Chapter 118

Noriko was a skilled quick-change artist. It took her bare minutes to switch into her dressy but not fancy kimono. The "under-kimono" were in fact fake edgings, not full garments at all. She had a trick she used with her obi, too. The big knot in the back was pre-tied so she only had to tie the sashes to her body in two places, fastening the entire garment shut. Her hair was fine as it was. She liked the simplicity of modern hair fashions and that she had never had to wear it lose and down.

While married women normally wore their sleeves much shorter than unmarried ones did, as an older working woman, Noriko was considered middle-aged, as she now was, she thought with a grimace. She dressed her social position: married or not, she was presumed to be married, widowed or divorced. She didn't even need a new wardrobe, which pleased her sense of economy.

Yuta shrugged into his under-kimono as she opened the door.

"You're quick!"