I Can't Believe This but We're Going Shopping [Invite]

What minute!? Karin thought as she got the message. She was worried that Miyu would immediately go to her from overexcitement and waited for whole day only for her to not appear (she sent it three days prior after all! No way that she would appear three days prior to the appointment! At most just one hour prior!)

But thankfully they managed to clear the misunderstanding and now the other girl appeared right on time. "It's very nice to see you two, bars the time in the house of course." Freya would comment. "I hope all the cooking doesn't tire you two out. I'm not that much of a cook, honestly."

"And I'm a walking kitchen disaster. Hello you two, glad to see someone's still normal as usual."

She pretty much resigned herself to the hug and made a show of sighing loudly. But Miyu probably have already guessed that this girl is pretty much a tsundere. "Anyway, uh, first thing first, where to go? It's still early and I think we have quite a lot that we can explore on. Personally I'm not all that famished yet, but if you want something to eat, we can grab some crepes or something... if you're hungry, then I guess we can go visit some fast food place or something."

"If you're fine just going in, then let's go in and browse some clothes!" Freya suggested. "We're going to get something fancy and trendy! by the way, how are you two doing? Anything new?"

"You really should try something else than cooking... gardening or something..." but then she looked at Bloom. Oh right, this plant doesn't like someone raising plant to be eaten or something like that. "...Or you know, fashion designing. How does that goes?" Karin asked.

Not too hungry, then that's fine. She could pretty much roll with anything.

Fashion ideas? Huh. "...Hmm, well sailor fuku is nice and all," Karin mused. "But honestly? I wouldn't think that it's the best clothes to use outside like this. Feels like you're saying that your school is strict. It's pretty good to use if you don't want to get hit on, that's for sure. Usually people doesn't hit on girls that wear school uniform in their day out because their school rules."

But new looks? "....I guess we can try. Here, then."

Contrary to most people's guess, Karin would bring Miyu and Bloom to a normal looking store that caught her attention.

"Alright first and foremost... if you try to dress like me, I don't think it'll suit your image at all. Bloom, you're cooler type, but at the same time you're more to the refined, cool type. So we'll get something breezy, yet at the same time traditional for you. Miyu, you're passion type. Passion type like you should be more active and athletic looking I guess. You wear clothes that looks comfortable, but if you're interested in getting more guys to look at you, let's break that looks of "I'm your best friend" first impression, shall we."

And first she works with Miyu. Her choices for Miyu involves....

"First, let's see if it looks more natural for you if we forgoes the ponytail and just let your hair flows naturally. Secondly, let's give you sleeveelss clothes for change. Your usual ones have long sleeves, and a bit more conservative looking, so it definitely gives off air of a naive girl. Whiel it's kind of your true nature, sometimes looking less naive will deter people from trying to steer you into bad direction."

What she picked was an orange sleeveless shirt..

'Attractiveness wise, I couldn't find any fault in your base figure. However, I can understand if you would feel uncomfortable if I suddenly tell you to wear clothes like mine,so we'lll take it slowly. First, this. This one only exposes your arms and neck, a little bit of collarbone action too. Long pants, let's change it with short pants. If you're uncomfortable with how short it is, use this hot pants. If you're still uncomfortable with that too, here, white capris. but honestly no long pants for today.

Shoes, change with some trendy flip flops or sandals. Sandals would look good. Here," she offered a white sandals with sunflower decorations. Then she added sporty bracelets for Miyu's arm, and a simple teardrop shaped necklace.

"And I'm done! The orange top will emphasis on your upper body curves more than your old clothing. It gives spunky feel don't you think? The pants, I'm letting you choose because our focus this time around is the upper body. Sometimes by making certain parts plain and other parts trendy will make people look at you in the place with more effort."

Karin have gone full fashionista mode it seems. "Sometimes simple is best, and I picked what I think fits you most. Orange feels like it's a good color for you. Sunflower for motif also how I see you. Active, cheerful, but now with more" Karin snapped her finger "daring look I guess. It looked like someone who's ready to try a lot of new things."

"Ara, taken already? That was fast. i can see why there's a need for balancing weight in the scale then," Freya mused. Of course this is her way of poking fun at Miyu too. "Well, then, while Ojou is picking clothes for Miyu, why don't I pick something for you? Let's see.. for you, considering we first met while you're with Kimono, how about we try these?"

She pulled a dress with patterend edges, on the arms and on the hem of the skirt. "It's a bit different than usual, but basically the idea is you're wearing this simple looking clothes as insidewear and outside of it..." she took out what looked like an apron or sort, it's one that matches with the dress. "Like this it will gives illusion that it's a layered dress. Tie the two with a sash like this... and then let's give you a scrunchie and hairband combo. Slip in a flowerlike pendant on one of the side for extra bling and there you go! Something new, refreshing, but not too alien. It's also gives you cool image."

"Hmm, that was as good as I expected," Karin mused as she looked at Bloom. "Your taste is good as usual."

"Ara, I just think that while Bloom is playing safe, she plays it safe too much. So while this is still "safe", I think it shifted her image and shows freshness."

"I don't think a sudden shift in look would suit her anyway."

"That is the case indeed."

"Well anyway, are you two satisfied? If you are, then time to pay..." Karin pulled out her credit card. Yes, it's one under her own name. She had this ever since she turned 18 last year. It's been a few month since then, but she was proud of her decision to get a credit card evetually, as she can pay this finally.

As for the price, it goes to around 50000 yen for two of them. Something that she paid quite readily. All in all, 50000 yen for two sets of clothes is quite a steal. Comparatively a Burberry coat goes as high as 290.000 yen (she swore she coughed blood inside her mind as she saw the price tag the first time.)

Karin have heard that in China apparently when someone gives you money, it's only polite to reject them several times before finally accepting, apparently that goes the same with gifts. But in her case, she personally don't care. Once she makes up her mind, she'll do it. She'll think it as building good karma, she guess. Once she signed the papers for the credit cards and all that, Karin just smiled... Though, she wasn't expecting that it suddenly became another kind of shopping altogether...

But since they're here already...

"Let's pick up some simple cosmetics. Nothing too flashy for you, nothing to make you cakey, just simple ones that you can buy and use all the time, you two are already good looking anyway. Afterward, let's get a perfume or two. Nothing the kind that's too adult of course, jsut a refreshing one. Citrus ones came to mind. It'll be a game changer for you. Come."

"Ara, she probably did not realize that it's only a tease..." Freya mused, quite happy with the development. "I'm sorry you two, but I think you need to follow her whim for a while until she's satisfied. This is a great destressing time"

In the cosmetic shop, Karin would immediately chat with the saleswoman and asked for something that would accentuate more natural side of her friend's look. She's given a simple foundation and lip balm, also a peach colored lipstick. Karin smiled and turned at Miyu.

"Let's do some patch test first shall we?"

"Right, first, remember how to do this because it'll be important in the fuutre if you want to buy cosmetics. First, test the effect on your skin. Somewhere easily felt is the best. Don't put on your face immediately. Try on your arm usually. For perfume, ask for sniff sample instead. If they spray it DIRECTLY ON YOU, get the fuck out. THat is a business loss on them. That's usually sign of a bad salesperson.

If you want to try it also ask if you could first apply it to your skin because perfumes are still chemicals. If your skin reacted badly to it, best not buy it. You should do the same, patch test I mean. Make sure that all your cosmetics fits you, alright? If you got any allergic reaction, try different brand of cosmetics. The allergic reaction usually is very fast so we can easily wipe it off in case it starts getting itchy."

Karin is definitely enjoying this. After she made sure that neither the cosmetic or the perfume is irritating to Miyu, she applied it the simple foundation. She also applied the lip balm. "You're wkring a lot in the kitchen so here," she slipped an extra. "Skincare tonic. Use this before you're going to sleep, alright? Use it on your face and your hand. Also, use lotions now and then."

After more paying, Karin slipped her card back to her wallet.

...Now that she goes here already... Karin suddenly have the brightest of idea.

"......Let's go to salon after this. No trimming or anything, just haircare and massage. Let's wipe these foundation too for the meantime and check how it would look after the massage. Anyway, I'll be paying. Four of us!"

"....Well there she goes. I'm sorry, but I think at this point, it's impossible for you to escape. Ojou rarely have any sort of use for her abundant money, so don't worry. But in this case I'll pay for me and Bloom. Ojou, please treat Miyu instead."

"hmn, that doesn't sit well with me, but alright. Now let's go. Think this as investment for my modelling gig too!"

Being beautiful is such a hard work, yes. But at the same time you must enjoy it, otherwise it won't be good for your health either. Balancing between skincares and your own mental wellbeing is the key, or at least that's what her mother who's in her fourties says as she still looked like someone in mid twenties. But then again she have never seen her not smiling or even sighing. To be that sort of superwoman is definitely hard for Karin. But her mother just says "follow your heart and let it all go" like it was the easiest thing ever.

"Don't worry, let's just say it's my way of destressing, shall we?"

Karin wiped off the makeup on Miyu's face with toner remover. She nearly forgot to buy one, and thank god she remembered to buy it after thinking that it would be probably better to go to salon with no makeup on. Either way...

"Oh don't worry, if that's what we need then all we have to do is to go to different store than what is in this place. Ojou, have you gotten any casual, home clothes for yourself?" Freya asked.

"...Ah drats, I forgot," Karin admitted. She was being too happy and pulling Miyu everywhere! ...Could this be a chance for Miyu to counterattack?