I Chose the Plain Girl Instead of the Class’s Top Three Beauties, and Somehow She Became the Heroine - 20

Chapter 20: Presents

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《Hiroko Anno’s POV》

The moment the automatic doors slid open, I was enveloped by light and sound. Since it was my first time entering, the loud noise startled me. Electronic beeps washed over me like waves, and my sneakers squeaked sharply on the vinyl floor. In the back, a cluster of people shifted. There he was. The scary man who had been shouting at Kiritani-san in the alley earlier. Broad shoulders, a sharp jawline. He stepped up beside someone playing a game, and gripped the shoulder of Okabe-kun, who was holding a joystick, with my fingertips.

“Okabe-kun?”

I felt a rush of relief that it had nothing to do with Mukei-kun. But my chest tightened with anxiety at the thought of a classmate feeling fear. I couldn’t hear his voice. But I could clearly see his mouth moving.

“Outside.” “Right now.”

That was how it looked to me. Okabe-kun’s face was drained of color. The friends laughing beside him exchanged glances and fell silent. The scary man gestured toward the exit with his jaw. Okabe-kun grabbed his wallet and nodded, keeping his head down. I swallowed hard. The scene before me looked like something I’d read in a book—a scene where someone’s money was being taken.

Scary! 

My chest stiffened as if it was pierced by cold needles. I hugged my tote tight without thinking.

Mukei-kun…! 

I unconsciously searched for him. There, I saw his profile on the island of the gun-shooting game, under the blue lights. He was holding a plastic gun. Enemies on the screen exploded, and Mukei-kun gave a small laugh.

“Reload.”

“Leave it to me, partner.”

Voices like that echoed. His voice sounded joyful, and I felt my tension eased slightly. Just looking at Mukei-kun calmed me down. Relief clashed against the earlier fear inside my chest. I stepped out of the arcade. The outside air was slightly humid. In the evening breeze, the smell of car exhaust mixed with the sauce from a takoyaki stall. At the end of the alley, Kiritani-san was already gone. Instead, in a shadow by the entrance, the scary man faced Okabe-kun.

He held out one hand while drumming his other fingers irritably on his thigh. Okabe-kun counted bills with stiff fingertips, folded them tremblingly, and offered them. The scary man flicked through the stack with his thumb, counting expressionlessly. Clack, clack, clack. Each flick of his fingers made my heartbeat skip.

“Don’t be late next time.”

Probably something like that. I couldn’t hear the words clearly, but I understood what he meant.

Okabe-kun’s shoulders slumped even further. The loud, cheerful voice he used in class with friends, and this small, trembling voice in front of me… Which one was truly him? I shouldn’t get closer. If I made eye contact, he’d notice me. My feet instinctively stepped back. My back brushed a utility pole, and a chill ran through me. I reached the station ticket gate and took a moment to catch my breath, calming myself a little.

“Anno-san?”

“Huh?”

“It’s rare to see you here.”

Mukei-kun had come out of the arcade and arrived at the station. Takatou-kun wasn’t with him.

“Ah, um!”

“Did something happen? You seem a bit down.”

“N-no, it’s nothing!”

I couldn’t tell him. I couldn’t explain what was happening with Okabe-kun.

“Hmm, I see. You’ve got a lot going on too, Anno-san. Here, take this.”

“Huh…?”

He gently placed a keychain with a small rabbit plush in my palm.

“I got it from the UFO catcher earlier. I thought it would suit you better than me… Will you take it?”

White fur, a small red ribbon. In the evening light, the metal gleamed faintly.

“…F-for me?”

“Yeah. Also, as a thanks for the tamagoyaki earlier today.”

My chest thumped loudly. Just moments ago, I had been trembling at Okabe-kun’s pale face and the clack, clack of counting bills, but this tiny gift smoothed over the fear deep in my chest. I didn’t know my heart could be rescued so easily.

“…Th-thank you.”

My voice shook, barely forming the words. He smiled as if it were the most natural thing to do. Just that smile made me feel like the terrifying scene had been a dream.

“Good. You look better than before, like the pain’s eased a bit.”

“Ah!”

I realized that Mukei-kun was genuinely concerned about me.

“Thank you.”

“No problem. The train will be here soon. Can I ride with you?”

“Yes!”

After boarding, we didn’t talk, but my mind felt calmer than when I had seen Okabe-kun. Just having Mukei-kun next to me…

“Anno-san, I’m getting off here.”

“Ah, okay!”

 “See you tomorrow.”

 “Huh?”

“Bye-bye.”

“!!! Bye-bye!”

Mukei-kun said the “bye-bye” I had wanted to say.

♢♢♢

When I opened the front door, light spilled from the living room. I realized my heart still hadn’t settled, thanks to Mukei-kun. In fact, my chest still fluttered, and I couldn’t stop thinking about the keychain I had tucked into my tote.

“Welcome back, Hiroko.”

My older sister, sitting on the sofa flipping through a magazine, glanced up casually. A loose house dress, a soft hair tie. Much more grown-up than me, yet approachable.

“…I’m home.”

Even though I deliberately averted my eyes, she grinned slyly.

“Your face is red. What’s up?”

“Huh…Ah, I was just feeling hot.”

“Hmm. Well, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

She continued flipping the pages with a smirk. My heart raced even faster. I opened the fridge to hide my fluster, but I could feel my hand trembling as I grabbed a bottle of tea.

I want to tell her. Hiding it feels suffocating.

But I couldn’t tell her about Okabe-kun. If I mentioned how scared I felt, she’d worry.

“Hey… Onee-chan.”

“Hm?”

“Today… Um, I got a keychain from Mukei-kun.”

The moment I said it aloud, warmth burst through my chest like sparks. I took it from my tote bag and the rabbit keychain glimmered softly under the room light. My sister’s eyes widened, then she grinned.

“Whoa, nice! That’s cute.”

“…N-no… I mean, it’s a thank-you.”

“Like, for the tamagoyaki?”

“H-how did you know…!”

“Come on, that’s so you. You went all out for the bento, didn’t you?”

Caught on the mark, I had nothing to reply. My flushed cheeks burned hotter.

“So, that’s all?”

“Huh?”

“There must’ve been something else, right? Your face still looks like it has something more to the story.”

She could see right through me. I hesitated whether to say it, then quietly whispered.

“…He said he likes my vibe.”

“Eh.”

“Mukei-kun said that.”

Saying it aloud made my chest throb again, warmth spreading to my toes. My sister blinked in surprise for a moment, then leaned back on the sofa, laughing.

“Wow, that’s intense.”

“Intense…?”

“Yeah. Usually people just say cute or pretty. But ‘he likes your vibe’… It feels like he’s affirming all of you.”

Affirming. Right, just like my sister said. Not just my posture or lipstick, but all of me—completely.

“And then, you went home on the train together, and said bye-bye?”

“Huh?”

“I wanted to say bye-bye on my own today, but I didn’t have the courage. Mukei-kun said it for me.”

The words filled my chest, choking me. My sister paused a beat, then smiled.

“Wow, that’s super sweet! That’s great. It definitely got through to him, I bet.”

“Got through…?”

“Yeah. The feelings you want to convey to someone… Somehow, they get across.”

Those words sank smoothly into my heart. The frightening scene from earlier faded like a distant dream.

“It’s okay. No need to rush. Mukei-kun won’t run away.”

“…Really?”

“Yeah. At least, from what happened today.”

Her smile lightened my chest a little. I sat on the sofa and gently swung the keychain on my lap with my fingertips. The red ribbon caught the light, glimmering faintly. Bye-bye. That single word, along with this small gift, felt like it would stay in my heart forever.

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