Chapter 21 - The Mob Heroine Undressed
Her impression now was completely different from before.
Don’t get me wrong, I loved her old plain and simple mekakure self, but still… the girl standing in front of me right now was something else entirely. It's weird... 'grew more sophisticated' doesn't feel like the right phrase, either. This wasn't a 'country girl moves to the city and gets a makeover' kind of glow-up.
If I had to compare it to something, she was like traditional Japanese cuisine where the goal is to bring out the natural flavor of the ingredients themselves. Her current appearance was merely an extension of who she already was. Her glossy black hair, her calm and gentle aura, her pure expression, her clear eyes… all of it worked together to create a serene, almost tranquil atmosphere unique to her.
Her unique atmosphere was even more emphasized when she was in her uniform than in her casual clothes.
These days, both in fiction and real life, flashy high school girls seemed to be all the rage. In real life, it was common to see dyed hair, colored contacts, and makeup. Even in fiction, it has become standard for characters to have mixed Western features. The number of pure, black-haired classy high school girls had definitely decreased compared to the past. There used to be a time, you know, when 'otaku-kuns love black hair' was the law. That appeal hadn’t completely vanished, but it no longer ruled the scene like it once had.
And yet, standing before me was that very archetype of the classic pure, black-haired classy “Yamato Nadeshiko” kind of schoolgirl. That was the current impression of Mogami Fuko.
"Did you know? Just now, I looked in the mirror and I was... shocked, too. I even questioned myself if it was really me reflected in the mirror."
“Is it your first time wearing the uniform again?”
"Yeah. I mean… I'm usually too scared to even look in mirrors... I've always hated looking at my own reflection."
It was probably because she lacked confidence.
I’d said it many times before, but I genuinely liked her just the way she is. Honestly, I’d only encouraged her to cut her hair because I thought it would suit Sanada’s tastes more than my own. But now, I was convinced that had been the right decision.
From now on, I'm sure Mogami-san will be able to like herself a little more. And when she does, she'll naturally become more positive. I can easily see that happening, and just the thought itself makes me relieved.
Even if I'm not by her side in the future, she'll be okay. And that's why it's time for the last little bit. Let's call it the final finishing touch to help this mob heroine finally become the main heroine.
"But, Mogami-san... there are two things that are still really bothering me."
“Two things…?”
"And just to be clear, it's not like these are 'bad' things. You're already more than cute enough just as you are. So, you can just think of this as my own personal preference, okay? If you hate doing it, you can totally just say no."
“No… There's no way I'd ever hate it."
She shook her head slowly as she said that.
The trust she placed in me made me unexpectedly happy. Just knowing she feels that way is honestly enough for me.
Now I really could send her off with a smile. But before that, there was still something I had to do.
“First, that tracksuit.”
“Oh, right. You mentioned that before summer break too, didn’t you?”
“Yeah. But you’ve been exercising almost every day during the break, haven’t you? Your figure, which you were so worried about, should've improved by now. I was wondering if even with all that effort, you’re still feeling insecure?”
“...Remember? When I said I hated showing skin because I was 'fat'... you told me to apologize because I wasn’t fat, just secretly stacked…”
“Exactly. And what’s so scary about being stacked?”
This past summer, our official reason for all the exercise was ‘dieting,’ but that wasn’t the real reason. The real reason I encouraged her to keep at it was to shut down her excuses for putting herself down. Even for someone like Mogami-san, who's always tended to put herself down, it'd be pretty hard to just deny the results of her own consistent effort.
“Mogami-san, take it off.”
“W-wait, if someone overheard just that one line, they’d totally get the wrong idea!”
"Doesn’t matter. Take it off. Show off that... bountiful part of yours, with pride. You get me? That's not fat in there. That's dreams and hope. Men love it, obviously, but even other women look up to it! So, show that weapon off proudly...!"
“You’re so passionate about this! Sato-kun, you’re usually so calm, so why are you always suddenly acting so passionate over topics like these!?”
“Just take it off, Mogami Fuko!”
“Y-Yesh!"
As always, she was ridiculously easy to pressure. After I ordered her, a little forcefully, Mogami-san tore off her tracksuit in a panic. And what was revealed underneath was a pair of... white mountains.
It was straining. And the way you could just barely see the color of her undergarments peeking through the gaps between the buttons was a nice touch, too.
"Um... the size... it doesn't really fit... so... maybe until I can get a new uniform, I could just... keep wearing my tracksuit...?"
"Rejected. The size isn't wrong, it's perfect. Don't worry about it."
"Uuugh... even Mom said the same thing, and refused to buy me a new one. She just told me, 'What's the point? You're just going to get bigger anyway! It's a waste of money. The time to buy a new one is after the buttons pop off!'"
Then again, her mom is stacked, too. A straining uniform... it must just be a rite of passage for the well-endowed.
