Makeup and Me #3 - 'Otokonoko' Age 0, First Reveal and Conflict

Recap of the story so far

Out of boredom from staying home, I impulsively bought a wig and a makeup set.

Although I equipped the items with clumsy hands, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, so I gave up for a while.

However, unable to give up, I went through trial and error and managed to make it look somewhat natural.

Regardless of how it looked objectively, I felt like I had somehow 'transformed,' and that feeling accelerated my desire to change.

Gathering the courage to secretly go public

It's a lifestyle that isn't mainstream yet. At first, I thought I would try it out secretly and on a small scale.

But at the same time, I also had a feeling that since I'd gone this far, I wanted someone to see it. It's a strange thing.

'New Normal'
As more people started new hobbies during the self-restraint period or tried to find joy in their cramped daily lives, I began to think of my challenge as one of those things.

Above all, the challenge was fun. I think it's natural to want to share that joy in this modern age where sharing various experiences on social media has become the norm.

So, I decided to reveal it to a limited number of followers on the private social media account I was using at the time.

Reaction

My hands shook the moment I pressed the post button. It takes courage to open up a side of yourself that no one has ever known before.

After a long preamble and a string of excuses, I released my newly born self into the sea of social media.

Published.

Time felt very long. I don't remember how many times I checked my smartphone to see if there were any reactions.

I posted it late on a weekday night. It might have been a time when few people were looking at their timelines. However, the number of views gradually increased (though most of them might have been me...), and I was worried that my follower count might quietly drop, but that was a groundless fear.

And then, notifications started to arrive gradually. I got a like.

There was a reply to my post.

I checked the reply with trepidation.

It was a warm and positive comment.

Relief and joy

The world

was a tolerant and kind world.

Combined with being freed from the anxiety I had felt until then,
I was wrapped in a very warm feeling.

Maybe I should gather a little more courage and keep going?

It was the moment my secret challenge turned into a small hobby.

(To be continued)