Robot Protection Zone Chapter 6

“Ah….”

Once again, I stared blankly at my empty hand.

A sense of futility washed over me. I discreetly sent a resentful glance toward my master, but he paid no attention.

However, my master, who had not even chewed the macaron a few times, soon grimaced and grumbled.

“It’s too sweet.”

My master frowned and gulped down his coffee in one go. Only then did his expression seem to relax a little.

With a sullen face, I looked down at my empty fingertips, and then my gaze suddenly shifted to the coffee cup in front of me. Seeing my master drink it as if it were delicious sparked a small curiosity in me.

A jet-black liquid in a small cup. When I smelled it up close, I could feel the familiar scent of coffee. A faint memory of drinking it with my former master came to mind, and without much thought, I picked up the cup.

“Ugh…!”

An intense bitterness pricked my tongue. It was a powerful bitterness that swept away all the sweetness of the macaron. I put down the cup with a face as contorted as my master’s when he ate the macaron.

How can he drink something like this as if it’s delicious? I looked up at my master with eyes full of a sense of betrayal.

“Excuse me.”

Just then, employees appeared, carrying a lot of clothes.

When several employees came in with a large rack full of clothes, the spacious room was instantly filled. As I was admiring the endless amount of clothes, one employee approached me and spoke.

“I will show you to the fitting room.”

I was about to get up from my seat without thinking, but I paused. As I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should get my master’s permission, my master nodded his head and said.

“Come out wearing it.”

“Yes.”

Only after my master’s permission was given did I get up from my seat.

I was about to head to the fitting room with the employee’s guidance, but I saw that the employees were also following me into the fitting room.

“E-excuse me….”

“Our role is to help you put on the clothes comfortably. Please don’t mind us and change your clothes.”

I can put on clothes perfectly fine by myself….

I wanted to say that, but I was so intimidated by the employees’ proficient demeanor that I couldn’t open my mouth any further. Although they were men like me, it was still awkward and embarrassing to take off my clothes in front of other people.

Then again, yesterday I also took off my clothes in front of Thomas and my master…. But unlike then, my master was not by my side today. Would that make it a little less embarrassing?

If I wasted time here, my master, who would be waiting outside, might get bored. The moment that thought occurred to me, I hurriedly started to take off my clothes.

As I took off my clothes, trying hard to pretend I wasn’t embarrassed, one employee quickly took them from me. Almost simultaneously, another employee immediately handed me new clothes. Their teamwork was so perfect that they had me changed into new clothes in an instant.

The first outfit I tried on was a suit with neatly defined angles.

A white dress shirt made of a soft and dense material, a navy tie that felt slightly constricting around my neck, and a neat jacket worn over it gently wrapped around the lines of my body, adding a sophisticated impression. The hard leather shoes that clicked every time they hit the floor made me feel self-conscious and careful even with my steps.

“Wow….”

I quietly admired myself in the mirror. The clothes were unfamiliar, but they somehow looked similar to the style my new master usually wears. It was my first time wearing a suit like this, so it felt awkward, but I strangely liked the feeling of looking similar to my master.

While I was admiring myself in the mirror, the employees even neatly styled my hair. As if all preparations were complete, an employee led me to the front of the curtain.

“This is the first outfit.”

Swish! With a cheerful sound, the curtain opened, and beyond it, my master was sitting on the sofa in a crooked posture, watching me as if observing me.

“This suit is made by Company A and is a style suitable for official occasions.”

“Hmm….”

However, my master gave an ambiguous reaction. Does he not like it…? At a reaction different from what I had expected, I cautiously gauged his mood inwardly.

“Next.”

My master nodded his head and said briefly. At his seemingly displeased reaction, my slightly excited mood deflated a bit. I immediately returned to the fitting room and changed into the next outfit.

“This is the second outfit. It is a casual style that can be worn comfortably on various occasions.”

This time, I wore a white shirt and navy pants that fit my body well. I didn’t wear a jacket or a tie, so it felt much lighter than before. It was also much easier to move my body than before.

“……”

Even while the employee continued with the explanation, my master still rested his chin on his hand with a cold expression and said nothing. I changed clothes and came out a few more times after that, but my master’s indifferent reaction did not change much.

I grew frustrated as I couldn’t guess what style my master wanted. Like me, the employees also seemed to be in a predicament, staring at the clothes rack, lost in thought.

I looked at my reflection in the mirror and thought. It looks fine to me…. Why isn’t my master satisfied?

“Ah!”

Just then, one employee stood up abruptly as if he had realized something. He rummaged through the clothes racks, carefully selecting an outfit, and finally returned with one set of clothes.

I took the clothes and tilted my head slightly. It certainly had a different feel from the clothes I had tried on so far, but… would this really satisfy my master?

“This time, I have prepared a slightly different style. It is a soft, pastel-toned knit sweater and clean ivory-colored pants that would suit you well, customer.”

With doubt, I changed into the clothes and stood in front of my master. Listening to the shopper’s added explanation, I looked down at the clothes I was wearing.

This time, it was a light yellow knit sweater and white pants. It was everyday wear with an overall warm and comfortable feel. It was similar to the clothes I usually wore, so it did not feel awkward, and the cozy feeling enveloping my skin was pleasant.

I fiddled with the hem of my clothes and watched my master’s reaction. My master lifted his gaze and was silently staring at me.

“The good elasticity makes it comfortable for activities….”

“It’s fine. Next.”

My master cut off the employee’s explanation and nodded. It was a completely different attitude from before, when he had only shown an indifferent reaction. When I looked back, the shopper’s face was finally bright.

Having finally figured out my master’s taste, the employees went in and out repeatedly, and new clothes piled up in the fitting room. The clothes racks were filled with clothes in bright and cheerful colors, and as the cheerful feeling of everyday wear replaced the monotony of suits, even the atmosphere of the fitting room seemed to brighten up.

I continued to change clothes. A white fleece shirt and a beige coat, a fluffy sherpa jacket, a pink sweater…. I changed into various clothes and stood in front of my master. I was a little nervous at first, but every time my master showed a positive reaction, my mood gradually improved.

“Good, next.”

“This one is fine too.”

“Have him try on more similar clothes.”

Every time my master nodded, the shopper’s expression grew brighter. He grinned excitedly and kept handing me clothes.

At first, I enjoyed it too. My master seemed to like it, and the employees also looked excited. I liked that I was making people happy. I was proud that the atmosphere around me brightened up with every piece of clothing I wore.

But… just when is this going to end?

The pleasant feeling of changing clothes was short-lived, and a strange feeling came over me. I had clearly tried on many outfits, but the clothes kept piling up. After repeating the same action for several hours, my body slowly grew tired.

After changing into yet another outfit, I cautiously asked the shopper who was about to hand me the next one.

“Excuse me….”

“Yes, customer?”

“By any chance… how much more do I have to try on?”

The shopper smiled and pointed at something with his fingertip. As I turned my gaze, I saw clothes lined up on the racks.

“You have to try on all the clothes here.”

“All… of them?”

I muttered, doubting my ears. Just what I could see in front of me was at least a few hundred outfits. The endless procession of clothes was waiting for me in line.

For a moment, my vision went dark. Can I even finish this by tonight…?

With a crestfallen face, I continued to change clothes. My master and the shopper still had unsatisfied looks in their eyes, so I couldn’t be the one to suggest we stop.

Every time I came out wearing clothes, the number of clothes waiting for me increased, piling up like a mountain. The more I put on and took off clothes, the more my body sagged, and my face also became haggard. I could feel my stamina depleting as time went on.

As time went by, I began to understand a little why someone needed help just to change clothes. If I had repeated this task hundreds of times by myself, my battery would have been depleted in an instant and I would have collapsed.