I Chose the Plain Girl Instead of the Class’s Top Three Beauties, and Somehow She Became the Heroine - 5

Chapter 5: The Cool Things About Him

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《Hiroko Anno’s POV》

I took three deep breaths in front of the mirror that morning. My big sister had taught me how to fix my hair, so I had practiced.

“…Okay.”

I shifted the part in my bangs just a little using the pads of my fingers. The black hairpin went above my ear. I wiped my lenses from edge to edge so no fingerprints would remain. I made sure the ribbon on my uniform sat in the center. I lightly pressed my collar to check whether it was crooked. I had never cared about my appearance before. I had always assumed no one was looking at me. But now, I wanted to be seen. The moment I opened the classroom door, the air burst with excitement.

“Eh, you cut your hair? The shoulder length is so cute!”

“The width of your bangs is god-tier~!”

“Let’s take a picture!”

The rapid shutter sounds overlapped again and again, surprising me. But none of them were directed at me. At the center of the circle, Mizuki Kiritani-san was smiling. Every time her black hair caught the light, the cheers swelled again. She had changed her hairstyle and everyone was focusing on her. I placed my bag by the window seat as always and gently leaned my body against the back of the chair.

It’s okay. I’m okay today.

“Her hair looks put together.”

For a moment, I thought Mukei-kun had said that toward me.

“Right?! Kiritani-san is insanely cute today, isn’t she?!”

But the cheerful voice that followed belonged to Takatou-kun.

“Do you think today is my chance to get the courage to talk to her?”

“…Don’t push yourself too hard. You’ll mess up.”

The calm, low voice responding to Takatou-kun. Ever since he helped me, Mukei-kun’s voice had replayed in my head again and again. My ears picked up his voice without me meaning to.

“Even if I fail, that’s youth—whoa! Mizuki-san just looked this way!”

“She looked at the entire class, not just you.”

I kept my gaze on my notebook, quietly steadying my breath.

Don’t say you want to be seen.

That morning’s classes passed with my notebook filling up while my mind spun uselessly. I drew tiny circles in the margins and erased them. When the chime rang, something inside my chest finally loosened. During lunch break, I saw Mukei-kun leaving the classroom with a bag from the school shop. If it was now… Maybe I could thank him.

I stood and followed him, counting the speed of my heartbeat as I walked. The wind behind the school building felt soft. Half the bench was shaded, half was sunlit. Mukei-kun sat on the sunny side and tore the wrapper open.

“Ah…”

The tiny sound I managed felt unreliable even to me. He lifted his face and spoke in his usual tone.

“What a coincidence. You’re eating outside too, Anno-san?”

“Today… The classroom was a little noisy. I come here sometimes.”

“Right. I get that.”

He brushed off the edge of the bench with his handkerchief and tapped it with his palm.

“Go ahead.”

The seat prepared for me felt embarrassing, and my throat made a hard swallow.

“…Thank you.”

After hesitating, I sat on the shaded side. I adjusted my glasses with a fingertip. Even the small sound felt loud to me. I had to say it.

You helped me when I was scared near the station. So, thank you.

The words rose to my throat but burned, then retreated again.

No. Saying it today feels like I’m asking him to look at me. And Mukei-kun hasn’t noticed me at all.

Silence. Birdsong. The soft rustling of wrappers. The faint smell of sweet bread. The little “psst” sound when he stuck a straw into a milk carton was strangely cute, and I almost laughed.

“I usually eat with Akira, but when I’m alone, I come here. It’s quiet. I like corners.”

“…Yeah. I get that.”

I spoke slowly so my voice wouldn’t shake. He glanced at me for a moment. His eyes came straight toward the lenses, as if they touched the space behind them, then returned.

“By the way, you look pretty today.”

I thought my heart stopped. The force of the unexpected words was too much. Being seen made me happy, but the fact that he didn’t say “put together” but “pretty,” made heat rush through my entire body.

“I mean, like… You look clean and neat. Your lenses are clear, your ribbon is centered. Your hair and pin are different from usual, so I thought you looked pretty.”

“Uh… Y-yeah. Um… Thank you.”

He didn’t add anything more. It wasn’t praise or flattery. He simply voiced what he observed. That was what hit the hardest. Just knowing he noticed made my chest feel too full. The “thank you” rose to my throat again. No. If I said it now, everything inside me would spill out.

I couldn’t say it. But next time…. I will say it next time…

The chime rang in the distance.

“Shall we head back now?”

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

Walking half a step behind him, I carried the warmth left in the center of my back carefully, as if trying not to drop it.

♢

In the afternoon, the gym floor echoed beneath everyone’s feet. It was basketball today. I sat in the spectator area and watched the court from the corner of the gym. I was bad at sports, so I always sat out during P.E. The boys’ cheers and laughter, the sound of the ball hitting the floor, the squeak of shoes—everything jabbed at my ears. But today, strangely, I couldn’t look away.

“All right! My next shot’s gonna be a three-pointer!”

Kai Okabe-kun shouted loudly again. Every time he made a shot, he spread his arms wide and taunted the boys on the other team.

“Hey hey, is that all you got? I’m the strongest. Put in more effort! Come on, Mizuki’s watching!”

He turned to the girls’ side, casually calling out Kiritani-san’s name. The brazenness of the atmosphere made the boys around him look annoyed.

“Akira, cover.”

“Yeah, Sora!”

The moment Sora Mukei-kun’s voice echoed across the gym, the air changed. Takatou-kun blocked Okabe-kun’s path, and Mukei-kun slipped in from the side. Their movements overlapped and Okabe-kun’s dribble faltered.

“Wha-… huh?”

Before he could react, Mukei-kun stole the ball smoothly and dashed forward. The rhythm of his feet was fast. Akira-kun ran alongside him. They moved as if they shared a single breath, and in the next moment, the pass and shot completed in a seamless motion. The net swayed, and small cheers spread across the gym.

“Nice one, Sora!”

“Akira too.”

The two of them laughed and bumped hands.

…My chest grew warm. I never knew Mukei-kun could move like that. I had thought he was just quiet, a little unusual, and someone who didn’t stand out in class. But he excelled at sports, calmly watched his opponents, and only spoke when necessary. I couldn’t look away.

“Okabe, get your head back in the game properly!”

“S-shut up!”

Okabe-kun shouted in frustration. But in the next play too, he was shut down by Mukei-kun and Takatou-kun. He challenged them again and again, was stopped again and again, yet only his voice stayed loud. I closed my notebook and stared at the court.

Yesterday and today layered together in my chest. It was the same as when he grabbed my hand and led me away in that alley. Even in the face of danger, he was calm, strong. Mukei-kun really was cool. The ball hit the net once more. Amid the applause and laughter, I quietly let my cheeks grow warm where no one could see.

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