落とし穴外伝：女性のお風呂上がりは大変です (Part1)
Pitfall Side Story: The Trials of Post-Bath Beauty
Side: Mikos
"Mmm, my skin is just so silky smooth. Is Mikos-chan becoming even cuter?"
"Yeah, yeah. You're in the way, move it."
Ignoring my precious Mikos-chan's signature pose, my friend Kagura has occupied the space in front of the mirror, drying her hair as if she owns the place. Unlike my golden locks, her hair is a straight, deep, lustrous green—it’s honestly unfair.
*Jealousy.*
As I stared, she must have caught my killing intent through the reflection, because she turned to look at me.
"What? Why are you staring so intently?"
"No, I was just thinking how beautiful your hair is, Kagura."
"What are you saying? Mikos, your hair is sparkling and beautiful, too. You usually wear it in twin-tails, but since it’s down right now, it gives you a different, fresh impression, doesn't it?"
"Hm? You think so?"
Prompted by Kagura, I took another look at my reflection.
Yes, a cute face, and my pride and joy—my chest. My hair, usually tied up in my trademark twin-tails, was flowing freely down to my waist. Honestly, I couldn't quite tell. I’ve built the 'Mikos-chan' brand around my usual look, so seeing myself like this felt a bit strange.
"Kagura, I get that the vibe is different, but do you think it suits me?"
"Well, it’s a different feel from the usual Mikos. Yeah, it’s a bit more mature. Maybe you look like Eris-san?"
"You think so?"
Now that she mentioned it, the overall image is a bit like Eris, isn't it? Our busts are about the same size, but since I’m shorter, it’s hard to pull off that same aura.
Just as I was feeling a bit conflicted, Ria and Jessica returned from the bathing area.
"That felt wonderful."
"Indeed. A super-sento after all this time is quite nice."
Both of them are slender and possess long hair. Since they had just washed it, they were carefully blotting the moisture away with towels. Given the length of their hair, they must have come out early to dry it, just like Kagura and me. We have a dinner appointment with Yuki-sensei later, so we can't linger in the bath forever.
Enola, by the way, is still lounging inside. I wonder if she’s okay; taking care of her tail must be a lot of work. I worried for a moment, but then again, we’d set aside plenty of time for bathing, so it wasn't like we were in a rush.
As my thoughts drifted to the post-bath grooming routine, Kagura brought the subject back up.
"Hey, Mikos. Ria and Jessica have hair as long as ours, why not ask for their opinions? You’re worried because you don't trust just my word, right?"
"Mmm, it’s not that I don't trust you, Kagura... but sure, let’s hear what they think."
"Besides, you’re publishing magazines in Weed—why haven't you done a feature on hairstyles?"
"Clothes are still the main focus. We barely have any professional salons like the ones back on Earth yet."
"Ah, right. We usually just leave it to Kirue and Sasari."
"Yeah. It’s not like there are *none*, but are they at a level where we could officially recommend them? It’s questionable."
"True. It would be nice if we could get some kind of national stamp of approval."
"Exactly. Anyway, leaving that aside—hey, you two!"
And so, I decided to ask Ria and Jessica for their thoughts on hairstyles.
"Hairstyles, huh? I wear twin-tails, but sometimes I do a ponytail, or just let it flow without doing anything special."
"Indeed. Especially after a bath, I often just let it flow without styling it. It feels a bit much to spend time grooming when the bath is meant for relaxation."
"I see."
"See? Looking presentable is just the bare minimum."
"Yeah. Mikos, your hair looks cute when it’s down, too."
"Exactly. Simply put, it’s no different from how we are before dinner at home. You don't exactly style your hair perfectly when you come back from work and head to the banquet hall, do you?"
"That’s true, I suppose. So, this is fine then?"
"Exactly. Besides, look—she wouldn't even know how to 'style' her hair."
At Kagura’s remark, I looked toward the entrance of the bathhouse and saw a woman standing there with a bust that rivaled the 'never-before-seen' Rurua.
"Who’s that?"
Yes, her chest was certainly large, but I had no memory of a woman with long, wavy blonde hair that voluminous. It was even bigger than Eris-san’s... though she was shorter than her.
"Ahaha, Mikos, have you never bathed with Samantha before?"
"Usually, when she leaves the bath, she wraps her hair in a towel to protect it. Is this your first time seeing her like this?"
"Ohhh, Samantha!"
I couldn't help it; the impression was so different I truly didn't recognize her. She didn't have her signature 'rolls' in her hair.
"Mikos, it’s a bit rude to not recognize her at all, don't you think?"
"Ahaha. I guess that just goes to show how much Samantha changes."
"I do not mind. Even Cleena, who sees me every day, is surprised each time. Despite that, she insists on patting my chest incessantly."
"Mm. Samantha’s chest is nice."
At that voice, Cleena emerged from behind Samantha. Cleena has short red hair, so she probably doesn't struggle much with styling. Just as I thought that, she quickly grabbed the hair on both sides of her head with her hands...
"Samantha. Today, I want to try twin-tails."
"Haa... well, it’s nice to be ladylike, but I wish you would learn to do that without relying on me."
"Mm. I will be able to do it someday. I want to be able to style the children's hair. This is practice for that."
"Why are you the one acting like the child... oh, fine. Sit here."
One way or another, Samantha is quite the caretaker; she dried Cleena’s hair and quickly fashioned it into twin-tails.