{Satou-san Who was not Supposed To Be Cute}

Satou-san isn’t cute.

This is strictly about her appearance, though; no matter how you look at it, she isn’t a beauty.

I don’t dislike Satou-san’s face—in fact, I rather like it—but it can’t be denied that her features are plain and unrefined. A face that seems like it could belong to anyone, a face that’s average at best, might be the correct description.

Of course, to me, she is special, but I’ve never heard anyone else rate her higher than I do.

In other words, from anyone’s perspective, Satou-san shouldn’t be cute.

Yet, Satou-san appeared with a completely different face.

On the day of the cultural festival, right before the play’s performance, in the bustling classroom.

“Yamaguchi-kun, doesn’t it look… odd?”

From amidst the noise, a somewhat uncertain voice came through.

The person standing right in front of me, tilting her head, was unmistakably Satou-san.

At that moment, I was reluctantly dressed in a full-body suit, wearing a hood with mouse ears. Even I had to admit it was a good fit; the fabric was such that it didn’t crush the ears of the horse costume I had worn underneath. So I, who looked like nothing other than a mouse, was called out by Satou-san.

Of course, I recognized her immediately. There was no way I could mistake her voice.

Even though I shouldn’t have mistaken her face either, I was startled when I saw her.

Satou-san was wearing a black dress.

It was a long, black dress with a slim cami top and a long skirt. Although it lacked sparkle, the straight lines of the dress made her look unusually mature. A light purple shawl was draped over her bare shoulders, and the exposed skin looked strikingly white.

Her hairstyle was different from her usual ponytail. Her long black hair was styled into a chignon at the back of her head. Some stray hairs at the nape fluttered softly.

And her face—this face that wasn’t supposed to be exceptionally beautiful—was properly made up. There were no smudged lipstick or overly flushed cheeks. Her lips were painted a deep red, her eyes sparkled with fine glitter, and her cheeks had a faint rosy hue. Her upturned lashes were strikingly long, seemingly making a sound with every blink.

Satou-san had transformed into someone else.

“…Yamaguchi-kun?”

Still, her voice was the same as always.

It was the same modest, considerate tone of Satou-san who always worried about me.

“Are you okay? You don’t look so well…”

Her furrowed brows and expression seemed out of sync with her makeup. I was uncomfortable with the discrepancy.

“I-I’m fine.”

Although I responded, my voice was noticeably high-pitched.

Had the class heard me? Soon after, a loud burst of laughter echoed from somewhere in the classroom. Maybe it was just my imagination. Even if it wasn’t, it didn’t matter. I had no room to think about the others.

Because Satou-san was right in front of me.

The Satou-san who was a stranger to me but with a voice as familiar as always.

“Are you nervous? The performance is about to start.”

Her red lips moved. They looked glossy and soft.

“Well, a little…”

In contrast, my lips were dry and cracked. Even my neutral response came out raspy.

“I’m nervous too.”

Satou-san tilted her head again.

At that moment, her shawl slipped off her shoulders, and she hurried to fix it. She seemed to be cold, showing concern for her shoulders.

“I’m worried about tripping on stage or whether I’ll be able to deliver my lines correctly. My mind has been filled with these thoughts.”

I was preoccupied with other things.

I had completely forgotten about the impending performance. The few lines I had were gone from my mind, and now all I could think about was just one person. Everything else was invisible.

“But I feel a bit reassured now. If even Yamaguchi-kun is nervous, it means everyone gets nervous.”

Her light laughter made her seem much more composed than I felt.

I had no composure. I was nervous—not about the play’s performance, but about Satou-san. It was a strange situation.

Satou-san wasn’t cute or beautiful.

That’s not something I alone think. It’s common knowledge.

Yet, seeing Satou-san dressed up for the play, with her hair styled and makeup done, she looked strangely beautiful. I wondered if anyone could look this good without being a beauty to start with. Could a girl change so much with just makeup? It felt unfair.

It was something that truly made me think so.

“Yamaguchi-kun?”

Her voice brought me back to reality.

The classroom’s noise returned. The atmosphere before the performance was tense and a bit noisy.

To pull my focus back, Satou-san looked up at me.

“Are you okay? You still look unwell.”

I couldn’t look directly at her gaze. I hurriedly looked away.

“N-No, it’s nothing. I’m just not used to the makeup. I think I’ll calm down once I paint my face and draw on some whiskers.”

I felt as if I heard another laugh, though it might have been my imagination.

But Satou-san didn’t notice. She seemed relieved and adjusted her shawl again.

“Satou-san, did you do your makeup yourself?”

When I managed to ask, she answered with a smile.

“No. I asked someone to do it for me.”

“Did you get your hair done too?”

“Yes. I couldn’t have done it on my own.”

In a corner of the classroom, a group of girls were helping each other with hair and makeup. It looked lively and fun.

“…I see.”

I was a bit disappointed.

So, this hairstyle was probably just for today. It was a special look just for the festival play, and she probably couldn’t get it done on other days. It felt like a waste. It looked so much better than her usual plain ponytail. The makeup suited her too. It would be problematic if it happened every day, though, since I’d be constantly shocked.

I was struggling now. I was bewildered. I knew I needed to say something, but it was hard to get the words out.

“That outfit looks good on you.”

I finally managed to mention the truth.

How long had it been since she called out to me? I had been in the full-body suit with mouse ears for a while and finally managed to speak normally. I said the words Satou-san was probably most eager to hear.

Satou-san blinked her upturned lashes.

She then reddened her cheeks a bit more and gave a shy smile with even redder lips.

“I’m glad. It’s good to hear you say that, Yamaguchi-kun.”

It was a rather meaningful murmur.

But I didn’t have the luxury to ask for clarification.

Satou-san was beautiful today.

To the point where I could see nothing else.

After she left, I looked into a small mirror and applied foundation to my flushed cheeks.

Then I drew on some mouse whiskers. Three on the right, three on the left.

While drawing the third whisker on the left, Yukawa-san called out to me.

“Yamaguchi-kun, you were surprised earlier, weren’t you?”

A teasing smile appeared in the corner of the hand mirror. She was already dressed as Cinderella but had a face that didn’t quite match the character.

“Satou-san looked really pretty, didn’t she? I did her makeup.”

Next to her, Saiki-san popped her head in. She was supposed to be a lady but looked mischievous.

“Didn’t you fall for her again? Or am I wrong?”

I knew that any response I gave would dig me deeper into a hole, so I stayed silent.

But because of that, the third whisker on the left came out wobbly.

The final cultural festival. Our class’s turn would come soon.

Yet my mind was entirely occupied with just one person.