Chapter 23 - The Mob Heroine Only Shortened Her Skirt, and Yet…
After everything that had happened so far, I finally realized that Mogami-san had been holding onto a huge misunderstanding.
“Hey… could it be that you think all men only like girls who are slim and have perfect figures?”
"Huh? T-they don't?"
So that really was what she thought. That must be why she's never had any confidence in her own body.
Sure, Mogami-san wasn’t exactly slender. You probably couldn't even call her skinny, but she definitely wasn’t fat, either. She was probably just naturally well-built. And that, it seemed, was something she had always been self-conscious about.
It was time to clear up that misconception once and for all.
"Being slim isn’t everything. In fact, a lot of guys prefer girls with curves and a fuller figure. There are tons of guys like that. Let me state for the record: 'skinny' does not have some absolute, ultimate value. Not that it’s a bad thing, of course.”
"...Are you one of those guys, Sato-kun?"
“Me? Definitely. To be honest, your figure, Mogami-san? It’s exactly my type. I love your face, sure, but your personality is even more amazing. Just being with you like this makes my heart race. You’ve got that kind of charm, and I want you to recognize it yourself.”
Your looks, your personality. I just find everything about you charming.
…Perhaps she had never been affirmed like this before.
“I-I see… Yeah. That’s right. You’re the only one who ever says things like that about me, Sato-kun… ehehe.”
She blushed, embarrassed but clearly happy. Her cheeks were red, and she clutched the hem of her skirt tightly, as if to hold onto that happiness.
“Of course, what I said isn’t just my opinion, it’s true in general, too. I’m not the only one who feels that way.”
"...That part doesn't really matter to me. I just wanted to know what you felt, Sato-kun."
Well, honestly, I’d prefer if she believed the general truth more than just my own words. I mean, if she's using my preferences as the baseline, she was totally fine as her original ‘Mobuko-chan’ self. Not that it matters, I love her current self, too, so it's fine.
Anyway, the point is, Mogami-san doesn't need to be so anxious about her figure. And I did just make that case with all the passion I could muster.
“So, keeping all that in mind, can I make my suggestion again? How about making your skirt just a little bit shorter?”
"And... you, Sato-kun? Would you prefer it that way?"
“Yeah. I would. Or rather, I want to see you in it.”
I nodded firmly. Because of her low self-esteem, she always assumed that no one wanted anything from her. But at least I had strong expectations for her. And as long as she kept wanting to fulfill those expectations, she would one day undoubtedly bloom. She would stop being a mere mob character and take her next step forward.
Her personality isn't selfish. If anything, her personality is excessively altruistic. And that, too, is one of her charms.
"...Okay. Just wait here a second."
Mogami-san nodded, her face filled with quiet determination. There was no trace of her usual timidity or hesitation.
With that resolved look, she left the living room for a moment... and then came right back. And when she did, her skirt was already shorter.
“How… does it look?”
It wasn't too short, by any means. Not like the other heroines, who wear theirs so short you'd see everything if the wind blew. But, her knees, which were hidden before, were now clearly visible. And it was definitely short enough to see the start of her thighs, too.
They weren’t slim, no. But these thighs... they were, without a doubt, very attractive.
If I said, 'they look soft,' I'm 100% sure she'd be creeped out, so I'll keep that to myself. And also, Mogami-san has... that. Yeah. What you'd call a 'child-bearing' figure… Hey, are you kidding me? For a 'mob heroine,' she is way too stacked with weapons. To think that all of this charm was hidden right underneath that veil of insecurity…
“.....”
I was at a loss for words as I looked at her. All she had done was shorten her skirt. Just that, nothing more.
“Um, Sato-kun?”
“...!”
“Huh? You’re… crying!? W-w-why!?”
Before I knew it, tears were flowing down my face.
Sorry, Mogami-san. The moment I saw you like this, I just knew you were going to be fine now. And that certainty made my emotions overflow.
I’d been worried.
When I read the manga’s final, rushed chapter, where Mobuko-chan never even appeared, completely forgotten by everyone, it hurt so much I could hardly stand it.
I couldn’t bear seeing my favorite character treated so cheaply. But now… seeing her like this, I knew that kind of ending would never come.
That realization just moved me to tears. I was truly glad—glad that I’d been able to reincarnate here, meet this girl, and be a part of her life.
