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Toudou fanclub monthly newsletter! May's features:
- Ryokan yukata photo spread: Toudou's table tennis talent!
- Members-only discount coupon for the Toudou-An Retreat House!
- Haters gonna hate: anonymous flamers get dragged by Toudou himself!
- Toudou's beauty tip: rub your dry elbows and knees with orange slices or peels, to exfoliate for tighter, brighter skin and that fresh citrus aroma! Try mixing dried orange peels with cornmeal and water for a gentle facial scrub!
And always remember Jinpachi's patented four pillars of beauty: good sleep, proper nutrition, stress management, physical exercise! Make time to study for exams during the afternoon so that you get a good night's sleep and don't stress about results the night before. Take care of your body, and let your natural charm shine! Beauty isn't made in a day!
LOVE ♥ TODO
With a flourish, Toudou daubed the final touches of green paste to his face. Another flawless matcha facial mask to make his skin flawless for tomorrow!
With a satisfied hum and a bright smile, Toudou returned to his computer desk where he'd been organizing his latest photos. Naturally, Toudou liked collecting photos of himself. He shared his favorites online and in the newsletter, but he also liked to save others with different subject matter just for himself. It started in middle school when his parents gave him a small digital camera to take along on mountain hikes, and had ballooned into a self-indulgent hobby when he got his first camera phone.
Beauty was fleeting, but he could endlessly revisit those moments he'd preserved through a lens. He had folders organized for nature and bike rides, pictures taken by his fan club, bird watching, selfies, friends and family, and more. Pleased that he finished the organizing early, he clicked open the attachment he left waiting in his inbox. He had about twenty minutes to spare before he'd wash up for bed; might as well continue being productive while the green tea worked its magic on his skin.
He rocked back in his computer chair as he began reading the fan club questionnaire.
When his fan club had first approached him last semester with the idea of answering anonymous questions, he was happy to oblige. Ecstatic, in fact. Anything for his adoring fans! Even though said questions were largely repetitive or too personal to answer, it was still fun to try.
He scrolled down the list, humming a bright pop tune to himself. As usual, a lot of the questions pertained to his gender orientation (which was less of a secret, really, and more something he had just never bothered to label. Toudou Jinpachi was a perfect 10/10 on any scale, and wasn't that what really mattered? Being comfortable in his own body, not needing a name for it?). The other questions he got all the time regarded his sexuality and relationship status: he was a local celebrity, so of course everyone wanted to know if he was available, and who had the best chance of getting a date. It was no secret that Toudou loved the attention, even if he had yet to accept a single confession. He wasn't really looking for a date with everything else he had going on, and there was nothing wrong with enjoying the flattery in the meantime.
No, the content of the newsletter was never the problem. It was the presentation – so plain, no talent for design at all, just a wall of text with no flashy recent photos of him – that disappointed Toudou to the point that he swept in and took over this semester. His fans deserved better, and he would give them what they wanted. Toudou had taken it upon himself to add his own content including self interviews, beauty advice, and his own photography, and widely increased readership as a result. Just last week he'd autographed bromides for girls from a different school, so he knew his mailing list spread past Hakogaku alone. Naturally, his popularity would not be restricted by geography!
Even when Manami joined the cycling club and started usurping some of his appeal, Toudou diligently devoted his once-weekly rest day from club activities to creating content for those loyal fans who still followed him. (Also he made Manami join the fan club so his careless kouhai could learn a thing or two about crowd pleasing. Once he graduated, someone had to take care of his fans!)
His long fingers poised over the keys, tapping out quick answers without deliberation.
Q. Toudou-senpai, what's your type? Is there anyone you like right now?
A. Thoughtful and quiet types, short hair, cute! But if I like someone, well, that's – a – secret! ♥
Q. Toudou-san, do you prefer girls or boys? PS: I'll still like you no matter what!
A. Well, I'll still like you too, wa ha ha ha! ;) Beauty knows no gender!
Q. Is Toudou-senpai a cat person or a dog person?
A. Neither; birds are my favorite! I don't currently own one, but I do raise koi fish.
Q. Toudou, I overheard you on the phone with Maki-chan! Is it true Maki-chan is a fangirl from another school? I'm jealous you gave out your phone number!
A. Well-
Toudou pursed his lips, then laughed out loud. It was hardly the first time this misunderstanding had come up. Most of his teachers had yelled at him for using his phone in class for that reason, and even they all knew Maki-chan's name. His manicured fingers stalled as the cursor blinked at him.
How to explain? Maki-chan was a lot of things: a fated rival brought by destiny, the biggest hurdle to overcome for complete victory at the upcoming Inter-High, and honestly at this point, Toudou's best friend. (Although not a member of the fan club, sadly. He'd asked.)
Most of all, Maki-chan was a challenge that had nothing to do with tied victories and losses. Toudou felt like his handler, working on the public image of some unlikable recluse. Or maybe it was more like an art project, trying to sculpt something elegant out of rough raw clay. There was so much frustrating potential, but. The climber from Sohoku was bizarre. It was like his aesthetic was the opposite of anything Toudou found sensible. He wore clashing colors and mismatched patterns that would be at home in a Picasso, dyed his hair a garish shade of green and let it grow wild with split ends, slouched and slunk around with posture as bad as Arakita – Arakita, of all people, and that wasn't even including the Spider Climb.
It was difficult for Toudou to admit about someone he cared about, but it was the unfortunate truth: Maki-chan was, quite simply, the least beautiful person he had ever met.
If he didn't care so deeply about keeping his rival in good condition and improving his friend's quality of life, Toudou would never associate with someone like that. Every chance he got, he dragged Maki-chan to the mall for new clothes, to the spa for skin treatments, to his house for a mani-pedi. Frankly, he suspected Makishima Yuusuke knew exactly how unpleasant he looked and did it all on purpose just to frustrate him.
And since they could only meet up on weekends without races, and the commute between the Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures took hours, Toudou spent the rest of his time hounding Makishima over the phone to keep up with basic self care ("…because honestly, why grow your hair so long if you refuse to blow dry it at night, Maki-chan? You'd look cute with short hair, and I could refer you to my stylist…") and texting him to go to bed every night at a reasonable hour ("…which means well before midnight, Maki-chan, it's a school night!").
He laughed too-loudly, and then his fingers tapped out an impromptu response.
A. Maki-chan is a fashion disaster, and I am charitably donating my time for damage control. Nothing to be jealous of, dear anon!
With that, his timer went off. Ten o'clock already. Toudou saved the completed survey and rose, touching the sticky edge of his green tea and honey mask to check the consistency. It had dried evenly – good.
Time to wash his face with warm water, mouthwash, brush, floss, and whiten his teeth, comb and treat his hair, file his nails, pluck his eyebrows, moisturize, do his final set of stretches, drink a glass of water, and change into pajamas – just the basics, it was a school night.