QT: Scum Gong System: I Became the Male Leads I Hated!? - Chapter 62

The next morning, ‘Franklin’ and Stein went to shop for clothes for the Science Exhibition.

Captain Clerval did not join them. He went to a separate shop across the street, excusing himself and going out to shop on his own.

Zhe Chouhen noticed there is something wrong with him today. This whole scene isn’t part of the script, so this must be improvised by Daoist Panda himself. But for what purpose?

(Daoist Panda, why are you not coming with us? Are you leaving space for me and Stein to get close to each other? Shouldn’t it be the other way around so that Captain Clerval can steal him from me?)

Panda did not answer at all, only lowering his cap to go on his way.

Zhe Chouhen frowned. This is another headache, another mystery to solve. They seem to be endless.

But since Panda is so sure of his decision, he might as well play with it. Their goal is to make his character the true male lead, did he suddenly forget about that role? Or did he think of a better plan last night?

Ah, it’s all guesses and guesses, and Zhe Chiuhen is tired of guessing games. Last night made him mentally and emotionally drained to think too much. He just wants a happy, sunny day for once.

“Shall we go here, then? This haberdashery is well-known in the area.” He turned his focus to Stein, smiling brightly.

Stein’s demeanor was much brighter today since he can finally go outside with Franklin’s permission. Waking up in ‘Franklin’s’ arms helped him be in a good mood too, and he was feeling rather blissful.

He returned that bright smile, and nodded. “As you say, Master.”

The small bell that signals the establishment of new customers clinked slightly when they opened the door, and a kind elderly lady greeted them in German. “Guten Morgen, junge Burschen.”

The lady was old and have curly white hair due to her age, along with almost-closing eyes. She was wearing large, comical spectacles too. Even so, she still has great fashion sense as she wore a small little green hat with some veil hanging at the end, and a pretty yellow dress that matches her demeanor and her small hat. She also has a white feathered boa, making her look very lavish.

“Guten Morgen.” Stein nodded politely, while ‘Franklin’ did not bother to greet back and just perused the clothes hanging on racks and on the display.

He rubbed his chin, and began asking around the staff. He pointed and chose some clothes, and made blunt remarks, not worrying if he would offend the poor sweet granny that own the shop. “The hem is two millimeters too thick, is this made from the 1820s?  How about that one— No, too tacky. The next one—Ah, too many buttons!”

Stein felt guilty, since the old lady’s eyes widened because of these remarks, and so he went by her side to console her. “I’m sorry, Frau. My master just has a very frank and honest personality…. Well, his name is Franklin after all. Please do not worry, all the clothes here are quite lovely—”

“My, I have never met a customer with such a discerning eye towards clothes!” She exclaimed, clapping her wrinkly hands. “For almost 40 years, I have been tailoring for men and selling them wear, and yet they are never too observant and only bought the first thing they pick up! What a delight your master is! Does he work in the fashion industry? A designer for models?”

“Ah…. No, Frau. My master is a scientist.” Stein said, quite baffled yet also pleased to have Franklin be complimented. He felt an odd sense of accomplishment for his lover.

“Oh, I thought he must be!” The old lady chuckled. “Look at how impeccably dressed he is! And here I was thinking that you must be his model, and he is looking for clothes for you to wear on a gala of some sort!”

“You are not too far off, Sehr geehrte Frau.” ‘Franklin’ suddenly came by their side, adjusting his glasses in one hand and carrying a bunch of beautiful, colorful suits in the other. “These clothes are indeed for this friend of mine, and we are attending a party this Sunday. He doesn’t have that much of a discerning eye as I have, and will wear just about anything, so I am picking clothes for him.”

It was now Stein’s turn to be surprised by not being referred to as a servant, since they usually do so in public, but perhaps this is practice for the Science Exhibition.

The old lady tilted her head to the side, laughing lightly in confusion. “Friend? I think he called you master earlier….. Which really is it?”

Franklin gave a slightly amused look to Stein, and this made the big artificial man clear his throat and strengthen his posture to appear more dignified. “I must have misspoken, German is not my native tongue. Frank is my….. friend.”

He reddened at this simple thing, and the lady with almost closing eyes was still able to notice. Her thin dry lips wearing red lipstick lifted up on the edge a little, smiling knowingly.

“Then may I examine your friend’s selection for you?” She asked, gesturing to the clothes in ‘Franklin’s’ hands. “My, my…. Your friend chose the costly ones. Are you sure you will be able to afford this, young fellow?”

Stein watched as the old woman presented it to him one by one, trying to see if they would fit his large figure. They really looked costly, possibly costing more than 1000 gold marks each. They do not seem like something a servant could wear at all, they’re all made fit for a duke or a prince!

Gold linings, silk padding, carefully embroidered embellishments….. Franklin did not shy away from them at all. It’s like he wants Stein to be the darling belle of the ball, so beautifully dressed that no one can take away their eyes off him. This caused Stein to be very flustered yet happy about it, wild butterflies dancing in his stomach.

“I….. I can’t afford this, Franklin.” He said in the end, looking down and handing the clothes back to him. “And I do not want to dress so expensively, I don’t want to take much attention to myself. You should return them…”

“I’ll pay for them.” ‘Franklin’ announced. “I’ll pay for them all, as long as I get to see you try them and look absolutely magnificent in them.”

The old woman raised an eyebrow, his smile growing wider. “Oh, you can try them for free at the rooms in the back to see what is best to buy. But if you truly want to buy all six of them, we have no qualms about that! Business has been slow in this establishment after all.”

“Thank you, Frau. And my friend is correct, your clothes here are truly wonderful, a testament to your years of experience.” ‘Franklin’ took hold of Stein’s arm, and smiled at him. “Shall we try them on you?”

“I-In this room? In this shop?” Stein becomes worried. What if someone opened the door while he was changing, and his existence as an anomaly was revealed—

“Yes, I shall be with you inside as well.” ‘Franklin’ either did not realize the dangers, or he doesn’t mind taking the risk at all. “We will have the kind shopkeeper judge them and give some feedback as well. Didn’t you say you worry about having me take so much expenses just for you? This way, we will only buy the best one.”

There was nothing more Stein can say about it as he was already pushed inside the dark windowless changing room. There was only one lamp, and its glow was not enough to push back the darkness, only providing strange shadows. He heard ‘Franklin’ close the door, and he could only barely make out a silhouette of his figure and his dim-lit smile.

“Undress for me, please.”

Stein blinked at this command, his heart racing. He…. He truly did not expect the situation to develop in such a way. Is ‘Franklin’…..

No, maybe it’s only him thinking of these impure thoughts. After all, his beloved master and creator could not even kiss him last night, even when he is scantily clothed with his mother’s nightgown. What would be the difference if he was naked? Since his birth, ‘Franklin’ had seen him naked several times, yet never touched him in any way that would be deviant or depraved…..

He began to undress his clothes, mindful of how this man is looking at him as he did so. He first unbuttoned his shirt, then take off his pants, and stood before Franklin completely naked under the dim light.

Does he…. Does he find such a vision stirring? Or only disgusting? Or maybe, just the same way doctors look at the bodies of their patients, or how a scientist looks at a specimen?

The air inside the dark room was suffocating, but it was more so because Stein was holding his breath. He was waiting for something, anything. But green eyes only looked back at him, unblinkingly, their intentions unknown. Those green eyes like that of a listless stray cat, who is merely determining whether the thing it found in the ground was worth eating or not, before stretching its slender body towards it.

And that is close to what ‘Franklin’ did. He reached out to the nude Stein, eyes never leaving his face and not looking down. Stein could hear his breaths due to the deafening silence in the room, and they seem to be hard and ragged. He raised his hand in the air in front of Stein, not touching him yet, but seeming to want to….

“You should try this red one first.” ‘Franklin’ said.

He handed the burgundy red suit, and turned to the wall once he did. Stein was terribly disappointed again, but not so much as he had been used to it. He just wore the suit with a frown and knitted eyebrows.

These continued on with the remaining clothes. After wearing it, they would show it to the owner of the haberdashery, and she examined them carefully on how well they fit and suit Stein. She finds it difficult to choose since Franklin picked them really well, often asking Stein to make several spins and making comments whether the color made his eyes pop or give him the right attitude.

Stein was not focused on these remarks at all. He only waited to be able to undress in front of Franklin once again, and observe his reaction. He waited and waited, but ‘Franklin’ only faced the wall, just waiting for him to be finished again.

It became so unbearable that Stein just had the strongest urge to yell at ‘Franklin’ to rip these clothes off him!

Was he really that hideous!??? Why can’t he even spare a single look at him, or make any remark of his uncovered body!????

The last suit was then tried, and it was the best one out of the six. They decided to purchase that one and go back on their way home. Sulking, Stein went back to the changing room once more to go back to his first outfit upon going here, expecting a ‘hide-and-seek’ game with ‘Franklin’ who never stopped facing the wall and counting to ten, and he who have no intention to hide and wanted to be seeked…

Yet something happened.

This time, ‘Franklin’ did not look away, and went closer to him when he had only unbuttoned the first button.

“Let me help you.” He said, his tone a little strained. There was no hint of seduction in it though, and he merely put all his focus on unclasping the buttons. He never looked at Stein once directly, only on his body, and even then, he gazed at it the same way you would with a mannequin.

He pulled down on the collar to take them off, revealing his broad yet soft-looking shoulders. His nose is just a few inches apart from them, and he can smell the jasmine tea Stein had earlier this morning. The truth is….

Having Stein strip in front of him several times sent Zhe Chouhen in frenzied arousal that he feel like his mind is going to explode. Not just his mind, but something far down is aching to explode too…

He is a man after all, he can’t control his body’s natural reactions. He tried his best to have his little brother calmed down a little, thus facing the wall. But he really can’t do it anymore.

“Stein….. Can you… Turn around, the pants…. I will…”

“Hm?” Stein is confused why he’s stammering all of sudden.

“Just turn around.”

Stein did so, and Zhe Chouhen pulled down the pants with his eyes stuck on the ceiling. If this keeps up, he felt like he’s going to faint, both from the suffocating room and this suffocating situation.

It was a difficult tug-of-war. Yet in the end, between desire and control, what won over was…..

“Good, now you… You wear your clothes on your own.”

He didn’t succumb to desire. Only barely, however.

He turned to face the wall once more, rubbing his face. He felt like the temptation will just get worse in the future. His crotch is still aching, and he hid it using the clothes he was carrying.

(Gahhhh!!! How do I get out of these thoughts!? Think of something else…. Think of anything besides Stein….)

What first came into his mind is Daoist Panda’s cute 2D form. His funny facial expressions, exaggerated and meng to the bone…. The wholesome way he talked whenever he’s not chiding or bickering with Zhe Chouhen… Like a cute baby…..

It seems that it is not just Stein that is being treated like a child as a coping mechanism.

Daoist Panda who could hear these thoughts, not knowing the context: …………..

[Idiot!!!!!!]