Chapter 13:
In Terms of Tanning
MINA APPARENTLY had some free time and poked her head into the store. “Another new product, Mr. Reiji?”
“Mina, Sun Friend make tan and look strong!” Noela explained proudly.
“It makes you tan and…strong?” Mina seemed to have trouble connecting the two.
“It basically helps you just tan instead of getting sunburned,” I explained.
“Is it different from sunscreen?”
“Yup. That prevents tanning entirely, but this lets you tan.”
Mina nodded slightly and seemed surprisingly interested. “I’d like to give it a try, Mr. Reiji!”
“Wha…?”
“Am I not allowed?”
“No, you’re more than welcome!”
I thought Mina had a wonderful complexion to begin with, but maybe her fairness bothered her. When she was alive, she was a sickly girl, so maybe she equated ill health with her typical complexion.
“I’ve always wanted a tan, to be honest,” Mina confided. “It makes it so clear that you’ve been enjoying yourself outdoors!”
My guess wasn’t completely off the mark. “Give Sun Friend a shot, then.” I handed Mina the extra bottle I’d made.
“Thanks very much!”
Mina promptly changed into her swimsuit.
“Noela, would you mind rubbing Sun Friend on my back?” Mina apparently already finished putting it on her front.
“Groo! On it.” Noela quickly did as Mina asked.
“Oooh. Mm…” Mina couldn’t keep herself from moaning loudly.
This is, uh, something else. I quickly averted my gaze, as it felt like I saw a side of Mina I wasn’t supposed to.
Mina lay down and sunbathed for a while. Her face, arms, shoulders, stomach, and back all tanned quickly. She stood up at last. “I think I’m, like, all set, man!” she declared, then shook her head. Her beautiful blonde hair fluttered behind her.
Since when does Mina say stuff like that?
When Mina turned toward me, I could tell she’d tanned as deeply as Peel. She was the spitting image of a Japanese gyaru.
“Well, Mr. Reiji? Am I rocking the look?” she asked.
“Mina…?”
“I’ve, like, always wanted to try this. Y’know, I was totes a sick chick when I was alive!”
“Groo?! M-Mina off rocker?!” Even Noela was stunned. Her tail stood straight up in alarm.
“Huh? You’re silly for real, Noelly! I’m just, like, tan. No big, yeah?” Mina clapped, laughing.
She’s a total gyaru right out of Shibuya—hip and trendy with the attitude to boot.
“Anyway, I was, like, always so jelly of kids playing outside and stuff. I had to watch it all from bed, you know? Man, what a drag that was.”
I completely understood. But, uh, when will the normal Mina come back?
“How’re we gonna do dinner?” Mina inquired. “I’ll whip it up if you want.”
“Um…is that okay?”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Totes fine! Oh, and like, Mr. Reiji? Why’re you acting so polite with me? It’s like, so hilarious.”
It really wasn’t.
“Evil Mina!” That was what Noela had apparently dubbed her. Unfortunately, a gyaru’s appearance seemed to come with certain stereotypes. “Return Mina’s body!”
“Noelly, you’re so cute and funny! It’s me, Mina.” She furrowed her brow.
Noela hid behind me, frightened.
“Huh? Why’re you, like, hiding?” Mina tried to peek at Noela, but the werewolf used me like a shield.
“I think she’s scared. She’s not used to you looking like this,” I explained, although I felt pretty awkward at this point.
“Scared? Aren’t I so cute though?” Mina’s beauty standards were astonishingly flexible.
“Groo…” Noela eventually fled down the hall toward the living room.
“Whoa! Like, what a curveball,” Mina mused.
“I think she’ll get used to you eventually. Just hang on till then.”
“You got it, dude.”
Still not entirely pleased, Mina headed for the kitchen with a frown on her face. She was apparently planning to get dinner ready for everyone. Even though her appearance and way of talking changed, her cooking skills wouldn’t have.
“At least, I hope not,” I mumbled to myself.
Concerned, I peeked into the kitchen. It was foolish to have been concerned because Mina was skillfully preparing dinner. At the end of the day, Mina was Mina whether she was acting like a chic teenager or like normal.
Feeling someone tug my shirt, I turned to find Noela. “Make new treatment, Master.”
“For what?”
“Mina possessed by demon,” Noela replied, completely straight-faced. “No good. Exorcise.”
I understood Noela’s distaste for Mina’s change, but Mina herself had always wanted to experience something like this, given how sickly she once was. I could create a product to revert her appearance, sure, but I’d feel bad doing so against her will. “There’s no need for me to make anything. It’ll wear off after some time.”
“Arroo…” Noela’s ears drooped. “Liked Mina better before.”
For now, the werewolf just had to get used to the status quo. Mina’s suntan wouldn’t exactly fade overnight, and I honestly wanted to let her stay this way as long as she wanted.