(Caption) One-Day Star at School

He had always been unremarkable at school. The teachers didn't pay special attention to him, and classmates rarely spoke to him. He would sit quietly in the corner, doing his own things. The school event day was approaching, and the class had already begun rehearsing their performances. Everyone seemed excited. Watching them gather around the girl known as the "princess," he felt a little envious.

After school that day, he asked his mom and sister, "Can I become popular on the event day too?"

His mom looked at him, then at his sister. They exchanged a glance and smiled. His sister asked, "Who do you think is the most popular in your class?"

Without hesitation, he said the name of the "princess" and described the dresses she had worn on past event days. Her hair was always neatly braided, just like a character from a fairy tale.

His mom nodded. "Then we'll make you look like her. Let's turn you into the princess of event day."

He hesitated. "But… I'm a boy."

"That doesn't matter," his sister said while opening the closet. "Makeup and dressing up aren't limited by gender."

The next morning, his mom and sister got to work early. His mom first washed his face with warm water, then carefully applied some lotion. His sister took out a small powder compact and gently patted his face, then used a brush to apply eyeshadow bit by bit. She drew delicate eyebrows and eyelashes, and added a light pink to his lips.

Next came the hair. His mom curled it slightly with an iron, while his sister braided it into two large braids, tying pink ribbons at the ends. A lock of hair was left hanging over one eye.

"All done," said his mom. "Now for the outfit."

It was a specially prepared dress. The main color was pale green, with pink ruffles on the sleeves and hem. The sides of the skirt were deep blue with white stars and flowers. They carefully helped him into it, tying a ribbon at the back. Finally, he wore white tights and pink heels, each adorned with a tiny bow.

He stood in front of the mirror, hardly recognizing the person looking back. His mom patted his shoulder. "You look really cute now."

His sister nodded. "You'll definitely be the brightest one on event day."

When he arrived at school, everything felt different. People who never noticed him turned to look. Nearly everyone stared at her with surprised or admiring faces. Some asked if she was a new student, some said she looked like a fairy tale character, and some even invited her to join their performances.

She was surrounded the whole day. For the first time, she felt the warmth of being in the center of attention. Her heart was racing, and she smiled, feeling happy.

On the way home, she looked back at the shadow of her swaying skirt and quietly thought to herself, it would be nice if things could stay this way.