I Chose the Plain Girl Instead of the Class’s Top Three Beauties, and Somehow She Became the Heroine - 12

Chapter 12: The Groper Incident

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《Sora Mukei’s POV》

After school, the chime rang for the third time, and my classmates left the classroom to go to their clubs or head home.

“Sorry, Yua! Something came up. I’ll walk home with you tomorrow.”

“I didn’t ask you to in the first place.”

As I was changing my shoes at the lockers, I saw the exchange between Miura-san and Okabe. Even though he’d said this morning that he would protect her, Okabe went off somewhere after being invited by another male student. Since it was too late for her to invite anyone else, it seemed Miura-san would be going home alone. I felt bad for her, but today, I wanted to watch over Anno-san. She might have been targeted by a groper too. So I matched my timing to take the same train home.

I was just doing this as a precaution. I just didn’t want to let her go home alone at a time when there were fewer people around. After all, Anno-san wasn’t very good at telling people she disliked something…

While walking toward the station, I got on the same train car as Anno-san. She had her usual bag, but her posture was a little straighter than normal—clearly a change. We hadn’t gotten to talk much today. I stood half a step away and lined up in the same boarding line as her. If our eyes met, I gave a small nod. If they didn’t, that was fine too. I wasn’t there to stare at her. I just stood nearby. Before saying anything, I stood first.

The train slid in, and the crowd at the doors swirled slightly. During the rush home, Anno-san quickly boarded and took an empty seat at the end. She opened a paperback on her knees, traced the crease with her fingertip, and began reading. I grabbed the strap in front of her at an angle and stood by the door. Through the reflection in the window glass, I only checked the rhythm at which she turned her pages. Until we passed the first station, everything was peaceful. People shifted positions, phone screens lit up, someone cleared their throat. A tiny beat leaked from someone’s earphones.

When the announcement for the next stop played, the air deep inside the car grew subtly tense. Shoulders drew closer, and between them, someone caught their breath. I looked over. Far from where we had boarded, I saw Yua Miura-san. Her hair was loosely curled, her loosened uniform giving her a gyaru look. She was always bright, always giving the class energy. But today, her eyebrows were drawn tight.

Beside her, a man holding the strap angled his bag diagonally and blocked her space with his elbow like forming a wall. The angle of his wrist was unnatural. Using the slow flow of passengers as an excuse, he leaned closer. Miura-san’s shoulder trembled faintly. She tried to lift her face but stopped, worried about the eyes around her. If she spoke out, she would stand out. But if she didn’t stand out, no one would notice.

I took one deep breath. I had already decided what I would do. I slipped through the people from the door area and stood between her and the man. Sliding my body into the narrow gap between their shoulders, I pushed back the diagonal angle of his bag and opened up her line of sight.

“Excuse me. Take your hand off her.”

I didn’t grab his wrist. Words came first. Low, short. Loud enough for people around us to hear.

“Huh? What’s your problem all of a sudden?”

The man glared at me with only his face turned. His elbow stayed put. I stepped another half-step forward. His field of vision filled with me. I formed a thin wall in front of Miura-san.

“You touched her just now. Stop it. We’ll have the station staff check at the next stop.”

“I didn’t touch her. It’s crowded.”

The standard excuse. I used only my eyes to ask the people around us for help. A working woman with long hair met my gaze and nodded. A male student behind her frowned.

“I saw it. His movement looked unnatural for a while.”

The woman said it clearly. One denial broke.

“I’ll press the emergency button.”

I placed my hand on the yellow cover near the door. Over the man’s shoulder, I signaled toward the end of the car.

“Let’s get off at the next station. The staff will come.”

“Don’t screw with me, I’m not getting off!”

The man’s arm moved to push my side away. His hips lifted slightly. 

Here we go.

Instead of grabbing his arm, I slipped my fingers into the gap near his thumb and peeled each finger off, gently, without forcing the joint. When I turned his freed hand back to my side, he lost his balance. I didn’t make a big move. I didn’t knock him down. I just guided him half a step into the aisle.

“I didn’t touch her!”

His voice cracked. Eyes around us gathered. I added more words.

“We’ll explain everything to the station staff at the next stop. Please step away from her.”

The working woman stepped forward, pushing him out with her body, and the student readjusted his grip on the strap to create a path. When I looked at Miura-san, she looked shocked, her eyes watery. With her face lowered, she whispered a small “Thank you.” Her complexion was still stiff. But her eyes clearly looked at me. The light above the door flashed, and the train slowed. Right before entering the platform, I touched the intercom by the door and told the conductor the situation.

“It’s a groper. Please have station staff ready at the next stop.”

The train stopped. The doors opened.

“Now then. Let’s get off together.”

“No, I—”

His body radiated the urge to run. If he bolted now, it would be troublesome, so I stepped into the aisle and made a slight wall with my foot outward. If he tried to rush forward, he’d bump into me. Behind him was the line of passengers. To his sides were the pillars and the train body. With the path narrow, he couldn’t run. It was an application of the distancing techniques I practiced countless times in karate.

“Station Staff, over here.”

Two uniformed staff came running. I briefly summarized the situation to them.

“This man was next to her. He’d been in an unnatural position for a while. The people around also saw it.”

The woman from earlier nodded.

“Yes, I saw it.”

The student raised his hand. “Me too.” With two testimonies, the weight of our testimonies was enough to force an action to be taken.

“Sir, please come this way.”

The staff member spoke to the man. He stepped onto the platform with a sour expression. One of the staff stayed with us.

“Are you injured?”

Miura-san shook her head slightly. Her trembling breath caught in her throat.

“…I’m okay. Thank you.”

“Would you like to take the next train? Or we can speak for a bit at the ticket gate.”

The staff’s voice was gentle. I stepped back and left the decision to Miura-san with just a glance. She bit her lip, then nodded.

“Yes, I’ll go. I need to make a call.”

After handing her over to the staff, I exhaled on the platform. The murmur around us blended back into the usual everyday noise. Right before the train doors closed, I saw a familiar glint of a lens shimmer once through the opposite window. It was Anno-san. The paperback on her lap was closed, her fingers stopped at the corner of a page. Her eyes met mine, then quickly dropped. Her lips moved slightly.

“…Are you okay?”

It felt like that was what she was saying. Her voice didn’t reach me. But she probably said it. So I raised my hand lightly toward Anno-san and stepped off the train. Because having helped her, I couldn’t leave Miura-san alone. Furthermore, Miura-san was gripping my sleeve tightly, clearly shaken. 

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