Tsukumodo:Volume 2 Make-Up

When and how do girls learn to do make-up?

On TV, you can often see children literally turning themselves into monsters using make-up when mommy's not around, but I've never seen something like that in real life.

As for my own environment, I noticed that the girls in my class have started to do make-up about the time when we entered high school.

But not only at make-up are the girls ahead of us guys, but also when it comes to clothes and stylish haircuts. They must be more sensitive to fashion than us.

There are fashionable guys here and there as well, but that's the minority. It tends to be acceptable for men to be indifferent about this sort of thing. Not that I want to claim that I'm the standard, but it's a fact that I couldn't care less about fashion.

I suppose girls read magazines to get better in this field? But I don't believe that just doing that would do.

Which means that they must ask their friends or their mothers for advise on make-up and fashion.

But girls who do not have any friends and parents are at a disadvantage in that case.

Mm? Who I'm referring to, you ask?

Nah, I'm not thinking of someone in specific of course.

◆

A wide range of bottles was placed on the desk.

Toner, milky and normal lotions, liquid foundation, cream... skin protection cream, hydrating cream, skin care cream... after-care articles to use after washing one's face or applying a face masque, or before putting on any make-up...

Since I hadn't had the slightest idea what to use when for what purpose, I'd just randomly bought a few things, but I was none wiser now that I had lined my purchases up.

In fact, this was only a small portion of the cosmetics available. All I could say at the moment was that face masques were still too high-level for me.

It was about ten in the evening, and I was holding my head in font of the mirror and a bunch of cosmetic products while still in a slip dress I had put on after taking a bath.

Supposedly, it is necessary do something about dry skin after bathing, but I didn't even know why my skin would be dry when I had just taken a bath. In addition, toner and such could supposedly not only be put on, but had to be massaged in.

(Anyway, there's no use in sitting on my hands.)

I decided to start while referring to my book.

I carefully poured some toner on my hands and moved them in circles over my face to massage it in. Following the instructions of the book, I also applied some to other places like my arms or the nape of my neck.

I was afraid that I would have to go through the same procedure again for the lotion and the foundation, but they were declared optional, so I omitted them altogether.

Thinking that the majority of all women were doing this every day, I felt deep respect for them.

I had just started doing cosmetics myself, too, but I didn't know how long my endurance would last.

(No, this is the wrong mindset.

I must absolutely not give up.

Otherwise, I will end up like...)

I looked at a certain crumpled picture on the table.

I tried to flatten it in my palm, but the picture remained crumpled, and the person in it remained as wrinkled as an old woman.

The incident occurred several hours ago.

Towako-san was away for her usual purchases, while the two of us were looking after the shop.

During my break, I went out to buy some things. When I came back, I put the groceries into the fridge, and was about to place a castella cake, which I had bought to go with tea, on the table in the living room when I suddenly noticed a camera there.

It was a rather old-looking analog camera, and so I was tempted to take it into my hands.

That's when it happened.

A loud shutter sound resounded.

I hadn't operated the camera, so either I had touched a wrong spot or it had activated on its own.

Discomposed I put the camera down.

...Someone else might not have noticed, but I was indeed discomposed; because I feared that the camera might be a Relic.

Because of their special powers, it's impossible to predict what effect an unfamiliar Relict might have. Towako-san had the bad habit of just leaving Relics lying about from time to time.

How careless of me. I had been way too incautious.

I should have taken that possibility into consideration before touching it.

What if the camera had the power to suck up souls? In the past, we had come across a statue that would kill anyone who touches it, after all.

While I was mulling over these things, the camera produced a mechanical sound and printed out a photo. As it seemed, it was a Polaroid camera. But what was going to happen now?

I took the picture and took a look at it.

"Is this...?"

It was then that Tokiya peeked into the living room from the shop.

"Something wrong?"

"Ah, Tokiya. Look, this camera..."

"Mm? Ah, don't touch it, okay? It's a Relic Towako-san left there."

"So it really was a Relic."

"Hey, don't tell me you actually used it?"

I quickly shook my head, hiding the picture behind me.

"Yeah, you wouldn't," he said, "But seriously, be careful! It was a real mess when I touched that wallet Relic, you can take my word on that."

Of course, Tokiya had made just as many painful experiences with Relics as I. So if Tokiya was warning me about it, what kind of harm was hidden in this camera?

"T-Tokiya... What power does this camera have?"

"To tell the truth, it's nothing sensational actually," Tokiya admitted as he entered the living room. After he had come over to the table, he picked up the camera, and rotated some kind of dial, and eventually took a photo of the castella cake I had put on the table. After a few moments, another picture was printed out with the same mechanical sound like before.

He took the photo and showed it to me.

Needles to say, a cake was in it. In that photo, however, it looked spoiled—almost rotten—and had a slightly different color.

"Why does it look different?"

"Well, you can take photos of the future."

"Of the future..."

"Aah, but there's a catch...," Tokiya said as he took a piece of the castella cake, and took a bite of it. "The picture only shows you how it would look after a certain period of time without taking account that it might get eaten like now."

"How much time would that be?"

"In this case, maybe a year? Do you see this dial? You can set the number of years here, according to Towako-san."

"T-To how much was it set before?"

"Before?"

"I mean, w-was it also set to a year before you took this picture? It wasn't, right?"

"Err, how much was it again? I didn't really pay attention, but I think it was 16 years? Yeah, approximately. Only got a glimpse, though."

"16 years?"

"Yeah."

"Did you say sixteen years?"

"Yeah. Something wrong?"

"No."

He shrugged and went back to the shop as he shoved the rest of the piece into his mouth.

"I see, 16 years...."

I took a look at the picture, which I had accidentally crumpled up.

Deep wrinkles that weren't due to the picture being crumpled, snow-white hair, ragged clothes—

It was a picture of a girl called Saki Maino, 16 years from now.

...In other words, me.

That was outrageous.

Even when considering that I had never paid attention to my skin, that was just outrageous.

But when I took out an old magazine, I found out that even elementary schoolers were doing skin care nowadays.

According to that magazine, you couldn't start too early taking care of your skin because aging of our skin and body has become faster and faster in recent years for various reasons like an increased UV radiation or malnutrition.

Upon reading that article, I reflected on my indifference to this kind of thing.

As a matter of fact, there are all sorts of cosmetic products in the market nowadays, contrary to the past, which is frankly due to the fact that they're needed.

I then started to read up on the subject and not only touched on the basics like creams and lotions, but I also discovered that make-up also aims to protect the skin from UV radiation and the like.

So far I had come to think that make-up served the sole purpose of showing off, and thus had considered it negligible.

I didn't often spot Towako-san applying make-up, but she was indeed wearing thin make-up most of the time. And to be honest, she did look younger than her age. I had always attributed it to her nature, but I had been mistaken. Towako-san had made an effort to stay young.

...Why hadn't she ever told me?

Having sensed a danger of sorts, I quickly went out and bought myself a range of cosmetic products, determined to start right away.

I could still make a change.

I looked again at the picture.

At my own crumpled appearance, sixteen years from now.

And then I vowed:

I'll get pretty in no time.

Even a girl like me is familiar with the desire that any girl conceives.

The desire to be pretty.

Three days had passed since I'd started doing make-up and skin care.

I unnoticedly went to the camera and picked it up.

(Would there already be a noticeable improvement if I took a photo now?

No, don't rush things, girl.

Besides, I would instantly give up should there were none.)

I put the camera down again.

(One step at a time. No sweet without sweat. My effort is bound to yield fruit.)

I'm not that much of a TV watcher, but I know how pretty stars are. They must be making an effort, too, behind the stage in order to shine on the stage.

To be honest, I'd rather do it in secret, too, but I won't get anywhere with such a lukewarm attitude.

After all, the fact that I'll be so horribly wrinkled in sixteen years also means that in the near future... maybe even in a month or so, I might start to age. No, the aging process might have already started and be progressing as we speak, just not visible to the eye.

There's no way around it.

That aside, Tokiya hasn't commented on my latest behavior.

Sure, I'm only slightly using make-up right now, but there's no way he wouldn't notice. He must be feigning ignorance. He's quite the gentleman for not touching on the effort I'm making.

Anyway, time to study while it's still my break!)

It was then that I suddenly stopped flicking through the pages of the magazine.

I had found a special feature article.

"To all the girls who don't get any praise from their boyfriends despite all the effort they make."

(...Let's take a look.

N-Not that I were bothered that Tokiya hasn't said anything about my looks. It's purely out of academic interest.)

"Hey, Saki."

"W-Whawhahat?"

I had been so absorbed in the magazine that I failed miserably at closing it in a hurry. With even shakier hands, I quickly covered the magazine with my hands.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"Nothing. But what's your matter, anyway?"

"Toilet break. Can you look after the shop while I'm away? Not that I think that anyone would drop by," he said and headed to the bathroom.

I may have failed at closing the magazine, but I'd managed to change to a different page with a report, so he had probably not noticed anything. That was close. Had he seen me read such an article, he would have surely started to wonder about me.

After confirming that Tokiya was really gone, I opened the feature article again.

"Beware! Do not think that boys are dense just because they don't say anything about your effort to look pretty! Maybe your boyfriend deliberately keeps silent because he's starting to get bored of you!"

(He doesn't say anything, indeed. Has he grown bored of me? No, we're not in a relationship, so he can't get bored of me. Wait. Can he also get bored of me without being my boyfriend?)

I took a closer look at the article.

Miss A's story. My boyfriend didn't say a word when I changed my make-up. When I asked him about it, he just said, "So?" We split up a week after.

Miss B's story. There was that boy at work. We had the same shift and we mixed just great. But when I tried putting some extra effort into my make-up, he didn't even say anything. I asked him subtly about it. "Get back to work!" was his answer. Afterwards, I learned that he already had a girlfriend. I hadn't been a love interest from the start.

"Wasn't there something in their stories that you can relate to yourself?"

(There is. Right now. So does that mean that we have started to get bored of each other? That Tokiya doesn't have any interest in me?)

"But fear not! Here's the deal!

Operation 'Amaze Your Boorish Sweetheart To the Bone! (Make-Up part)' "

The article contained an in-depth introduction to make-up as well as a number of handy tips, and came with a comic showing a man with heart-eyes praising a woman to the skies.

Inspired by that, I tried imagining Tokiya calling me pretty.

......

......

(I think I like that.

N-Not to be praised of course, but the idea of having a concrete goal, since I've already started to get fed up with cosmetics. It's not like Tokiya were my boyfriend or that-certain-boy or anything, and I don't particularly want to be praised by him.)

...But if I was honest, I was also a tiny little bit interested praise.

Even a girl like me is familiar with the desire that any girl conceives.

The desire to be called pretty.

◆

After finishing her break, Saki started sorting the shelves, bustling back and forth in front of me.

She took an item from a shelf, walked past me to put it elsewhere and then passed me by again, now carrying the item she had just replaced. But it didn't end there; apparently unsatisfied, she walked back with the item, crossing my field of vision again, and put it back to its original place, and then gazed at the shelf from afar to get an impression.

She was quite the opposite of me; I had made myself comfortable at the counter, waiting for our non-existent customers.

I followed her with my eyes just because, but Saki was apparently so engrossed in her work that she didn't notice me, not even looking in my direction.

"Saki."

"Yes?" Saki asked, stopping her busy hands.

"Looks good."

"Y-You think so?"

"Yeah, I definitely like what I'm seeing."

"D-Does it really make such a difference?"

"Yeah. I didn't expect such an effect just by rearranging the items in the shelves."

"Yes, yes. A light touch of make-u... eh? The shelves? Items?"

"Yeah. Have you started studying interior design this time around?"

"Y-Yes! I really think that the impression matters!"

"I see," I said.

"......"

"......"

"That's all?"

"Mm?"

"N-No, never mind."

While something still seemed to be on her tongue, Saki went back to rearranging the items without saying anything.

When Saki walked past me, I noticed a nice smell.

"Saki."

"Yes?" she asked as she stopped on her way to the shelf.

"Smells great."

"Y-You think so?"

"Yeah, it smells kinda stimulating."

"S-Stimulating? Wow... r-really? But I'm not trying to do anything suspicious!" Saki said, for once slightly widening her eyes in confusion.

"Yeah. I guess you're having stew for dinner? Sure is stimulating my appetite."

"Yes, yes. A light touch of perfum... eh? Stew? Appetite?"

"Yeah. You're already preparing the dinner, aren't you? There's a nice smell coming from the kitchen. I think I'm hungry now."

"Y-Yes! We're having stew tonight!"

"I see... I wonder if should get myself some microwave stew, too."

"......"

"......"

"That's all?"

"Mm?"

"N-No, never mind."

While something still seemed to be on her tongue, Saki went to the kitchen to adjust the stove-plate without saying anything.

"She sure is acting strange today."

(She looked kinda disappointed even though I'd praised her. Or is that just me?

Speaking of strange things, I wonder what it is all about with that article. She may have covered it instantly, but I could catch a glimpse.

To be honest, I didn't think she would ever be interested in such stuff.

Well, she's still a girl. I guess that's perfectly normal.

But if that's the case, I'll get her something from the school library one of these days.)

◆

A few days later.

This is strange. Despite my efforts spent on make-up, Tokiya just wouldn't give me any feedback. I'd even ventured on perfume and lost to stew.

Not only did he not praise me, he didn't even touch on the subject.

Had he really not noticed anything? No, that couldn't be. He had noticed for sure. Had he really gotten bored of me then? But for that, he was associating with me too normally...

"Mm?" I muttered as I noticed a book on the table, one that I had not seen before. It wasn't mine. Had Tokiya forgotten to take it home?

I was somewhat interested in Tokiya's taste of books, so I picked it up and took a look.

From the hardcover binding, I had assumed it was a novel, but it turned out to be a theater script.

I'd had no idea that Tokiya was interested in theater.

The story was very much like a fairy tale.

Convinced to be the most beautiful woman under the sun, that woman would always try to become more beautiful every day. She received countless proposals, but she would turn every single one of them down because she thought that there was no man worthy of her beauty.

One day, she asked her magical mirror who was the fairest one of all, but the mirror replied with the name of someone else. Even though the woman increased her efforts to look more beautiful, the mirror never replied with her own name again.

The woman used her entire life solely for trying to look pretty with make-up and jewelry, and became old without gaining anything at all.

As time went by, the proposals subsided, and in the end, she died all alone.

"What's this..."

The message of this story was written in the postscript.

"You'd better refrain from futile efforts."

Something pierced through my heart.

What was the meaning of this? Of this strangely reverberating sentence?

Why had Tokiya left this book here today of all days?

"Ah! Perhaps... does he want to say that...?"

I hurried to my room and opened my dresser.

I was keeping the photo there so that nobody would find it. I really wanted to just throw it away, but I had deliberately kept it for the purpose of renewing my determination when I was about to give up.

The photo was there. However, I had no means of knowing that no one had seen it.

No, Tokiya had seen the photo for sure. Maybe he had known from the start. Maybe he had already seen the photo back when I took it.

He knew what I looked like in sixteen years from now.

And on top of that knowledge, he had left this script purposefully at a place where I would find it.

In order to say that my efforts were futile.

Before I knew it, I had thrown the script away.

(I see. That's what you wanted to tell me.

Of course you would notice, right?

Of course you wouldn't get bored of me when you aren't interested in the first place, right?

Why, thanks for that eye-opener!)

I took my cream and my lotion, and patted them onto my face, using twice the amount and time than usual.

But this wasn't enough by half, I was sure.

While applying make-up, I made up my mind.

(It's time for my secret weapon! Even though I may have sealed it away because of its difficulty level...)

I put away the magazine I had been reading so far, and took a different book out of the depths of my book shelf.

(Very well, Tokiya! I'll accept your challenge.

We'll see if I'm really making futile efforts here.

I'll make you lose your tongue.

Just you wait!

I'll become the most beautiful thing you've ever seen!)

◆

When headed to the Tsukumodo Antique Shop after school, I ran into someone who was leaving the shop with a contorted face. Figuring that Saki had done it again, I entered the shop with a sigh.

"Welcome, Tokiya."

"Hey, what have you done to that... WHOA!" I yelled out as I shrunk back.

"What's wrong?"

"Wrong...? That's my line... ah, no..."

To my surprise, Saki had put on make-up.

Needless to say, I wouldn't have been so surprised if it was just make-up.

No, she had put on some extremely heavy make-up, much like a member of a certain theatrical group that was popular among the girls at the moment. The group had become famous because of its members who wore costumes that were as gaudy as it gets along with heavy make-up, and because of their scriptwriter who was an unparalleled master at reinterpreting existing tales.

Eye shadow glaringly purple, eyebrows like drawn with a marker, eyelashes lengthened to twice their original length, cheeks redder than in the coldest of countries, lipstick as red as blood, and fancy glitter all around her face.

As fancy as it might look on the stage from a ten or twenty meters' distance, it was just downright horrifying when seen from so near.

No wonder that customer went home with a grimace. We should be happy that he didn't scream his lungs out. I was curious what the customer thought our shop was after this incident.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Ah, no, nothing. Um, why don't you take a rest?"

"I don't need one."

"No, I'm sure you do. Aren't you a bit tired? Yeah, you should be."

"You think so? I'll take a short break then."

Losing to my persistence, Saki left the counter for the living room.

I changed my clothes, and sat down behind the counter, but I couldn't suppress the urge to sneak a peek at Saki.

(What on Earth happened? No, more importantly, is it really okay to ask her about it? Or should I pretend like everything'ss fine and dandy? But she's making it way too blatant to feign ignorance.)

Suddenly, the book she was reading caught my eye.

"Becoming An Actress Made Easy! (Make-Up for the Stage)"

That was the title.

"S-Saki?"

"What is it?"

"D-Does this book also help improving your customer service?" I asked.

With a deadpan look... no, that look was way too dreadful to be called deadpan, Saki replied, "What are you talking about? How would make-up and customer service be related?"

"Y-Yeah, you're right. Sorry for asking a strange question."

(Absolutely, absolutely. We're not a cosmetics store after all... Wait. It's like I said something strange now! I feel like our roles are reversed. Obviously, Saki's the strange of us.

But that aside, how should I interpret her behavior?

O-Oh, it's a good thing to have a hobby.

While I'm against putting something like that on during work, regardless how interested she is, I guess I'll take a back seat and remain an observer.

Yeah, that's a good idea.

Towako-san, please come home soon.)

"Tokiya."

I winced in surprise.

"W-What is it?"

Saki walked up straight to me and held out a book.

At that moment, it finally dawned on me as if hit by a thunder.

That peculiar make-up was that of the theatrical group Saki had been reading a report about in that magazine a few days ago. Sure, after realizing that she was interested in such stuff, I had brought her one of their scripts from the library and put it on the table in the living room, but I hadn't dreamed that she was fascinated by them so much as to imitate their actresses. No, maybe she was aiming to become an actual actress if her imitation was so close to perfection? No, no, she wouldn't...

"Thanks for that book."

"D-Did you like it?"

"Why, yes. It loved it."

It seemed like this wasn't about simple "interest"; her face was expressionless as always, but her eyes weren't.

I sensed fire in her eyes, almost as though she was glaring at me.

By the way, this book was a reinterpretation of a story whose moral was "Do not only polish your outside, but also your inside," and "Don't envy others for their looks; you are you, and they are they."

I hadn't read the book myself, but the student who helped out in the library had told me so. Apparently, the message the author had written in the postscript was just a little prank and shouldn't be taken seriously.

Actually, that library helper had given me another book which she obstinately recommended to me. I had originally planned to return it unread, but if Saki was so much into this sort of thing, I thought I might just as well lend it to her.

(I'll leave that book on the table for her.

Mm, what should I get her tomorrow?)

◆

I found another book that day.

It was a script by the same group as the first time, and again it was a fairy tale-like story with a moral.

Once upon a time, there was a young woman living in a village. Her family was poor, her clothes ragged, and her face and hands stained from the daily farm work. Because of her seedy appearance, she was always laughed at.

Despite all that, the girl tried to enjoy her life to the fullest, when one day, a man came to her place in order to thank her for saving him when he'd once slumped down on the road.

He was actually a nobleman and asked for her hand, presenting her with clothes and jewelry more beautiful and expensive than anything she knew.

After she had cleaned away the dirt and put on her new clothes, she turned into a most beautiful lady. She married the man and lived happily ever after.

The moral of this story was written in the postscript.

"No matter how pretty your face is, if you don't pay attention to your clothes and your hygiene, it's all for nothing."

Something pierced through my heart.

Tokiya was laughing at my desperate efforts in make-up, implying that even that wouldn't change my seedy appearance in sixteen years.

Before I knew it, I had thrown the script away.

(Very well, Tokiya. I'll accept your challenge.

I'll show you the result of my "futile efforts," and make you lose your tongue.

Just you wait!

I'll become the most beautiful thing you've ever seen!)