I Chose the Plain Girl Instead of the Class’s Top Three Beauties, and Somehow She Became the Heroine - 68

Chapter 68: Being Cool Part 1

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《Sora Mukei’s POV》

When I looked at Hiroko-san, I could understand why people said I was not a good match for her. I had never once thought about “coolness” in terms of appearance before. I wondered what it really was, and I had been thinking about it a lot lately.

Ever since Hiroko-san cut her hair, she had been getting prettier at an impressive pace. Her voice had become brighter, and her manner had grown natural. She changed the whole vibe of the classroom just by walking into the class.

Then what about me? I just went back and forth between the dojo and the classroom. I flattened my bedhead with water and called it done. I ignored my eyebrows. I honestly didn’t even know if my clothes fit me or not.

On the way back after spending the weekend at the arcade with Akira, I spotted someone familiar. Golden-brown mushroom cut, black mask, big earrings. Broad shoulders, and the black coat looked ridiculously good on him. If he had been a stranger, I absolutely wouldn’t have approached him. The kind of intimidating yankee-like guy you wouldn’t want to get near.

…But I recognized him.

“You’re Kiritani-san’s older brother, right?”

He removed his mask and lifted the corners of his mouth. A face I had seen in dramas was right there. He was a celebrity, and the mask was probably to hide that face.

“Oh, you’re Mukei, right? You’re Mizuki’s classmate, yeah?”

Kiritani’s older brother. If I remembered correctly, his name was Souma-san. I had heard he was an actor, but in person, he had even more aura than on screen.

“What’s up?”

“Um, well… Can I ask you something?”

“Yeah?”

“What do I need to do to become cool like you, Kiritani-san?”

There was a one-beat pause. The next moment, Souma-san burst out laughing from the bottom of his stomach. Not in a mocking way. Just a loud, genuine laugh.

“Ha! Seriously? Like me?”

“Yes! I want to become cool like Kiritani-san!”

“You really threw it straight. I don’t dislike that. You got time right now?”

“I do.”

“Then come with me.”

Before I could react, he started walking. His legs were fast—no, long—and his stride was huge. I hurried after him. Two stations away from ours, behind a shopping street, he led me into a building. Fourth floor by elevator, and at the end of the hallway, a door had a small sign: “STUDIO & GROOMING.”

“This ain’t my work site, but it’s a studio that always helps me out. They have makeup and hair room. It should be free.”

Inside, everything was white. Two mirrors with lights, a rack of plain clothes, shelves lined with combs and sprays. A sweet smell from hair wax permeated in the air and a woman in a black apron looked up to us.

“Souma-kun, you’re early—wait, a client?”

“Good morning, Kaho-san. This kid seems to admire me and wants to become cool. Mind fixing him up a bit?”

“Eh? Huh?”

“Mukei, what’s your first name?”

“Sora.”

“Then Sora. You can call me Souma-kun. I’ll call you Sora too.”

“Souma-kun.”

“Yeah. I mean, in this world, I don’t get many chances to talk to regular high school underclassmen, so it’s kinda nice.”

Souma-san flashed a smile, and even as a guy, I felt myself almost staring at him. People like him really did have that celebrity aura.

“Hmm, the raw material isn’t bad. Simple-looking, but you’ve got a fresh vibe too.”

“Right?! I thought he had a good vibe since the first time I saw him.”

Vibe? Me?

“Alright, come on, take a seat.”

I sat in the chair as told. With the cape draped over me, my face filled the center of the mirror. It was obvious from my stiff shoulders how nervous I was.

“First off, Sora. Kaho-san is a top-tier stylist. Trust her.”

“Yes!”

“And listen. Coolness is more about vibe than face. Cleanliness, posture, sizing, behavior. These four things create seventy percent of the atmosphere.”

“…Cleanliness, posture, sizing, behavior.”

In the mirror, Souma-kun struck a pose. The yankee-like aura disappeared in an instant.

“You don’t need to change your face. What changes is your awareness of how people see you. Kaho-san, please.”

“Yep. I’ll clean up the sides and the nape, leave some weight in the bangs but make them move lightly. I’ll just shape the eyebrow outline. He’s a high schooler, so nothing too bold.”

While talking, Souma-kun and Kaho-san began working on my hair and massaging my skin. The dryer hummed, warm air touching my neck. When thinning scissors slid through the sides, the area around my ears suddenly felt lighter. They lifted my bangs a little, raised the roots, and shaped the flow.

“The fate of your hair is decided at the roots. Dry the roots to create shape first, then the ends. Never the other way around.”

“Y-yes.”

“Just use a pea-sized amount of wax. Warm it in your palms, work it from the inside of the hair outward. Don’t smear it on the surface.”

Souma-kun lightly tousled my hair. In the mirror, my bangs lifted slightly, letting light into my eyes. I suddenly looked like someone who had their life together. Kaho-san cleaned my face, shaved the peach fuzz, applied lotion, then a mask.

“I’m doing your brows now. Don’t worry, it doesn’t hurt.”

With the mask still on, she shaped my brows. She combed them, removing only the excess hairs—snip, snip—making them neat. My face in the mirror somehow looked clearer. I had no idea eyebrows made such a difference.

“You’re young, so don’t overdo things. If you get acne easily, stick to stuff with a light oil formula. For lips, use colorless moisturizer. Don’t let them dry. And trim your nails. People notice your fingertips more than you think, especially girls.”

“Can I take notes?”

“Memorize it. The goal is to make it a habit.”

Everything they said was knowledge I had never known, and my brain struggled to keep up.

“Alright, once the mask comes off, we’re heading to the next step.”

“Next?”

“Clothes. Vibe isn’t made by yourself alone. Clothes and accessories matter too!”

“Kaho-san, thank you.”

“Yep yep. Young skin is so nice. If you ever get interested in this industry, I’ll hire you.”

Even as a joke, it made me happy. I bowed to Kaho-san again and followed after Souma-kun as we left.

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