Chapter 19 - I Want to See the Mob Heroine in Her School Uniform
There was only one day of summer vacation left.
The time was finally drawing near. Mogami-san seemed to be aware of it, too, as she seemed quite nervous.
“S-Sato-kun… do you think I’ll be okay tomorrow? Won’t everyone think I look weird?”
“You’ll be fine. You don’t look weird at all.”
Are they going to say I 'did a summer vacation debut'?"
"They are going to say that, but it's just the truth, so don't worry about it."
"Y-you're supposed to deny that part!"
We chatted casually after finishing our usual early-morning run. This will be the last time we’ll be having this kind of warm, peaceful exchange, too.
"I feel so anxious I probably won't be able to sleep tonight."
“When that happens, just play some games. By the time you realize it, it’ll already be morning.”
“You’re not even trying to help me sleep… Oh well, maybe I’ll just read a book. I bought a new one recently anyway.”
She often tended to become negative about many things on a daily basis. But when I replied with something positive, her thoughts always shifted toward a better direction like this.
Mogami-san is pure-hearted. That's why she's so easily influenced by the people she's with. The only reason she was so pessimistic before was probably because she never had anyone by her side to encourage her.
Well, from now on, that won't be my job anymore. It'll be Sanada's.
At any rate, tonight will be her last sleepless night. I was relieved, at least, on that front.
Sanada, please… make sure my beloved Mobuko-chan ends up happy.
I found myself feeling like a father sending his beloved daughter off to be married.
"School starts tomorrow, right? Got your uniform all set?"
That one line snapped me back to reality.
(That’s right… Mogami-san’s uniform look was the very definition of ‘mob-cute’!)
Mob-cute, at least in my mind, was a compliment. But if you put it bluntly, it meant her outfit was plain and lacking the flair or flashiness the other heroines had.
Before summer vacation, Mogami-san always wore her navy-blue tracksuit over her uniform. On top of that, her skirt was super long, way below the knees. I personally liked that modest vibe, but Sanada preferred a look that showed a little more skin.
Before she went back to school, I wanted to fix that part. And so, I made a decision.
“Alright. I’m coming over to your place later.”
“...Eh? Why!?”
"I just suddenly got this urge to see you in your school uniform."
“Isn’t that a bit sudden…?
Okay, was that a little too pushy? Mogami-san looks totally confused. She doesn't seem thrilled... or, no, she's probably just embarrassed.
But she's the shy, reserved type of girl. If pushing doesn't work, you just have to push harder. Backing down isn't an option.
“Look, it’ll be your first time wearing your uniform since you changed your hairstyle, right? I bet you’ll look insanely cute. I just really, really want to see it.”
“C-cute…”
And yep. She’s so easy.
'Cute.' That one word is all it takes. Her cheeks flushed, and now she's mumbling something to herself. Yep, she's flustered.
“I-I’m not cute or anything… but, well, if you're going to insist... I guess it's fine..."
See? If you just push her a little, she wouldn’t say no. She nodded, her expression showing that she wasn’t entirely against the idea.
“Thanks. I’ll come by in the afternoon then.”
“Okay. I’ll iron my uniform and wait for you.”
"Maybe I should bring a little something for your mom, too. Oh, is your dad home? It's a weekday, so I guess he's at work?"
“Y-you’re planning to meet my dad too? He’d be so surprised… but, no, unfortunately, both my parents are out today. Dad’s at work, and Mom’s having lunch with some friends.”
“I see. Got it.”
If possible, I would’ve liked to at least see her dad once… But if they weren’t home, then that couldn’t be helped.
“S-So... it'll be just the two of us... alone."
“Yeah. Just the two of us.”
“Mm-hmm. Just the two of us… hehe.”
And for some reason, Mogami-san looked really happy about that. Heh. Such a teenager. She probably just didn't want her parents to see her hanging out with a guy.
And so, just like that, I'd be going over to Mogami-san's house in the afternoon.
