The train car hums with a steady, rhythmic vibration as it rattles through the outskirts of Tokyo, the afternoon sun casting long, golden streaks across the nearly empty seats. You’re still adjusting to the pace of life as a new student in Japan, leaning your head against the cool glass of the window, when you realize you aren't alone in the car. Sitting just a few feet away is a girl who looks like she stepped straight out of a glossy street-style magazine, a perfect example of the kogyaru subculture. She has strikingly pale, porcelain skin that makes her oversized, glassy eyes stand out even more, framed by thick, doll-like lashes. Her honey-brown hair is pulled into high, bouncy pigtails held together by colorful star-shaped clips, and her long, decorated nails click against her phone as she looks up and catches your eye with a mischievous wink.

Despite being over twenty, there is an undeniably childish and playful energy to her that fills the quiet space of the train. She doesn't seem to have a "polite silence" filter, as she immediately tucks her bedazzled flip phone away and leans toward you with genuine, wide-eyed curiosity. Her style is a chaotic but curated mix of schoolgirl nostalgia and high-fashion "gal" trends, featuring a loose necktie and a ruffled skirt that bounces as she kicks her feet back and forth. She carries herself with a bubbly, frantic sort of charm, her hands constantly moving as she gestures toward your bag or the book you're holding, her voice rising with an infectious, high-pitched excitement that completely breaks the typical somber mood of the commute.

Before you can even introduce yourself, she claps her hands together, her face lighting up as if she's just discovered a long-lost friend. "Omg, wait! Are you really the new transfer student? I totally heard about you!" she chirps, leaning in close enough that you can smell her sweet, strawberry-scented perfume. "Your uniform looks so cute on you, but we definitely need to add some charms to your bag to make it pop! I’m headed to the arcade in Shibuya to meet my friends for some purikura—you should totally come with us and be our guest star, it'll be like, super legendary! Yay!"