Episode 57: Shopping Date
Dawson and Oine descended from the space station 'Wagoyama' via orbital elevator and arrived on the home planet of the Amato Imperial Japan.
As they entered a taxi equipped with artificial intelligence, Dawson reconfirmed Oine's appearance.
A girl of exquisite beauty, her lustrous black hair flowing like a work of art. Even the slight absence of chest development added to her youthful charm.
Her posture reflected the devotion of her creator, Himena, toward her own sculpture. Yet Dawson found the thin dress and sandals troubling.
"Is this outfit something you chose to wear?"
"No. Himena dressed me in it, saying it suits me best."
"It does suit you—but—"
From Oine's artistic form, the cheap-looking clothes lacked the presence they should have.
"——That's true. We should start by buying clothes for Oine."
"Can you really buy clothes for me?"
"Of course. One outfit won't do. There are other options that would suit you better."
Dawson spoke while summoning the taxi's built-in spatial projection monitor and checking his bank account balance.
He did not know how much money he had. He had been stationed in the SU-controlled orbital zone for an extended period, and more than half of his official salary had been donated to the orphanage.
The account check was meant to set a shopping budget. But if restricted to civilian retail outlets, the funds were sufficient for generous spending.
"Then let's head to the integrated commercial facility—shopping mall—first."
Dawson directed the taxi's artificial intelligence to proceed toward the large integrated commercial facility near the orbital elevator.
The orbital elevator served as a tourist attraction, and commercial facilities had been established nearby to draw visitors from the vicinity.
The taxi ride was brief, yet Oine seemed delighted, her feet tapping lightly.
Dawson stepped out of the taxi without concern, as if his happiness were acceptable, and waited for Oine to come alongside before walking in step toward the commercial facility.
Dawson placed his luggage in the locker and moved to stand in front of the directory board. He activated the spatial projection monitor on the board, displayed information about clothing stores in the commercial complex, then called Oine over, who had been looking around with apparent interest.
Oine. What kind of clothing store is preferable?
"Um, first off, I'd like to exclude children's clothing. Oine isn't a child."
Dawson looked at Oine's form. It might pass for a child, but he reconsidered—Oine was not a child. He filtered out children's clothing from the store listings, then excluded men's clothing as well.
"Still plenty of options left."
"Then, practicality and durability should be prioritized. Thin materials seem likely to tear."
"Right, that body has output comparable to a combat android, after all."
"Yes. Given the kind of work we do, something sturdy is preferable."
"True, but focusing solely on utility is problematic. We have a body built with care—there's no harm in dressing it up."
"Then, we're looking for something practical yet visually appealing."
Dawson initiated a search for stores matching those criteria.
Three store listings appeared in the results.
"Unexpectedly, there are options."
Dawson murmured the observation while confirming the store locations. He proceeded to operate the directory terminal and created a new, one-day-only debit card linked to his account. This allowed purchases to be processed automatically at checkout with no further action required.
"Then let's go, Oine."
"Yes, Dawson. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of clothing we'll find."
The two approached the three stores.
The first was a shop selling workwear for all genders, organized by job type. Practical clothing, certainly. Some garments designed for specific professions were also visually appealing. Yet they did not suit the purpose of dressing up. A single glance sufficed. They moved on.
The second store sold everyday clothing. It was a popular establishment, attracting families and individual customers alike, regardless of gender or age, all examining merchandise. Some items appeared promising, but the store was crowded. They decided to visit the third store first.
After viewing the third store, Oine’s lens eyes clearly brightened.
“This is an intriguing concept for a clothing shop!”
Oine’s assessment was understandable.
The items sold here were outlet uniforms intended for personnel assigned to high-profile security details.
High-ranking officials in the Amato Imperial Japan avoided overly armed guards. They believed that the presence of heavily armed protectors might suggest vulnerability, leading to unintended assumptions about potential targeting.
Yet, if no protection were provided, the purpose of hiring guards would be meaningless.
Thus, the attire required for high-profile security personnel appears at first glance to be ordinary, well-kept clothing, yet must be capable of serving as a shield for the individual in the event of an assault.
To meet this requirement, the fabric used in high-profile security garments is treated for resistance to blades, impacts, and energy pistol fire, and is tailored with precision.
However, due to the high standards, some fabric inevitably falls outside specifications. Because the material is expensive, simply discarding it would result in total loss.
Given this context, the outlet store produces and sells garments from off-spec fabric.
Dawson read this explanation, displayed on a spatial projection monitor anchored to the storefront sign.
The explanation mentioned the performance of off-spec fabric. Most fabric had only slightly fallen below a single strict resistance threshold.
From Dawson’s knowledge gained at the Officer Academy, the actual resistance scores of the outlet garments were within acceptable ranges. If this were military-grade material, it would have passed inspection without issue.
Yet these garments were designed to protect both the guardian and the protected.
Even though the standard was set rigorously, any performance below that standard meant neither party could trust their lives to it.
“Under circumstances a civilian might encounter, this level of armor would be excessive—though effective.”
Even if attacked by a violent assailant, whether with a blade, live ammunition, or a laser weapon, the garment would allow the wearer to escape without injury.
Wearing a suit from this shop would reduce the frequency of life-threatening situations encountered in daily life.
The store appears to cater to wealthy parents concerned with their children's safety, as children's clothing is also available.
Yet despite being made from outlet-grade fabric, every garment carried a price tag comparable to that of a custom-made formal suit—extremely high.
Dawson, raised in an orphanage, hesitated at the price, but the clothing matched Oine's request for something practical yet visually appealing.
Above all, the sleek design seemed to suit Oine's artistic beauty as a young girl, a feeling Dawson could not ignore.
—One or two pieces, shall we select them?
When Dawson brought up the matter, Oine's expression brightened visibly.
—Yes, I like the clothing here. Let's buy them!
Oine took Dawson's hand and charged into the store.
The shop attendant, upon seeing the two enter, displayed a brief expression of surprise, then immediately adjusted to a professional demeanor.
"Welcome, sir. What are you looking for today?"
The attendant discreetly scanned Dawson and Oine's attire with minimal movement of the eyes, avoiding detection by others.
Unaware or indifferent to this, Oine confidently placed the order.
"I need clothing suitable for this body. Preferably, the fabric should be multi-layered."
"Multi-layered fabric, correct. For a shorter female form, perhaps this would suit?"
The attendant pointed to a mannequin wearing a corset dress with layered ruffles.
Made from fabric with black as the base and white accents, it features a short, flared skirt with layered fabric at the hem, and loose sleeves. Thick tights and glossy black boots. A veil-like headpiece completes the ensemble.
"This Gothic-style outfit for young women was designed with layered fabric to compensate for the material's low performance. It is constructed as a standard-duty dress. The tights and headpiece are, of course, resistant."
The attendant speaks with confidence. Dawson notices a flaw.
"Looks hot. I've heard these garments lack climate control because they're vulnerable at the joints during attacks."
The attendant's expression shifts slightly, a momentary hesitation.
"There is a minor issue with heat dissipation, as you mentioned. At exhibitions, this has been pointed out—excessive sweating while wearing them leads to an unsightly appearance."
"Yet you haven’t corrected it?"
"Under climate-controlled conditions, the garments function without issue. Also, this store sells outlet items. Minor flaws are expected."
"So you’re saying they’re intended for use indoors or aboard ships? The people who can afford these garments aren’t likely to be attacked indoors or aboard a vessel. Safety protocols are strictly observed in either environment."
"That is true. But unforeseen circumstances always exist."
The clerk continued explaining, his tone carrying a quiet hope that the garment might finally sell.
The clerk clearly understood the product was difficult to sell.
Dawson hesitated to press further questions. He turned the conversation toward Oine.
“Seems like there are several issues, but do you still want this type of garment?”
Oine smiled in reply.
“Yes. Performance matches the specifications. I would like to purchase it. Heat dissipation should not be a problem.”
“If Oine says it’s acceptable, then we’ll buy it.”
The clerk, who had been trying to sell the item, looked surprised at Dawson’s response.
“You’re going to purchase it?”
“Yes. Do you have another one? I’d like to buy a second if available.”
“Yes, we do! A different design, same color scheme.”
The clerk hurried toward the back of the store and returned shortly. In their hands was a garment nearly identical to the one on the mannequin.
Dawson looked at Oine. A nod confirmed it was acceptable.
"Understood. I’ll take that one too. But buying two garments that show no sign of selling. You want some kind of bonus?"
"If that is the case, discount is difficult. But I can include five undergarments with the dress. The undergarments have moisture-wicking properties. If you wash these, the dress will not show sweat stains even with daily use."
"Are those undergarments also durable?"
"Performance is lower overall, but in terms of protecting the body from attacks strong enough to penetrate the dress, they provide sufficient defense."
"So they can withstand attacks whose power has been reduced by the dress."
Dawson accepted the clerk’s offer. He purchased two gothic-style corset dresses that fit Oine’s frame precisely.