I Chose the Plain Girl Instead of the Class’s Top Three Beauties, and Somehow She Became the Heroine - 71

Chapter 71: Happy and Sad

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

《Hiroko Anno’s POV》

I stared blankly at Sora-kun’s back, and after he disappeared from sight, I went back inside the house. When I opened the front door, a soft, dashi-like aroma tickled my nose. In the living room, my older sister was holding a cup of steaming tea and had the TV on.

“Welcome back. It was cold, wasn’t it?”

“…Yeah. A little.”

When I took off my scarf, the chilled air loosened all at once.

“So? How was it?”

The way she asked was gentle, yet it felt like it pierced straight to the core, and I couldn’t answer properly. As I folded my coat, I gave her a vague smile.

“Yeah… He was really cool.”

“Hehe, your face is already all smiley.”

“But it was different from usual! His clothes and his hair were all neat, and he was a Sora-kun I’d never seen before!”

“Alright, alright. Tell me slowly.”

My sister gently patted my head, as if soothing me.

“Did you manage to look him in the eye?”

“…Yeah. But I was embarrassed.”

“Mhm mhm, that’s progress little by little.”

At those words, a faint warmth spread deep into my cheeks. The second hand of the living room clock sounded strangely loud. Along with that sound, Sora-kun’s smile surfaced in my mind again. The way he looked through his contacts. The outline of his hair, glowing gently as if he was wrapped in light. With a small flame still glowing in my chest, I brought that night to a close.

“So? He walked you home, right?”

“Huh? How did you know?”

“Hehehe, I actually saw from the second-floor window. So that was Sora-kun, huh?”

“Ugh! Come on, Onee-chan!”

“Hahaha~ As your sister, I have to check what kind of boy Hiroko is with.”

Knowing that my sister had seen Sora-kun only made me feel even more embarrassed.

“But he seems like a nice boy. I can tell he’s gentle and really considerate of you, Hiroko.”

“Yeah. Sora-kun is really kind.”

“Uh-huh. You were holding hands, after all.”

When she said that, I remembered holding his hand—how warm his pocket had been, the warmth of that single glove.

“You’re growing, Hiroko, so let’s keep putting in the effort.”

“Yeah!”

Blushing over and over as I thought of Sora-kun, I eventually fell asleep.

◇◇◇

The next morning, a wind carrying the scent of winter rustled the trees along the school route. The sky looked just a little higher than yesterday. When I entered the classroom, Yua-san hurried right over to me.

“Good morning, Hiro-chan!”

“Good morning, Yua-san.”

“Hey, hey, did you hear?”

“Huh?”

“Mukei-kun is totally trending right now! Look, this!”

When she showed me her phone screen, I couldn’t help but gasp. There on the screen was the new Sora-kun, the one I had seen yesterday. His hair was lightly styled, and the collar of his coat fell neatly into place.

Smiling beside him was Mizuki Kiritani-san. They weren’t in uniform. Under white lights, both of them looked almost dazzling. The comments were filled with things like “He looks like a model” and “I thought they were a couple.” Something gritty scraped inside my chest. It didn’t hurt. But it felt like I was sinking deep down.

“Apparently, Mukei-kun went to Mizuki’s brother’s studio yesterday? They took this then.”

“I-I see…”

“Right? Amazing! Mukei-kun seriously had a glow-up. Looks like Mizuki sent it to the class LINE group, and someone spread it all over the school. Both girls and guys are making a fuss.”

Yua-san’s bright voice sounded distant.

“I’ll send it to you too, Hiro-chan.”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

I only nodded and looked away from the glow of the phone. Yesterday, he had said he wanted to show me. He had said he wanted me to see him. But now, seeing him exposed to everyone’s eyes like this, he felt strangely far away.

And I wasn’t the only one. I felt like that light had been shared, like it had spread to places that weren’t just mine. I took a small breath. A shadow—one that hadn’t been there yesterday—fell deep in my chest.  Outside the window, winter clouds drifted by. In the cool sunlight, I stared at my fingertips. The other pairing of gloves was on the desk at home. Where was the warmth of the other one now?

The classroom chatter gradually faded into the distance. I could hear Yua-san talking to someone beside me. Within that circle of voices, Sora-kun’s name surfaced again. I folded my hands together on the desk and slowly closed my eyes. I recalled only his words from last night.

“I wanted you to see it, Hiroko-san.”

Right. He said he wanted me to see it. That alone should have been enough. But my heart was greedy. I ended up wishing no one else would see him. Outside the window, the wind gently stirred the white curtains, as if its sound were soothing my feelings.

It’s okay. I saw him yesterday, and I see him today too. But the next time we meet, I want to be a little stronger myself. Not just someone who looks, but someone who can be seen.

The chime rang. The winter morning light reflected off the blackboard, stinging my eyes. I took another deep breath. While still holding onto the small ache still lingering in my chest, I lifted my face and looked forward.

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー