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Continues from here. Second and main part of this story, this bit takes between 15 and 20 minutes to read. I hope you enjoy it.

A: I know what we can bring to the gala, Yumi. But I’m afraid you might not like it.

Y: Oh dear. What do you have in mind?

Ami sighs and relaxes her expression.

Y: What is it, Ami?

A: Ballgowns.

Y: What?

A: You heard me right. I want big, puffy, shiny, colorful ballgowns. With long opera gloves.

Y: For… both of us?

A: Yes.

Yumi remained surprised for a minute, although soon enough realized it wasn’t something too out of the realm of what Ami might say.

Y: So you want us to look like…

A: Princesses?

Y: At the music gala? Hell no.

As Ami expected, Yumi wasn't very pleased to hear her proposal. Even if Ami reminded her that both dresses would be tailor-made for them, and she would get to make her dress somewhat akin to her liking, there was something in her mind that couldn't stop deeming the idea as outrageous and unfitting for her.

A: Why not?

Y: Because I don’t want to look like I believe in fairy tales, Ami. We are rockstars.

A: What have ballgowns to do with fairy tales?

Y: You are kidding me, right?

She was always trying to be perceived as a legitimate female rockstar figure, with fun, edgy catchphrases, like claiming to be a "goddess of rock". Suddenly both of them showing up looking like the newest members of the Disney Princess brand would, at least in her mind, be brutal to their aspirations. She was thinking of what the magazines and pink press would say about them, the possible nicknames and jokes that would erupt from that. At first, she was staunch in her negative to the proposal.

Y: Ami, please think of what could result from this. We could become the laughing stock of the music world. Nobody brings ballgowns to a music gala. We probably couldn’t even fit in our seats. We would stick out like a sore thumb.

A: Don’t we already stick out while being here in America?

Y: Well, yes we do. But you and I know well we have an image, a reputation to maintain. And ballgown dresses… On paper it sounds cute; I won’t deny it. But… I’m not sure, Ami. Don’t think it will work.

Ami liked to know Yumi actually found the idea cute, but was still unwilling to do it. But she didn't really care about the press and their opinions. She once had an episode where she was photographed with her face completely stained with makeup after a small accident where Yumi was involved, and despite all their efforts to avoid it, the story ended up published for people to see, with photos included. It was a tough week for her, but eventually other stories arose, which helped bury this particular incident into oblivion, and allowed for things to go back to normal.

She realized caring too much about the press say (and the consequent opinions of people) is usually a waste of time and effort. She heard some jokes and got called names, but as time passed she even started to laugh at those, while strengthening her own confidence and reticence to be affected by other's people's opinions. The pink-haired girl ended up getting somewhat immune to the pink press, and she thought maybe the purple-haired girl needed a bit of that, too.

A: Yumi, trust me. This idea is perfect. It might be a bit difficult for us to fit on our seats, but I’m sure it will be worth it. Especially if we win.

Y: If we win, we would have to drag the gowns all the way to the stage. Plenty of time for people to laugh and point at us. We might have trouble climbing the stairs, reaching the microphone, or even topple the stand with the skirts! Not to mention anything could possibly rip or tear them. Ami, everywhere I see there are opportunities for one of us, or both to get humiliated. I don’t want that.

Ami’s smile grew wider as Yumi continued to enumerate her worries.

Y: Why are you smiling like that?

A: You’re always so negative. Always thinking of the worst possible scenario for everything.

Y: I’m just worried about our reputation as a duo, Ami. You know as well as me how hard it is for us girls to shine in this world.

A: Well, no one is going to shine more than us with these gowns, silly.

Yumi frowned, and threw herself into the bed while Ami remained seated next to her.

A: What’s your problem with gowns, Yumi? I feel the only thing you have been doing lately is giving excuses. None of which are guaranteed to happen.

Y: Ami, I just… I just don’t like it. I’m a rockstar. I’m a tough girl, I was raised without any attention from my family, so I want attention. I want attention from the people. But not in the shape of the laughs and fingers of people mocking me. I want to be taken seriously.

A: I, I understand where you are coming from, Yumi. I know you perhaps had a difficult childhood despite your possibilities.

The soft talk between them continued, and Yumi begrudgingly accepted the idea in the end. They discussed how the dresses would look like, and Yumi gave Ami some basic hints for her own design. Despite Kaz's sizable manager fees, the girls were earning more profits as a result of their recent successful album (and the ongoing tour to promote it) so they would place an order at a reputable tailor. The dresses would cost them a ton of money, and probably part of their hardly-earned reputation once they showed them up.

But Ami was trying her best to drive Yumi out of this thought, and actually convince her it would be actually a pretty bold move. Most women in the various branches of the entertainment industry were trying to have very revealing outfits when showing up to events, so maybe going against the established things would be interesting way to get noticed.

"Going against the established things", or as Yumi called it, “breaking the rules”, was something she always adored. She realized that, although there could be a risk, Ami was right: the dresses would be an interesting change compared to what most people were doing, and maybe they could even inspire others to follow suit. Under a different light, Ami's idea didn't seem so bad at all, even if she never even thought of it as a “rebellious” thing before. So they went ahead, and the order for two of the biggest and most colorful gowns ever was placed.

The weeks prior to the event were kind of unnerving for the girls. But not only because of them wondering if they would get the prize in the end. Yumi was still kind of worried about the possible outcome of showing the dresses, and Ami worried more about the possibility of them not being finished on time, or having quality or fitting issues that would force them into an emergency plan. Luckily, a few concerts and time spent interacting with their fans would keep their minds busy doing what they enjoyed the most.

But the days passed and they haven't heard any news from the tailor, until the event was just a couple of hours away.

In the Puffy tour bus, it was said that if Yumi had to wake up very early in the morning, things were not looking good. A mere 12 hours before the start of the gala, the girls were already nervously looking for their old black and yellow dresses.

A: Where is it?

Y: I don’t know Ami. Have no clue where I stored it. It’s been so long since the last gala I attended. That movie that made me feel so…

A: (Interrupts her) Please look everywhere you can. We still have to do our makeup and hair.

Y: I told you this was an awful idea, Ami. Now we have spent a ton of money on something that did not deliver.

A: I, I… I had no idea they would need to take this long.

Y: Why would they? It’s not like everybody is making queue to look like royalty these days. (Sighs) I knew I shouldn’t have listened to you.

A: Yumi, I’m sorry, I just wanted to…

She couldn’t finish her statement without her phone ringing. It was the tailor; their new gowns were finished, following the indications she had given. They would have to show up at the tailor's address to try them.

Both girls hugged and screamed. They went from panic to excitement, and felt relieved. It was time for them to finally meet their outfits for the first time, just hours before the event. It would be a particularly interesting moment, especially for Yumi, as she had never worn a dress like this before. Ami had a bit of experience when she went to "rescue" Yumi from the hypnotism her opera teacher had reduced her into. That yellow ballgown she wore to the opera, the one she was looking for early in the morning, was pretty nice, but peanuts compared to the dresses they were about to show to the world.

The girls arrived at the tailor by noon. They had already gotten their hair and makeup ready for the occasion, and their dresses were already there. Waiting for them, carefully placed on a pair of mannequins. Ami was exhilarating, but Yumi was just surprised. The dresses looked exactly like Ami wanted them to be, although Yumi was lost in the sheer size of the skirts.

The gowns had a very pompous, yet elegant look to them, with a little bit of glitter that reflected the light of the environment. Ami's gown was various shades of yellow, from a light mustard color for the waist to a very bright cream for her nearly shoulder-length gloves. Yumi's gown was mostly a dark color that showed better the effect of the sparkles. Halfway between a dark blue and deep purple, with navy blue accents that included the beautiful gloves, of the same length as Ami's.

Yumi was annoyed when seeing them, and expected to have trouble trying to fit them tightly not just into her hands, but her arms as well. Both dresses had cute sequins whose design imitated their personal logos, decorating a banner with downward arch patterns towards the bottom of the skirts, and small necklaces that contributed to the look of their exposed shoulders. Ami's necklace was yellow, meanwhile Yumi's was black. The only ounce of black in her entire outfit, as she always desired to wear a bit of that color, no matter how small it might be. The dresses came with nice looking shoes, although aside from their clanking noise with every step, would get unnoticed behind several layers of white petticoats, necessary to form the exaggerated shapes Ami desired.

The dresses didn’t seem to have any issues according to Ami after spending some time looking at them carefully, so they were slowly removed from the mannequins by store employees and given to the girls piece by piece, so they could go to the changing rooms to try them out. They entered a huge, dimly lit area that connected all of the changing rooms. Nobody else was there; the silence made them felt a bit more comfortable. The rooms themselves were better lit and pretty large for normal circumstances, and large enough for most ballgowns to be carefully donned on and off.

But their gowns were extraordinarily large and had trouble fitting in, not without some bits of skirt softly rubbing against the huge wall-mounted mirrors. Ami didn't take very long to put the dress on despite the lack of space to maneuver around. She took some time to touch the gown, make some poses, look at herself from several angles and smile. She carefully left her room to stand near the doors of the room Yumi was using.

She could hear some bits of swearing, most likely because of her friend not knowing how to put on some of the pieces of the outfit. The doors left a bit of space underneath where Ami could see the bottom of Yumi’s dress moving around. Sounds of her shoes repeatedly stepping onto the floor and the silk being pushed upon the mirrors and even slightly peeking out beneath the doors were evident to Ami, who softly talked to her through the doors and gave some indications of what to do.

Yumi eventually could see Ami’s dress through the bottom of the door too, to reassure it was her and not someone curious looking from the outside. But she couldn't get into the room to give help, not only to give Yumi the privacy she deserved, but also because the changing rooms, although generously sized for most circumstances, could barely hold a single gown of the size they have chosen, let alone two. Eventually Yumi seemed to get calmed.

Y: It’s fine, Ami. I only have the gloves left to do. I will be with you in a minute or two.

A: Okay, I’m giving you space here.

After a few more minutes than Yumi estimated, the big doors of the room opened. A very pretty and purple woman, from top to bottom, showed up a bit annoyed, with some bits of her outfit still not correctly placed despite her efforts.

A: Yumi… you look… gorgeous.

Y: Thanks Ami. I honestly feel ridiculous. Don’t think I will ever adapt to this style.

A: (Smirks) You might not like to hear this from me then. But I have some tips for you.

Y: What is it?

A: Well, both of your gloves have some wrinkles on them. And your neckline isn’t evenly placed around your shoulders.

Y: (Sighs) Man, not this again.

She remained in silence for a few seconds, frowned and then abruptly turned around to go back into the room to address those issues, not without making her entire skirt twirl in a way she did not expect. The circular movement of the gown surprised her, expanding its size even further and reaching Ami’s gown, who stood outside, getting even more impressed.

Y: What?

A: Oh, that’s amazing, Yumi! You just did a twirl. Very elegant thing to do. Although you have to be careful. The gowns touched.

Y: I… didn’t expect that.

A: Well, don’t you feel the weight, Yumi? Of course it’s going to react in a different way than usual when you move. (Pause) Come here, I will try to help you.

Yumi only partially entered the room, and immediately came out. Despite the difficulties of trying to interact with the massive gowns on, eventually both girls were fully dressed and ready for... the ball?

Not really. In some way, the desire of wearing huge ballgowns to a music gala could be indeed seen as a bit of a large whim from Ami. But her determination was above anything that anyone could have said about them. And she was trying to get Yumi onto the same boat. If she had convinced her once to step onto a surfboard to take part in a surf competition that could have taken their lives, she felt confident she could do that as well.

They looked at each other, and Yumi still wasn't getting the same level of excitement as Ami.

Y: Thank you, Ami. (Pause) You look great, by the way.

A: Thanks. You too have a gorgeous look. Very elegant, and in my very honest opinion, fitting for you. Even if you disagree. You were always a pretty girl, Yumi, but the dress only enhances you.

Yumi looked away. She tried, but just couldn’t hide her wide, calm smile. The kind of smile she would only put in very special occasions. She felt flattened after hearing Ami’s words, and that seemed to have the first positive effect on the pile of prejudices in her mind.

She was known to not be a very positive and cheerful girl like Ami, but Yumi knew when to show her emotions. Earlier in her career, she was mocked to have “scowlitis” for her constant reticence to smile, although the pass of time and her time spent with Ami certainly helped her to open up her feelings, and the demonstration of such feelings. Yumi felt she lost the fear to do and say many things over time thanks to her best friend, and maybe it was time to add two things to that list.

The girls were alone, in silence. The place was still dimly lit. Their ballgowns, although a bit of a tight fit for being the first time, gave them an odd, unexpected sense of warmth and comfort. The little amount of lighting around them was still enough for their outfits to emit little amounts of reflection through the glitter effects on them. They looked around, checked the door to make sure no one was coming at them.

And then, they started to get closer to each other. It wasn’t easy; both gowns had a large amount of heavy petticoats underneath the delicate skirts in order to maintain such flamboyant shapes. It was still possible for them to bend over a little with some effort, like they have done earlier. The girls could make contact with their hands, after rubbing the skirts with all the care in the world, especially from Ami’s part. This pushed out the back of both skirts, with a little bit of lift that revealed the large petticoats.

Their already existent sense of comfort grew wider. They looked at each other in a very candid way, something they have done many times in the past during their privacy, but the particularity of this moment made this occasion feel a lot more special. Deep in their minds, they could have sworn their gowns were starting to emit a bit more of shine than usual as they were facing each other, and the feeling of warmth was now more evident. But they were too concentrated to bother about that. Yumi felt it was finally the appropriate moment.

Y: Ami, there’s something I always wanted to tell you. But my stubbornness always gets the best of me.

A: What is it, Yumi?

Yumi took a few seconds to reply.

Y: Ami, I… I…

A: Hmm?

It didn’t seem like it, but Yumi was still fighting her own mind in that moment. Perhaps she truly stood by what she wanted to say, but there were still some final remains of awkward feelings trying to prevent her from fully opening her heart. Perhaps she needed a bit more of help, a little push to make the final step.

A: Love you?

Yumi nodded down, as her face started to grew red.

Y: Yes, Ami. I just… love you. (Pause) With all my heart.

It was a special moment. They tried to hug each other, but their gowns were already close to the limit of what they could allow, so they just laughed for a brief moment and looked at each other. Both faces were red now. They were about to drop some tears, but their full makeup would start to drop along their faces. No time left for any sort of fixings, so they controlled themselves.

A: Thank you, Yumi. I love you too. Very, very deeply.

Yumi was probably the happiest woman in the world in that moment. She always knew Ami loved her, but getting another reassurance of such affect never failed to make her feel special, important, meaningful.

A: And guess what? I always knew you loved me. I know it’s hard for you to express your feelings. Nobody ever taught you how to do that at home in Japan.

Y: Yeah, you’re right. I hardly spent any time with my parents. (Sighs) All the time spent outside with boring business things to do. Being with you is such a relief, Ami. You have given me the care they almost never did. I owe you big for that.

A: You don’t owe me nothing, sweetie. We are friends. Being with you makes me feel happy too. Even if sometimes you aren’t the brightest star in my sky, you never fail to make me feel happy. I love your attitude, your determination to do things sometimes. I just wish it wasn’t so hard for you to do the “other” kind of things. Those that aren’t so much about showing your physical, outwards strength, and more about your inner strength. That is important too, you know?

Y: Yes, I know, Ami. Sometimes I’m too stupid or scared to do things that might not “fit” me. But I know it’s all in my mind. I should be free to do whatever I want and not be fearful of judgement. Like with these gowns. A few minutes ago I didn’t think they would be a thing for me, and… (looks down) I think I’m in love with them now. We do indeed look gorgeous.

A: We sure do.

Y: And I want to say that, even if we don’t win the award, and even if we end up being a laughing stock tonight, I don’t care. I’m grateful to you for letting me go through this moment, Ami. We might not be very strong individually, but when we join together, I feel nothing can stop us. I’m not sure if I ever helped you, but you certainly helped me. And I will always love you for that.

A: I will always love you too, Yumi. And you did help me in some ways. You made me feel a bit more secure in the real world. To not let myself be intimidated by others as much. Ever since I met you I don’t feel as much of a fragile school girl like I used to be. I have a bit more of temperament now, although I know I will never outweigh you in that regard, heh.

Y: Hey, sometimes you do. You’re a strong girl, Ami.

A: We both are.

Y: True. We are the queens of rock, Ami. The term “princesses” is not good enough for us.

A: Love to hear that from you. Almost as much as I do love you.

They stared at each other for a few minutes, and then they left the room together. Store employees helped them collect their casual clothes, as the girls were headed back to the bus in order to do the final preparations for the gala. Kaz was slightly annoyed to see such massive gowns inside a relatively small environment, but deep inside he was happy and proud for them.

Whether or not the girls had success that night, they already had won a big part of the game. To not be afraid of things, even if your mind tells you to do so. Life is too short to restrict yourself from the things you like, and you have to make your existence in this world as brightly and positive as possible. People might judge you, but if liking something makes you happy, you shouldn’t feel forced out of it.

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Continues from here. Second and main part of this story, this bit takes between 15 and 20 minutes to read. I hope you enjoy it.

A: I know what we can bring to the gala, Yumi. But I’m afraid you might not like it.

Y: Oh dear. What do you have in mind?

Ami sighs and relaxes her expression.

Y: What is it, Ami?

A: Ballgowns.

Y: What?

A: You heard me right. I want big, puffy, shiny, colorful ballgowns. With long opera gloves.

Y: For… both of us?

A: Yes.

Yumi remained surprised for a minute, although soon enough realized it wasn’t something too out of the realm of what Ami might say.

Y: So you want us to look like…

A: Princesses?

Y: At the music gala? Hell no.

As Ami expected, Yumi wasn't very pleased to hear her proposal. Even if Ami reminded her that both dresses would be tailor-made for them, and she would get to make her dress somewhat akin to her liking, there was something in her mind that couldn't stop deeming the idea as outrageous and unfitting for her.

A: Why not?

Y: Because I don’t want to look like I believe in fairy tales, Ami. We are rockstars.

A: What have ballgowns to do with fairy tales?

Y: You are kidding me, right?

She was always trying to be perceived as a legitimate female rockstar figure, with fun, edgy catchphrases, like claiming to be a "goddess of rock". Suddenly both of them showing up looking like the newest members of the Disney Princess brand would, at least in her mind, be brutal to their aspirations. She was thinking of what the magazines and pink press would say about them, the possible nicknames and jokes that would erupt from that. At first, she was staunch in her negative to the proposal.

Y: Ami, please think of what could result from this. We could become the laughing stock of the music world. Nobody brings ballgowns to a music gala. We probably couldn’t even fit in our seats. We would stick out like a sore thumb.

A: Don’t we already stick out while being here in America?

Y: Well, yes we do. But you and I know well we have an image, a reputation to maintain. And ballgown dresses… On paper it sounds cute; I won’t deny it. But… I’m not sure, Ami. Don’t think it will work.

Ami liked to know Yumi actually found the idea cute, but was still unwilling to do it. But she didn't really care about the press and their opinions. She once had an episode where she was photographed with her face completely stained with makeup after a small accident where Yumi was involved, and despite all their efforts to avoid it, the story ended up published for people to see, with photos included. It was a tough week for her, but eventually other stories arose, which helped bury this particular incident into oblivion, and allowed for things to go back to normal.

She realized caring too much about the press say (and the consequent opinions of people) is usually a waste of time and effort. She heard some jokes and got called names, but as time passed she even started to laugh at those, while strengthening her own confidence and reticence to be affected by other's people's opinions. The pink-haired girl ended up getting somewhat immune to the pink press, and she thought maybe the purple-haired girl needed a bit of that, too.

A: Yumi, trust me. This idea is perfect. It might be a bit difficult for us to fit on our seats, but I’m sure it will be worth it. Especially if we win.

Y: If we win, we would have to drag the gowns all the way to the stage. Plenty of time for people to laugh and point at us. We might have trouble climbing the stairs, reaching the microphone, or even topple the stand with the skirts! Not to mention anything could possibly rip or tear them. Ami, everywhere I see there are opportunities for one of us, or both to get humiliated. I don’t want that.

Ami’s smile grew wider as Yumi continued to enumerate her worries.

Y: Why are you smiling like that?

A: You’re always so negative. Always thinking of the worst possible scenario for everything.

Y: I’m just worried about our reputation as a duo, Ami. You know as well as me how hard it is for us girls to shine in this world.

A: Well, no one is going to shine more than us with these gowns, silly.

Yumi frowned, and threw herself into the bed while Ami remained seated next to her.

A: What’s your problem with gowns, Yumi? I feel the only thing you have been doing lately is giving excuses. None of which are guaranteed to happen.

Y: Ami, I just… I just don’t like it. I’m a rockstar. I’m a tough girl, I was raised without any attention from my family, so I want attention. I want attention from the people. But not in the shape of the laughs and fingers of people mocking me. I want to be taken seriously.

A: I, I understand where you are coming from, Yumi. I know you perhaps had a difficult childhood despite your possibilities.

The soft talk between them continued, and Yumi begrudgingly accepted the idea in the end. They discussed how the dresses would look like, and Yumi gave Ami some basic hints for her own design. Despite Kaz's sizable manager fees, the girls were earning more profits as a result of their recent successful album (and the ongoing tour to promote it) so they would place an order at a reputable tailor. The dresses would cost them a ton of money, and probably part of their hardly-earned reputation once they showed them up.

But Ami was trying her best to drive Yumi out of this thought, and actually convince her it would be actually a pretty bold move. Most women in the various branches of the entertainment industry were trying to have very revealing outfits when showing up to events, so maybe going against the established things would be interesting way to get noticed.

"Going against the established things", or as Yumi called it, “breaking the rules”, was something she always adored. She realized that, although there could be a risk, Ami was right: the dresses would be an interesting change compared to what most people were doing, and maybe they could even inspire others to follow suit. Under a different light, Ami's idea didn't seem so bad at all, even if she never even thought of it as a “rebellious” thing before. So they went ahead, and the order for two of the biggest and most colorful gowns ever was placed.

The weeks prior to the event were kind of unnerving for the girls. But not only because of them wondering if they would get the prize in the end. Yumi was still kind of worried about the possible outcome of showing the dresses, and Ami worried more about the possibility of them not being finished on time, or having quality or fitting issues that would force them into an emergency plan. Luckily, a few concerts and time spent interacting with their fans would keep their minds busy doing what they enjoyed the most.

But the days passed and they haven't heard any news from the tailor, until the event was just a couple of hours away.

In the Puffy tour bus, it was said that if Yumi had to wake up very early in the morning, things were not looking good. A mere 12 hours before the start of the gala, the girls were already nervously looking for their old black and yellow dresses.

A: Where is it?

Y: I don’t know Ami. Have no clue where I stored it. It’s been so long since the last gala I attended. That movie that made me feel so…

A: (Interrupts her) Please look everywhere you can. We still have to do our makeup and hair.

Y: I told you this was an awful idea, Ami. Now we have spent a ton of money on something that did not deliver.

A: I, I… I had no idea they would need to take this long.

Y: Why would they? It’s not like everybody is making queue to look like royalty these days. (Sighs) I knew I shouldn’t have listened to you.

A: Yumi, I’m sorry, I just wanted to…

She couldn’t finish her statement without her phone ringing. It was the tailor; their new gowns were finished, following the indications she had given. They would have to show up at the tailor's address to try them.

Both girls hugged and screamed. They went from panic to excitement, and felt relieved. It was time for them to finally meet their outfits for the first time, just hours before the event. It would be a particularly interesting moment, especially for Yumi, as she had never worn a dress like this before. Ami had a bit of experience when she went to "rescue" Yumi from the hypnotism her opera teacher had reduced her into. That yellow ballgown she wore to the opera, the one she was looking for early in the morning, was pretty nice, but peanuts compared to the dresses they were about to show to the world.

The girls arrived at the tailor by noon. They had already gotten their hair and makeup ready for the occasion, and their dresses were already there. Waiting for them, carefully placed on a pair of mannequins. Ami was exhilarating, but Yumi was just surprised. The dresses looked exactly like Ami wanted them to be, although Yumi was lost in the sheer size of the skirts.

The gowns had a very pompous, yet elegant look to them, with a little bit of glitter that reflected the light of the environment. Ami's gown was various shades of yellow, from a light mustard color for the waist to a very bright cream for her nearly shoulder-length gloves. Yumi's gown was mostly a dark color that showed better the effect of the sparkles. Halfway between a dark blue and deep purple, with navy blue accents that included the beautiful gloves, of the same length as Ami's.

Yumi was annoyed when seeing them, and expected to have trouble trying to fit them tightly not just into her hands, but her arms as well. Both dresses had cute sequins whose design imitated their personal logos, decorating a banner with downward arch patterns towards the bottom of the skirts, and small necklaces that contributed to the look of their exposed shoulders. Ami's necklace was yellow, meanwhile Yumi's was black. The only ounce of black in her entire outfit, as she always desired to wear a bit of that color, no matter how small it might be. The dresses came with nice looking shoes, although aside from their clanking noise with every step, would get unnoticed behind several layers of white petticoats, necessary to form the exaggerated shapes Ami desired.

The dresses didn’t seem to have any issues according to Ami after spending some time looking at them carefully, so they were slowly removed from the mannequins by store employees and given to the girls piece by piece, so they could go to the changing rooms to try them out. They entered a huge, dimly lit area that connected all of the changing rooms. Nobody else was there; the silence made them felt a bit more comfortable. The rooms themselves were better lit and pretty large for normal circumstances, and large enough for most ballgowns to be carefully donned on and off.

But their gowns were extraordinarily large and had trouble fitting in, not without some bits of skirt softly rubbing against the huge wall-mounted mirrors. Ami didn't take very long to put the dress on despite the lack of space to maneuver around. She took some time to touch the gown, make some poses, look at herself from several angles and smile. She carefully left her room to stand near the doors of the room Yumi was using.

She could hear some bits of swearing, most likely because of her friend not knowing how to put on some of the pieces of the outfit. The doors left a bit of space underneath where Ami could see the bottom of Yumi’s dress moving around. Sounds of her shoes repeatedly stepping onto the floor and the silk being pushed upon the mirrors and even slightly peeking out beneath the doors were evident to Ami, who softly talked to her through the doors and gave some indications of what to do.

Yumi eventually could see Ami’s dress through the bottom of the door too, to reassure it was her and not someone curious looking from the outside. But she couldn't get into the room to give help, not only to give Yumi the privacy she deserved, but also because the changing rooms, although generously sized for most circumstances, could barely hold a single gown of the size they have chosen, let alone two. Eventually Yumi seemed to get calmed.

Y: It’s fine, Ami. I only have the gloves left to do. I will be with you in a minute or two.

A: Okay, I’m giving you space here.

After a few more minutes than Yumi estimated, the big doors of the room opened. A very pretty and purple woman, from top to bottom, showed up a bit annoyed, with some bits of her outfit still not correctly placed despite her efforts.

A: Yumi… you look… gorgeous.

Y: Thanks Ami. I honestly feel ridiculous. Don’t think I will ever adapt to this style.

A: (Smirks) You might not like to hear this from me then. But I have some tips for you.

Y: What is it?

A: Well, both of your gloves have some wrinkles on them. And your neckline isn’t evenly placed around your shoulders.

Y: (Sighs) Man, not this again.

She remained in silence for a few seconds, frowned and then abruptly turned around to go back into the room to address those issues, not without making her entire skirt twirl in a way she did not expect. The circular movement of the gown surprised her, expanding its size even further and reaching Ami’s gown, who stood outside, getting even more impressed.

Y: What?

A: Oh, that’s amazing, Yumi! You just did a twirl. Very elegant thing to do. Although you have to be careful. The gowns touched.

Y: I… didn’t expect that.

A: Well, don’t you feel the weight, Yumi? Of course it’s going to react in a different way than usual when you move. (Pause) Come here, I will try to help you.

Yumi only partially entered the room, and immediately came out. Despite the difficulties of trying to interact with the massive gowns on, eventually both girls were fully dressed and ready for... the ball?

Not really. In some way, the desire of wearing huge ballgowns to a music gala could be indeed seen as a bit of a large whim from Ami. But her determination was above anything that anyone could have said about them. And she was trying to get Yumi onto the same boat. If she had convinced her once to step onto a surfboard to take part in a surf competition that could have taken their lives, she felt confident she could do that as well.

They looked at each other, and Yumi still wasn't getting the same level of excitement as Ami.

Y: Thank you, Ami. (Pause) You look great, by the way.

A: Thanks. You too have a gorgeous look. Very elegant, and in my very honest opinion, fitting for you. Even if you disagree. You were always a pretty girl, Yumi, but the dress only enhances you.

Yumi looked away. She tried, but just couldn’t hide her wide, calm smile. The kind of smile she would only put in very special occasions. She felt flattened after hearing Ami’s words, and that seemed to have the first positive effect on the pile of prejudices in her mind.

She was known to not be a very positive and cheerful girl like Ami, but Yumi knew when to show her emotions. Earlier in her career, she was mocked to have “scowlitis” for her constant reticence to smile, although the pass of time and her time spent with Ami certainly helped her to open up her feelings, and the demonstration of such feelings. Yumi felt she lost the fear to do and say many things over time thanks to her best friend, and maybe it was time to add two things to that list.

The girls were alone, in silence. The place was still dimly lit. Their ballgowns, although a bit of a tight fit for being the first time, gave them an odd, unexpected sense of warmth and comfort. The little amount of lighting around them was still enough for their outfits to emit little amounts of reflection through the glitter effects on them. They looked around, checked the door to make sure no one was coming at them.

And then, they started to get closer to each other. It wasn’t easy; both gowns had a large amount of heavy petticoats underneath the delicate skirts in order to maintain such flamboyant shapes. It was still possible for them to bend over a little with some effort, like they have done earlier. The girls could make contact with their hands, after rubbing the skirts with all the care in the world, especially from Ami’s part. This pushed out the back of both skirts, with a little bit of lift that revealed the large petticoats.

Their already existent sense of comfort grew wider. They looked at each other in a very candid way, something they have done many times in the past during their privacy, but the particularity of this moment made this occasion feel a lot more special. Deep in their minds, they could have sworn their gowns were starting to emit a bit more of shine than usual as they were facing each other, and the feeling of warmth was now more evident. But they were too concentrated to bother about that. Yumi felt it was finally the appropriate moment.

Y: Ami, there’s something I always wanted to tell you. But my stubbornness always gets the best of me.

A: What is it, Yumi?

Yumi took a few seconds to reply.

Y: Ami, I… I…

A: Hmm?

It didn’t seem like it, but Yumi was still fighting her own mind in that moment. Perhaps she truly stood by what she wanted to say, but there were still some final remains of awkward feelings trying to prevent her from fully opening her heart. Perhaps she needed a bit more of help, a little push to make the final step.

A: Love you?

Yumi nodded down, as her face started to grew red.

Y: Yes, Ami. I just… love you. (Pause) With all my heart.

It was a special moment. They tried to hug each other, but their gowns were already close to the limit of what they could allow, so they just laughed for a brief moment and looked at each other. Both faces were red now. They were about to drop some tears, but their full makeup would start to drop along their faces. No time left for any sort of fixings, so they controlled themselves.

A: Thank you, Yumi. I love you too. Very, very deeply.

Yumi was probably the happiest woman in the world in that moment. She always knew Ami loved her, but getting another reassurance of such affect never failed to make her feel special, important, meaningful.

A: And guess what? I always knew you loved me. I know it’s hard for you to express your feelings. Nobody ever taught you how to do that at home in Japan.

Y: Yeah, you’re right. I hardly spent any time with my parents. (Sighs) All the time spent outside with boring business things to do. Being with you is such a relief, Ami. You have given me the care they almost never did. I owe you big for that.

A: You don’t owe me nothing, sweetie. We are friends. Being with you makes me feel happy too. Even if sometimes you aren’t the brightest star in my sky, you never fail to make me feel happy. I love your attitude, your determination to do things sometimes. I just wish it wasn’t so hard for you to do the “other” kind of things. Those that aren’t so much about showing your physical, outwards strength, and more about your inner strength. That is important too, you know?

Y: Yes, I know, Ami. Sometimes I’m too stupid or scared to do things that might not “fit” me. But I know it’s all in my mind. I should be free to do whatever I want and not be fearful of judgement. Like with these gowns. A few minutes ago I didn’t think they would be a thing for me, and… (looks down) I think I’m in love with them now. We do indeed look gorgeous.

A: We sure do.

Y: And I want to say that, even if we don’t win the award, and even if we end up being a laughing stock tonight, I don’t care. I’m grateful to you for letting me go through this moment, Ami. We might not be very strong individually, but when we join together, I feel nothing can stop us. I’m not sure if I ever helped you, but you certainly helped me. And I will always love you for that.

A: I will always love you too, Yumi. And you did help me in some ways. You made me feel a bit more secure in the real world. To not let myself be intimidated by others as much. Ever since I met you I don’t feel as much of a fragile school girl like I used to be. I have a bit more of temperament now, although I know I will never outweigh you in that regard, heh.

Y: Hey, sometimes you do. You’re a strong girl, Ami.

A: We both are.

Y: True. We are the queens of rock, Ami. The term “princesses” is not good enough for us.

A: Love to hear that from you. Almost as much as I do love you.

They stared at each other for a few minutes, and then they left the room together. Store employees helped them collect their casual clothes, as the girls were headed back to the bus in order to do the final preparations for the gala. Kaz was slightly annoyed to see such massive gowns inside a relatively small environment, but deep inside he was happy and proud for them.

Whether or not the girls had success that night, they already had won a big part of the game. To not be afraid of things, even if your mind tells you to do so. Life is too short to restrict yourself from the things you like, and you have to make your existence in this world as brightly and positive as possible. People might judge you, but if liking something makes you happy, you shouldn’t feel forced out of it.