I Chose the Plain Girl Instead of the Class’s Top Three Beauties, and Somehow She Became the Heroine - 4

Chapter 4: What Triggered the Change

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《Hiroko Anno’s POV》

I felt safe only when I was reading a book. As long as I followed the words on the page, no one talked to me, and I didn’t have to worry about failing to answer. I was bad at looking people in the eye. Whenever I tried to speak, my throat froze, and the words wouldn’t come out properly. While I was busy thinking about what I should say, everyone else’s conversation flowed on without me. So I spent my days opening a book in the corner of the classroom, using the sound of turning pages as a shield. I had thought that was enough.

…But then. Amid the background chatter, a boy’s voice suddenly reached my ears. Casual in tone, yet it carried clearly throughout the classroom.

“Hey, hey, Sora. Which girl is your type?”

A teasing voice. The reply came after a brief, thoughtful pause. Akira Takatou and Sora Mukei—neither the center of the class nor especially noticeable boys. But they were the kind of people who could talk normally with anyone. Their quiet atmosphere didn’t bother me like the other boys’ did.

“Hmm… Then I’ll choose Hiroko Anno-san.”

My fingers stopped mid–page turn. My heart thumped loudly. My name? What were they talking about again? “Which girl do you like”? A type? Not Kiritani-san, not Miura-san, not Hino-san. Not the beautiful girls in the center of the class whom everyone called “cute.” Me? It was so unexpected I hadn’t even imagined someone would say my name.

“Huh?! Are you serious?!”

Takatou sounded shocked, understandably so. I was plain, I didn’t understand fashion, I was bad at talking, and I was surely someone who belonged on the “not chosen” side. Embarrassment and confusion washed over me, and I kept my eyes down on my book, desperately trying not to lift my face. I was scared of their gazes. I was terrified that someone might be looking my way. But my ears picked up the rest on their own.

“Not really. Anno-san is quiet and not noisy, so she’s nice. I like her vibe.”

It was Sora Mukei’s voice. Calm and gentle. Not mocking, not like some punishment game.

He chose me for such a simple reason. The same reason I didn’t find him hard to be around. My chest warmed. Even though it was warm, at the same time it turned cold. I wasn’t someone who would ever be “chosen” in class. I had always believed that. In books, I understood romance. A prince smiled, the heroine blushed, the distance between them shrank. But that was only on paper. It never should have been directed at me.

…But his words—that he liked that I was quiet, that he liked my atmosphere—lingered deep inside my heart. There was someone who saw me. The printed letters on the page blurred. With my head still lowered, I closed my book and took a small breath.

If Mukei-kun was seeing me, then I wanted to change, even just a little. At the very least, I didn’t want him to be laughed at for saying I was his type. At the very least, I wanted to not feel ashamed if someone looked at me, even just a little. What should I do to look nicer? Fix my hair, tie my ribbon, clean my glasses. Then maybe, like the heroines I saw in books… He would look at me?

A wish bloomed in my chest for the first time. I was scared, but I didn’t want to stay scared. I wanted to end the “me” from yesterday. When I got home, my older sister was lying on the sofa in the living room. My sister, three years older, was always cheerful, had many friends, and was the kind of pretty girl who got approached by someone whenever she went outside.

“I’m home, Onee-chan.”

“Welcome back… Oh my, Hiroko. You look kind of happy today, don’t you?”

My emotions showed in my voice. She poured barley tea from the fridge and smiled teasingly. I hurriedly shook my head.

“N-no, that’s not…”

“Lies. I can tell. Your eyes are sparkling a little.”

My heart jumped. My ears grew hot. I hadn’t thought she would notice.

“…Hey, Onee-chan.”

“Hmm?”

“What… What should I do to change?”

Even I heard my voice trembling. My sister looked a little surprised, then smiled brightly.

“Leave it to me. I’ve been waiting for you to ask me something like that.”

She sat me down in front of the vanity and gently combed my hair. The tangled ends loosened and fell softly over my shoulders.

“See? Just fixing it a little changes the impression a lot.”

Then she applied light makeup. Each time her fingers touched my cheek, the girl in the mirror changed into someone unfamiliar. Finally, I took off my glasses and put in contacts.

“Ow.”

“Endure it. Fashion takes some effort. Look, you’re done.”

The girl in the mirror wasn’t the plain Hiroko Anno I knew. My skin looked brighter, my eyes had clearer outlines, and my hair shimmered as it moved.

“…Is this really me?”

“It is. You’ve always had good features. You just didn’t notice.”

My sister grinned mischievously and pushed my back gently.

“Since we’re at it, go take a walk. You need to get used to being out in town like this.”

“Eh, n-now? It’s already night!”

“Now!”

Confused, I grabbed my bag and stepped outside. I only had the bookstore as a destination, and yet just looking different made me feel like people were staring at me. The unfamiliar attention of the town frightened me. No one was actually looking at me, probably. But I couldn’t forget the unfamiliar girl in the mirror. My chest fluttered uneasily. Would Mukei-kun look at me like this? When I stepped a little away from the busy station area, someone called out from behind me.

“Hey miss, got a minute?”

“You’re cute, you know!”

When I turned around, two tall men were standing there. I was scared.

“I’m sorry, I’m in a hurry.”

“Well, you know what? The road is closed!”

“Come hang out with us.”

“Please stop.”

“Just come on.”

One of them grabbed my arm and tried to drag me into a narrow alley.

“Stop it!”

My voice cracked. I tried to pull away, but I was too scared and had no strength. My heartbeat rose to my throat, and I couldn’t breathe. And then—

“Hey, guys, she doesn’t want this. How about you stop?”

Along with a low voice, the man’s wrist was grabbed. Standing there in his school uniform was Sora Mukei.

“What the—who is this guy?!”

“Wha—?! Please stop!”

The men’s groans echoed in the alley. Mukei didn’t change his expression; he simply twisted the man’s arm quietly. He looked so cool that I couldn’t look away. My arm was released, and I froze in place. I didn’t remember much of what happened after that. Mukei took my hand and led me back to the main street. When I finally got home and closed the front door, my strength nearly gave out. My heart was still racing, and my hands trembled as I tried to take off my shoes.

“I’m… I’m home.”

My voice came out small and hoarse. My sister rushed to the entrance, and her expression changed immediately when she saw my face.

“Hiroko? Your face is pale. What happened?”

“Um… Something scary happened earlier.”

I started in a small voice and she hugged me tightly.

“Near the station…Two men talked to me. They said I was cute, grabbed my arm… And tried to drag me into an alley.”

Remembering it made my throat close up, and my breathing turned shallow. My sister gripped my hand tightly.

“What the hell…! I’m so sorry, I’m the one who told you to go out this late!”

“No. It’s not your fault.”

“But that’s awful! Are you okay!?”

“…Yeah. Someone helped me.”

My chest warmed again. Remembering that moment, fear mixed with another feeling rising inside me.

“Who? What kind of person?”

“…A boy from my school. Sora Mukei-kun. Still in his uniform…He grabbed the man’s hand that was holding me and… Stopped him with incredible strength.”

Saying it out loud made my chest flutter again. More than scary, “cool” came to mind first.

“Hmmm… That face… Looks like it wasn’t just fear.”

My sister smirked and peered into my eyes.

“T-that’s not it!”

“But he helped you, right? That’s important. For your life, Hiroko.”

I couldn’t argue with her words. It was rare for me to go outside at all, and yet I encountered something like this. It might have been a coincidence, but…

“I see. So you want to change for that boy. …When you see him again, you’ll have to thank him properly.”

“…Yeah.”

I nodded, unable to calm the pounding in my chest.

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