I Chose the Plain Girl Instead of the Class’s Top Three Beauties, and Somehow She Became the Heroine - 15

Chapter 15: Jealousy Is Fuel for Growth

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《Hiroko Anno’s POV》

Before saying “I’m home,” I took one deep breath in the entryway. I lined up my shoes and opened the living-room door.

“Welcome ba-… Wait, that face means Hiroko is in gloomy mode, huh? What happened? Things didn’t go well with Mukei-kun?”

My big sister, who had been leaning against the back of the sofa, shut her magazine with a soft snap. How sharp. I couldn’t escape from her sharp eyes.

“N-no, not really.”

“Your ‘not really’ dropped an octave. Alright, alright, come sit here and tell your big sister what happened.”

She boiled some water and set out two mugs on the table. She pushed the steaming herbal tea toward me. When I wrapped my hands around it, the trembling in my fingers settled a little.

“You straightened your back today and held your chest up, right? But things didn’t go well?”

“…I did it. In the morning. I practiced properly in front of the mirror. I even put on lip balm and thought maybe Mukei-kun would compliment me again.”

As I spoke, I touched the black pin above my ear. It was still sitting there properly.

“Hmm, boys don’t notice that kind of thing. You can’t help it.”

“Yeah. That’s fine. But at lunch, in the gym… Mukei-kun looked like he was having fun playing basketball with Hino-san. They practiced together. Their rhythm matched.”

“Mhm, mhm.”

“I thought Mukei-kun looked cool, but then my chest tightened, like—gyu. I couldn’t bear to look at them.”

Before I could tell her everything, my sister pulled me into a tight hug.

“I see.”

With every word I spoke, the scent of herbs loosened and faded.

“On the train home… There was a groper. I felt bad for Miura-san. Mukei-kun helped her. He handed the man over to the station staff. He was really cool. But even then, the one beside him wasn’t me.”

Only that last sentence came out slightly hoarse. I cooled my lower lip against the mug’s rim.

“Kuhhh—! Mukei-kun is amazing.”

My sister praised him too. That made me really happy.

“So, so, Hiroko, you felt jealousy for the first time.”

“…I don’t like it.”

“When you say ‘I don’t like it,’ in the language of love, it translates to: ‘Congratulations, it finally arrived.’”

My sister ran her fingers through the ends of my hair. She gently untangled the tiny knots and lightly stroked my back.

“Jealousy gets treated like a villain, but I think it’s more like a thermometer for how much you like someone. Love heats you up, and jealousy is born from that. It doesn’t mean you stopped liking him. It’s proof that you properly started liking him.”

“But it hurts.”

“It hurts. But the really fun stuff comes just as strongly. Love is painful.”

I buried my face in my sister’s chest.

“Love is like a roller coaster, you know? Pain and joy run along the same rails, one after the other. Sometimes you want to get off. But you don’t have to. If you feel sick, breathe. The scenery changes on its own.”

“…Deep breaths.”

I inhaled and exhaled with her. Even so, the restless feeling inside my chest didn’t calm.

“Jealousy becomes a thorn if you use it to hurt someone, but if you use it to push yourself to work harder, it makes you stronger.”

“Stronger…?”

“That’s right. Feeling jealous means you’re truly in love. You’re thinking of Mukei-kun, and you even started trying to become prettier. From what I can see, Hiroko, you looked really pretty today. But you’ll have to try even harder. So, what do you want to do next?”

Asked that, I looked at the steam rising from my mug. I really knew the answer. And because I knew it, I was scared.

“…Tomorrow, I want to talk to him properly. I want to say good morning. And… I want to say thank you a lot.”

“That’s good. That’s all you need. Love isn’t a grand plan. It’s made of small steps you actually take.”

My sister stood up and adjusted my bangs, shifting the parting with just the width of a fingertip.

“And besides, Mukei-kun told you you were pretty, right? Today he helped someone again. Kids like that—because they’re kind to everyone—they also have words that will reach someone. You don’t need to rush.”

“…Words that reach someone?”

“You already have a little light inside you. The one that lit up that day. As long as you don’t put it out yourself, you’ll be fine.”

A light. Right. I didn’t want to forget it. Behind the black haze of jealousy, it was still shining faintly.

“Hey, tomorrow let’s decide on one line to say. ‘Good morning’ or ‘thank you’—either is fine. Okay, practice time. Good morning.”

“…Good morning.”

“Cute little voice. Next, thank you.”

“…Thank you.”

“Yup, perfect. Hiroko, you’re super cute!”

My sister gave me a thumbs-up and handed me a cushion to hug.

“And another thing! The trick to love is not comparing yourself! Hino-san has her own story, Miura-san has hers. Hiroko has Hiroko’s story. Just keep taking your own steps.”

“…Okay.”

“Here, straighten your back.”

I imagined being gently lifted from above by a string. The heaviness around my shoulders slid away through my fingertips.

“Hiroko, you’re beautiful when you stand with confidence.”

“Your ‘cute’ and ‘beautiful’ always have a sister bias mixed in.”

“Yes, but it’s the kind of sister bias that you can trust more than anyone in the world.”

We laughed together. When I laughed, even the painful spot in my chest laughed a little, too.

“…Do you think I can do it?”

“You can. And if you can’t, you can try again the day after tomorrow. Until love ends, experience the fun and the pain it can offer, and you’ll grow.”

I reached the bottom of my mug and let out a soft breath. The noise that had echoed inside my chest like a gym floor grew a little quieter.

“Thank you, Onee-chan.”

“You’re welcome. Jealousy is a side effect of love. If you know how to take it, the benefits are much stronger than the drawbacks.”

My sister tapped my black hairpin lightly and smiled.

“Don’t forget to straighten your posture tomorrow, okay?”

“…Yeah. I won’t forget.”

Before going back to my room, I made a small fist in front of the mirror. I would walk my own story properly. My feelings for Mukei-kun were still warm in my chest.

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