"Ne, Jian-kun?" Tenshi asked as quietly as she could. "Gebriel-kun doesn't know I'm a girl. Do you know if Koneko-chan told Kimahou-chan?"
Jian-kun shook his head. "I don't know, but probably not, since Mi-chan just learned yesterday."
"Too bad," Tenshi whispered. "'Cuz I really wanted to try on that cute outfit right there." She pointed to a pair of cute denim shorts with red flowers embroidered on the pockets and a v-neck red shirt that went with them. There was no way that Kimahou would mistake that for a guy's outfit. Tenshi found herself facing a similar dilemma as the other day, although obviously this was a lot less serious. She decided that she would just have to live without the outfit.
Too bad though, especially since Neko had just mentioned how much she liked Tenshi in female clothing.
"I don't think that's Neko-chan's style," Kimahou said as she caught up with them.
Tenshi gave Jian-wa a look that said, "Oh, well."
But Jian-wa smoothly said to Kimahou, "Ne, Kimako. What kind of clothes does Mi-chan like?"
"Oh, well, come over here."
Tenshi smiled. It was sweet of him to distract her so Tenshi could try on the outfit. She grabbed her size off the rack and ran into the dressing room before Kimahou could possibly happen to see her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Kimahou watched Tenshi as they shopped. She had noticed that Tenshi was checking out a lot of clothes that weren't quite Neko's style. For someone so charming, he sure was unobservant!
But when he did pull out something that was Neko's style, he'd ask their opinion of it for Neko.
At first she wasn't sure what his deal was.
His eyes were bright as he looked through the store. "I haven't gone shopping in a long time," he admitted as he leafed through a clearance rack.
She shrugged. Guys often didn't go to the mall, except with their girlfriends. But why was Tenshi so interested in it all?
And suddenly it dawned on her, as he held up a navy blue shirt with white flames on the sleeves. She looked at Tenshi's face and noticed how much it looked like the face of his okaa-san. Haruka, that is. She stepped back and took a good look at Tenshi.
"Oh!"
Tenshi looked at her curiously. "Nani?"
"Nothing." She blushed with embarrassment. "Let's continue looking for Neko-chan. Have you considered jewelry?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Tenshi looked at the jewelry under the counter and sighed. She had considered jewelry originally, but Neko always wore the same necklace and usually the same earrings as well. That didn't leave her much to work with. But now she had found the perfect thing for Neko, but she didn't have enough money with her today to buy it. Even though it was on sale, it was still pretty expensive.
"I guess I'll just have to come back for it tomorrow."
The lady behind the jewelry counter smiled at her. "Shopping for your girlfriend?" she asked. It was just one of those days when Tenshi looked more like a guy than a girl to everyone.
"Her birthday's on Tuesday." Tenshi looked to Kimahou to make sure that that was actually the case. She nodded.
"Well, if you'd like, I could put something on hold for you for 24 hours."
Tenshi beamed. "That'd be great. Arigatou."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Kimahou ran out ahead of the "boys" and pulled Neko aside.
"Ne, is Tenshi-kun- you know, is he a girl?" she asked uncertainly
"Ara, so you figured that out," Neko smiled. "Congratulations, you're the first."
"Oh, so she is. Good, I thought I was losing my mind." She suddenly smiled. "Neko-chan, that's so cool! You should have told me you were a lesbian! Sugoi!"
Neko laughed. She should have known that Kimahou would think that it was cool. She liked being a nonconformist!
Jian-wa approached them. "Ne, Neko-chan. I think I'm done here."
"Okay, well, I guess we can go then. Do you still need that one thing?" she said cryptically in case Mi-chan was listening.
He nodded. "But I can't get it here."
"Right, let's go then."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The yoma sheathed his sword.
Tanzanite had created him to act as a bodyguard, but now that she had been killed, he was simply a random yoma, leftover after the 'big bad' was stopped. But he didn't know that. And he was tired of wondering where General Tanzanite had gone. She hadn't been home for a few days. He began to worry that something had happened to her.
"I must help Lady Tanzanite," he cried, as he charged out of the otherwise empty building.
