Chapter 45 - The Losing Heroine, Wan-chan, Raises the White Flag
“I want you to make Saiga happy.”
Mogami-san looked troubled after Wannai-san made that request. And honestly, who could blame her? I mean, she was suddenly being asked to make him happy, which sounded like Wannai-san was already assuming Mogami-san would end up dating him.
Sure, right now, Mogami-san was definitely at the center of attention, or rather, the eye of the storm, so to speak. Whether “heroine race” was the appropriate term to describe their shenanigans was debatable, but it was true that among the heroines, Mogami-san stood out the most.
Still, just because she was standing out didn’t mean the other heroines had vanished. Just because the mob heroine had blossomed into a beautiful girl didn’t automatically mean all of Sanada’s affection was now directed solely toward her.
If Mogami-san didn't want to do it, then she could ask some other heroine to do it instead. That seemed like a much more natural way of thinking.
"I'm sure you can. You seem like the type who would be really devoted, Fuko, and Saiga would probably want someone like you too."
I couldn’t quite understand Wannai-san’s way of thinking. She had already given up on competing in the heroine race this early and accepted her fate as a “losing heroine.”
That was her own decision, so I wasn’t going to argue with her about it. But why had she chosen Mogami-san, of all heroines, to entrust him to?
“Did Sanada say something like that? That he only likes Mogami-san now? That his feelings have changed?”
“...Why? Are you curious about us too?”
“Of course. Otherwise, how would I even know you exist?”
“Ah, so that's why you already knew who Wannai-san was, Sato-kun.”
Well, that was because I had read the manga, but that didn’t matter right now. What mattered was finding out what Wannai-san was really thinking.
“Hmph. Well, whatever. You seem harmless enough, so I guess I’ll tell you. Anyway, it’s not like Saiga is only into Fuko now or anything. He’s still as flirty with the other girls as ever. But he is definitely interested in Fuko. There’s no doubt about that.”
So it wasn’t like Sanada had undergone some massive change of heart. In other words, Wannai-san's actions didn’t seem to be because of him. This looked more like something she had decided on her own.
“Then there’s no need for it to be Mogami-san, is there? Wouldn’t it make more sense to entrust him to the other girls? You know, the ones who are obsessed with him? Don’t you think he would be happier that way?”
After I asked her that question, her response finally let the pieces fall into place.
“No. Those girls are no good. They're beautiful, sure, but they're not the type who can actually make Saiga happy. They are all just thinking about themselves. At least, that is how it looks to me."
...I see. So that was it. In short, this girl had chosen Mogami-san herself.
“I've actually been stalking Fuko for the last few days straight.”
“Eh!? H-h-h-how much did you see!?”
“I saw that you had a teddy bear pattern on your panties.”
"Why were you even looking there!?"
Well, underwear choices do say a lot about a person… Still, teddy bear panties, huh? Yep! Very nice! Of course, saying that out loud would be sexual harassment, so I kept a perfectly straight face.
“Sato-kun, that was just because I was washing my other underwear that day! I usually wear something way more mature-looking!!”
I wasn’t sure why she was trying to convince me, but if I responded, it would still probably count as sexual harassment, so I just gave a solemn nod and moved on.
“Ahem. Anyway, I’d love to have a much more detailed discussion about Mogami-san’s underwear later, Wannai-san.”
“Don't ask for details, please...!”
“Right. So, Wannai-san, after stalking Mogami-san, what did you think of her?”
That was the most important part of this whole conversation. What Wannai-san's evaluation of Mogami-san was. That was probably going to be the starting point for how this new plot would unfold from here on.
“She’s an incredibly sweet girl. I’ve never met anyone with such a pure heart. There’s not a single trace of selfishness in her. Everything she does is for other people. Watching her made me realize… that there is no point in someone like me loving Saiga. I’m too selfish to ever make him happy.”
...So, that's what it was. For a brief moment, I’d wondered if she was acting out of jealousy toward Mogami-san, but I was wrong.
“I truly think that Fuko is the only one who can make Saiga the happiest. That’s why I asked her.”
I could feel the respect she held for Mogami-san, who had transformed into this overwhelmingly powerful heroine. She was just like a puppy rolling onto its back and showing its belly to pledge obedience to a stronger opponent.
In the end, it looked like Wannai-san had raised her white flag.
