Chapter 42: A Man's Pride
Even a "real man" often has things he fears.
For instance, a father's scolding, a boss's difficult demands, or perhaps... suddenly being roped into a shopping trip with female friends.
Hikaru Hoshino sat on a bench inside a cosmetics store, reflecting on why he had so readily agreed to go out shopping with Ai.
Then again, facing that face, it would be hard for any normal person to say no, right?
Currently, the production was focused on filming scenes for the child actors, and the adults hadn't started yet. Consequently, Gotanda had told them to go find somewhere cool to hang out. Ruby didn't strictly need to come along, but Miyako had been busy lately and couldn't watch the children all day like before. Unable to leave her behind, Ai had ultimately brought Ruby with them.
Ai was now at the level of a near-A-list star, and there was always the risk of being recognized in public, so she had taken extra care with her disguise. She wore a white blouse under a deep purple sun-protection jacket, topped with a pure white baseball cap.
She now possessed the self-awareness of a big star, keeping her brim low as she walked to prevent anyone from seeing her face.
"You don't look like a star; you look like a shifty thief," Hikaru teased.
"Hmph, Biyoo is definitely just jealous that he's not as famous as me." Ai blinked her deep purple eyes. "Don't worry, you'll catch up in no time."
"No," Hikaru's lip twitched. "I'm not worried about that."
Hikaru let out a bitter smile as he recalled the scene from a few minutes ago. Beside him, Ai and Ruby were happily picking out cosmetics, though most of the time it was just Ai sharing her experiences.
"Actually, I don't know much about this area either," Ai began to reminisce. "The crew always has professional makeup artists, and I don't specifically go out to choose these things when I'm at home. Most of my cosmetics seem to be gifts."
"Some are samples sent by brands I've worked with. The rest... Miyako probably brought them over."
She looked a bit troubled.
"I can't even read the instructions on these, so I've only ever used a few types for moisturizing and hydrating." Ai looked piteously at Ruby. "Ruby won't think Mama is useless, will she?"
Ruby declared loudly, "Of course not! Mama is the world's number one beautiful girl; you don't need makeup at all!"
In the quiet little shop, Ruby's voice was exceptionally clear. For a moment, everyone nearby turned to look.
Ai whispered a quick "sorry" as she pulled Hikaru and Ruby out of the store.
While the mother and daughter chattered away, Hikaru suddenly looked in a different direction.
"Let's check out that side."
He spoke with total conviction, nodding as if he had discovered something profound.
Ai followed his gaze. Across the street were several clothing stores; a quick scan revealed signs for "Moussy" and "Curensology."
Shopping with ladies isn't usually a great experience, but the feeling improves significantly if you get to decide the direction of the tour. When ladies linger outside cosmetics shops, most men try to divert them toward snack streets or amusement parks—at least then they can feel some sense of participation.
But for someone like Hikaru, whose wallet felt no pressure, there was another option.
Clothing stores. After all, the opportunity to watch a beautiful girl try on outfits for a legitimate reason was a rare treat.
Ruby saw right through Hikaru's thoughts and hissed, "Hentai!"
Ai felt a bit shy, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I don't mind... since Biyoo wants to go..."
Hikaru immediately set off, leading the two toward the clothing district. However, just as they reached a storefront, they encountered a girl who looked like a student handing out flyers.
She had a neat bob cut and wore a sailor uniform with a navy-blue knee-length skirt. Braving the peak of the August summer heat, she was dripping with the sweat of youth—truly something to be praised...
Praise, my foot. Working students like this were the hardest to deal with; they would use a piteous gaze to pitch to you, then naturally trick you into buying things you didn't need at all.
Hikaru prepared to bolt, but the girl had already spotted them. Her eyes lit up as she closed in rapidly.
"Excuse me, do you need—"
"No, don't need it, maybe next time!" Hikaru finished with his eyes closed, ready to make his escape.
"—I was asking, do you need an invitation to the Summer Festival?"
"Eh?"
Hikaru froze. Seizing the opportunity, the girl stuffed a flyer into his hand and quickly gave two more to Ai and Ruby.
Ruby held up the flyer, which was bigger than her face, and softly read the title.
"Catch the Tail of Summer! The Final Miyazaki Triple Festival! We look forward to your arrival!"
The poster depicted men and women in yukatas holding classic candy apples, with colorful fireworks in the sky. Looking closely at the background, it was the very commercial street they were standing on, with the ubiquitous mountains of Miyazaki Prefecture in the distance.
"8.31, be there or be square!"
"Ooh, eight days left," Ai counted on her fingers. "It looks like we can make it!"
Hikaru looked puzzled. "Aren't these festivals usually held from early July to mid-August? Why is it pushed back to the end of August?"
"Hehe," the girl laughed awkwardly. "There were some logistical issues with the venue, and the organizers couldn't find a famous band to perform in Miyazaki, so it got delayed until now."
"They found a band now?" Hikaru asked curiously.
"Yes," the girl said excitedly. "A film crew arrived a couple of days ago, and the organizers tried reaching out to see if they could make an appearance at the festival. The director beat his chest and agreed on the spot!"
*A film crew... wait, doesn't she mean us?*
*That Gotanda!*
Black lines appeared on Hikaru's forehead. When he got back, he was definitely going to have a talk with the director about this!
"Please do come, you won't be disappointed!"
Hikaru realized he actually was a bit interested. If they were still in Miyazaki then, it would be worth checking out, but that was a concern for later.
One must always live in the moment! Right now, there was clearly more important business to attend to.
After stuffing the flyers into Ai's small bag, the three of them stepped into the clothing store side-by-side.