As you haven’t really managed to relax lately, you decide to head to the local shopping centre.
Sure, you were at the mall earlier this week, but you were there knowing you had to go back to work later – a sense of pressure which killed any chance of relaxation.
You’ll browse some stores, having a nice lunch, get some groceries, and on the way back you can stop by Ishibashi Music to buy a new album you’ve been meaning to get and just sit for a while.
It’s a perfect day! Nothing can go wrong.
As you move to leave house, you halt at the mirror hanging next to the front door.
Asuki sits at the end of the hallway, watching you with curiosity.
…
“Maybe,” you say to Asuki, “A little more effort…?”
The photo you received earlier of Kaiba and Kitabyashi was a relief, but at the same time it reminded you of some depressing things as well.
Like, how you have nobody to share things with.
It’s not like you need anyone though, you’ve been fiercely independent all these years.
Sure, the dating pool shrinks with each passing year and, yes, the older you get the more men’s gazes will pass over you and settle on girls of a younger generation, but that sort of thinking only bothers those that desperately need a relationship.
That’s not you at all.
If it ends up happening, then you wouldn’t be exactly against it though.
Right? It’s not exactly awful to end up cuddling with somebody on the couch as you half-watch a movie.
Cuddling, huh?
You’ve never done that sort of thing with a guy…
Watase Yoko is pretty tall, so you guess it should be pretty similar to cuddling with a boyfriend.
Even with Yoko it was pretty nice. To be the little spoon like that…
“Aaaaah!” you say, slamming your hands on the wall.
In fact, if you confessed to Kitabayashi she’d probably accept on the spot…
“I’m not that desperate yet!” you shout, “I can find a boyfriend! Easy!”
Your cat, Asuki, explodes into the living room because of your sudden outburst where they knock something over.
“Twenty-six is plenty young, right? I mean, I’ll be twenty-seven next month, but shouldn’t be a problem either! Tons of people focus on their careers instead! That’s the norm! I can totally get a boyfriend! I just haven’t been trying, that’s all,” you loudly declare as you try to cope with reality.
As today is one of those rare days where you actually leave the house to go somewhere other than work, you decide to put in some extra effort into your appearance.
Perhaps somebody will approach you if you look good enough.
That’s right. Your entire dating strategy at the moment is becoming a “Pick me” girl.
Nothing wrong with that! Men are supposed to approach women. Right, Asuki?
“I just need to go into the real world,” you say as you stand in front the bathroom mirror and get a little bit extra with your make-up, “I’m just connecting those thoughts to girls because of the things that happened, but I’m not actually into girls or anything. Right, Asuki?”
The cat lingering in the bathroom doorway meows.
You focus on your make-up for a moment, then talk to yourself again like any sane person would.
“And I’m not lonely in the first place,” you say, “Right, Asuki?”
The cat has left.
“Asuki?” you say, leaning away from the mirror, “Come back…?”
You stare at your reflection in the mirror and sigh.
All your life you’ve played it safe with your appearance.
No gaudy make-up, piercings other than earrings, and anything risky.
Even your earrings are just plain studs.
A lot of the women at the office don't even pierced ears. They don't wear earrings and when they do they're just clip-ons. You stare at the mirror and smile, "Hmpf," you say. Perhaps you are just too rebellious.
Maybe, just for today, it’s time for an image change?
Ah, but at the same time isn’t twenty-six too old to do something like that…
> Decision
>
> >1 - No. Office clothes are fine.
> >2 - Embrace J-rock, clothe and accessorise accordingly.
> >3 - Go with fashionable streetwear.
>
> A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
>
> >4 - Perhaps some casual clothing will do.
>
>
>
> Winner
> >3 - Go with fashionable streetwear.
Halfway through your renewed make-up, you stop and clear it all off.
The usual simply will not do!
You’ve been walking around with that for years now and did anyone ever ask you out on a date?
No. They haven’t. So, it simply doesn’t work.
Stomping towards your bedroom, clothes fly around your room as you dig deep into your closet.
There are some band shirts you bought but have never worn outside.
You got them when you attended some concerts by yourself, just idling in the back with a mask on.
You look at them, smiling as you recall the memories.
There’s nothing wrong with putting your interests on display.
That’s a good conversation starter.
All the stuff you bought, but have been too embarrassed to wear.
Band-shirt, on! Spikey bracelets, on! Boots, on!
Be proud, Miho! You’re no longer that insecure fifteen-year-old!
You stand tall in front of the body-length mirror in your bedroom.
[https://assets.legendkeeper.com/d70c6ede-0aeb-4c72-982a-07fc0857e21f.jpg]
Then shrivel up, covering your face as you hide from your own reflection.
There’s no way you can wear this outside…
You dig through the closet.
If office attire is too tame, then what about some fashionable streetwear?
That’s what college girls wear, right?
You’re short and your skin is pretty good, maybe you’ll be able to pass yourself off as being younger?
Pulling up your phone, you check online to see what kind of streetwear is fashionable these days.
Things have changed a fair bit since you were in college, but you should be able to pull together a look that’s close enough to what’s trendy if you mix-and-match your clothes.
It mostly seems to be baggy clothes like a large sweater with some kind of print, cargo pants.
That’s all fine and well, but you don’t own any of those.
There’s seems to be a sportier sub-culture of streetwear with denim jackets and crop tops.
That’ll have to do. It seems like as long as it is baggy and oversized then it qualifies as streetwear.
It does look like what you found online, but wearing this as somebody in their late twenties has you feeling self-conscious.
Sometimes you wish you could borrow some of the confidence you display during work and put it to use in your private life.
As you compare yourself to the images you found online you make a startling discovery.
…All these trendy girls have skinny waists and small chests.
Are large breasts unfashionable? Is that why nobody wants you?
A third and hopefully final dive in the closet has you pulling out a compression sport bra.
After replacing your current bra with that one, you’ve managed to acquire a more modest bust.
Do you look like a trendy college girl now?
Or more like a late-twenties hag trying to play pretend?
You’ve been staring in the mirror for too long, you can’t tell anymore.
“I’ll just go like this,” you shout to encourage yourself.
You hurry out of the house before you change your mind.
One speedy drive with your trusty Renault Twingo later, you arrived at the shopping centre’s parking lot.
----------------------------------------
It’s a Saturday, so it’s understandably busy.
Hundreds if not thousands of people are shopping today.
A veritable sea of bodies.
There’s a van with its roof covered in speakers promoting some kind of candidate for a local election.
You hurry past before one of the promoters is able to hand you a flyer.
Are people staring? Somebody just laughed behind you. Was it you they were laughing at?
Embarrassment rising, you hurry towards the shopping centre – constantly pulling your shirt down.
A wind funnelled through the many buildings of Tokyo is pulling at your clothes.
[https://assets.legendkeeper.com/f80b0206-ab47-4d00-9c86-5f7783cfc075.jpg]
That nuisance ends once you make it inside the shopping centre.
You decide to save the grocery shopping for last so you don’t need to drag around the groceries.
Today is all about reinventing yourself.
Looking for all kinds of ways to make you more desirable and to get you that coveted boyfriend before you end up with either five cats or with a girlfriend because you got so touch-starved that you couldn’t take it anymore.
Your first stop is the beauty salon.
It’s been years since you changed your hairstyle.
> Hairstyles
>
> >1 - Keep what you have. Medium/long blonde hair.
> >2 - Wavy bob haircut
> >3 - Pixie haircut
> >4 - Messy ponytail
> >5- Woven low bun
> >5 - Wavy short haircut
>
> Winner
> >1 - Keep what you have. Medium/long blonde hair
“What will it be?” asks the hairdresser.
An entirely new you. Something that’ll draw a clear line in the sand between then and now.
A look so dazzling and enticing you’ll get a boyfriend without any effort at all.
A coupe that’ll turn heads wherever you go!
“Ah, j-just a little off the sides,” you say, “Even it out a bit…”
Next time for sure! Can’t change too much at once, have to ease into such things.
Before doing anything else, you decide to find a nice spot to relax.
It’s closing in on 11 AM now, the perfect time for some tea or coffee.
Most places are stuffed to the brim, but after looking for a bit you find a small café.
Outside the windows, cars rush by and hundreds of people walk the busy sidewalks.
But here, inside, it’s quiet. You wonder what kind of isolation they use to muffle the sound like that.
As you spy at your phone, you notice you’ve got some emails from public relations, but you can check that out later.
Worries are for later, now is time to relax.
The hairdresser fluffed up your hair all nice and you’re certain you look radiant.
With a cup of mint tea warming your hands, you take a deep breath.
There’s a sort of solemn, but calming tune playing over the speakers.
You close your eyes for a moment.
After a good hour of doing nothing, you finish your tea and pack your things again.
Unnoticed by you until now, there are some men, maybe in their fifties, that’ve entered while you were zoned out.
They seem in some kind of deep discussion, but one of them still managed to find the time to stare at you as you walk by.
Once outside you decide that it’s probably time to get groceries as you want to go to the music shop later.
Shortly after leaving the café, you pass by some parked cars, one of them has their driver seat window open and is billowing cigarette smoke.
You’ve never been a fan of smoking, so you put your head down and try to push past.
“Nagata-san,” says a voice from inside the car, “Right?”