It seemed that no one except Philiana was enthusiastic about the cosmetics sales event.
Nina, Cecilia, and Karubene exchanged glances, wondering what to do. Just then, Piyo returned from somewhere.
“Look, look, Piyo also got lipstick!”
Perhaps she had been pampered elsewhere, but Piyo’s childish face had a faint application of makeup. It looked like she was imitating her mother, but she seemed happy.
“Ah, that’s right. Good for you.”
“Hiro, you should get it done too! You can become cute.”
“No, no, I’m good,” I said, chuckling, when someone tapped me on the shoulder from behind.
“Excuse me, we handle cosmetics for men here.”
No way… I thought it was a joke. A Satyr man with brightly dyed hair and stylish clothes was smiling, holding a product. Next to him, a female shop assistant waved her hand.
“Ah, I’m not mentally prepared… or rather, I’m not good at fashion. I have nowhere to use it.”
“Times have changed, and now men wear makeup. If you insist that makeup is only for women, you’ll be bound by gender roles.”
Huh, gen… I might be in a more advanced civilization than the world I came from. I don’t understand what he’s saying. As I stood there stunned, he chattered on about the product’s benefits. It seemed tough for men in this world to have good complexions and hide blemishes.
While this was going on, Philiana must have finished and returned from the booth. She had pink lips, slightly colored cheeks, and something applied to her eyes. The subtle changes made her look much more mature. I couldn’t help but gasp at the transformation from a naive cuteness to adult allure. She seemed embarrassed but very happy.
“Hehehe, I look like a completely different person, don’t I? Is it not strange?”
Her companions’ eyes widened at this. Nina, in particular, stopped what she was doing and looked dumbfounded.
“Uh, it’s… it’s not strange, but… are you really you?”
“Would you like to try it too, customer?”
Perhaps moved by this transformation, Nina, who had been negative, said she might give it a try. We enjoyed the event for a while after that. I, however, was in charge of carrying the luggage.
In the end, Nina, who had been so critical, was the one who enjoyed it the most. We were now resting on a bench overlooking the sea after our shopping spree. The others were excitedly showing off the cosmetics they had purchased. I still don’t quite understand makeup. But seeing everyone like this, I think the biggest reason women wear makeup is for themselves. Remembering Philiana’s happy face, I feel it’s true. At that moment, she wasn’t doing it for men, nor to hide her own flaws.
I remembered my mother meticulously applying lipstick before we went out when I was a child. As a child, I wanted to leave early and tugged at her sleeve, thinking, “Who cares about that?” Looking back now, I think she was enjoying her own sense of self, even when busy. Ah, I wish I had bought her even just a lipstick then. Now, her figure smiling as she told me to wait for a moment appears in the sunset sky.
Renewing my feelings about returning home, I accepted a handkerchief from Karubene, who was sitting next to me.
