Akira was used to he and Shindou tearing apart each other’s games, but he’d never honestly expected Shindou to start on his clothes.<\/p>\n
"Seriously, Touya, that blue suit makes you look like a salaryman<\/em>." <\/p>\n "Supposing it did, why is this your business?"<\/p>\n Shindou put his hands on his hips. "You’re a pro; you should look like it. Ogata-sensei has style. Even your dad has style. I can’t have my rival looking like he doesn’t know how to dress."<\/p>\n Akira was starting to get more indignant than startled. "As if you have any room to talk, when you show up to your matches in tee-shirts!"<\/p>\n "Hey, these have a lot of style!"<\/p>\n Akira settled back, a bit smug. "Even if they do, what makes you think you can pick out good styles in formal clothing?"<\/p>\n Shindou glared. "I bet I could."<\/p>\n "You never have before."<\/p>\n "I could!"<\/p>\n "Prove it!" They were nose to nose now, leaning over the table. <\/p>\n "Fine!" <\/p>\n As Shindou stomped out of the salon, growling, and Akira stalked after him, he heard Ichikawa-san sigh, "I’d thought they’d grown out of that."<\/p>\n He couldn’t imagine why she would think that; not as long as Shindou was Shindou.<\/p>\n Akira waved a hand at the racks of sober suits. "So. Go ahead and try. Find something stylish." He said the last word as if it had been dipped in a sauce he didn’t like.<\/p>\n Shindou snorted. "Easiest thing ever." He made for the nearest rack and started paging quickly through the jackets. Akira wasn’t surprised when a clerk approached them; he’d have wanted to protect the merchandise from Shindou, too. <\/p>\n "Can I help you sirs?"<\/p>\n "Ah, we’re just…" Akira started, only to be interrupted by a jacket landing half on top of the clerk.<\/p>\n "Yeah, take that. Oh, and this one, and these slacks." Two more items were tossed over the clerk’s arm. "Take those to a changing room, would you? Thanks." <\/p>\n Akira and the clerk both stared, startled, as Shindou trotted to the next rack. He paused and looked back.<\/p>\n "Well? What are you waiting for, Touya? Go try them on."<\/p>\n "If you would, please," Akira murmured, a bit dazed, to the clerk, watching Shindou efficiently ransacking a shelf of shirts. <\/p>\n Akira stood in front of the mirror, tugging at the cuffs of a shirt. "Black suit, white shirt… Shindou, I look like I’m going to a funeral!"<\/p>\n "Ah, that’s just to start with. Here, try this tie."<\/p>\n Akira gave the tie in question a resigned look and knotted it swiftly. Shindou squinted at the result and made thoughtful noises. "Nah, wrong jacket, that’s what it is. Try the shorter one. And the gray shirt."<\/p>\n "All black?"<\/p>\n "Why not? Ogata-sensei wears all white."<\/p>\n "That’s Ogata-sensei! He’s… he’s taller<\/em>." <\/p>\n "What? I bet you’d look good in all white, too. Hang on!"<\/p>\n Akira rubbed his forehead as Shindou made for the racks again.<\/p>\n "Oh, yeah, there we go!"<\/p>\n Akira frowned. "Shindou, this is getting awfully informal." <\/p>\n "No it isn’t. It’s style<\/em>, I told you. You definitely want a band-collar shirt. It’s perfect." <\/p>\n "So now I’m going to a casual funeral," Akira said dryly, examining his black pants and jacket.<\/p>\n "Not with a blue shirt you’re not. Trust me."<\/p>\n Akira shot his friend a dire look. "If you make me into a laughingstock at official matches, I will hunt you down."<\/p>\n Shindou sighed excessively and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. "Touya, you’ll look good. And you need every edge you can get against people like Ogata-sensei, right? This is one you can use. So use it!" He grumbled under his breath, "Ogata-sensei sure does."<\/p>\n Perversely, that made Akira feel better.<\/p>\n "All right, fine. I’ll get this and a couple of shirts. Happy?"<\/p>\n "Sure!" Shindou straightened, grinning. "Now we just need to hit the casual section to get some tee-shirts. And turtlenecks maybe. And jeans<\/em>, Touya, you really need to have some jeans. You look like a banker, even when you’re not in that suit."<\/p>\n Akira thought wistfully, as he was towed to the next department, of the days when he and Shindou had fought every time they met. It had been so much simpler.<\/p>\n "Dark gray denim, perfect! Try these on, Touya."<\/p>\n So very much simpler.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n End <\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Hikaru more or less dares Akira to go shopping. Written purely because I think it’s a crime to see someone so good looking dress so badly, and I bet Hikaru would agree.
\n
\n
\n
\n