Chapter 43: I Admit I'm Fond of Beauty
The shopping assistant at the clothing store was a young, sharp-looking woman dressed in a white blouse and a pencil skirt. The moment she saw customers enter, she donned her professional smile and immediately targeted the only male in the group.
"Is the gentleman here to select some clothes for his wife?" The assistant swept her gaze over them and praised, "The lady is stunning; I'm sure she'll look wonderful in anything. Your daughter is also very adorable. Coincidentally, we just received a new batch of children's wear..."
A normal person hearing this would likely feel a secret sense of joy and shop away, but our Mr. Hikari was clearly not a normal person.
He spoke airily, "Not my wife, just a colleague of mine. However, that little shrimp is indeed my daughter."
Ai's identity was far too sensitive; there was no guarantee she wouldn't be recognized. Since she hadn't yet successfully transitioned her career, she couldn't afford a single scandal. For the past four years, she hadn't even been able to take her children out in public openly; to this day, the twins were still registered under the names of the President and his wife.
However, Hikaru Hoshino was already considering finding a good time to transfer the children's residency records back to his own.
The assistant was taken aback but immediately adjusted her sales pitch and quickly led the three of them to the clothing section.
Looking at the dazzling array of women's clothing, Hikaru dismissed the assistant. He gave a grand wave toward Ai and said heroically, "Try on whatever you like. Tonight's consumption will be covered by Young Master Hikaru!"
"But isn't it only afternoon?" Ai said, puzzled.
"How silly. Stay away from me."
Ruby took a small step back—a tiny step that deeply wounded Hikaru's soul.
He sat dejectedly on the sofa, his entire being turning into a grayscale filter of despair.
But just a second later, Hikaru was fully revitalized.
Because into Hikaru's pale, gray world, a splash of purple burst forth, occupying his entire field of vision. It was like a brilliant amethyst or a violet in full bloom; a faint, refreshing fragrance wafted over, and in an instant, his whole world was covered in blossoms.
Ai reached out with an arm as white as lotus root to gently push aside the curtain and emerged from the fitting room.
A deep purple evening gown hugged the girl's lithe figure. She looked like a peach that had been forced to ripen—a mix of innocence and allure. The sleeveless design highlighted her delicate collarbones, her slender swan-like neck was flawless, and her exposed back resembled uncarved white jade.
The entire dress used a dark color palette, making the girl's skin appear even fairer, so much so that Hikaru could hardly look away.
After searching his mind for words of praise for a long while, Hikaru finally managed a dry sentence: "It suits you very well."
Ai's face was flushed. "Isn't the fabric a bit... sparse?"
"No way," Hikaru vetoed at light speed. "This is a long dress; isn't there plenty of fabric?"
"Summer isn't over yet. Why not try a few short skirts?" he continued to encourage her.
Ruby gave the man beside her a look of pure disgust. Anyone with half a brain could tell what he was thinking; she would absolutely not join forces with such a person.
Then, she also nodded.
Since it was a request from her precious daughter, Ai naturally wouldn't refuse.
Ai slipped back into the fitting room. Hikaru and Ruby sat upright on the sofa with solemn expressions, acting as if they were judges at an international fashion show, scoring the world's most beautiful model.
Since he couldn't find a narrator, Hikaru played both the roles of judge and narrator.
*Oh! Contestant number one has entered the stage! It is our heroine, Ai (Sailor Uniform Ver.)! Dressed in this outfit, she looks like a proper high school student of sixteen or seventeen—pure, with that unique innocence belonging to students, representing the very essence of this nation!*
*Let's hear the comments from the judges.*
Hikaru: "Not much to say. Ten points."
Ruby: "Me too!"
*Contestant number two is still Ai! This time she's wearing a deep blue sleeveless crop top paired with pure black flared trousers—unexpectedly taking on a 'Gal' (Gyaru) look! Usually the 'good girl,' today she brings us a shocking sense of contrast! She pulls off this style beautifully; the overall image is perfect, though if her gaze were a bit fiercer...*
Ai glared over.
*Yes! That's the look! That 'fierce-but-cute' expression—it's a treasure! What say the judges?*
Hikaru: "Those who know, know. For those who don't, I won't explain further. Ten points!"
Ruby: "Me too!"
*Finally, the classic JK Ai takes the stage! A pure black short-sleeved T-shirt with a purple plaid skirt. If it were just that, it might be slightly lacking, but she unexpectedly put on a pair of black tights! The thickness looks to be about 10D—not too hot for summer, yet offering a faint glimpse of skin. At the same time, the girl's leg shape is perfect; not too thin, not too thick—it really works for the eyes...*
Hikaru: "Black tights? I'm sold."
Ruby: "..."
Ai finally lost her patience. Wearing her small leather shoes, she stomped over with a *clack-clack-clack* in front of them. "Biyoo, act normal! You're going to corrupt Ruby!"
Hikaru curled his lip and muttered under his breath, "As if I need to teach her; she surfs the web more often than I do."
After the brief interlude, Ai changed back into her original clothes, and Hikaru called the assistant to clear the scene.
He instructed carefully, "Take a set of all these outfits and have them delivered to our hotel."
After paying, he departed with style, demonstrating the power and resolve of a man acting as a wallet.
Behind him, the assistant was a bit confused. He clearly said she wasn't his wife, so why pay so readily? Could it be... her expression soured as she muttered something about the world's morals going downhill before returning to work.
Ai felt a bit embarrassed. "It seems like a lot was spent."
"It's not top-tier luxury, no big deal," Hikaru waved it off. "Just think of it as if you ate a few more ice creams today."
At the mention of ice cream, Ai retreated like a turtle into its shell. She knew the ice cream she ate was expensive, but that was her only hobby—she wouldn't give it up for anything!
"Um, I think I left my hat in the shop," Ai touched her hair.
"It's fine, Ai, you're being too cautious," Hikaru comforted her. "In this remote place, what are the odds of running into a fan? Japan doesn't have *that* many idol chasers; even A-list stars are rarely recognized when they go out."
Hikaru looked around and eyed the bag in Ai's hand. "If you get exposed, I'll eat these cosmetics on the spot!"
The words had barely left his mouth when a nurse hurried past. She was carrying a stack of files, likely having not finished her shift yet. The nurse turned her head casually and saw Ai's face clearly.
"Ah! You're... Ai from B-Komachi!" she exclaimed in surprise.
As the nurse's words landed, the surrounding area instantly became noisy.
"What?" "A star is here?" "B-Komachi? I've been a fan for ten years! Where's Ai?!"
Out of nowhere, a dark crowd of people appeared, shouting as they closed in on the group. Before being wrapped up like a zongzi, Hikaru quickly escaped with Ruby. Their relationship couldn't be exposed, so...
Hikaru helplessly indicated that he couldn't help.
This fan commotion would likely have to be solved by Ai herself.