The date of the beauty school festival finally arrived. As Ichika got ready for her own excursion, she asked me to help with her makeup.
“It never turns out well when I do it myself,” she told me. “When it comes to these kinds of things, you’re the best, hands down, Riku.”
I had to admit, it felt nice to be needed. I headed to her room for the first time in a while and helped her coordinate a head-to-toe look. She didn’t offer any information on her destination, but since she was visiting a women’s college, she was likely aware that many students would dress stylishly.
I’d applied Ichika’s makeup so many times that I could’ve done it with my eyes shut. We didn’t have much time before she needed to leave, so I couldn’t make it too fancy, but she smiled in satisfaction at the mirror once I finished.
“You outdid yourself again, Riku! My hair’s super cute too.”
“The wind’s strong today, so I styled it in an updo.”
Even since Mike-san showed us how to do that dumpling-style bun, I’d been dying to try it out. My lips moved instinctively to kiss the exposed nape of Ichika’s neck when it peeked out from under her pulled-up hair.
“Thanks so much,” she said. “Sorry to ask for help when you’re getting ready to go out yourself.”
“I’m not in that much of a rush. Mike-san’s show isn’t until this afternoon. But you’ll miss the subway if you don’t head out soon!”
Ichika shrieked as she glanced back into the mirror. As she hurriedly departed, I saw her off, then finished getting ready myself and made my way to the station. The beauty school and the junior college Ichika was visiting were on the same train line, but they were in opposite directions, so there was no point in us leaving together.
Iguchi and Chiaki had apparently met up before the festival. By the time I arrived, they’d entered the venue and were checking out the exhibits with great interest. I didn’t think Chiaki was interested in beauty, but he seemed practically entranced by a series of images of body art. Maybe there was a strong link between fine art and beauty.
Mike-san’s show wouldn’t start until the afternoon, but other shows were taking place in the morning. Students from the modeling course showed off the results of their practice, gliding down the runway effortlessly. High heels exaggerated their already-tall silhouettes, and their walks were carefully rehearsed to flatter the clothes they wore. It was impossible not to be drawn in by their long, shapely legs.
Some students were styling a mannequin’s hair within a specific time limit while others showed off competing makeup looks. Regardless of the challenge, everyone looked deadly serious. At the end of each show, the participating students lined up on stage to receive feedback from instructors and special guests. Some of the criticism was harsh; several students burst into tears. But that was the reality of trying to go professional.
As soon as I arrived, I’d contacted Mike-san to ask if we could go behind the scenes during her show. It was taking her a while to get back to me, so I assumed she was busy getting everything ready.
There were no refreshment booths inside the school, so we decided to get snacks from the food trucks outside. I could see Sapporo TV Tower from here. It looked even larger than it did from our high school. Both schools were near downtown Sapporo, and it seemed amazing that a small change of location could produce a completely different atmosphere at the two institutions.
As I let that revelation wash over me, Mike-san finally called me. “Where are you now, Tono-kun?”
“Near the food trucks. Iguchi’s waiting in line for a crepe.”
“Got it. I’ll be right there.”
Mike-san reached the food trucks soon after our brief phone call. She waved when she saw us. As Iguchi took in Mike-san’s appearance, she stood stock-still, completely forgetting to move forward in the crepe line.
“Thanks for coming today,” Mike-san said. “Are you having fun at the festival so far?”
“Yes!” I replied. “And it’s been really informative.”
“I wanted to take you guys backstage so you could see us get ready, but everyone’s a bit on edge at the moment. I’m sure you can talk to them after the show, though.”
“Mike-san, that outfit…” I trailed off.
Mike-san glanced down at herself. “Oh, this? Is it weird?”
“It…looks great on you.”
Mike-san was dressed in a man’s suit. She wasn’t wearing makeup, and her half-grown-out hair was tied back simply. Something about the dark-gray suit and violet shirt she wore enhanced the casual hairstyle’s charm.
Iguchi and Chiaki gushed excitedly. “You look so cool!”
“That’s totally sexy!”
“I suddenly ended up becoming a model,” Mike-san responded with a breezy smile. “I think this’s the first time I’ve worn a suit since the school’s entrance ceremony.”
The suit was apparently a fashion school student’s masterpiece. The original model had come down with a cold, and Mike-san’s body type was the most similar, so filling in fell to her.
“Will you change back into your usual style for your own show?”
“I can’t! Our show starts as soon as this one’s over. Besides, I’d rather spend any spare time getting our model ready.”
“Could you get changed in time for the instructors’ evaluations…?”
“Probably not. This all went down just last night. The designer pulled an all-nighter to resize the suit for me, and I stayed to help her out. The only clothes I have with me are basically loungewear. There’s no way I could show up in front of teachers wearing that.”
To make the finish line for the school festival, she hadn’t been able to afford to worry about her appearance. She hadn’t even had time to bathe.
“You probably shouldn’t get too close to me,” she added, trying to keep her distance.
Her appearance made my chest feel excruciatingly tight. “Weren’t there plenty of boys who could model? Why’d it have to be you…?”
“If I didn’t do it, the girl who worked so hard to make this suit would be docked a lot of points.”
“But…”
Mike-san sighed, smiling weakly at my stubbornness. “You’ve heard of calico cats, right, Tono-kun?”
The sudden change in subject confused me so much, all I could do was nod.
“They’re usually female, because of a recessive gene,” Mike-san continued. “Male kittens are very uncommon. I’m sure you learned about calico cats at school.”
She meant in biology class. We’d actually studied the genetics behind red-green colorblindness at school. The gene for colorblindness was part of the X chromosome. Men had XY chromosomes, while women had XX chromosomes. For a woman to be colorblind, she needed a genetic abnormality on both X chromosomes, but men always ended up colorblind if they received an X chromosome from a mother with the genetic abnormality. That was why colorblindness was relatively common in men.
The same principles applied to calico cats. Mike-san was only one year out of high school, and she’d read about calico genetics in her biology textbook. “I can’t imagine how traumatic things must be for male calicos,” she continued. “It’s just them. All the other calicos are female. They can’t change their bodies, and they don’t blend in with other tomcats. I’m sure the opposite situation occurs in humans too—you know, being born in a female body, but identifying as male.”
“Mike-san…”
“I’ve been a calico all along, so this is no big sacrifice. Anyway, it’s almost time,” she added, checking her watch before turning to head back inside.
As I watched her walk away, I felt utterly helpless. All I could do was clench my fists.