yanagi and Ganko pulled Fuuko and Tanya around the store.
He was halfway to them when a jacket caught his eye. He put down the groceries he was carrying and took it down from the rack.
It was a beautiful blue jacket with a hood. As deep, cerulean-blue as…
'It's the same color as her eyes.' Tokiya thought to himself.
"After we get my monkey food and pay for your shopping, I'm going to get a new thick hoodie jacket when we pass by a nice boutique. If I'm going to see more of you around, the temperature's probably going to go below a sub-zero degree."
"Tokiya? That's a girl's jacket." Kagerou's voice broke his train of thought.
He blushed as he turned to her. "It's not—I wasn't-"
"Well, it seemed too big for Tanya, I assumed-" Kagerou began to laugh.
"It's not for me." Tokiya assured her.
"All right then." Still chuckling, Kagerou went off to join the rest of Team Hokage.
Tokiya stared at the jacket in his hands, then at Fuuko, who was in Tanya's earlier predicament: an enormous pile of clothes in her arms, courtesy of Yanagi and Ganko.
It was her size.
He picked up the groceries with one hand and made for the counter.