Do you like clean-looking middle-aged men?

Yes, I started with a lovely (?) title that I expect will draw some sharp retorts this time as well.

...Huh?
There's no usual retort, is there?

(Oh, I'm so dumbfounded I've lost the energy to even retort lol)

Eh? That's mean lol!
Try your best to retort!

(No way!)

You're blatantly ripping off a catchphrase from some commercial, aren't you?
You're going to get sued sooner or later!?

(I hope you get sued, honestly lol)

To make sure that doesn't happen, let's end the gag part now lol

(Gag part!?)

...The thing is, I've recently awakened to"facial beauty".
Even though I'm a middle-aged man.

(A middle-aged man who has awakened to beauty...)

"As a musician, you're seen by people, so you should at least pay some attention to your appearance! Even if you'rea middle-aged man! A middle-aged man!!"
(...Why are you saying it twice in bold lol)

My wife has been telling me this repeatedly for a while now.

(Is this still part of the gag?)

No, let's finish this properly.
Shadow-kun, thank you for your hard work lol

(We're done, right? I'm clocking out, okay?)

Yes, go ahead. (Clocking out lol?)

Um, where were we?
...Ah, that's right. We were talking about facial beauty.

So, as part of the 'brain stem stretch' routine my wife does, she recently started selling a certain line of cosmetics.

One day, I woke up in the morning to find a set of basic skincare products sitting right there on the desk!

"What's this?"

"That's your skincare. You're starting that today."

Basically, I can't go against my wife's word. Well, I'm sure that's the case in every household lol

From that day on, a 'facial care time' was established for me in the morning and at night.

I've always been bad with cosmetics...
I really hate 'putting things on my skin'! It feels gross!

Even with sunscreen, no matter how non-greasy it is, it feels so uncomfortable.
I used to think, 'I'd rather get a sunburn than put this stuff on!!' lol

Even though it was just basic skincare, I was obviously very resistant at first... lol

While applying toner to my face with a cotton pad, I thought,

"What on earth am I doing first thing in the morning..."

I was lamenting my fate.

However, around the second day, I noticed a certain change.

“Hmm? Is my skin feeling ‘plump and bouncy’...?”

No way, no way, there’s no way it could change that much in just two days! That’s what I thought, anyway.

My wife, as it turns out, actually owns a device that measures skin moisture levels.

Wait a minute, how much did you pay for that!?
……She pressed the device against me with such force that it drowned out my own words lol

……Beep, the measurement finished, and the number displayed was “43%”.

My wife was astonished.
Apparently, because I’ve had issues like atopic dermatitis in the past, my skin was incredibly dry (though I wasn’t aware of it lol), and she said this change in numbers was unbelievable.

“Huh.”

When I reacted like that,
“Be more excited!!” she scolded me lol

Still, even as a man, it’s obviously better to be clean than dirty.
I, who wasn’t exactly hating it lol, started taking care of my face voluntarily every morning and night from then on.

And they lived happily ever after♪

“Oh, it really is ‘plump and bouncy’!”

Do you like clean-looking middle-aged men lol!?

Thank you for joining me again this time! This was Michael.