A hero who wants to help others wants to live a normal life - Chapter 18

Chapter 18   Being a Gal is Difficult

“I’m Seiji Sahara.”

“I’m Toko Hoshiguma! Nice to meet ya!”

“Likewise.”

So, I drew lots to decide the partner for the first trip, and the person I ended up with was someone I didn’t know at all. But, of course, that’s how it would be. The only person I know here is Toudou, so it’s natural I’d end up with someone unfamiliar.

Anyway, the partner I got paired with was a girl. Her name, as she introduced herself, is Toko Hoshiguma. Her appearance features long, wavy hair dyed gold, glittery nails, a rather relaxed uniform, and accessories—basically, a typical “gyaru” style. I can’t say for sure she’s a “gyaru” since we haven’t talked much, and it wouldn’t be fair to judge just by appearances, but I can’t help feeling she’s someone with a pretty different personality from mine.

Still, even if she’s a stranger, she’s not entirely unknown—after all, we’re classmates. We haven’t interacted much, so I didn’t even know her name, and she probably doesn’t know mine, either.

“Hmm? Something wrong?”

“Uh, no, it’s just… I never thought I’d get the chance to talk to you like this, so I’m not sure how to act.”

“How to act? Just be normal! That’s funny, though.”

Is there something funny about what I said? Well, if she thinks it’s amusing, then I guess that’s fine.

“Uh, well… again, nice to meet you. Uh… Hoshiguma?”

Since I’m not used to dealing with someone like her, I wasn’t sure how to react and ended up stammering a bit.

Given how she’s dressed, does it mean she’s from a well-off family to be in this place? If so, would a more formal attitude be better?

“Nice to meet ya. But why do you sound unsure? Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten my name?”

“No, I was just wondering how I should address you. If I use your first name right away, it might come off as too familiar, so maybe the last name is better…”

“Is that what you’re worried about? I don’t really care… Want to try calling me Toko?”

Hoshiguma said that with a slightly provocative look in her eyes.

I don’t usually call someone by their first name when we’ve just met, but…

“Alright then, Toko, nice to meet you.”

I decided to give it a try and call her by her first name, looking back at Hoshiguma with a grin to match her provocative gaze.

When I called her by her name, Hoshiguma looked a bit startled, her expression blank for a moment. After a few seconds, she stared intently at me, a playful smile spreading across her face.

“What, seriously? You just called me by my first name like that?”

“You’re the one who told me to, right?”

She tells me to call her by her first name, but then complains when I do?

“Yeah, well, that’s true, but I kind of thought you’d take the safer route and stick with my last name. So it was a bit unexpected.”

Hoshiguma waved her right hand as she laughed, clearly amused.

I guess I can see where she’s coming from. I did hesitate about which name to use. But I figured I’d use her first name to try to get closer, since she suggested it.

“Would you prefer if I called you Hoshiguma?”

I don’t have any particular attachment to how I address her, so if she prefers one way, I don’t mind changing it.

“Nah, it doesn’t really matter to me. I’m not a fan of my last name, so you can just stick with ‘Toko.’”

She doesn’t like her last name? Maybe there’s some family issue or tension? Given that her family is probably pretty well-known, it’s not impossible that there are things she dislikes about it.

But I’m not planning to ask about that here. It wouldn’t benefit me, and it would just make things awkward.

“Really? I think ‘Hoshiguma’ is pretty unique and has a cool ring to it.”

To shift the topic a bit and pretend I hadn’t noticed anything, I replied in a deliberately offhand manner.

When she heard what I said, Hoshiguma blinked a few times, then smiled.

“Oh, that’s such a boy thing to say. I’m a girl, you know? Why would I care about sounding cool? ‘Hoshiguma’ isn’t cute at all. Well, the ‘bear’ part is kinda cute, but doesn’t it give off a tough vibe?”

“Well, if you don’t like it, I’ll just call you Toko.”

“Okay, sounds good! Oh, by the way, Seicchi, what kind of outfit do you like?”

Seicchi? Is that… is that supposed to be a nickname for me? I guess since my name is Seiji, it kind of makes sense, but… Giving a nickname to someone you’ve just met—gyaru girls are something else.

“Seicchi…? I mean, whatever, but what do you mean by outfit?”

“Duh, for the trip! It’d be more fun if we looked good together, right?”

“Well, I agree that more fun is better, but… are we even allowed to wear casual clothes?”

“What, we’re not? That would be such a buzzkill!”

Toko replied in a voice that was full of obvious frustration.

Honestly, I’d also prefer wearing casual clothes over a uniform for the trip, but since this is technically a school activity, I’m pretty sure we’re supposed to be in uniform.

“Additionally, remember that although this is a trip, it’s still considered a club activity and part of the school’s program. You will be required to wear your uniforms. If any misconduct occurs, your identity can be quickly determined. Keep this in mind.”

As we were talking, the club president chimed in with an additional reminder, almost as if he had been listening to our conversation. But, as expected, there was no point in complaining about it.

However, Toko, who had clearly been hoping for an exception, seemed even more dissatisfied after the president made this clear.

“What? Are you serious?”

“It can’t be helped. Even for school trips, we have to wear uniforms. Think of it like that, and it makes sense.”

“But, come on, if we’re going out to have fun, don’t you want to dress up cute?”

“I get it, but you’re already cute in your uniform, Toko. Save your cute outfits for a date with your boyfriend.”

I understand wanting to dress up and look cute for an outing. But since I’m the one she’d be with, there’s no need to put that much thought into it. After all, it’s not like I’m Toko’s boyfriend.

Honestly, Toko looks great as she is. She also puts effort into her makeup, so she looks cute enough even in her uniform.

However, maybe I shouldn’t have said that out loud.

“Wow. Saying I’m cute like that with a straight face? That’s hilarious. Are you trying to hit on me or something?”

I just said what I thought, but Toko smirked teasingly, poking my arm with her finger.

“I’m not hitting on you. I just said what I thought.”

“And saying that just because you thought it? Does that mean you’re a natural flirt?”

“Who are you calling a flirt? That’s not it. I’m just saying, if you’re putting in that much effort, it should be acknowledged.”

Whether it’s studying, sports, hobbies, or whatever, if someone is trying their best, they should be praised for it. Of course, if it were something bad or involved wrongdoing, it wouldn’t be right to compliment them. But if someone is making an effort to be cute and you genuinely find them cute, what’s wrong with saying it?

It would be worse to call something cute ugly or dismiss someone’s efforts as pointless.

Hoshiguma Toko is a girl who makes an effort. So, that effort should be recognized.

“Huh? Effort… you mean, me?”

But my words seemed to surprise Toko. She looked at me with wide eyes, clearly taken aback.

“If you’re in that class, your grades must be pretty good, right? That means you’re putting in the effort. Even if you come from a good family, it’s not so easy that you can get in just because of that. And on top of that, trying to look cute as well must be pretty tough. So, acknowledging and praising someone for their efforts is important and just common sense.”

Our class is the “Honors Class.” While family status might play a part, having decent grades is the basic requirement for getting in.

I don’t know exactly where Toko’s family stands, but even if they have some influence, she wouldn’t be in this class without good grades. And if her family is like any ordinary one, she’d have to work even harder to be here.

Yet, Toko is in the Honors Class. This means she isn’t just focused on appearances or wasting time on hobbies. She takes care of her appearance, gets good grades in both academics and sports. There’s no way she isn’t putting in effort.

In fact, compared to me, who was guaranteed a spot in the Honors Class from the beginning as a “Blessed One,” she’s probably much more hardworking.

“Hehe…”

I thought I heard a strange sound… Could that have come from Toko?

“What’s up?”

“Nothing at all! But, I see, I see.”

For some reason, Toko looked very pleased, her earlier irritation about the uniform rule completely vanished. She was smiling brightly.

“Well, it can’t be helped that we have to wear uniforms on Saturday, but I’ll make sure to dress up even better than usual.”

“I’ll look forward to it. After all, walking next to a cute girl is always a good boost.”

I’d be happy to have a cute girl walking beside me, and I’m sure most guys would feel the same way.

Although, whether I measure up or not is a different story…

“Really? That’s funny. But, seriously, you should be looking forward to it.”

Maybe I should pick up a fashion magazine or something to study a bit. Seeing her this excited, I should at least try to look decent enough to stand next to her.