It's the first day of Golden Week in Wano Country, and Nero's third day as a transfer student. Two days of school, and now a holiday? No wonder Aine thought it was weird timing to transfer. Weirder still, if your school's big on grades, the first monthly exam usually hits right after the holiday—meaning a transfer student like Nero gets two days of class, a break, and then a test. For most people, that's a recipe for tanking your scores.
Lucky for Nero and Aine, they aren't most people. Which is why they're in the mood to hang out and have some fun during the holiday.
"Nero!"
Aine spotted her from a distance, sitting quietly on a bench. Unlike the elegant, almost regal vibe Aine remembered, today's Nero was rocking a high-collared jacket and tight pants—a casual, gender-neutral look with zero aristocratic flair.
Oh, I get it, Aine thought. Her family's probably super strict, never let her wear anything but dresses.
Totally normal assumption, right?
"Hey, Aine."
Since Nero was the one who invited her out, she got to pick the spot. After some back-and-forth, Aine learned they were headed to Sunshine City in Ikebukuro, hitting up the mall, aquarium, and planetarium.
Truth be told, Aine wasn't exactly thrilled about the planetarium, but what else was there? Arcades were too noisy for her taste, and board games with just the two of them? Kinda awkward. The planetarium was a solid compromise.
"So, why me?" Aine couldn't help but ask as they walked. They barely knew each other's interests, had next to no common ground, and were just casual acquaintances at school. Why would Nero call her a friend and invite her out?
It was a random question, but Nero got the gist.
"'Cause… you figured out my secret?" she said with a playful wink, her tone teasing.
Aine nodded, assuming she meant the coffee shop job. But that just sparked another question. "Why are you even working? You don't seem like you're hurting for cash."
Aine braced for some cliché like "it's fun" or "just trying new things," but Nero surprised her. "My brother did give me a ton of money, but it feels weird to just live off family funds, y'know?"
Is that, like, a self-reliance thing? Aine was speechless.
Her own allowance was pretty generous, but she didn't spend much, so it just piled up. The idea of "needing to earn her own way" had never crossed her mind.
"And…" Nero continued, drawing Aine's attention. The blonde girl tugged at a strand of hair near her ear, hesitating. "The shop's owner is an old friend of my uncle's. He helped me out a lot when I first got here."
Aine nearly went blind from Nero's sheer anime protagonist glow and quickly looked away, her eyes landing on Nero's hands. "Wait, you're washing dishes at the café all the time, right? What skincare stuff do you use?"
She'd thrown the question out casually, not expecting it to stump Nero. The girl blinked, looking dazed, then hid her hands behind her back. "Uh… nothing?"
Aine froze, confused. "Is that, like, a foreign brand?"
Look at those hands, that face—nobody would believe this girl had never used skincare products.
But Nero, visibly embarrassed, mumbled, "I really don't use anything."
Aine didn't think she was bragging about natural beauty. Her first thought was, Is she an actual anime character? Her second?
"That's unacceptable!"
She made up her mind then and there—before the day was over, she was dragging Nero to the cosmetics section for a proper haul. "You're handling dish soap all day; you need to take care of your hands! And don't tell me you've never used makeup either."
Nero's expression grew even more awkward. "Uh, yeah. Back in Fortuna, it's… kinda conservative. Women wearing makeup get judged, like they're trying to seduce people or something."
"The Middle Ages?" Aine's eyes went wide, horrified.
"It's modern, I swear! They've got generators and stuff…"
"Generators? Not power plants?"
"Haha, uh, yeah…"
Nero's nervous laughter only confirmed it for Aine: Fortuna was some backwater, isolated place stuck in the Stone Age. Her gaze softened with a hint of pity as she looked at Nero.
"Your brother's a saint," Aine said, genuinely moved.
"Huh?" Nero looked totally lost.
For now, Aine set aside her mental image of Nero's brother, braving all odds to get his sister to the modern world. As soon as they hit Sunshine City, she marched Nero straight to the cosmetics section. Priority one: hand cream. But Aine wasn't stopping there—she was determined to hook Nero up with a full skincare and makeup starter kit. No way was she letting Fortuna's outdated nonsense hold her friend back.
"You know so much, Aine," Nero said, clearly impressed.
Aine puffed up a bit, playing it humble. "It's nothing special. I just follow some beauty vloggers online. Oh, do you have a video account?"
Nero's cheeks flushed. "Uh, yeah, I do."
"Perfect! I'll send you some vlogger recs later—starting with MeowDream!"
"Oh… okay."
Nero seemed a little hesitant, but that was normal. Aine figured she'd ease her into it over time.
Looking at the blonde girl in front of her, Aine suddenly wondered if Nero's outfit was another casualty of Fortuna's strict rules. "Wait, does your hometown ban dresses or something?"
Nero didn't deny it, just looked away. "And high heels. And earrings."
Poor thing! Aine was on the verge of tears. She made a snap decision, rewriting their itinerary. Before the aquarium or planetarium, she was going to transform Nero into a dazzling, eye-catching beauty.
"Next stop: clothing section!" she declared.