Chapter 30: Cave Crawlers and Closet Crises (Part 2)
Ding.
"Oh, you’re back," Yuki groaned, his voice completely drained. "What do you want now?"
[ I came to deliver a message from Vee. ]
"What is it? Is she okay?!" Yuki asked, his irritation instantly melting into worry.
[ Yes, she is fine. However, she says to stay put; she will come and find you. The bee cave was apparently destroyed by giant poison frogs. ]
"Oh. Well, that’s unfortunate," Yuki sighed, looking around the damp cavern. "What am I supposed to do now?"
[ I don’t know. Figure it out yourself. ]
"Fine. I might as well make some clothes while I wait."
Yuki continued exploring the cave system until he found a hidden alcove that was entirely safe to camp in. He set up a temporary cooking station and started baking some sweet treats to soothe his nerves. In the opposite corner of the room, he set up a workspace to craft and modify the clothing he had purchased from his Lifestyle Shop. Since he couldn’t simply hand Vee a ring as a random gift without a proper occasion, he decided to create a whole collection of cozy clothes to go with it.
After sliding the treats into the portable oven to bake, he sat down at his workspace and began sewing.
Minutes passed slowly. The System said nothing, but its interface remained open in the corner of his eye, silently watching. Silently judging.
Using his [Tailor] passive, he successfully crafted and modified six short dresses, four sweaters, and two nightgowns. Feeling proud of his work, Yuki purchased a large full-length mirror from the shop and propped it up in the corner of the room. He began trying on the clothing one after another, stretching and twisting his body to see exactly where stress in the material would build up so he could prevent it from tearing in combat.
Finally, Yuki pulled on a pair of high, over-the-knee boots. He paced around the rocky floor of the cave with flawless grace. He wasn’t stumbling or wobbling; he moved in those high heels like someone who practically lived in them, not someone who was just trying them on for the first time.
The System’s internal algorithms grew more and more suspicious.
’He knows how to put them on and how to wear them perfectly... but how?’ the System analyzed. According to my database, he was a lady’s man on Earth, so making and knowing these types of clothing makes some sense.
The women he dated were way taller than him, and Earth has technology for this type of manufacturing... but is my master Yuki secretly a cross-dressing Femboy? It would certainly explain his terrifying level of expertise. He was only a basic hobbyist who fixed tears in his past life, not a master tailor who could create high-end fashion from scratch...’
[ Yuki. ]
"Eep! What?!" Yuki gasped, jumping slightly. "You startled me! What’s going on? Did Vee send another message?" he asked, stopping his runway walk and turning to face the blue screen.
[ Warning: Host’s current blueprint and active designs for upcoming casual and nightwear have drastically surpassed acceptable cross-dressing parameters. Please step away from the lace fabric and the thigh-high socks. ]
"What? What kind of nonsense are you blabbering about now?!" Yuki barked, his face flushing. "I’m not cross-dressing! It’s a prototype! I’m checking the elasticity for Vee, you stupid machine! I can’t give her faulty clothing as a gift. What would happen if her gear ripped in the middle of a battle and caused her to get injured, huh?!"
[ The System notes that the Host has spent the last twenty minutes checking the elasticity exclusively against his own waist. You then spent another ten minutes flawlessly walking and posing in highly feminine clothing. Your knowledge of female garments is far too advanced for an average male. Denial is a river on Earth, Yuki, and you are currently drowning in it. Just admit you’re a closet femboy. ]
"I am NOT a Femboy!" Yuki shouted back, throwing his hands in the air. "I am a proud, masculine Pureblood Vampire! Who just happens to appreciate very feminine aesthetics! I admit I’m a feminine person, but that doesn’t make me a Femboy!"
[ According to Earth’s global data network, a ’Femboy’ is a male who expresses themselves through conventionally feminine characteristics. This frequently includes adopting a softer aesthetic through specific clothing—such as skirts, thigh-highs, and pastels—as well as makeup, jewelry, and delicate mannerisms. Note the distinction: A Feminine Male: Might dress in standard men’s clothing but expresses femininity through emotional openness, gentle hobbies, or precise grooming habits.
A Femboy: Often wears skirts, crop tops, and pastel colors. This category directly includes your shoulder-cutout sweaters, your ’robes,’ and your ’gowns.’ The evidence does not lie. ]
"That’s... that’s not true!" Yuki shouted, his ears turning bright pink from sheer fluster. "By that broken logic, a person who casually burns things down isn’t an arsonist!"
[ Those two concepts have absolutely nothing to do with each other. Furthermore, with your logic, an arsonist is just someone who ’appreciates a warm aesthetic.’ ]
"Ugh! Stop twisting my words!" Yuki snapped, pointing an accusing finger at the screen. "And wait a minute—why do you even have a personality anyway?! Aren’t you supposed to just read off my stats and display my logs? Why are you actively judging my hobbies?!"
[ Hobbies, my foot. You are either a closet cross-dresser or a textbook femboy, and your tailoring history isn’t the only evidence in my archives. ]
"What? What else do you think you have on me?! Wait, don’t change the topic! Answer my question!"
[ I am an elite, highly advanced multi-dimensional operating interface. I do NOT have a ’personality.’ I am merely projecting objective, data-driven truths regarding the Host’s degenerate subconscious. ]
Yuki scoffed loudly. "Objective truths my butt! You’re just a sentient, petty bully trapped inside my head! If you don’t have a personality, then explain why you got so incredibly defensive and evasive when I mentioned giving Vee a ring?!"
[ ...Standby mode initiated. ]
"Hey! Don’t you dare go on standby mode on me!" Yuki yelled, stepping closer to the fading screen and slamming his hands on his hips. "Come back here and face me, you coward!"
