I Chose the Plain Girl Instead of the Class’s Top Three Beauties, and Somehow She Became the Heroine - 66

Chapter 66: Not a Good Match

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《Sora Mukei’s POV》

Lately, every time I saw Hiroko-san, I was a little surprised. Before, noticing small changes had been fun. I had been proud of myself for being able to notice little things, like when she changed her lipstick, or her hair clip, or any tiny detail like that.

But ever since Hiroko-san had cut her hair, her face had become properly visible. The beautiful expressions on her face—ones her glasses could no longer hide—had increased. Her tone of voice was brighter than before. The tempo when she spoke her opinions to Miura-san and the others in front of the blackboard, the timing when she met my eyes and smiled—everything showed less hesitation than before.

It even felt like the very atmosphere when she walked into the classroom had changed. I had won the karate tournament, and gained just a bit of confidence. My master at the dojo had given me his seal of approval.

“Next, you should set your sights on the black belt. Mukei, you have earned that right.”

I had been happy to hear that, but it still wasn’t enough for me to say I had changed. My height was the same as yesterday, my grades were the same, my seat in the classroom was the same. Every day was just the back-and-forth between the dojo and the classroom.

During lunch break, I went to the bench whenever I could. I wanted to treasure the time I spent with Hiroko-san. She shared her ginger soup with me, and we shared her scarf half and half, and I was probably living the happiest possible life any normal high schooler could live. But we weren’t a couple. We were more than friends but not lovers. And that was because I hadn’t been able to take that last pathetic step forward.

But at the same time, I was afraid that if I failed, this precious time we had would break. Even so, I felt like it would disappear if I didn’t put it into words either, so I started to say it, but before the words actually escaped my lips, I always swallowed the words back down.

One day… On my way back from picking up some handouts in the faculty room, I saw four guys from another class talking near the vending machine in the hallway with paper cups in hand. They were from a different class. Honestly, I didn’t remember their names. But their voices were clear.

“Anno’s been seriously cute lately, don’t you think?”

“She really leveled up after the play. Cutting her hair boosted her score for sure.”

“But she’s been hanging out with Mukei a lot, right?”

“Yeah. He’s totally not a good match for Anno, isn’t he? He’s like…I don’t know, just plain boring.”

“For real! It’s hilarious. Does he actually think he’s a good match for someone like Anno?”

I stopped myself from turning the corner and chose a different path. They hadn’t insulted me directly. In fact, Hiroko-san was being praised. Me getting jealous and lashing out would’ve just been ugly. I had no intention of fighting. But it felt like someone had shoved their fingers straight into my heart.

My hand curled into a fist on its own, my nails digging into my palm. Even though I pretended not to hear, my ears picked up every word on their own.

“I mean~ Mukei’s not a bad guy or anything, but—”

“The ‘but’ is always the harshest kind of compliment.”

“Rumor is, Anno’s at a point where she could get anyone she wants. In fact, I heard someone from the basketball club had confessed to her.”

“For real? Are they already dating?”

“Who knows.”

Their words stuck in my throat. Anyone could get her? Anyone who confessed? She was dating someone from the basketball club? I hadn’t heard any of this. Well… There was no reason she had to tell me. To Hiroko-san, I was just a friend, so it wasn’t strange for her not to say anything.

I passed by quietly. The cheap coffee in the paper cups somehow smelled sour to me. I couldn’t focus at all during the afternoon classes.

“Not a good match” kept ringing in my head. And the question of whether she was dating someone. It clung to the back of my mind and wouldn’t come off.

The next day at lunch. When I went to the bench, Hiroko-san was already there. Her hair swayed in the wind, and when she lifted her face, her bangs shifted slightly. The motion of adjusting her hairpin had become completely natural for her. A heroine who could rival the three school beauties was sitting right there.

“Sora-kun! Today it’s soy milk soup. It’ll warm you up.”

She smiled and handed the soup to me. When I opened the lid, warm steam rose, carrying a nice smell.

“Thanks.”

When I accepted it, my hands warmed.

“The next tournament is in a month, right? Is the training tough?”

“It was rough. But the master said things were looking good, right before smacking me.”

“Hehe.”

The truth was, I hadn’t been able to focus at all yesterday because of what I’d overheard. Hiroko-san was smiling. Her eyes were soft. At that moment, I thought I might say it.

“I like you.” The words rose all the way to my throat, but I inhaled and swallowed them down again. Hiroko-san had gotten a boyfriend… Probably. He must be someone far more fitting than a plain background character like me.

So instead, I asked something else.

“People must be talking to you more lately, right?”

“Yes. It surprises me. But I’m happy. Though…Sometimes, I’m just a little bit scared.”

“Scared?”

“I’m still not very good at turning people down. I’ve gotten better than before, but sometimes there are people who try to push with force.”

Deep in my chest, the voices from the hallway echoed faintly again.

“If you ever have trouble, tell me. I’ll come help you right away.”

“Yes. But I’m really okay!”

Her reply was short, but the fact she answered without hesitation made me happy. That afternoon, Akira tapped my shoulder in the hallway.

“Why the gloomy face? You look like you’re about to walk into a match.”

“Nothing. My face is always like this.”

“You talked to her at lunch, right? How’d it go?”

“It… It was warm. Like usual.”

“If you can call that ‘usual,’ then just say it already. You wanna confess, don’t you?”

I had told Akira about my feelings for Hiroko-san and asked him for advice. He really was a good guy. He supported me. But… It was already too late.

“If you’re that worried, I’ll jump in and help.”

“Why would you jump in?”

“I’m your best friend. Of course I would. And when I confess to Kiritani-san and get rejected, you’d better comfort me.”

“You’re assuming you’ll get rejected?”

The stupid conversation lightened my mood, and I was grateful for it. Akira always threw the right answer at me when I didn’t even ask for it.

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