Chapitre 13: New Look

Mai is grateful to have friends who are so caring and caring for her. Ivani and Nica managed to make her forget for a moment the problems that had been haunting her for the past few days. The two of them did not allow Mai to contemplate or daydream since Mai set foot in one of the biggest malls in West Jakarta. From earlier, she had been invited to tour around the mall, from bookstores, clothing stores to the Time Zone. Finally, Ivani's impromptu idea suddenly appeared. Without asking for approval, the shoulder-length curly-haired girl had grabbed Mai's hand and her tomboyish friend stepped into a salon in the mall. Nica frowned while shaking her head slowly, a sign of disapproval while Mai just kept quiet, thinking between wanting or not.

"Tomorrow, we are officially college students, so I want to look beautiful," Ivani said.

"Hah... Just going to college is like going to an invitation. It's too bad," said Nica. Mai smiled beside her. Nica never liked going to the salon. For her, spending hours on facials, cream baths, scrubs, or whatever it's called is a waste of time.

"Eh Mai, how about you change your appearance?" Ivani said. Another spontaneous idea from Ivani appeared again, ignoring Nica who was protesting.

"Is there something wrong with my appearance huh?" Said Mai, she asked back. She looked down at her appearance, it felt nothing out of the ordinary.

"So you look a little more mature, so people don't think you're a middle schooler," Ivani said.

Mai's mouth formed the letter O when she heard Ivani's reasoning. Yes, there was a mother who thought she was still a schoolgirl. Mai is thin and not too tall, petite. Her face is rarely touched by make-up, mostly using powder and lip gloss. Her clothes are also ordinary, Mai doesn't care about fashion trends. Her hair is always tied up, sometimes in a braid, in two braids. Like a country girl, if Ivani said, bangs cover her forehead and she wears glasses.

Her appearance is not like a cute girl if you say girls who look popular. Meanwhile, Ivani, on the other hand, is very up-to-date when it comes to fashion. Her hair is shoulder-length curly, her oval face is lightly made up and her clothes are always fashionable. And Nica looks like a tomboyish girl with jeans and a t-shirt, as well as some bracelets and necklaces as accessories. No make-up on Nica's sweet face.

"Mai, you are not a child anymore, so you can get a boyfriend," said Ivani teasingly.

"If there is a man who is attracted to you just because your appearance changes, it means he only sees your physical appearance," said Nica, disagreeing with Ivani's line of thought.

"Men are visual creatures, they like to see beautiful things, they like to see pretty girls and maybe... Sexy." Ivani said.

"Eh, but I didn't tell you to look sexy, huh," said Ivani again. Nica looked away as she rolled her eyes.

Mai re-assessed her appearance and realized she was not attractive. Maybe that's why Thomas never glanced at her, always treated her like a friend, sometimes even like a sister. How not, Mai's rival is an international model. Mai remembered Linda who always looked elegant and beautiful at every opportunity. She lost. Maybe it wouldn't hurt if she changed her appearance even though Mai knew she wouldn't turn out to be more beautiful than Linda.

"Mmm... It's okay, I want to look different," said Mai in the end, agreeing to Ivani's suggestion. Nica looked at Mai in disbelief.

"Are you serious, Mai?" She asked to be sure.

"Yeah, why not." Said Mai confidently.

Nica also scratched her head that did not itch. Why do people like to take pains to look beautiful to attract men's attention? Is love just a physical attraction? Not that there is anything more important than that like nature, personality, and affection itself. Beauty will wear off with age, so what's left? Nica prefers a man who does not look at the physical, can accept her as she is.

Ivani shouted with joy, she enthusiastically pulled Mai's hand and went straight to the reservation section at the salon. Mai just kept quiet and listened when Ivani was busy telling the salon staff what treatment she was going to undergo. Nica reluctantly followed behind them. At first, Nica just wanted to sit and play with her cellphone, while the two friends were busy beautifying themselves, but Ivani had even registered Nica for a cream bath and facial. Ivani said, Nica's face was as dull as her hair. Nica just gave up while pouting, because Ivani is a pushy type, if she doesn't comply, she can sulk for days. So instead of dealing with a cranky Ivani, it's better for Nica to just obey.

When Ivani says change appearance, it means completely change. Mai thought she was just changing her hairstyle but it turned out... More than that. After an hour that seemed strange to Mai, the girl stared at herself in the mirror.

Oh my God, this is not me, she thought. Her hair is rebonded with bangs set to the side, light make-up is applied to her face and she wears soft lenses. Ivani had suggested that Mai dye her hair but Mai refused, she liked her natural hair color.

"You look so pretty," said Ivani, she complimented being satisfied.

Nica also just stared, speechless. Mai had thought she wasn't pretty but her reflection in the mirror now looked cute. Ok, now she's praising herself. Mai was happy and she couldn't wait to see her parents' reaction when they saw her.

-----

"Morning ...," said Mai, when she just came down from the top floor and approached her parents at the dining table.

Mai let loose her hair, pinning a ribbon-shaped clip on the right side of her head. Her face was swept by light makeup, a little blush, nude lipstick, and lip gloss. Ivani taught her. Mai wears jeans, a blue long sleeve shirt with a Sabrina collar that shows her shoulders, and a white tank top inside. Don't forget the ethnic-style beaded necklace that wraps around her neck. She felt perfect. She also wears soft lenses instead of glasses. Her father and mother stared in disbelief, just as shocked when they saw Mai coming home from the mall yesterday. They felt their little girl had become an adult.

"I prefer your usual look," said Harry, her father. Mai pouted, a little disappointed.

"Do I look weird, don't I?" Said Mai. It felt like she had done it right.

Mai is a fast learner, she immediately understands all the makeup tricks taught by Ivani.

"You're beautiful, honey. Your dad's just afraid that a guy will have a crush on you later," said Rose, her mother. Mai chuckled. She hugged her father from behind.

"You will always be my first love, dad. Nothing will ever replace you in my heart, dad." Said Mai. Harry smiled at his daughter's words.

"You have to be careful, dear. Men have many ways. They have a thousand ways to trap you. Anyway, whoever he is, bring him here, let me test him. I have to make sure he is serious, not just playing with you. ." Harry said, already starting to be protective of his daughter.

"Ya ya." Said Mai by releasing her arms and moving to the chair next to her father. After all, who does she want to bring, she doesn't even have a boyfriend.

She remembered Thomas, ah even Thomas was afraid to meet her father. If he wants to go to Mai's house, he always asks if her father is at home or not. When her father was at home, they usually made an appointment to meet outside. If only her father could soften a bit.

"But don't be mean either, dad. My friends will be scared when they meet you." Said Mai. The meaning of friends here is male friends.

"I don't think it's fierce, they're just cowards. I don't like cowardly men," said her father easily.

Mai pouted too. Maybe not a coward but feel free. After nothing, he was being stared at with a cold and deep voice, her father asked all kinds of questions like being interrogated after committing a crime. Who is not limp with such treatment.

"I pray that Mai meets a brave man who can silence your father without a word." Said her mother who was taking fried rice on her husband's plate who suddenly joined in the conversation. Harry also glared, while Mai giggled in amusement.

"Amen," said Mai by agreeing to her mother's prayer. A mother's prayer is effective.

"What the hell... What a weird prayer," said Harry.

"I don't want my only daughter to be a spinster," Rose said with reason.

"Mai is still underage," said Harry.

"Mai is a college student, how long do you want to be so overprotective. You don't feel sorry for Mai," said Rose and looking at Harry.