Original Author: ひのはら (Hinohara)
Date Submitted to Kakuyomu: 2021/09/26
Aira stands on her toes slightly to check the results of the final exams.
The top ten students for all subjects combined are publicly posted in the hallway.
After looking through the list carefully, she finds her name in the 8th place column.
She would have liked to be in the top 5, but it looks like she couldn't quite make the cut.
The top 5 students in her year are all unbelievably smart and held those same positions in their first year as well.
Aira heads home with her answer sheets in her bag, hoping to do better next time.
As the train sways, she wonders if Ema would praise her if she shared her exam results.
"Huh...?"
She desperately tries to get shake off the thought that suddenly came to her mind.
That makes it seem like Aira is hoping to be praised by Ema.
Getting embarrassed over nothing, Aira tries to distract herself by watching a random beauty video on her smartphone.
After getting off the train, Aira walks down the streets when a man she doesn't know calls out to her.
"Excuse me."
He's wearing a suit, so there's no doubt that he's a working adult.
Thinking that she's being hit on again, Aira ignores him and keeps walking but he continues talking rapidly.
"Wait... you walk fast. Do you have any interest in the entertainment industry?"
"I do not."
Aira has also been scouted like this many times before, but she's refused all of them.
The looks she inherited from her mother attract the eyes of many, but Aira has no intention of making a living off of that.
It's not that she looks down on those who work in entertainment, but Aira just personally prefers a more down-to-earth life.
Aira would be lying if she stated that she didn't admire the models, idols, and actresses who shine so brightly on TV, but she doesn't wish to shine on the same stage as them.
"I'm sure you'll be very popular."
Aira glances at the business card forced into her hand.
She remembers receiving a card from this agency before and when she showed it to her mother, her mother confirmed that it was a major agency.
It's an agency with a wide range of entertainers, including actresses, models, singers, and more.
"The famous actress Ayase Tsubaki belongs to our agency. If you ever change your mind, call us at any time and we'll definitely make you shine."
After making sure the scout is gone, Aira immediately goes to the park and throws the business card into the bin for burnable trash.
When did it start feeling so hollow to be praised for her appearance?
Around that time, she did her best to not stand out and didn't speak as much at school.
She was not severely bullied, but building relationships began to feel tiresome.
Despite having friends at school, Aira rarely hangs out with them outside of school.
"And because I'm so headstrong..."
The boys she dated told her that she wasn't cute.
There was one time before a kiss when she suddenly turned her face away.
Her boyfriend at the time coldly said, "You ain't cute. I was fooled by your looks."
"I know..."
As she sips the juice she bought from the vending machine, she remembers Ema.
She was the first person who ever called all of Aira cute.
"..."
Ema surely doesn't know how happy that made her feel.
Aira, who has been so used to being praised for only her looks, heard that her personality was cute for the first time.
Ema praised her uncute parts as cute.
Is that why Aira has started to open her heart to Ema?
"... Ah."
She opens the streaming site on her phone to see that Usami Koneko is currently live.
"She doesn't usually stream during evenings..."
When she opens the stream, she finds Usami Koneko happily talking in a chat stream.
Her cute voice sounds so pleasant that Aira gets the urge to listen to it forever.
In the upper right corner of the screen, Aira reads, "If you have any questions, send them in chat."
Aira wonders if she should write anything but immediately stops moving when Koneko brings up her next topic.
"You know, I've been living more like a proper human being lately. Ever since I started living with a cute high school girl."
She's talking about Aira.
Aira stays still while holding her breath, trying to not miss a single word.
"She's super cute. Oh, and I'm not just talking about her looks, she's incredibly cute on the inside too. She's stubborn and always tries to act strong, but she's kind. She doesn't hesitate to talk back... If I have to compare her, she's like a Pomeranian."
"Pomeranian..."
Being compared to a dog for the first time, a chuckle slips out.
Many people have likened her calm and strong-willed personality to that of a cat.
"She's sometimes noisy with her barking, but she's so cute... If she wasn't around, I wouldn't be eating proper meals or living in a clean home."
The talk about Aira ends there and Koneko begins asking chat if they have any questions.
Questions for Usami Koneko appear one after another in the chat box.
"..."
With her fingers trembling, Aira taps her smartphone.
The question she sent after much deliberation got lost among the questions of nearly 20,000 other viewers and didn't reach her.
Aira pats her chest in relief that she didn't see it.
"Favorite game lately? Let's see... how about I play that game on stream the day after tomorrow?"
She feels thankful that her question got overlooked.
Aira has mixed feelings about whether she wants her question to actually be seen.
If Ema saw the question that Aira sent semi-subconsciously, she would definitely make fun of Aira.
Original Author: ひのはら (Hinohara)
Date Submitted to Kakuyomu: 2021/09/26
Aira stands on her toes slightly to check the results of the final exams.
The top ten students for all subjects combined are publicly posted in the hallway.
After looking through the list carefully, she finds her name in the 8th place column.
She would have liked to be in the top 5, but it looks like she couldn't quite make the cut.
The top 5 students in her year are all unbelievably smart and held those same positions in their first year as well.
Aira heads home with her answer sheets in her bag, hoping to do better next time.
As the train sways, she wonders if Ema would praise her if she shared her exam results.
"Huh...?"
She desperately tries to get shake off the thought that suddenly came to her mind.
That makes it seem like Aira is hoping to be praised by Ema.
Getting embarrassed over nothing, Aira tries to distract herself by watching a random beauty video on her smartphone.
After getting off the train, Aira walks down the streets when a man she doesn't know calls out to her.
"Excuse me."
He's wearing a suit, so there's no doubt that he's a working adult.
Thinking that she's being hit on again, Aira ignores him and keeps walking but he continues talking rapidly.
"Wait... you walk fast. Do you have any interest in the entertainment industry?"
"I do not."
Aira has also been scouted like this many times before, but she's refused all of them.
The looks she inherited from her mother attract the eyes of many, but Aira has no intention of making a living off of that.
It's not that she looks down on those who work in entertainment, but Aira just personally prefers a more down-to-earth life.
Aira would be lying if she stated that she didn't admire the models, idols, and actresses who shine so brightly on TV, but she doesn't wish to shine on the same stage as them.
"I'm sure you'll be very popular."
Aira glances at the business card forced into her hand.
She remembers receiving a card from this agency before and when she showed it to her mother, her mother confirmed that it was a major agency.
It's an agency with a wide range of entertainers, including actresses, models, singers, and more.
"The famous actress Ayase Tsubaki belongs to our agency. If you ever change your mind, call us at any time and we'll definitely make you shine."
After making sure the scout is gone, Aira immediately goes to the park and throws the business card into the bin for burnable trash.
When did it start feeling so hollow to be praised for her appearance?
Around that time, she did her best to not stand out and didn't speak as much at school.
She was not severely bullied, but building relationships began to feel tiresome.
Despite having friends at school, Aira rarely hangs out with them outside of school.
"And because I'm so headstrong..."
The boys she dated told her that she wasn't cute.
There was one time before a kiss when she suddenly turned her face away.
Her boyfriend at the time coldly said, "You ain't cute. I was fooled by your looks."
"I know..."
As she sips the juice she bought from the vending machine, she remembers Ema.
She was the first person who ever called all of Aira cute.
"..."
Ema surely doesn't know how happy that made her feel.
Aira, who has been so used to being praised for only her looks, heard that her personality was cute for the first time.
Ema praised her uncute parts as cute.
Is that why Aira has started to open her heart to Ema?
"... Ah."
She opens the streaming site on her phone to see that Usami Koneko is currently live.
"She doesn't usually stream during evenings..."
When she opens the stream, she finds Usami Koneko happily talking in a chat stream.
Her cute voice sounds so pleasant that Aira gets the urge to listen to it forever.
In the upper right corner of the screen, Aira reads, "If you have any questions, send them in chat."
Aira wonders if she should write anything but immediately stops moving when Koneko brings up her next topic.
"You know, I've been living more like a proper human being lately. Ever since I started living with a cute high school girl."
She's talking about Aira.
Aira stays still while holding her breath, trying to not miss a single word.
"She's super cute. Oh, and I'm not just talking about her looks, she's incredibly cute on the inside too. She's stubborn and always tries to act strong, but she's kind. She doesn't hesitate to talk back... If I have to compare her, she's like a Pomeranian."
"Pomeranian..."
Being compared to a dog for the first time, a chuckle slips out.
Many people have likened her calm and strong-willed personality to that of a cat.
"She's sometimes noisy with her barking, but she's so cute... If she wasn't around, I wouldn't be eating proper meals or living in a clean home."
The talk about Aira ends there and Koneko begins asking chat if they have any questions.
Questions for Usami Koneko appear one after another in the chat box.
"..."
With her fingers trembling, Aira taps her smartphone.
The question she sent after much deliberation got lost among the questions of nearly 20,000 other viewers and didn't reach her.
Aira pats her chest in relief that she didn't see it.
"Favorite game lately? Let's see... how about I play that game on stream the day after tomorrow?"
She feels thankful that her question got overlooked.
Aira has mixed feelings about whether she wants her question to actually be seen.
If Ema saw the question that Aira sent semi-subconsciously, she would definitely make fun of Aira.
