Chapter 14 The Disappointing Hero Makes a Change
I decided to go to a private beauty salon in Omotesando for a haircut, head spa, and a course for treating black spots on my face with something called ultrasonic peeling.
My hair has been suffering a lot in another world, and on top of that, they haven't been cutting it properly, but rather just tearing it with a knife. When the course actually started, the beautician gave a wry smile.
"Alright, we're done! Since you look so cool, make sure to take good care of your hair from now on, okay?"
"Yes, I'll be careful."
I paid the fee of just under 20,000 yen and left. It's about twenty times the price of my usual 1,000 yen haircut.
Well, this is also a necessary investment.
Now that I've secured the funds, it's time for the next step. I have various things planned to give to Kanae. To be more precise, it's about "making her think she's obtained" them...or something like that.
And among those things, "I myself" are included as well.
It's important that I become a completely different person from who I was before, and that Kanae's heart is focused more on me than Takashi. If Kanae think 'I don't want to be abandoned by him,' it adds a wonderful touch to this revenge.
"Why was I attracted to Takashi? Because of that, Tadayuki is no longer mine!"
This.
This is important.
In other words, what is crucial is for me to become handsome.
Humans dislike loss.
Therefore, the damage of reluctantly letting go after obtaining something valuable is more painful than never having it in the first place.
Based on that, in order to give Kanae a strong sense of loss, I must improve myself.
If by any chance I succeed in making Kanae see me as 'handsome,' the sense of loss she will feel when she loses me will be tremendously large.
It's like when someone you easily rejected in high school becomes a top celebrity on TV years later, and you think, 'What a waste!'
Well, I've never had that experience, but that's the aim.
Kanae has always told me, 'Since you're tall, you'll look cool if you lose weight!' So, I guess I'm okay with my physique. Thanks to my commitment to living in a different world, I must say my style is quite good now...
So, it's all about the equipment. Good equipment is essential in battles.
In modern times, that would be considered fashion.
Today, I chose Omotesando, a place that is usually unfamiliar to me, for the preparations.
Normally, I buy clothes from affordable stores like 'Uniqlo' or 'Fashion Center Takayama,' but yesterday, I got a lot of money.
Kanae, perhaps due to her job as a beauty consultant, is quite knowledgeable about fashion. She has always explained various things while flipping through magazines.
I have zero interest in fashion, but I patiently listened to Kanae's enthusiastic explanations. And now, the time has come for that effort to pay off.
The brand I visited today is Kanae's favorite.
I'm glad I listened carefully. "Jill Lightning Omotesando Store" seems to be an Italian brand... or so I heard from my brief internet search last night.
Well, let's enter the store for now. The interior has a calm atmosphere and definitely exudes a sense of luxury. As I browse through the various clothes, a store attendant approaches me.
"Welcome, what are you looking for today?"
It's a beautiful lady who perfectly matches the image of a high-end brand store attendant. In the past, I would have been like, 'Ah... sorry, I'm just looking...' and radiated an aura of not wanting to be approached... But now, after living in a different world and having many conversations with nobles and aristocrats, talking to people isn't that difficult anymore.
"I'm sorry, this is my first time here, so I'm not familiar. However, a friend recommended this place as a good store, so I would like to get a complete set of clothes here."
"Thank you for choosing our store... If you're looking for a complete set, may I ask about your budget?"
The store attendant looks at my fashion and assesses it with a discerning gaze."
Well, I understand. It's all cheap stuff, after all.
"Hmm, can I manage with around two million?"
The shopkeeper's eyes sparkled at my words.
"Yes, let me show you! This way, please."
The mannequin she guided me to was wearing a cool black long coat.
"I think this coat, among others, would fit your body perfectly."
"I see. Can I try it on?"
"Of course! Please go ahead."
She handed me the coat, and I put it on. Hmm... It does have a good texture. It feels like better material than what I wore when attending a noble party in another world.
"Yes, it looks good."
"Thank you."
"By the way, how much is this?"
"Yes, it's priced at 498,000 yen."
Hmm, that's about what I saw online. However, it's more than ten times the price of the coats I usually wear.
But then again, in another world, the clothes worn by commoners and nobles had a significant price difference. So, I guess it's normal.
"By the way, how does it look?"
"It suits you very well."
Hmm, I wonder.
Well, in this situation, the store clerk would probably say, "It suits you very well."
Well, whatever.
"Well, then please give me this. Also, I would like to request a few tops, bottoms, and accessories such as shoes and bags. It's okay to go slightly over the budget."
It's the same even in a weapon shop in another world, amateurs like me can't really judge the quality. It's better to leave it to the professionals.
The store clerk didn't try to "sell me the products," but rather made suggestions based on what she thought would suit me.
Maybe she was happy because she felt she could showcase her own sense of style.
I purchased a coat, five tops, two bottoms, a scarf, shoes, a bag, a wallet, and two cardholders, totaling 2.16 million yen.
"I'm sorry, I ended up going over the budget."
"Oh, it's fine. I bought unexpected accessories too."
"So, how would you like to make the payment?"
"Yes, in cash..."
Just as I was about to make the payment, something caught my eye.
It was a pair of women's gloves.
"Oh, can I have those too?"
"Yes, what size would you like?"
I'm not sure about the size. I could ask through a messaging app, but I'd prefer to keep it as a surprise.
"By the way, based on the size of my hand, it would be a size M."
The store clerk big sister smiles and extends her palm towards me. Hmm, I still can't really tell by looking at it.
"Um, it's a really bold request, but..."
"Yes, what is it?"
"Is it allowed to stand next to each other... or hold hands? I thought so."
Despite being a bit surprised by my impudent request, the store clerk big sister smiles and comes to my side, offering her hand.
"Here you go, it's not a problem."
"Thank you very much."
I hold her hand. It feels soft and slightly larger than Kanae's.
"Thank you so much. I think it's probably a size S."
"Hehe, I'm glad if I could be of help."
We let go of each other's hands and I purchase an additional pair of gloves.
"This is a really nice item, so I'm sure your girlfriend will be happy with it."
"I hope so, but things haven't been going very well."
Well, things are not going well, in fact, they are on the verge of falling apart.
"I'm sure things will go well, but..."
The woman took out a business card, wrote something on it smoothly, and handed it to me.
"This is my private contact information. If you ever feel lonely, please contact me."
"Thank you very much."
...Is this a reverse pickup? No, it's probably just business.
I put away the business card, completed the payment, and left.
* * *
After that, I bought some other necessary items and returned home.
While unpacking, I thought about the gloves that were inside a small paper bag.
What I remembered when I held the woman's hand was the first time I held hands with Kanae when we were dating.
At Kanae's request, we went to an aquarium in Shimonoseki.
As I looked up at the huge skeleton of a sperm whale hanging from the ceiling, I gathered the courage to hold Kanae's hand.
Her hand was smaller and softer than I had imagined.
While feeling Kanae's gaze, I continued to look up at the specimen.
Feeling her laughter through our intertwined hands,
She was a precious memory to me, but she had already betrayed me since then.
In medieval Europe, it was said that when challenging a duel, one would throw their left-hand glove.
This glove I bought today is a testament to the duel.
Well, I can't really throw it at her, though.
On that day, I mustered the courage and held her hand.
I will avenge you... leave it to me.
Tomorrow, I will finally return home.
...The duel begins.
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