Chapter 24 - The Mob Heroine Blooms
Finally, she was complete.
Mogami Fuko. Affectionately called ‘Mobuko-chan’ by her fans.
But now, there was probably no one left who could call her a "mob." Because she had just, truly, bloomed.
"Sato-kun, are you okay?"
“Sorry. I just… couldn’t help it. I’m really happy.”
I was so overjoyed that tears just started to spill. That's just how captivating Mogami-san had become.
She used to give off such a plain, unremarkable impression.
Her bangs were so long you could barely see her eyes. Her hair was unevenly cut and unkempt. She wore a baggy tracksuit that completely hid her figure, and a skirt that went below her knees. Her voice was so quiet you could barely hear her even when she spoke, and her back was always slightly hunched, as if she were trying to make herself smaller and invisible. I had liked that version of Mogami-san, too, but I guess, in the eyes of the general public, she might not have been considered attractive. More than anything, her lack of confidence, her timid behavior, and her constant self-deprecation made her presence fade into the background. Because of all that, Mogami-san... couldn't even give a simple 'thank you' to the protagonist, Sanada Saiga, and ended up being ignored.
But now, things are different.
Neatly trimmed bangs that show a glimpse of her sky-blue eyes with every movement. Rounded black hair that gives off a refreshing, pure vibe. Her "stacked" figure, exposed by finally taking off the tracksuit, creates a sight that just draws your gaze. And the skirt, short enough to see her thighs, creates an irresistible "gap" with her modest demeanor.
Her outward transformation alone was astonishing. But even more than that, she herself changed greatly during this summer break.
“To cry because you’re happy… hearing you say that makes me want to cry too, Sato-kun.”
Her personality was still just as sweet as ever. But her voice was noticeably stronger now. The back that used to be hunched was straight and confident. And the hands that once avoided any contact with others were now gently rubbing my back, as if to comfort me.
She still wasn’t full of confidence, though, not entirely. And she'd still slip into self-deprecation if you weren't paying attention. Even so, the Mogami-san of now... she probably didn't hate herself anymore. She had come to love herself enough for me to say that with certainty.
I didn't have any concrete proof, but I just felt it. Because, if she didn't, she wouldn't have been able to dress this way. It was because she had gained at least a little confidence in herself that she was able to show this kind of vulnerability.
Sure, part of it might’ve been because I encouraged her to. But the old her never would have worn something this revealing, even if I'd told her to. Was it really possible for someone to grow this much over a single summer vacation? It was like watching a shonen manga protagonist’s awakening. That was how powerful her transformation was.
"Mogami-san. There's one thing I need to sincerely apologize for."
“...Huh? I don't think there's anything you need to apologize to me for, Sato-kun."
“No. There is.”
The truth is, of all the things I've said to her, there was one thing I absolutely had to apologize for. It was from before summer vacation. It was something I told her to light a fire under her and to push her forward.
“...I’m sorry for calling you a ‘mob heroine.’”
For saying those words to her back then. For speaking as if I were some omniscient being, looking down at her from above, when now we were living in the same world. I apologized, from the bottom of my heart. I knew just how much those words must have hurt her, just by looking at all the effort she put in this summer. She, who had always been timid and hesitant, had reacted to that one comment with such visible rejection. It was a rawness I’d never seen from her before. I had regretted it ever since. But I also felt that apologizing before she had fully bloomed... would have been cowardly. That was why I waited. Until this moment, when everything had truly come full circle.
“You’re no longer a mob.”
“R-really…?”
“Yeah. The Mogami-san standing here right now is, without a doubt, a main heroine.”
The instant I said those words and just when my own tears had finally subsided, Mogami-san’s tears began to fall instead.
“Hic.”
She tried to hold back her sobs, but her emotions clearly overflowed. And then, she suddenly threw herself into my arms. I caught her firmly, just as I had that time before summer break, when she nearly fell at the library.
"I also have something… I've wanted to say for a long time."
“What is it?”
“...Thank you. Thank you for seeing me… for noticing me.”
Just like that time she cried with joy, just from me calling her by her name... No... maybe this was even more than that. She was crying, but she looked so, so happy. Holding her soft, warm body, feeling her tears, I held her... and I smiled, too.
(With this, my role is complete.)
I had fulfilled my mission.
All that was left was to watch. To see her... not as a mob heroine anymore, but as the main heroine, here from the corner of the panel, where I originally belonged.
