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As you are
Scrub, scrub, scrub.
Shiho scrubbed me with a handkerchief as if she was washing dishes.
“Oh, it doesn’t come off very well… Ugh, it’s like my Kotaro-kun is getting d***y, and it’s very irritating.”
…After all, Shiho’s sensibilities are unique.
She has a worldview that is different from the rest of us.
It’s as if to say, she doesn’t like me in all my finery.
Denying me now means affirming me in the past.
I was honestly happy to hear that.
“Shiho is a bit of a strange girl after all.”
“Shut up. Don’t call my name with that face. You look like a TV idol. Are you on a mission? And you look like you’re not too upset about being catcalled in class, which is very offensive.”
“… You’re just saying that?”
I didn’t mean to look like I wasn’t full of it.
But it seemed that the jealous Shiho-chan saw it that way.
“Don’t get me wrong. Kotaro-kun is just a guy who is nice, a good listener, cares about me, smiles only in front of me, and loves me very much!”
“I’m sorry, I don’t know what you’re getting at.”
And I’m embarrassed because it’s a huge compliment.
No, I was thrilled by the unexpected words because I did not expect her to be so favorable to me.
Why is this girl so good at tickling men’s hearts?
Perhaps this is already a natural talent. One of the charms she inherited from her mother, Satsuki.
“So, what I’m trying to say is that I think … you are the most beautiful just the way you are. Seeing you with makeup on makes me feel like such a waste.”
–See?
After all, Shiho is completely different from other girls.
She hates falsehoods. She looks inward, not outward. That’s why she is not misled and has a strong sense of self. She doesn’t lose sight of herself like Kirari does.
“Shiho, don’t you wear makeup?”
“Yes. Because I don’t have to? You see, I got this nice skin from my mom and dad, and it would be disrespectful to them if I messed it up.”
Skin … No, it’s not wrong.
In short, her parents’ genes gave her a nice face, and she doesn’t want more.
Shiho somehow also knows she is pretty. But that’s just something she got, so she doesn’t seem to brag about it much.
“Besides, I hope you love me without makeup more than you love me after I put makeup on… or else I’ll be sad…”
She doesn’t try to twist herself to be loved like Kirari does.
She only wants someone who accepts her for who she is.
That is why Shiho Shimotsuki will always remain “Shiho Shimotsuki”.
This is probably the difference between a subheroine and a main heroine.
“Well, I don’t blame you for wanting to be prettier. I don’t mean to deny makeup, and I’m a little interested in it myself, you know? But, Kotaro-kun, it is forbidden. It’s my property, so I don’t want you to pollute it without my permission.”
“But you will forgive me tomorrow, right? I’m the star of the show, after all.”
“… Oh, it’s only tomorrow, right? From now on, you must always be just as you are, okay? Just you, Kotaro-kun, for me.”
“That, of course.”
“Promise? Come on, let’s do it.”
A cute little finger is held out to me. I connect my pinky finger, and Shiho grips it strongly.
“………Ehehe♪”
I’ve been in a bad mood for a while now.
When I held her hand, Shiho instantly smiled.
She can be a bit of a hassle, though.
On the contrary, she is also an easy girl. She must have been in a good mood as soon as I held her hand.
She was cute, after all.