Salvation 2035

Chapter 47- Touch

『Tsuki』

     Relieved to be alone, I throw on an oversized t-shirt and some shorts after my shower. I guess the rich people own all the hot water too, huh? It's been ages since I had a consistently warm shower...

     Soon enough, I finish drying my hair and head for the bedroom. Just then, my reflection catches my attention out of the corner of my eye. There's no way I can face Keisha looking like this! I gotta do something quick.

『Keisha』

     While Tsuki was in the bathroom, I had plenty of time to change into something more comfortable: a camisole and shorts. I had my hair tied up in a tight bun earlier, so it's a relief it let it down.

     Unexpectedly, a collection of strange sounds come from the washroom. Maybe something fell?

     "Tsuki? Are you okay?" I ask.

     "Yeah, I'm fine," his muffled voice comes from the door.

      A loud thump then sounds.

     "I'm coming in, alright?" I then open the door.

      I find Tsuki on the floor, surrounded by various makeup products and the hairdryer.

     "Wow, you dropped all this?" I crouch down and begin to help him gather up all the stuff.

     "Yeah, I guess," he replies.

     It only takes a few moments for us to tidy up, but Tsuki is still sitting on the floor. He seems a little off.

     "Are you feeling alright?" I ask, lowering myself down once again.

     "Can you do something for me?" he requests, nervously fidgeting with his t-shirt.

     "Sure," I affirm.

     He then hands me a package of makeup remover wipes and shifts closer to me. I notice that he's put on foundation, has done his brows, and has contoured his jaw and nose. I guess he wants me to take it off? I open the package, brush his bangs up and begin to clean his face. I carefully wipe around his eyes and nose, and soon enough, it's all done. Before me is Tsuki's bare face. Well, it's definitely a lot different from when he's all made up. His nose is much softer, as are his jawline and cheeks. I can finally see the real shape of his eyes, which are quite different than what I'm normally used to looking at. The only parts of his eyebrows that aren't shaved off are the front parts of the head— their tails are completely gone. Various purple-tinted acne scars stand out against his pale skin, most prominent on his chin, cheeks, and forehead. The difference between the Tsuki I normally see and the person sitting in front of me is like day and night, and he seems to be acutely aware of it, given his body language.

     "...Are you mad at me?" he asks quietly, his gaze cast towards the floor.

     "About what?" I gently tilt his chin up so our eyes meet. I then neaten up his bangs so they sit on his face properly.

     "The fact that I look like this," he replies. "It's like I've been lying to you, isn't it?"

     "It's not like I don't know how makeup works," I tell him.

     "Come on, there's no way you can be happy with what I look like," he acquiesces.

     "You just look different," I answer. "I still think you're handsome."