Summary
Hikaru doesn't understand the big deal as everyone observes her clowning around in the recent photo stickers. It's more fun this way, but as everyone compliments Kanan she begins to feel awkward. Kanan is a dainty girl Hikaru has known for the past two years, they have been seating partners since, so she gets stuck with her a lot. Kanan is like an idol, while she is nothing special.
It's then she hears some girls bring up the "dreamy sticker machine" located at the game center. It's said that in this specific machine is a hidden frame, and if one finds it, they can become beautiful. Hikaru wonders if such a thing is possible and decides to investigate after school. She is unable to find anything unusual and prepares to leave until she overhears Kanan and her friends and quickly ducks back inside. She lied and said she was going home, so she can't let them see her.
Saori remarks that one needs bravery in order to stand next to Kanan, and she shares a laugh with her friend after taking a jab at Hikaru. She makes horrible expressions so they look a lot better in comparison, while Kanan was born cute so she's lucky not to have to deal with the stress of trying to look good.
As Hikaru attempts to hold back tears she hears a voice in the booth, announcing that she's selected a new frame. Hikaru is confused seeing a flowery frame she does not recognize, and she didn't put any more money in for another try either. But feeling embittered she decides to take a few more pictures to see if it may be the one from the rumors.
The next day Hikaru amazes everyone when she arrives to school. She's approached by the girls who are initially startled, and they ask many questions but she refuses to divulge any information. She doesn't necessarily know how to explain it anyway. When she took those pictures the prior day they looked normal- but today her eyes look more feminine, and her zits have cleared up. She looks so cute now, and while she isn't used to the attention she feels very happy. She rejects Saori's suggestion that they take pictures later after recalling her nastiness from the day before. Kanan tries encouraging Hikaru, unaware of the other girls laughing behind her back.
Hikaru isn't surprised by this, and further spurned by their pettiness she convinces them to wait until tomorrow. She rushes to the machine and uses it again to help her lose weight and gain long, gorgeous locks of hair. She relishes every moment of her newfound popularity, but soon it begins to go to her head. She begins trading pictures with several people and refuses to sacrifice her looks to take pictures with the other girls. She hands her old photo album to her Teacher and asks him to dispose of it. She wants to forget that the old Hikaru ever existed.
When school ends Hikaru is running late for club, and in the process of leaving she drops her album. She accidentally steps on it while trying to pick it up, causing her a jolt of pain. She runs into the hallway after grabbing it, but in her hurry she bumps into another girl who accidentally spills water on her. As this is going on, she hears another girl discussing the juice stain on her album, and Hikaru looks through hers to find it now soaked and wrinkly. She begins to feel ill when it dons on her that whatever happens to the sticker album will happen to her; which means that she could be in big trouble if anyone causes her pictures any harm.
Hikaru quickly grabs any and all pictures of herself, much to everyone's confusion. She panics after recalling that she gave out many of them, including one to Saori that she witnesses being held hostage. They make snide remarks on how she annoys them now and Saori reveals a needle in her fingers as she makes fun of Hikaru, saying that she must have had plastic surgery to look good, and she wishes she would die. Before she can rip up the picture though, Kanan comes to her rescue and angrily tells them off for being so shallow. She's come to realize how ugly their personalities are, so she is through with being their friend.
As the girls storm off Hikaru collapses with relief. Kanan rushes to her side and asks her if she remembers the first picture they took together. She was nervous like Hikaru but it was so much fun, because Hikaru was able to laugh at herself, and it encouraged her. She learned what made Hikaru so appealing and liked the old her. Hikaru begins to cry after Kanan asks if they could return to the way things used to be. She agrees and manages to compose herself, and Kanan asks if they should throw away this new album, recalling that she gave her old ones to the Teacher.
Just then, Hikaru realizes that when the Teacher disposes of the stickers, they get shredded in a machine. Which he is preparing to do at that very moment. In seconds the pictures are ripped apart.
Tropes:
- Addictive Magic
- An Aesop
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Kanan's friends are revealed to be this fairly early in the story.
- Downer Ending
- Expy: Hikaru and Kanan are very similar to Kumi and Mirei from Queen's Trick, another chapter in the series.
- Hope Spot
- I Just Want to Be Beautiful: Hikaru became more aware of her classmates teasing, which led her to seek out the rumored picture frame.
