Chapter 98

I licked my lips and recited the incantation: “Mirror, mirror, on the wall…” When I was still a young and innocent girl, I used to repeat these words over and over again, like a prayer, like a dream. It’s trite, maybe, but I was imagining a prince on a white horse who would take me away someday. This morning, at the end of summer, there’s a sense of calm and serenity, like the clear sky seen in a faint memory. I’m still in my underwear as I look at myself in the full-length mirror. My reflection feels like a stranger’s. My thighs and hips have a layer of feminine softness above toned muscles. My waist is slim, and my rounded breasts are beautifully shaped, if I do say so myself. My midnight blue bra and panties stand out against the fresh sunlight that shines through the gaps in the curtains. Mirror, mirror, on the wall. There is no trace of the girl who asked that question left anymore. I try to laugh at myself. “Well, I’m not really the Snow White type, am I?” Anyway, it was the wicked queen who had the magic mirror. Someone too consumed with her own beauty, unable to accept being inferior to another. It’s strange because when I was little, she was just the villain. But now I feel a little bit of affinity with her. Still, I thought as I changed into the clothes I’d prepared last night. If I was the wicked queen, I wouldn’t make Snow White eat a poisoned apple. Once you do something like that, you can’t take it back. It’s a one-way ticket to becoming the villainess of the story. Instead, I’d put her in a special dress. I’d help her put on her makeup and teach her social etiquette, if necessary. Then I’d invite her to the castle ball and ask the prince, with my head held high… …Who is the fairest of them all? Heh. I guess, any way you slice it… No one would cheer for the happy ending of a woman who isn’t pretty. I don’t think I can be Snow White and captivate the prince at first sight. It was the night after we’d all gone to the last summer festival in August. I was stretching in my room when my phone rang. When I looked at the display, I saw the name “Yuuko Hiiragi.” Right after everything that happened? I reflexively braced myself, wondering if she wanted to discuss Chitose, or maybe even Ucchi. I hadn’t sorted through my own feelings yet. I was full of what-if scenarios, and I knew I couldn’t make progress until I’d picked up some of these fallen leaves first. Or maybe shoveled away some of this snow. Guess I’m skipping ahead a few seasons, huh? Gingerly, I answered the phone. “Yuzuki! Let’s go to Kanazawa!” The first words out of Yuuko’s mouth were…not what I’d been expecting. “Huh…?” I’d been expecting a more serious discussion… So my response came out sounding kinda silly. “We talked about it before, right? We were going to go shopping together.” “…Oh!” Finally, I caught on. Yeah, I definitely made some kind of promise like that with Yuuko. Still, I thought, grinning wryly. I chose my words carefully and used a deliberate, teasing tone. “You recover quick, don’t you?” “I need to go shopping to get back on my feet, all right?” Yuuko’s response was easy-breezy. “I’m gonna buy new clothes, new cosmetics, and become a whole new me.” I burst out laughing. I wanted to tease her, to call her sanity into question, but I actually knew just how she felt. I’ve been playing basketball since elementary school, and at times like this, I’ve always been the type of person who would say things like, “I’m going to go eat katsudon!’’ or, “I’m going to exercise and release some energy!’’ so it was honestly refreshing to see her react in this normal girl way. Tsk, this is why she’s our airhead princess. She just got her innermost feelings out in the open, and even though they weren’t returned, she was still so positive, looking to the future. …I was just a little bit envious of her. I responded, almost as if I was talking to myself at the same time… “Don’t you want to shovel some snow first?” “What?! It’s snowing where you are right now?!” “Of course it isn’t!” After that, we chatted for a while, decided on a date, time, and meeting place, and hung up. …A few days later, nine thirty AM. I was waiting at the seats near the ticket counter at Fukui Station. Even though we students are on summer vacation, it’s pretty quiet outside of the weekday commuting hours. Yuuko and I had agreed to meet at 9:50, so I still had plenty of time. This is kind of a habit with me. As I once told Chitose, I don’t like making people wait. Even though I know I shouldn’t overthink things when it comes to meeting friends, I still feel like I owe it to them. Or rather, I never want to take it for granted that I’m taking up someone else’s precious time and effort. I let out a short sigh, thinking that there was nothing really cute about this weird foible of mine. “An overthinker won’t be popular with the boys, you know.” He definitely said something like that. He and I still hadn’t really opened up to each other at the time, so it was surely just a casual joke. But I’d rather people not poke fun at my being-late anxiety. Maybe I should mix it up, show up late sometimes, like, “Ooh, sorry, were you waiting long?” Thinking about that kind of thing filled the time as I stared blankly at the people coming and going, but then… “Excuse me, is this seat…?” Suddenly, the smell of girly perfume tickled my nostrils. “…Oh wow, it’s you.” Before I could react, the person addressing me continued. “What are you doing here, Nanase?” I finally turned and saw Nazuna Ayase, my classmate, scowling at me. “What are you doing here, Ayase…?” I shrugged and gestured to the empty seat. They were all individual seats. It’s not like I really had any right to say no to someone taking the next one along anyway. And she didn’t really need to ask in the first place. A polite nod acknowledging me would have been enough. Ayase took a quick look at the other empty seats, hesitated for a moment, and then sat down in a resigned sort of way. I thought back to the time that stalker was harassing me and how I’d actually accused her at one point. I’d apologized properly the next day, but I hadn’t really had a chance to talk to her face-to-face since then. When we met at Chitose’s practices and games, we both pretended not to be aware of each other’s existence. It was an attempt to act natural, but it was really kinda awkward… It’s not like I’ve been going out of my way to avoid her or anything… I gave her a tight smile to prove it. Even if Ayase was the one who came for me first, I’m aware that I did something wrong. But it’s not like we were close enough to make up. So things have been left kind of up in the air between us, I guess. Ayase was the first to speak, seemingly unable to bear the silence. “I’m meeting a friend here.” “Yeah, me too,” I said. “Where are you going, Ayase?” “Nazuna,” she said bluntly. She seemed a little embarrassed, too. “You can call me Nazuna. Ayase, Nanase—sounds confusing, right?” Taken aback by the unexpected offer, I covered my smile behind my hand. “Then you can call me Yuzuki.” “Of course. I’d sound like a jerk calling you by your last name while you call me by my first.” “…Where’d that come from? Why are you being so sweet?” “Oh, shut up.” Nazuna finally looked me in the eye. She was wearing a solid white cropped T-shirt with black piping on the collar, hem, and cuffs, and a black miniskirt. The unity of the two pieces made them appear to be a matching set. She also carried a small black handbag that had a gold logo and strap, which added a pop of accent color. Honestly, she looked really good. “I mean,” Nazuna continued. “What a coincidence, huh?” “I guess so.” “Yeah… Seriously.” No matter how small Fukui is, it is highly unlikely that two people from the same class would just happen to meet at the same place at the same time on the same day. I mean, I don’t even want to work out the probability percentage of that problem. “Yuzuki, Nazuna, hellooo! Sorry, were you waiting long?!” Uh-huh. Looking in the direction of the voice, I saw Yuuko trotting over, waving happily. “Oh, come on…” Nazuna let out an exasperated sound and stood up. Yuuko looked confused as Nazuna poked her shoulder with her fingertips, scowling. “You should have told me that Yuzuki was coming. This was super awkward, and I’m blaming you.” “Huh? Why?” “There was a lot to unpack between us, that’s why!” I was relieved she’d used the past tense. Yuuko wet her lips, her eyebrows rising. “But you’re already calling her Yuzuki, right?” “Oh wow, you’re not completely oblivious, then.” I knew Yuuko didn’t have any malicious intentions or anything like that. She hadn’t made some careful master plan to make us buddies. But I had to grin. She must have sensed the tension with Nazuna, but since an apology had already been made, it was done and dusted as far as she was concerned. So no doubt, after inviting me shopping, when she got chatting with Nazuna, she was like, “Why not kill two birds with one stone and all go shopping together?” Yuuko looked at me and cleared her throat. “Yuzuki, I’m sorry. I should have asked if I could invite Nazuna.” “Oh, no, it’s fine. That outfit looks adorable on you, by the way.” I shook my head lightly and changed the subject. Yuuko’s outfit consisted of a mint-green blouse and loose, off-white linen pants. An unusually simple look for her at first glance, but the blouse had such an open back that you’d almost think it was a swimsuit, and the big bow tied in the middle really drew the eye. It’s amazing how she never looks cheap even with so much skin on display. I’d love to know how she does it. “Really? But your outfit looks amazing, too, Yuzuki. You always look so cool with, like, minimal effort!” “Thanks.” I mean, I was just wearing denim shorts, a black camisole, and a thin white shirt tucked in. When I go clothes shopping, I like to wear something that’s easy to change in and out of, and it’s easier to evaluate new pieces in the mirror when you try them on with staple pieces. “Oh hey, hey, is that where we buy tickets?” Yuuko pointed at the ticket counter. “Hmm, it looks like there’s a bit of a line right now, so let’s use the ticket machines. I’ll buy everyone’s tickets at once.” “Can I come with you and watch?” “I mean, sure, but it’s not that interesting.” I took their money and went over to the machine. An unreserved seat on the limited express Thunderbird, which runs between Wakura Onsen in Ishikawa Prefecture and Osaka, costs about 2,500 yen each way and takes about fifty minutes. A round trip of 5,000 yen is quite a costly expense, so when I go alone, I often take the Hokuriku Main Line, a local train, which takes more time but costs about half the price. After some discussion, we decided to make a short day trip of it, since it was the last day of summer vacation. After I bought tickets for everyone and handed them over, Yuuko looked at hers curiously. I teased her before when she was all shocked at the concept of me riding the train by myself, but you basically need a car to get around Fukui. When you’ve lived here since childhood, it’s not so rare to encounter people who’ve never taken a train or even a bus alone before. While I was musing over that… “Oh hey, let’s go eat some soba noodles! Saku says they’re good there!” Looking satisfied, Yuuko put the ticket away in her wallet as she spoke. There’s a standing restaurant called Imajo Soba inside the station, and the aroma of fresh soup stock had been wafting through the area for a while now. People who go out of the prefecture must really feel like they’re back in Fukui when they step off the train and get a whiff of this scent. Nazuna frowned. “What? But we’re going all the way to Kanazawa. We can come here anytime, even after school or something.” “Oh, good point. Okay, will you come get soba here with me sometime soon, then, Nazuna?” “All right, all right.” “Then let’s just grab some snacks and drinks!” Yuuko started walking toward the convenience store inside the station. Nazuna glanced at me, shrugged her shoulders dramatically, then followed her. Watching them go, I placed a hand on my heart. I felt something like a twinge. Good thing my feelings didn’t show on my face. I breathed in slowly and out again, trying to calm myself. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting Chitose’s name to come out of Yuuko’s mouth so easily. I think the three of them came to some sort of breakthrough that day, when they returned to the festival. And judging from what was going on, it didn’t seem like either of the girls would end up dating Chitose. But when I called the other day, I just couldn’t ask what happened. Yuuko and Ucchi have both taken a step forward. I’m sure Chitose accepted their feelings head-on. I certainly had no right to go wading in. Still, there was one thing I was sure of. After Chitose refused her confession, Yuuko was so depressed that she couldn’t even bring herself to contact any of us. But now here she is, inviting me to go shopping. Nothing’s been cut and dried just yet. In fact… This might actually be where it all starts. My fingers tightened in the fabric of my shirt. What is this stinging pain all about? Regret that I let someone pass me up? Fear that the same result might be waiting for me someday? Sympathy for Yuuko, trying to get herself back on her feet with such positivity? Or maybe… Was I jealous of the princess who fell asleep with a one-way ticket in her hand? After all, I’m the wicked queen, right? When I dipped my head and kicked the ground, the toenails peeking out from my sandals looked extremely cheap, for some reason. The Thunderbird was pretty open, so we sat side by side. We could have rotated the seats so they were facing each other, but it wasn’t a very long journey, and I was a little nervous about three people taking up a space meant for four. Nazuna was next to the window on the left, I was beside her, and Yuuko was across the aisle. I offered Yuuko my seat, but she waved me away. “I have a loud voice, so it’ll be okay!” she said. As soon as the train started moving, Yuuko headed to the bathroom. With all the dilly-dallying around at the convenience store and so on, we didn’t have any time for a bathroom break before boarding. Out the window, rice fields whipped past. Even though we were still only a short distance from the city center, this rural view was classic Fukui. I wonder if people in other areas would be surprised to hear that high school students go all the way to neighboring prefectures to buy clothes. Maybe it sounds extravagant. But we wouldn’t travel this far if we could do our shopping locally, and it’s not like we’re only hunting down special boutiques they only have in Kanazawa or anything. But the kind of stores most people in other prefectures can find at their local Aeon mall just don’t exist in Fukui. Even when I look at fashion magazines, I often find that I have to go all the way to Kanazawa to get any cute things I find there or the cosmetics I want to try. Buying online means extra shipping charges, and I want to see the actual clothes and accessories before making up my mind. While I was busy thinking about that… “Yuzuki, have you decided where to go to college?” Nazuna asked from the next set over. “Hmm, not sure,” I replied. “I guess maybe I want to go outside the prefecture.” “Yeah, Fukui’s got nothin’.” Maybe she’d been thinking similar thoughts to mine, while we both stared out the train window. She continued, sounding kinda bored. “What about basketball?” “Huh?” “You gonna keep playing in college?” Come to think of it… Didn’t Uemura mention something when he was sticking up for Nazuna during our classroom spat? “Nazuna did basketball in junior high, you know? She was actually a big fan of your playing style, Nanase. When she found out our team was playing that ‘big shot’ team, she was like, ‘I gotta go watch.’” At the time, my mind was a mess, and I didn’t really take it in, but looking back on it now, I felt a little bashful and awkward. But even so… Why didn’t Nazuna continue with basketball in high school? It wouldn’t feel right to shoot her own question back at her, though. Just because I wasn’t sure enough to answer her question didn’t mean I should make it her problem. “Hmm, I guess I haven’t thought that far yet.” “…I see. So, that’s how it is, is it?” I love basketball, and I can say with pride that I take it seriously. I’m determined to defeat Ashi High and win the Inter-High tournament. But that’s probably because basketball was the first thing that came along for me. I’ve always hated leaving things unaddressed. For example, if there was a sports day or a marathon, I would secretly practice for weeks in advance. I listen to the teacher in class and do my homework and study for tests seriously. Whether it’s a simple game with friends, karaoke, cooking (more of a recent interest), or fashion…I give everything my full effort. When I have a task or goal in front of me, I aim to conquer it, and I hate to lose. Wherever there’s room for improvement, I rise to the occasion by studying and practicing even harder. If I’d discovered volleyball before basketball, I would have aimed for the same level in volleyball, or track and field, or music, or what have you. So sometimes, I’m not sure. I’ve been passionate about basketball since elementary school, but is that the only thing I should devote my life to? Suddenly, I thought of my team partner. Even today, when I’m casually going shopping, I’m sure Umi is practicing basketball. I’ll probably continue to live like this for the rest of my life. If I can do “anything,” then I can’t really focus on doing anything specific. After all, I’m still making my way through the faint darkness. If only it could be a clear night, with a beautiful moon…like the one I saw back then. “Sorry, was that too nosy?” I realized that Nazuna was watching me with a little concern. “No, sorry. I was just thinking.” “All right…” I gave my head a light shake. No point in getting caught up with thoughts like this right now. Not when we’re actually going to Kanazawa. My plan was to have as much fun as I could today, to lighten the weird fog I’d been in lately. “Speaking of,” Nazuna said, clearing her throat again. “I’m sorry for what happened, you know.” I was taken aback for a moment, not expecting her to bring it up… Then I shrugged. “It’s cool. I mean, me too.” “You already apologized, didn’t you? Now we’re finally square.” “…Aww, you’re one of those hot-cold types, huh?” “Don’t lump me in with Atomu!” We looked at each other, and finally, we both burst into laughter. It’s only one prefecture over, but Kanazawa Station was way busier than Fukui Station. There were ordinary office workers and students, yes, but also lots of tourists with large suitcases coming and going all over the place. I’m pretty used to coming to Kanazawa, but every now and then I still get a little taken aback by it, and I think how it really is different here. By the way, a lot of students from Fuji High go on to Kanazawa University every year. I can kinda understand why. When they want to go home, they can do so easily. But Kanazawa feels more “big city” than Fukui does. On the other hand, it’s still got that Hokuriku region feeling. It’s not as big an adjustment as going to Tokyo or Osaka. I think this amount of distance is just about right for those who want to leave the prefecture for college but worry about going to an actual big city. “Hey, why don’t we have lunch first?” Yuuko piped up as we went through the ticket gate. “If we start shopping now, we’ll have to stop for food in the middle, and everywhere will be crowded.’’ It was just a little past eleven. A little early for lunch, but Yuuko had a point. “I haven’t eaten breakfast yet, so…” Nazuna nodded along. “I haven’t eaten, either, so I’m actually a little hungry. Yuzuki, you come here every once in a while, right? You must know somewhere with delicious food or a stylish café…” “Go Go Curry!!!” Yuuko’s eyes sparkled. “I want to try Go Go Curry!” ““Huh…?”” Nazuna and I both said in unison. Go Go Curry is a well-known chain restaurant that serves Kanazawa curry, a local crowd-pleaser. Of course, I’ve eaten it myself, and I know it’s delicious. But it’s kinda… I hesitated, unsure how to react. “We’re so fashionable that we came all the way to Kanazawa to buy clothes. Are you sure that’s what we want to have for lunch?” Nazuna took the words right out of my mouth. Kanazawa curry is a fairly robust sort of meal, consisting of a breaded cutlet on top of rice, with thick curry sauce poured over. It’s usually served with shredded cabbage to at least pretend they cared about the calories. To be honest, when I go shopping by myself, I often just end up going to a chain restaurant for lunch. After all, my objective is clothes shopping, and I don’t want to spend extra money or time on eating. But today, since I knew it was going to be me and Yuuko, I did a little research on some of the fancier lunch places. Still, truthfully, after the shock of this morning, I just wanted to eat something really tasty for a pick-me-up. “Boo!” Yuuko complained. “Nazuna, you’re hungry, aren’t you? Come on, we growing girls need our calories!” “What are you, some sweaty sports club bro?” “It comes with cabbage, so it’s healthy!” “You’re getting away from the point here.” Then Nazuna grinned as if to say, “Eh, whatever.” “What about you, Yuzuki? Are you okay with that?” I laughed a little. “I just have to make sure I don’t get any on my white shirt.” “Oh, yeah.” To be honest, I’m used to this kind of thing, spending so much time with Haru. People often get the wrong idea about me, because I try to keep myself put together, but I like ramen, curry, and katsudon as much as the next person. Sometimes I go to eat at beef bowl joints by myself, and if Yuuko says she wants curry, then that’s cool with me. Also… I want to practice compromising now, while it’s still an option for me. Not for others…but for me. And not for today, but for some undefined point in the future. Even if it’s just a selfish, arrogant, self-satisfied imposition. Yuuko grabbed both our hands joyfully. “Yay, let’s go!” Then the three of us started walking together… I was tickled to be here. Surely, this was a moment I’d never forget. We went to the Go Go Curry restaurant in the Anto, a shopping mall in Kanazawa Station. Nazuna had a small pork loin cutlet curry, I had a small chicken cutlet curry, and Yuuko had something called Manhattan curry, which was a loin cutlet with boiled egg, sausage, and fried shrimp on top. She even ordered a second helping of the cabbage side, too. Needless to say, those of us watching her were rendered a little speechless. When we left the restaurant, Yuuko sighed with satisfaction. “That was so good! I definitely want to go there again.” Nazuna side-eyed her and whispered in my ear. “How does she have that figure when she eats like that?” “Right?” “Ever since I quit the club, I’ve been paying a lot of attention to maintaining my body shape.” “Yeah, I’d be in trouble if I stopped playing basketball, too.” Muttering back and forth, we headed toward the Kanazawa Forus, a fashion shopping center located right next to the station. This is usually my first port of call when I come to Kanazawa. There’s so much on offer here that it’s usually my last port of call, too. Although every so often, if I have some extra time, I’ll stretch my legs and walk around the Korinbo shopping district, too. Entering the building, we stopped in front of the mall directory. L’Occitane, Sabon, Shu Uemura, Nano Universe, United Arrows… Just glancing around the first floor, you’ll see plenty of shops that are in magazine ads but not in Fukui. Yuuko’s eyes sparkled. “Is there a particular store you’re looking for, Yuzuki?” “Hmm, I just want some fall clothes. And underwear.” Nazuna lifted her hand in the air. “I need underwear, too! I want to be Chitose-ready anytime.” ““You wish!”” Yuuko and I both retorted in unison. The corner of Nazuna’s mouth quirked upward, like she was enjoying this. “Oh, really?” Whoops. I let myself get baited, same as Yuuko. I cleared my throat, attempting damage control. “I have to stick up for my ex when a girl’s coming after him with nefarious intentions, that’s all.” “Oh, whatever, Yuzuki!” Nazuna retorted. “And weren’t you fake-dating to begin with?” Naturally, I hadn’t explained the details to her. I looked quickly at Yuuko, but she shook her head. Nazuna rolled her eyes. “I mean, it was completely obvious.” Well, it’s not like it’s something I need to hide, I thought, smiling wryly. I already know that Nazuna is cool. In fact, Nazuna really pays attention to what’s going on around her. I keep noticing the little things she does today. I laughed it off. “What about you? How serious are you about Chitose?” “…Hmm, eighty percent.” “More than I was expecting.” “Ha-ha.” Nazuna smiled mischievously. “I mean, Chitose’s cool. What, am I not allowed to fall for someone cool?” “I mean…” “You two, the other girls… Chitose’s surrounded by a lot of top-class competition, but you’re all kinda thirsty and emotionally intense. Maybe Chitose’s going to get tired of the attention and turn to someone easygoing like me instead.” “Uh…” “I mean, you two are both thinking about long-term romance when it’s just a high school crush, right?” “Gah…” The phrase “emotionally intense” opened up a heavy pit in my stomach. Sneaking a glance at Yuuko, I found her scratching her cheek. She seemed to feel as awkward as I did. Given my personality and the way I handle myself at school, I guess I don’t really have many opportunities to hear comments like this from my friends. So it was sort of refreshing. Really refreshing, actually. Maybe that was why Yuuko had seemed so much perkier lately. Nazuna rolled her eyes. “I mean, you’re all way too much. You’re a hassle. I really don’t feel like duking it out against you all. Still, if Chitose does choose me…I have no problem discarding my friendship with you to date him.” I found her frankness refreshing, too, and I shrugged in a theatrical manner. Still… Let’s give it some thought. …Chitose and Nazuna, eh? Could it be? I mean… Maybe? Like, I’m pretty similar to Chitose in terms of personality. And to me, Nazuna seems pretty cool. She’s like Haru in that I can chill with her without worrying too much. But then again, Haru shines like the sun. Being around her always makes me feel like I should step up my game, too. Nazuna, on the other hand? She’s so…natural. It’s like she’s cool with both her positive and negative emotions, and she’s able to be in her feels about boys and friends without overanalyzing things to death. Being around her makes me feel like I can just be me, too, and not have to worry about coming off as pretentious or fake-humble. …It wouldn’t be so odd if Chitose got the same vibes from Nazuna as I did. So then, I had to think. What kind of person do I want to be in Chitose’s life? And what kind of person do I want him to be in mine? “All jokes aside…” Nazuna briskly changed the subject. “Let’s start at one end of the mall and work our way around.” Yuuko and I looked at each other and nodded. ““Let’s do it.”” As the three of us shopped together, I started to get a feel for the other girls’ fashion tastes. Yuuko’s a complete all-rounder. She tries on everything from girly clothes to feminine clothes to mature to sexy. Nazuna has a relatively cool monochrome look, but her penchant for short skirts and an exposed midriff gives her a devilish sort of spice. I’ve never really been aware of this about myself, but I realized that I tended to opt for a boyish sort of style. Incidentally, I also found it interesting how different our tastes were when it came to underwear. Yuuko tends to choose surprisingly conservative bras and panties that come in a variety of colors. Nazuna chooses cute designs with frills and bows, while I prefer underwear with strings on the sides, in sheer materials with a sexy feel to them. It’s like how people have their outer facade and their inner self. Though Yuuko comes across as fearless, able to jump into anything, she’s actually pretty sincere and even timid when it come to her true feelings. And although Nazuna is bold and provocative and sometimes harsh with her words, she has a hidden cuteness and kindness to her that’s very girly. As for me, while I try to come off as cool and unbothered, I hide my more feminine side. …So that’s what was on my mind anyway. As we browsed the racks of clothes in a shop we’d wandered into… “Yuzuki, you never really wear girly outfits, do you? Like dresses and skirts?” Yuuko commented, as if she’d been reading my mind. “Hmm, well, it’s not a conscious choice.” Still, I have a hunch why. When I analyze it myself, it feels pretty embarrassing, but to put it simply, it’s kinda like my trademark. Since childhood, I’ve been hyper-aware of my good looks, and I’ve had to deal with envy and jealousy and negative attention from both boys and girls because of it. Even though I tried to downplay myself, my body continued growing more feminine all the time, compounding the issue. …So I took control over what I could still control. In other words, I tried to neutralize my appearance with what I wore. I can’t tell Yuuko that, though. If I ever tried to explain, it would not go well. It’s true, though. I tried to downplay my femininity as much as possible, to avoid drawing further attention to myself. “Oh, I know,” Yuuko said, clapping her hands. “Let me put together an outfit for you from this store! You can have the final decision on whether you want to buy it or not, of course!” “Um, that sounds kinda embarrassing…” “Don’t worry! I’m confident in my styling skills!” Nazuna, standing nearby, backed her up. “Sounds good. And Yuuko does have a great eye for fashion.” “Well,” I prevaricated, scratching my cheek. “All right, then… Go nuts.” “All righty!” Yuuko tugged on my hand, her touch warm. I suddenly realized that this was a dream I’d had for a long time, going shopping like this with girlfriends. And so I stepped into the fitting room with the outfit Yuuko chose for me. “No looking in the mirror until you come out!” she said. “All right, all right,” I called back as I was pulling off my shirt and shorts. I almost checked myself out in the mirror from pure habit, but thanks to the warning, I managed to stop myself just in time. I gave a half-smile. I took a quick inventory of the items Yuuko had chosen for me. …Yeah. This isn’t the kind of outfit I’d ever be able to put together for myself. After quickly changing my clothes, I put on my sandals and left the changing room. “Wow. It’s a yes to both.” Nazuna put her hand over her mouth in surprise. I guessed what she meant was that both Yuuko’s selection and my appearance in it were a hit. Her honest reaction reassured me. Yuuko approached, smiling. “Just a sec. One last touch.” As she spoke, she deftly swept up my hair. “Okay, all done. Look in the mirror.” “Thanks.” Even without looking in the mirror, I knew what I had just put on. But seeing the finished image… “Huh…?” I was at a loss for words. Yuuko had selected a wine-red, one-shoulder top in a smooth, silky fabric. It didn’t show my belly button or anything, but it was still cropped, and I could see a strip of exposed skin above my waist. There was also a black maxi skirt with a long ribbon tie hanging from the left hip, and it had a wide slit that exposed my legs more than the shorts I’d been wearing. The ankle strap sandals were the same shade of wine-red as the top. A gold bracelet and earrings reflected the light. No way, I thought, my fingers twitching. The girl in the mirror twitched her fingers, too. It was me. Yuzuki Nanase. I felt exposed; that was the only way to put it. I gulped and lowered my eyes, then raised my head like I was praying. The person in the mirror was, unmistakably, a woman with a mysterious charm. I see… Maybe I’m not the wicked queen after all. I’m the witch who hides a poison apple inside a mirror. There’s one thing I’m sure of. I’ve been trying to be careful about how I look and how I present myself, but I never really noticed how I always opt for boyish items. And there was a reason for that. Because I didn’t have anyone I wanted to poison with the apple I kept hidden inside my reflection. But now…now I’ve met him. I’ve met the man I want to shoot down with my arrow, no matter what it costs me. There’s a romance I want to make a reality, no matter the risk.