Shortly after, the lovely jeweller helped me choose the rings I wanted to buy, each a different gemstone for the girls and a special inscription for the goddess ring in a language and message only they would understand.
I paid the extensive fee due to having their jewellers work extra hard to finish the rings and engravements within twenty minutes, only to realise time was getting short…
Thank god the Mucci manager was there as the cute woman’s shift ended as she worked on the additional service and would deliver half the order to my address and the rings for Aki and Anastasia to their apartment next door.
Somehow, I felt they would lock me in the apartment and never let me go if I handed them in person…
They were both a little crazy recently—well, Aphrodite was always clingy and strange, while Eternium looked up to her the most and followed her around… freewebnσvel.cѳm
So let’s dodge the bullet for now and buy some stuff for me!
Hahaha.
***
Standing on the fourth floor of the department store, I found the men’s section aftershave stores with brands I had never heard of and prices that would make me faint in the past.
There was a high-class barber and massage shop with fancy windows and mirrors.
I couldn’t believe they could trim bears and sideburns with those sharp blades so quickly without any nicks or wounds.
“What do I want…?”
It was the most simple question, but in my heart and mind, there was nothing but emptiness and silence.
Did I lack any true desires other than women, wine and sex?
I stood in the bustling complex with hundreds of handsome men, some wearing premium and designer sportswear, others in suits—even the ugly and slightly obese, rich men looked very appealing after visiting the barber and getting a nice suit.
Maybe I really looked like a poor country bumpkin right now…
The feeling made me feel like the Rai from two months ago, and I couldn’t stand it… I wanted to change how I felt both inside and outside.
So I entered a flashy and expensive-looking salon filled with beautiful women and K-drama-like men and women sitting on the chairs.
A young woman with bubbling pink hair in a bob, her makeup was unique with curled eyeliner and shiny lipgloss with patterns of silver.
“Good afternoon. Are you here for an appointment or to book one?”
The voice was very appealing like she was an actress making sure the customer felt welcomed and special.
I appreciated this feeling right now when my motivation and self-esteem seemed to dip.
“How long would the waiting list be?” Because this place was busy and very elegant inside, I assumed there would be a long waiting list, so the barber was looking more like the best bet right now.
“Hmmmm…..” She tapped her chin and began to twirl the steel rod in her fingers, which she used to write on the tablet on the desk.
“If you really want to see someone, there is the special course, but that starts at $1,000 minimum plus the stylist’s fee.”
I thought to myself as my messy hair seemed to have grown rapidly, whether because of the dungeon or due to my race—it was now down to my shoulders again…
At this point, I had already spent just under $200,000, so what was spending some extra?
“Do you, by chance, do makeovers? I honestly have no idea about style, and money isn’t an issue right now…”
The young woman gave a brilliant smile and twisted the large black screen towards me.
I felt like the atmosphere felt like it became warm and welcoming as she showed me various stylists and a few of their portfolios.
The list was huge, with names like Lenz Brama, Darren Jones, Liu Ming, and Sarah Fenos, many stylists ranging from those from the empire, the federation and even the frozen republic to the east. It was amazing that for the extra pay, they would come to work within ten minutes of a booking.
There was one name, though…
A more mature woman who looked to be in her mid-thirties or early forties, the name was Midori Shimizu.
For some reason, she felt similar to me, her small face and idol-level beauty now maturing into a ripe adult woman along with her luscious, glossy black hair in princess style with curled bangs and perfect box fringe.
Somehow… she looked like a more mature version of the girl who has been on my mind for the longest time since we met.
Kana.
So I took the plunge.
Even though her cost was roughly double most of the others, I put that down to skill and her professionalism, as her clients were mostly stars and Asian idols.
“May I ask to book a complete makeover with Miss Midori Shimizu?”
I got a strange look from the young girl, who smiled, seeming to take a moment before confirming the cost with me.
“That would be $9,200, and adding the complete makeover and any requests, the total comes to $15,900. Is that okay, sir?”
Without any complaints, I took out my phone, entered the passcode for large transactions, and nodded.
“If she can help me feel new and look good, it’s more than worth it.”
Ding!
I swiped my phone and downloaded the app. When prompted, it had me named and a cool interface.
Rai Shibuya (Diamond Member) – Destiny Salon
“Okay, currently, Midori isn’t here, but the app will tell you her current estimate arrival and feel free to add any comments in there before you meet to give her a rough idea of what you want.”
The girl then guided me to a comfy lounge on the second floor with a very trendy design and layout as she gave me a bow and went to make me a coffee.
“Now then…”
Listening to her advice, I found an image now flashing on my app showing the eta in gold letters and counting down, and once I clicked, a nicely styled page opened with the information and portfolio of Midori while the box she mentioned was currently open in what seemed to be a live chat.
Thinking it was polite to greet her and give a small message so she had almost complete freedom, I typed in the box and clicked send.
∟ Greetings, I am Shibuya Rai.
Thank you for seeing me on such short notice.
I will leave the creative changes and look to you. I only hope to keep my natural colour if possible.
I look forward to meeting you, Miss Shimizu.
Once I finished typing my message, I left my phone on the side table. It was a vintage style and seemed to be hovering due to an amusing optical illusion.
While waiting, I leaned back in the seat and closed my eyes, waiting for the coffee and Midori to arrive.
Honestly, just taking this step was enough for me to feel a sense of ease.
Somehow, I didn’t brood on those feelings, and even without Eternia, Lupera or Asteria nagging and supporting me, I pulled through them alone.
I felt a sense of pride even if, to others, this might seem small.
For me, it was a great step forward to becoming normal and not lingering on my dark and lonely thoughts.
“Dear customer, here is your coffee. If you need anything, please just press that black button on the screen, and I will be in contact with you in moments.”
Her voice was very cheerful, like a ray of morning light. Her voice could make the room seem filled with sunshine and joy. I smiled before waving at her as she vanished down the wide stairs with a red fence.
***
Did it take ten minutes or maybe less? I wasn’t quite sure.
As a beautiful woman in a stylish dress with a sweetheart’s neck and over-the-shoulder straps, Midori Shimizu looked nothing like a mature woman but a beautiful fairy from the land of magic.
“Sorry for the wait. You didn’t respond, so I worried quite a lot, Mister Shibuya!”
Her tone was a mixture of jovial jesting and the gentle warmth of a mature mother’s voice as her black heels tapped along the checkered carpet before she sat on the sofa beside me and began to observe and jot down things in her small black digital notepad.
“Mmmm… such good materials, a lovely coat of thick blond hair, single crown… Eyebrows need a little work and shaping… the lips are thick and rather beautiful, maybe some work here.”
I listened to her muttering with a deeper voice than before.
It felt like this might be her real voice as it was quite similar to Kana, but I wasn’t sure, rather feeling more like a hunch right now.
“Do you have any allergies?” Her question came out of nowhere, and my lips answered like a conditioned reflex when speaking to my mother.
“None!”
“Do you dislike the idea of using moisturiser and other products in the future to maintain your look?”
“Nope, sounds interesting!”
“Good… Very honest, cute and seems willing to try anything.”
Suddenly, she stood up close to her digital pad and looked at me with the warmest smile I remembered for the past year.
“Come on then. Since you are really going to let me play to my heart’s content, let me make you the most dangerous and wild heartthrob the planet has ever seen, fufu. I love making handsome young men even more sexy.”
This really felt like Kana… the way she was being competitive with even herself. This thought so preoccupied me as I walked past that I whispered, “Just like Kana…”
Only for her to tap my shoulder, her eyes and face completely different, a lovely smile and enchanting eyes. “Oh my, you know my little Kana?”
It was at that moment I remembered that Kana had kind of run away from home to work for my company and join the gang…
Or rather, was her mother a former gang member? There seemed to be a tattoo on her back, but I didn’t see it well.
Maybe… my loose mouth just landed me in trouble…