NOVEL NEXT chapter 30
30. Change
Sunday was a whirlwind of activity as I executed my plans.
That day, with Mashiro’s help, the ideas I had were put into action, gradually taking shape.
And then came Monday morning.
Having finished getting ready for school, I stood facing the mirror in the washroom.
I pulled my tie up to my neck, buttoned my shirt, and donned my uniform properly.
—
—
And I nodded vigorously at my reflection in the mirror.
My hair, dyed pitch black.
I cut my slightly longer hair short for a fresh impression.
I removed all the piercings that sparkled by my ears and groomed my eyebrows to soften my rugged face just a bit.
What stared back at me in the mirror was a dazzlingly handsome young man.
The delinquent version of me was nowhere to be seen.
I had always thought this way.
Hair plays an important role in romantic comedy works.
To express characters, manga, anime, and games often use a variety of hair colors and styles to highlight individuality. This is also true for “The Lovestruck Maiden is in Love with Fusegawa-kun,” which started as a comic and gained popularity through its anime adaptation.
Especially on the protagonist’s side, it’s quite clear. The roles of hair color and style are prominently displayed.
The protagonist, Raito Fusegawa, has simple short black hair.
The heroine, Yuna Hanazaki, a classic beauty, has glossy long red hair.
The energetic childhood friend heroine, Karen Himeno, sports deep blue twin tails.
The half-British student council president, Miyuki Sakuramiya, elegantly curls her beautiful long blonde hair.
Raito’s best friend, Reo, is also a refreshing silver-haired handsome guy, while his friend Kyouya Nishikawa has chestnut-colored very short hair.
Thus, the characters on the protagonist’s side are entirely distinct, with hair color and style serving as symbols that make it easy to identify who they are at a glance.
And it was the same for me and Mashiro, the delinquent characters given special roles.
I had brown hair dyed in a delinquent style, while Mashiro, easily recognizable as a gal, had her hair dyed golden and tied in a side ponytail. Other delinquent characters also had hairstyles and colors that made anyone think, “That looks about right.”
In this way, we were symbolized as characters in the story, easily recognized by manga readers and anime viewers.
There was a significant hint in that.
I realized it due to a certain event. It was all thanks to Mashiro.
She wanted to match my preferences, transforming her feelings for me into effort, and drastically changed her appearance.
She switched to a classic long black hairstyle representative of heroines and began to adopt a refined look that overflowed with elegance, unlike what one would expect from a gal. She was reborn as an incredibly beautiful girl who could captivate anyone.
Then, the world began to reassess her. It deemed that Manatsu Mashiro was not suited for a villain role, assigning her the part of one of the heroines in love with the protagonist. This was an irregular development that was never in the original work.
In other words—if I too took on an appearance unsuitable for a villain, from hair color to hairstyle and clothing, I thought it could become a significant power.
However, the past of Shindou Ryuusuke that I had walked was fitting for a villain, and it was unlikely that I would be given a different role like Mashiro so quickly. But this change should definitely have a positive impact.
Not only that, this “short black hair” holds great significance for me, who is not a mob character. That will be revealed once I arrive at the classroom.
In truth, I wanted to correct my hairstyle and color much earlier, but weekdays were too busy, leaving no time to visit a salon, and I wanted to eliminate the possibility of failure by rushing too much.
So, I relied on Mashiro, who had already succeeded.
I asked her which salon she went to, wanting to implement this plan with the same stylist.
—
And it was a great success with Mashiro by my side.
Her hairstyle and hair color were all just as I had envisioned.
“Alright… perfect.”
I murmured to myself while gazing at the drastically changed version of myself.
Then I picked up my student bag from the floor and headed toward the entrance.
As I stepped outside, I heard a bright and cheerful greeting.
“Good morning, Ryusuke!”
“Mashiro? Were you waiting outside?”
“Hehe, I wanted to surprise you, so I came secretly.”
Mashiro beamed a smile brighter than the morning sun.
She had been waiting here all this time to cheer me on.
Moved by Mashiro’s angelic demeanor, I placed my hand gently on her head and stroked it lightly. At that, Mashiro relaxed her cheeks and squinted her eyes in pleasure.
“Thank you, Mashiro, for coming.”
“No, I wanted to go to school with you, Ryusuke. Plus, you look really cool now, so I thought I’d like to be with you more.”
“I see. Then let’s decide on a meeting place and time from now on and go to school together every day.”
“Going to school together with Ryusuke every day… Ehehe, that’s amazing. I’m so happy I can’t help but grin!”
Mashiro’s shy smile made me want to hug her, and warm feelings overflowed in my chest.
Just then, the front door of the house opened, and my younger sister Mai appeared. When she spotted Mashiro, a joyful smile spread across her face.
“It’s Mashiro-san! Good morning! Did you come to see my brother?”
“Good morning, Mai-chan. I was so excited to come because I wanted to go to school with Ryusuke.”
“Ugh~ It’s too wonderful that Mashiro-san and my brother are going to school together… I’m so happy~”
“From now on, we’ll be together every day. Nice to meet you, Mai-chan.”
“Oh, and I heard from RINE that you dyed your hair black again, Mashiro-san. You look super cute!”
“Ehehe. From today, we’ll match with Ryusuke, and I’m so happy.”
Mashiro smiled happily, her lips curling up softly as she played with the ends of her hair.
So, Mashiro is happy that I dyed my hair black again. Thinking that made me feel proud as well.
“Well then, Mashiro, let’s go to school. Mai, be careful on your way and don’t be late.”
“Okay! Big brother! Please take care of Mashiro-san!”
“Mai-chan, do your best at school! I’ll message you on RINE later.”
“Yes, I’m looking forward to it!”
Waving my hand to say goodbye to the dance, I start walking alongside Mashiro. My steps are much lighter than usual.