Chapter 18 - Fragments and Mec chen House (cont.)

I didn’t see why she couldn’t just tell me, but I responded, “I accept. What can you tell me?”

“I remember a house cat.”

“House cat? What kind?”

“Furry.”

“A breed?”

“I don’t know breeds of cats. It was just a furry cat. It looked annoyed.”

I pried Jamie for more about the cat, “Did it look anything like Sumi’s cat?”

“It was a tomcat.”

“How could you tell?”

“I just knew… it was.”

That sounded ambiguous but I pushed a little more, “Did it have any distinguishing marks? Collar? Color?”

Jamie’s eyes were dry. She looked unsettled but better than a little while ago.

“Its fur had a weird sort of color. Kinda reddish but dark. Fluorescent? I dunno. I remember it had brilliant green eyes. Like glowing gems. And the tip of its tail was cocked towards it at the end, like someone broke it.” She started hyperventilating and shivered a little before stating, “That’s it. I can’t say more right now.”

It was something at least. I thanked her. Carolyn offered comforting words and tea. Jamie urged out a quiet ‘thank you’ but said, “We really need to get to the library before I forget the important stuff.”

Carolyn rustled around in a drawer and pulled out a pad and pencil. “Here. You should write it down. If only for yourself.”

“That’s almost as bad as talking about it.”

Carolyn shrugged. “Still, you should take it. Here. I’ll put my contact information here… just in case you already lost it.” She made a few marks on the pad.

Jamie huffed, “Of course I didn’t lose it!”

“Good for you. You get a free notepad as well.” She held the pad and pencil out again. Jamie took them and fidgeted to stuff them in a pocket, which had been flattened by the changes in her hips. She stood cautiously and brushed her hands.

“If that’s all…”

Carolyn added, “You should definitely buy a bra, as soon as possible.” I silently agreed. Backtracking would be wasteful.

“Noted…” Jamie replied.

He wiped his hands and said, “I guess that’s it then. You two take care. And do keep out of trouble.” He winked at Jamie and smiled.

Jamie turned to leave, her hand at the door. She stopped before opening it and said, “Same at you.” Then carefully walked out.

Carolyn looked pleased, gave me a little wave, and added, “I’ll remember to keep an eye open for anything out of the ordinary.” I thanked him and joined Jamie outside.

Her arms were in a protective position over her chest. She shuffled along the cement, keeping a distance from everyone else.

She muttered, “That was very much unpleasant…”

“You gonna be okay?”

Jamie brought her arms closer. “As soon as we get to a place with… bras which aren’t lacy or any of that junk.”

I assured her, “I’m sure we’ll find something.”

What had Jamie seen in her vision which upset her like this?, I wondered.

I looked back at the fading, colorful lines of Carolyn’s barbershop.

-----

We didn’t have to travel far to find a women’s clothing boutique. The building was cramped, more the sort I’d expect in Japan. Shelf-space seemed to be at a premium. It was a background artist’s dream and nightmare. Clothes were all over and covered in loving, careful detail. Some were askew and walking revealed new, high-quality rows of clothing. The floor was detailed with what looked like zebra-stripes. Bar-like fluorescent lamps glowed overhead. I saw an off-white ceiling fan making slow circles.

Jamie kept her distance from a set of blouses with flowers and kept closer to the girly jeans on a counter. We worked our way to the back and were soon ambushed by a sales clerk. Jamie leapt back, keeping a firm hand on her new assets.

I shuffled around Jamie. The clerk bowed to us and asked, “Can I help you ladies with anything?”

She looked sweet, but her eyes caught me off guard. They were shimmering crimson, like an albino lab rat. It was a fairly common color in anime, but it looked unsettling to see in-person. She smiled gently.

Dark-brownish hair framed her head, but a lengthy, tightly-drawn ponytail flowed down her back with a pink ribbon near the end. It was about the same length as Jamie’s locks. It looked like a thick rope.

She wore a long-sleeve, lime-green top tied and bunched tight at the neck. She rubbed her hands together. She was about our size but with subtler curves than Jamie. She wore a pink skirt which crinkled like flower petals around her. Her legs appeared quite muscular.

A thought floated through me. She considered us girls just like herself. I felt a quick shiver. Jamie looked annoyed as she sighed and stated, “I’m looking for a good bra. Something durable. Something to make things… less obvious. And which hides well. Simple. No fancy stuff.”

She nodded with each of Jamie’s words then took a step back. “If you’ll follow me, I can show you a few things. Do you know your size?”

Jamie said softly, “Uh… I haven’t checked lately… and I grew. It could be near… an E… I think.”

She gave a laugh which didn’t sound quite like anything I’d heard from a girl. “No worries. I can measure you just to be sure.” She turned to me. “Will your friend need any help?”

I formed an answer for her, but I happened to look down. I felt a warm sensation. The air blurred a little and the incidental shape of the front of my shirt took on more deliberate contours.

They were more than pecs but not by a lot. I tried not to stare at them for long. I looked back at the clerk, trying my best to keep my composure, and remarked, “I’d like to… the same. Yeah.”

The clerk made a soft, ‘hmm’-like noise, bowed again, and led us through snaking counters and displays to an area in the back of the store, opened a door, and ushered Jamie inside.

I waited. A pop song with a bouncy rhythm played from an overhead speaker. I couldn’t make out the words, so I just enjoyed the sound to fill the silence.

Jamie came back with the clerk behind her. She trembled and leaned against a wall with a mirror. I gave her a look, but she didn’t seem notice.

The clerk asked, “You need measuring too?”

I nodded, and she ushered me back. There was nothing special in the room. She picked up a tailor’s tape measure and told me to hold out my arms. I did so. She lifted my shirt a little and sighed. “No bra under for you either… Are you alright with your top off?”

This must’ve been what Jamie went through. I couldn’t even imagine what she said to the clerk. I nodded and lifted my top over my head. I looked at the mirror in front of me. I was worried it would look like something out of a hentai. Rather, it looked matter-of-fact, simple, like someone’s colorful, nude sketch. The female upper-body rendered in art.

The clerk slipped the tape around me and measured below my chest. My nipples were the same size as before, but the flesh around them had risen outwards. Not by a lot. I felt a strange sense of disappointment. Not to say that I wanted something huge. But maybe a little bit more.

Her next measurement sent a shiver through me, but at least the tailor tape was slack. She asked if that hurt. I shook my head and gave her a friendly smile. My nipples felt much livelier than before. She measured once more, this time further up.

She told me to slip my shirt back on and handed me a piece of paper. “You’re a 65B. We have a couple of items you might like. Depending on how you want to look. Have you bought a bra before?”

I wondered if that was meant to be a ‘trap’ question. If I was a girl our apparent age, then I was sure to have owned a bra at some point before. I came up with an idea though.

“I’ve never BOUGHT a bra before…”

She answered for herself, “Ah! Sisterly hand-me-downs. I know that. It’s always good to have sisters. Sisters take care of each other…”

I didn’t add anything to her words. I made sure my shirt was on comfortably, and she led me out. She gave me a place to look around in my size-range and took a slow-moving, head-lowered Jamie to another area of the store behind a display of silken dresses in all colors of the rainbow.

I searched through the offerings. None of them really caught my eye and I wasn’t much for the lacy adornments. Like Jamie, I wanted something simple and effective. On the end, I found a few which looked more like sports bras or at least weren’t covered in floral designs and little bows.

Stolen story; please report.

They were in my size, but I didn’t have the first clue how to put them on. I figured that would definitely draw the suspicion of the clerk. I took a handful with colors I could live with. I held them up to myself. I felt like I was doing something naughty. I glanced around to see if anyone was watching. I had to remind myself that a girl holding a bra was normal.

I checked the price tags next. I cringed. Perhaps we shouldn’t have stopped at the first store we found. At least we just needed to buy one to wear.

Jamie and the clerk returned. She pointed. “The changing rooms are back there. I’ll be around here if you’d like to check out or if you need anything else.”

Jamie and I weaved our way in the direction she’d gestured. I’d seen the doors when she took us in to measure but I didn’t know they were changing rooms. They were simple, the type you’d find in any mall. Jamie took one, and I took the other. It didn’t take long before I heard groans of irritation through the thin divider. I knocked on Jamie’s door and asked, “Do you need help?”

There wasn’t an immediate answer of “NO!” through the door. After some fussing, Jamie answered, “It’s not a big thing. But… I guess.”

I opened the door. Jamie was topless with a bra, undone and laid over her chest. It was uneven at her shoulders. She faced away from me, one arm guarding her front.

“I don’t get these things.”

I looked at the work Jamie had done so far and announced, “Well, first, I think it’s inside out.” We worked together to invert it. Jamie slipped it on and looked over her shoulder.

“Button it up?”

The enclosure wasn’t buttons but it looked simple, two sets of three loops on one part and three catches on the other. I supposed that meant it was adjustable. I hooked the loosest first and asked Jamie how that felt. She didn’t seem pleased. The straps slid around, and the back was riding up. I tried the next set of hooks, but it was still riding up.

“It feels lousy.”

“We should try another one.”

Jamie groaned, “I loathe shopping for clothes. Particularly in places like this. She told me that all these are 'minimizers'. They’ll make this stuff look smaller and they’re supposed to leave less of a trace under a t-shirt.”

Fortunately, the next bra was a much easier fit. It settled on Jamie’s shoulders and the band looked right as well. I hoped I was doing it correctly. I didn’t know any secrets for fitting. I wished I had Ms. Ishida around to help.

Jamie stretched her arms and bent a few ways. “Alright. This’ll do. Umm… You need any help yourself?” I caught a glimpse of her flowing front wrapped in a soft sheen of tan polyester before she grabbed her shirt like a cloth shield.

I picked a bra out of my hand and set the others and my top aside. I turned my back to Jamie and slipped the bra up to my shoulders. I tried first to think of a back brace, but the analogy soon failed me as new parts of my anatomy were enclosed by the cups. It felt like a strange, small drape till Jamie’s hands worked at the back. It took her a little longer than me, but it soon felt secure. I checked the straps and the back.

I was lucky. The first one I put on felt like a good fit. Nothing felt pinched or strained in any way. I moved my arms. I didn’t have any complaints despite the strange sensations.

I edged over to the mirror. I saw myself. At least, what I had become.

Seeing it all together was a different matter. A few red locks landed on my bare neck and near my straps. The image in the mirror was lovely, a cute anime girl with my large glasses still perched on her tiny nose. The shape of my chest complimented the dive my waist took and the slow, outward flow of my hips. It was a girlish form with just a trace of cleavage between the cups.

[https://i.imgur.com/A6wJw4j.png]

With discomfort on her face, Jamie joined me in the mirror. Where my form was a work of feminine subtlety and softness, Jamie’s form looked like it was at the point of saturation. The minimizer bra gave her a nice, high valley of cleavage over her covered chest. She did look smaller with the bra on but not by much.

She slipped her shirt on and turned her upper-half left and right. She pressed on her chest and grimaced. “It’s tingly, but it’ll do, I guess. I wish I didn’t need it.” After a moment, she whimpered and looked to me. “So, you gonna get dressed so we can buy these and leave?”

The clerk didn’t have a problem with us wearing the items. She just scanned another pair of the same type and price. The final tally was a bit more than I was hoping to pay. Jamie and I haggled with one another a bit.

“You still owe me for the train passes yesterday.”

“Does that mean you’ll pay for today’s passes?”

She paused on that, reaching for the train pass in her pocket that Kazu had given her.

After a minute of murmuring, and what seemed like mental math, she nodded and said, “Deal.”

The clerk had turned around, putting some items away. I inspected her back. The long ponytail she wore was actually clipped to her. It wasn’t a part of her hair. I was intrigued.

She turned back and smiled her practiced smile. I told her I would pay for both and added, “That’s a lovely ponytail you have.”

She touched it a moment, like a reassurance. “Oh! Why, thank you! You both have lovely hair as well.” She looked at me, then Jamie. “You have vibrant color and I totally adore how long your hair is. I could do amazing things with hair that long.”

Jamie gave a forced smile and commented, “I’m sure.”

She rang up the purchases.

“I hope you don’t mind me asking, but are you two related?”

We looked at one another and I answered, “We’re not.”

“My apologies. Just a hunch. Mine are more often wrong. Four-thousand yen total.”

That pretty well halved my money.

I paid but with a slow hand to give her the bills. I inquired, “Why do you wear a clip-on ponytail?”

She accepted the money, placed it in the register, and printed up a receipt. She reflected on my question and answered, “It’s a memory. A special one. That’s all I can say. I only wear it some days. I can’t wear it when I jog or got to the beach, which is a shame. But…” She shrugged and quickly changed gears. “Oh! Do you know about the cherry blossom viewing?” She held up the same flyer the little girl gave us in the morning. We nodded together. I hadn’t paid much attention to the flowers since then. There did seem to be more in the other direction.

She handed me a receipt and smiled, “Truly, it’s so uncanny. You two seem so much like sisters.”

Jamie gave up holding her tongue. “Will you just stop? We aren’t sisters. Any talk of it is just inane prattle.”

The clerk glanced over at Jamie, who added, “So, are we done here?”

The girl bowed respectfully and gave us another sample of her practiced smile. “That was rude of me. Please accept my humble apology.”

Jamie had turned her attention to the door. “Okay. Well, umm… thanks for your assistance.” She walked to the door. I followed her, only looking back once at the female clerk. I didn’t know her name but I felt a moment of sympathy as she rose back up and caressed the length of her ponytail with her hands.

-----

Things felt different when we were outside. I noticed the tufts of blossoming trees from behind buildings, peeking around corners. I somehow knew they had been there before, but now my attention was drawn to them. As I looked back, I was amazed at how many we had passed. They looked to be in full bloom with the warmth of the day.

I decided to call Jamie on what she’d said, “Why’d you snap at her?”

“I’ve heard just about enough about ‘oh you are like this or that’. I’ll be the one to tell others what I’m like. I’ll tell them who I am.”

“Still, I don’t think she meant anything by it.”

She paused mid-step. “Oh, really? And who says she’s not just some mouthpiece of all this… of Hitomi?”

I couldn’t disprove it, but it led back onto the slippery slope of who to trust.

Jamie kept her hands near her chest but seemed to have found an easier stride. I found I could keep up without feeling uncomfortable. I didn’t fight her statement. She ended the discussion with, “I’m not out here to gossip anyway. I don’t care what some weird girl with a five-foot ‘memento’ thinks or what my ex-female girlfriend thinks. I just care about figuring all this out and stopping it… so I can get my freaking life back.”

We walked the rest of the way to the elevated train in silence.