I Chose the Plain Girl Instead of the Class’s Top Three Beauties, and Somehow She Became the Heroine - 72

Chapter 72: The Three Great Beauties Part 2

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《Mizuki Kiritani’s POV》

I had only told my close friends that I was entering the entertainment industry. As I headed to the work site for my very first job, the air there felt slightly dry, and I arrived tense. The heat of the lights, the coldness of the cameras, the rough edges of the script paper. Like stretching a rubber band deep in my throat, my tension made a quiet sound.

When the elevator doors opened, Mukei-kun was there. Up until yesterday, he had carried an inconspicuous presence in the corner of the classroom. I remembered how he was close with his childhood friends Asuka and Yua, and how cool he had looked at his karate match.

Now, with bangs neatly styled from the roots, a clean neckline, and a coat falling smoothly over his shoulders—even the angle at which light entered his eyes—he stood there as someone clearly “prepared.”

“…Huh? Mukei-kun?”

Before I realized it, I had turned him around in a full circle. Even though it was before work, my cheeks loosened first. I had been stiff with nerves, but his presence soothed me. The word “glamorous” always made me stretch myself a little. Before stepping onto a set, the center of my chest sometimes trembled, and the words of the script felt distant.

At times like that, I remembered the ordinary greetings we exchanged in the classroom. Even a simple “Good morning” or “Good work” had been an important magic that let me stand on stage. And today, Mukei-kun made that magic a little stronger.

He said he “wanted to show it.” To whom—us? No, probably most of all to Anno-san. I had heard from Yua that those two were close. I knew that. But there was no doubt that he gave me courage.

We took photos. The light gently picked up the outline of his figure. It was a keepsake of standing beside him and being given courage. And I wanted my classmates to see how cool he looked. My finger hesitated just a little over the send button. I knew where the ripples would spread. Even so, I sent it. If his “I want to change” was captured there, then I thought I could overcome my fear too.

Thank you, Mukei-kun. For being my friend in the classroom. For reminding me how to breathe before stepping onto a set. The way you polished yourself straightened my trembling knees in the wings of the stage.

The lights came on. I stood up, keeping the warmth of that earlier smile tucked into my chest pocket.

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《Asuka Hino’s POV》

The goalposts in the park creaked faintly in the wind. Two steps I couldn’t push off from, a world with a two-meter radius. I still couldn’t run. But I didn’t let go of the ball. Spin, fingertips, angle—what I could control was my court right now. They were the only court I could have given my current condition.

After my injury, I had nearly lost to myself so many times. At times like that, Mukei-kun showed up at the weirdest timing.

“It’s okay.”

He said that.

“Let’s make that tomorrow’s challenge for yourself.”

He pushed my gaze toward the future. On the day of the karate tournament, he had been quietly hot on the tatami. The stronger the opponent, the calmer he became. He unraveled them with his breathing, then changed the entire venue with a single point. That day, I wasn’t given a win. I was shown his back as he moved toward victory. That became courage for me.

And today, seeing him on the screen felt almost unfair. His hair, eyebrows, posture, clothes. None of it was overdone, yet everything was just a little different.

“Wow, he’s cool.”

The words slipped out. I even laughed at myself. We were friends. We still were.

“You really are cool.”

The strength he showed in karate. The kindness with which he spoke to me. And now, seeing him trying to change even his appearance gave me courage again. I was still facing the ring and my own legs. But when I made my next shot, my chest felt just a little lighter. I wanted Mukei-kun to praise me and so, I would do my best for what I loved.

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《Yua Miura’s POV》

The scent of love could usually be brushed off with laughter.

“Hiro-chan, your bangs are genius.”

“Sleep, hydration, and sunlight!”

My specialty was raising the temperature of a place just a bit. I had probably watched Anno Hiroko’s quiet, falling-in-love profile closer than anyone else. Because I felt the same way, I could notice it. That was why I had decided.

Mukei-kun was looking at Hiro-chan. So I would be the captain of the cheering squad.

The brighter the flag, the better. My own feelings? I tucked them into the inside of my pocket, even deeper than the tissues. I took them out once in a while and laughed to myself. I thought that was fine.

That morning, my phone lit up. Mukei-kun was on the screen. Whoa—this was bad. My voice leaked out on its own, and I reflexively took a screenshot. The “Saved” pop-up felt strangely long. My fingers trembled on their own, then I laughed, then sighed. Hiro-chan’s face came to mind. In the next moment, my own did too. Two hearts beat like drums inside my chest.

I knew it. My place in line wasn’t here. At the wings of the stage where Hiro-chan would walk, my role was to adjust the direction of the lights. Just a supporting role. But still, I was a girl too. I wanted to be forgiven for at least taking a screenshot. I wanted a picture of the person I cared about too. I typed “That gap is insane” and sent it to Mizuki.

Still, I gently tucked today’s one photo deep into my pocket. Because even if I looked back at it years from now, I’d probably still be able to smile. At lunchtime, I looked toward the benches and lightly cut the air with my palm. It didn’t have to reach them. After all, the signal was already ringing inside me.

“Do your best, both of you.”

My words were light, my feelings heavy. My role was to smile and push them forward. And every now and then, I found myself quietly flashing a peace sign back at that screenshot when I was all by myself.

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