I can’t even remember when it was, but it was about a year ago… the day I became Misono Mika.
That day, looking at my reflection in the mirror, I thought to myself.
How can a person be this pretty?
There was no room for exaggeration or bias. I had seen countless students with beauty that made my eyes roll back, and by now, I had even reached the point of having multiple lovers. But my thoughts from back then haven’t changed much to this day.
In any case, at the time, seeing that overwhelming beauty, I thought I’d rather not wear makeup at all. But the reality was quite the opposite.
Living as a woman made me realize that proper makeup can give even that otherworldly beauty a boost. The moment I witnessed the touch of a professional during my idol activities, I realized that what I thought were wings were merely shabby paper wings.
So, it was only natural that when I saw Mika in the mirror, the makeup the kids had carefully done for me looked ridiculously good, and my heart stopped.
“By the way, this dress… hmm…”
I could deal with my back and shoulders being fully exposed—after all, I had worn a swimsuit before and had also experienced it multiple times during my idol activities.
But this one was shorter than I expected. It didn’t come down much past my knees, so while it wasn’t ridiculously short, it definitely fell into the “shorter” category.
With my hair pulled up into a high ponytail, the exposed nape of my neck and the sheer trailing fabric of the dress created a strangely sexy vibe, and the provocative red wine-colored mini dress exuded an intense presence.
“Wow… Mika-sama is really… I can die happy now…!”
In summary, my beauty was so overwhelming that the girl beside me was practically fangirling instead of me.
Hmm. No matter my personality or anything else, kids just can’t help but fall for me because I’m this pretty, right? Seriously.
Unable to contain myself, I decided to take a quick selfie. I was curious about what kind of reaction I’d get if I sent it to Himari.
The message would be something like “Recognized as Kivotos’ top beauty?” That sounds good…
Alright, send.
Ah, this is an unavoidable part of Arius’s circumstances, but all the kids who helped me were affiliated with the Pater Faction.
As I gently hugged each one in turn to express my gratitude, it was Chiyo’s turn, who was swaying and seemed to be out of it after seeing me.
“…Um, could you lay Chiyo-chan down over there? Tell her I’m really thankful when she wakes up☆”
The girl just fainted standing up.
I mean, she seems even more obsessed than I am, huh? It’s almost like some kind of worship…
Sigh.
Anyway, it’s a strange feeling being the star of a birthday party that celebrates a birthday that isn’t really mine.
I hope next year we don’t have such an extravagant party. I want to put a little party hat on our princess’s head and just watch as she blows out the cake candles. Would that be possible…?
Oh, of course, if our princess wants a grand party, I’d certainly comply. But no matter what, I’d be happier if I could see it this year rather than next.
When Christmas comes, wouldn’t it be great if we both donned Santa hats and presented gifts to Nagisa at the same time?
We could go shrine visiting together in the New Year… well, since it’s New Year’s shrine visiting, we can’t go alone. That said, it’d be nice if we could go around collecting candy during Halloween together too.
…Would it also be fun to mess with people together? It would be hilarious to play a game of guessing which Mika is the real one.
With these thoughts swirling around, I departed the waiting room—whatever its original purpose was, it was now tidied up—and set out to find Aco. I couldn’t help but wonder if she was causing a ruckus somewhere.
Still, there was plenty of time before the party started, so whatever trouble Aco had gotten into, I figured we’d have enough time to sort it out.
…More than that, it felt pretty nice to be all dolled up while waiting. It would leave a good impression on all the invited guests later, not just our kids.
Before that, I should probably ask that friend from the Arius Faction over there where Aco is.
“…Um, can I ask you something?”
“Whoa, Mika-sama?”
“Yep, it’s me. Um, do you happen to know where Aco-chan is right now?”
“You’re so, so beautiful! But, um, who is this Aco… Ah, you’re talking about your date today, Mika-sama.”
No, it’s not a date or a partner or anything…
“I’ll guide you right away!”
At this point, it feels way too late to clear up any misunderstandings… I should at least send a quick message on Momotalk to Nagisa to prevent any misconceptions.
After a short walk with my guide, I was led into another room where I found Aco, eyes closed and getting her makeup done.
“Wow—ooh…”
What is that dress? How scandalous. Does she have to expose herself to wear clothes at all? At this point, it’s basically confirmed.
Whether she heard my amazement or not, Aco kept her eyes tightly shut. The girl helping her with makeup quietly greeted me with a nod.
Hmmm. I really like how professional she is.
After returning a smile to the friend who guided me, I stood next to Aco and looked at her face.
It’s remarkable how she looks so sweet and tame despite constantly squawking and being annoying.
But seriously, what is up with this dress? Just looking at the dresses lined up next to her, some of them are a bit more modest…
It looks like Aco chose this herself, and at this point, she seems like a real exposure fanatic.
Of course, leaving personal impressions aside, the coordination itself was excellent. The deep-cut, cream halter sheer dress highlighted Aco’s body extremely well, and with the added makeup, her usually sweet look now exuded elegance.
Of course, that elegance would probably shatter the moment Aco opened her mouth…
Bam!
“…Puhuh?!”
“Kyah?!”
…Oh.
A slightly unexpected but likely Nagisa-sent Momotalk reply came in. Hearing it made Aco startle and move her body and even the makeup girl was surprised as well…
“Puhaha! Ah, Aco-chan…”
“Mika-san, when did you arrive… huh?!”
“Just a little while ago? More than that, your face right now… Puhuh! Kyahah!”
“What’s wrong with my face…? Wh-what… No, kyaah…!”
I regret to say that it looks like it’s going to take a while longer for Aco’s makeup to be done. That said, her bright red face filled with embarrassment is almost unreal in its entertainment value.
Honestly, the fact that Momotalk came in at that time… and that I was overly amused by it isn’t something I feel guilty about at all. Nope.
Aco gave me a fierce glare before turning back to face the front, pouting her lips. But strangely, even though her initial reaction was one of embarrassment, she seemed to comply with the makeup process. It made me feel like Aco couldn’t escape being a girl in this regard.
After a brief commotion, as Aco’s makeup retouching began, I opened Momotalk to check the reply…and to my surprise, it was not from Nagisa at all.
[Princess Complex]
[Uhh, okay. I’ll acknowledge that you’re definitely Kivotos’ top beauty. I was a little surprised by that, you know?]
[But Mika-chan, it’s a bit early to call you Kivotos’ top beauty? The reason is, even though I assert I’m the top beauty of the Millennium… I too possess beauty that’s more than sufficient to challenge for the title of Kivotos’ top beauty.]
[So, the title will remain vacant until Akeboshi Himari, who has entered the running for Kivotos’ top beauty, comes to visit Mika-chan herself. Got it?]
…Whoa, what is this? How many Momotalk messages did they send in that brief moment? Each one of them is even lengthy.
[Oh, by the way. Lately, my big sister is a bit… no, that horrible woman is extremely suspicious. Even I couldn’t grasp her true intentions, so it might be a good idea for Mika-chan to be cautious.]
[And could you please stop trying to seduce people with that pretty face of yours? Having a treasure of humanity… you know, a beauty with lasting intelligence should not be dependent on someone like Mika-chan, a lecher.]
[Anyway, I’ll make sure to come visit within this month. Hehe. The thought of meeting you, a flower that blooms in the cracks of the eternally elegant milky snow, makes my heart race already.]
[Then, see you next time, Vice President of the Beautiful Girls’ Association!]
[P.S. The statement that the President is more beautiful than the Vice President is indeed true.]
…I swear I’ll never send a Momotalk message like that to Himari again. Seriously, the level of self-love has its limits. Overanalyzing a simple finger heart like that is overkill for this narcissistic patient.
“What are you giggling about over there?”
…Is it fair to say that waiting for Aco’s makeup to be finished wasn’t so boring?
Once Aco’s makeup was done, she came up to me, tapping her foot on the floor in irritation. The sound of her heels hitting the floor was quite lively.
“More annoying Momotalk from some girl.”
“Why do you keep looking over here and calling me annoying? Do you even know who the real annoying girl is? Seriously, it’s ridiculous.”
“Ugh… But you see, Aco-chan, even if you say I’m the annoying girl…”
“You are, you are a nuisance!”
“Yup, anyway. That doesn’t mean you’re not an annoying girl too!”
“Hehe…!”
Ah, this is fun. Aco is just the best for teasing—her reactions are simply delicious. This is what a proper friendship should be—
“Huh…?”
“…What are you staring at in such a blank expression?”
Wha…?
Hey, Aco. Why are you reaching for my hand like that?
“You’re not some uncultured girl who doesn’t even know the basic courtesy of escorting your partner, are you?”
“…But we’re not partners, right?”
“Stop embarrassing me and just take my hand already!”
When I saw Aco clenching her eyes in annoyance, Nagisa’s words flashed in my mind.
“If you cheat, I’ll kill you, and then I’ll kill myself.”
That was something said not with words, but with her eyes.
