I Chose the Plain Girl Instead of the Class’s Top Three Beauties, and Somehow She Became the Heroine - 58

Chapter 58: Taking On a Fashion Challenge!

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《Hiroko Anno’s POV》

Saturday of the weekend had arrived, and on Sunday, at last, Sora-kun’s tournament would be held. I had never seen a karate tournament before, but I wanted to cheer him on as best as I could. So, I decided to make today a preparation day.

Even though the light coming in through the gap in the curtains was faint, only my chest felt oddly bright. I was going to cheer for Sora-kun. It was the first time in my life that just checking the contents of my bag made my heart rate go up.

Cheering for a friend! For me, it was a major event. On the desk, I lined up what I had prepared. A room-temperature sports drink (with a small sticky note that said “Osu!”), thin taping, a mini towel, wet tissues, bandages, two hand warmers, a spare hairpin, and a rabbit-patterned handkerchief.

The cheering fan had been in progress since last night. I wrote “Sora-kun” in big letters and put tiny rabbit stickers on the edges. The speech bubble where the rabbit said “Fight” was tilted a bit, but I wanted to believe that gave it charm.

“Good morning, Hiroko. Is the preparation going well?”

“It’s going well. …Or rather, my feelings are moving ahead of me.”

“That’s great. It’s the love acceleration engine. A maiden in love is already in runaway mode.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Hehe, don’t mind me, don’t mind me”

When I washed my face in the bathroom, my older sister held out a towel from behind me. Our eyes met through the mirror. My eyes were waiting for one more challenge today.

“Finally, it’s time for the contact lenses, huh?”

“…Yeah. I want him to like me with glasses too, but I want to match my challenge with Sora-kun’s challenge.”

“Wow, that’s a quote right there. Alright, let’s go to the eye clinic and the shop!”

In the morning, my sister took my hand and led me to the contact lens shop near the station. I took a deep breath once in front of the vision test sign. I wrote my name on the registration sheet, listened to the explanation, and then sat in front of the small mirror in the trial area.

“Since this is your first time wearing contact, you will tend to blink more, so just take your time in getting used to it, okay?~”

“Y-yes.”

The thin lens resting on my index finger looked like a tiny dish of water. I was supposed to put this on my eye. 

…Put it on…Put… it… on… Impossible!!!

“Hiroko, come on. ‘Sleep, hydration, sunlight,’ and remember to breathe!”

“There’s no sunlight right now!”

“It’s a metaphor, a metaphor!”

My eyelids staged a rebellion with a will of their own. If there were a blinking championship, I felt like I could win. The store clerk gently offered me a tissue.

“You can start by practicing with eye drops first.”

“…Okay.”

One drop of eye drops. Plop. Oh, it went in. Next, the lens. Third try, fourth, fifth. My sister gave me a thumbs-up, saying “Go!” Sixth try—f-fueeeh, it went in…! The world looked sharp, as if a transparent film had been peeled off. The tiny letters on the signs, the grooves on the floor tiles, the flower-shaped sticker on the store clerk’s name tag. More than anything, in the mirror, I could see my own pupils clearly.

“Hiroko, you’re sparkling!”

“…I can see. I can see everything clearly.”

“Tomorrow, you’ll be able to follow all of Sora-kun’s movements.”

“Yeah!”

On the way home, the scenery looked slightly different. The shadows under the overpass, the white of the crosswalk, the border of the blue sky. I thought that from today on, I could become a slightly different me.

In the afternoon, we went to the hair salon my sister had booked. My heavy, long black hair had always hidden my face. But recently, I had pinned it up, so for tomorrow, I wanted to take away the heaviness and have Sora-kun see me clearly.

“Yep, yep. It’s perfect! Hiroko! Amazing.”

My sister, who spent the time with me at the salon, showered me with praise and so did the hairstylist.

“You’re cute. You’ve got great features!”

“Yes, totally! I’d even ask you to model for us next time!”

They praised me like that.

“Alright, the last step. Today is a special fashion day, remember?”

My sister picked clothes for tomorrow.

“The gym gets cold, so let’s assume you’ll layer up. And it’s starting to feel like autumn lately. But no sudden flashy outfits. Aim for a cute look without trying too hard. Since you have pretty complexion, let’s make white, navy, and gray your winning colors.”

“Winning colors…?”

I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about.

“Yep, colors for victory. Okay, white ribbed knit top, navy flare skirt. On top, a light gray long cardigan. White sneakers for your feet. You’re turning into a cheerleader who can run!”

“I’m not going to run, but a cheerleader who can run… That sounds cool.”

I tried everything on in front of the mirror. The skirt rippled slightly each time I moved. I moved the rabbit keychain to the perfect spot on the white cardigan. As for my hair, I styled it in my usual half-up hairstyle, but today I’d swap one pin for a ribbon one. The subtle sparkle shimmered, lifting my spirit.

Everything I had done was nothing but borrowed wisdom from my big sister, but somehow, I felt like I had changed.

“Let’s take one step up from your usual makeup. Keep the base light. Only clear mascara around your eyes. No eyeliner, let your lashes do the talking. Minimal blush, just a soft coral blush would do. For your lips, a tinted pink balm. Remember to use moisturizer and a bit of color… Alright! This is perfect for a slightly upgraded weekend look.”

“…Onee-chan, your enthusiasm is intense!”

“It’s okay, I won’t overdo it. Hiroko’s face already has great natural features, so I’ll help you again tomorrow morning.”

There was no hesitation in my big sister’s hands. A tiny dab of concealer, tap-tap with her finger. The me reflected in the mirror looked like my usual self with a gentle layer of light added on top. It wasn’t flashy, and yet every time I looked in the mirror, the corners of my mouth lifted. 

Is this tomorrow’s me? 

I really felt like I was different from usual.

“Let’s go with no accessories tomorrow, but bring the essentials. Wear a hair tie on your wrist. So if Sora-kun’s tape loosens, you can help him by tying his hair back.”

“Okay.”

At the sink, I did my skincare carefully that night. I patted on the toner and applied the lotion more gently than usual. I checked in the mirror to make sure the face looking back at me was one that could properly cheer tomorrow. I placed a new pair of contacts in the case. Preparation complete. And of course, I would bring my glasses too. Not as an escape route, but as a reassuring backup. Having two options helped me move forward. That was my rule.

Before getting under the covers, I opened my phone. I placed my finger over the message box.

『I’ll cheer for you with everything I’ve got tomorrow.』

Good night, Sora-kun. Goodbye, the me of today. Nice to meet you, the me of tomorrow. And please wait for me, Sora-kun. I’ll cheer for you as the new me!

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