A Good Story
After hearing Saran’s story, I decided to spend ordinary time with her in a natural way. I figured she must have been feeling a bit tired, and I needed to do something to help restore her mental state.
“Miss Saran, how about the steak?”
“It’s delicious.”
“Huh, that’s good. Actually, when I visited with the Team Leader before, it was fine, but I wasn’t sure how Miss Saran’s palate would be.”
“It’s delicious. It’s fine.”
“Hehe, that’s good.”
We arrived at the Western restaurant where the Team Leader and I had visited once before. The reason was simple: when things got tough, there was no better way to calm down than eating something delicious, and the timing worked out perfectly.
I brought Saran here.
Of course, driving was Saran’s job?
“Hehe.”
“…….”
At the restaurant we arrived at, Saran was eating the steak quite… quite deliciously.
She wasn’t stuffing herself, but watching her hand that never stopped spearing the meat and chewing it made me think anew how cute she was. She was taller than me… and overall had that cool vibe, but secretly she showed a cute side.
Unlike her blunt, calm atmosphere, she tended to act first in some ways, and there were quite a few differences that made it interesting.
“Miss Saran, would you like to try this too?”
“Pasta? Not spicy?”
“It’s not spicy. It’s tomato-based, so the color is red, but it’s not spicy at all?”
“Um… then I’ll have just one bite.”
Moreover, although she seemed picky, she rarely refused when we talked like this.
Overall, Saran was a bit different from her appearance.
Different from Baek Eun-hwa…?
Both Saran and Baek Eun-hwa felt like cool beauties, but Saran had a sharper impression than Baek Eun-hwa.
That was why I kept thinking that way.
“Huh.”
Baek Eun-hwa had a certain elegance, and with the mix of hair color, it even carried a flashy charm that was beautiful.
Saran had her own kind of beauty.
Thinking about it… somehow, all the heroes I’m currently in charge of are really beautiful.
Not just similar, but actually only beautiful people.
Not just the Saran in front of me, but Batori too, Baek Eun-hwa too… just having beautiful appearances.
“Miss Saran, try this too. It’s good because it’s different from the noodles when you dip it in bread.”
In the process of counseling all these heroes, I honestly thought I’d been good to everyone.
But still, it was inevitable that I treated beautiful, likable people a bit more, very very slightly more.
I hadn’t intended it, but it seemed to happen anyway.
I really never intended it…
“Hmm…”
“Why?”
“Ah, I just wanted to think for a moment.”
“What thought?”
“Um… hmm.”
Is it okay to say this?
Anyway, I was treating the cute heroines I’m in charge of similarly.
But I wasn’t sure if they’d fully like what I said… so I kept worrying.
But it wasn’t like I couldn’t say it.
After all, it was a story close to praising Saran’s beauty…?
“Miss Saran is pretty. I was just thinking.”
“…Suddenly?”
“Hehe, just”
“…Thank you for the compliment?”
So I only talked about appearance.
It wasn’t good to bring up unnecessary things about the people I was counseling, and since they were usually good people, I couldn’t be sure they’d react well to such words.
“You think I’m pretty too.”
“Huh, if someone as pretty as Miss Saran says that, I’m even happier. When Eun-hwa unni praised my appearance before, compliments are always nice to hear.”
“Baekyeou said that?”
“Um… it just came up somehow? Just casual conversation… I don’t remember what topic we were talking about.”
It was impossible not to feel bad when someone as pretty as Saran complimented my appearance.
Like when Baek Eun-hwa did before, now too.
Compliments were always the way to make even whales dance, and making Charlotte dance was even more natural.
“…Really?”
“Yes, it just came up naturally. But Eun-hwa unni is pretty too, so hearing compliments was nice.”
“I see.”
“Personally, since I’m short, it’s not the kind of beauty that feels sexy and mature, so it’s a bit disappointing?”
Leaving aside that I was male in my previous life, I thought my own appearance was pretty.
Of course it was true that I was pretty.
But separately from that… I was short, and basically not the kind of beauty that was super mature, I thought.
Of course, I’d been saying this to people around me since before.
“Should I call it ‘petite’? It doesn’t quite match the appearance, so it’s a bit disappointing.”
“……?”
“Even if I wear thinner clothes, it looks like the kid is trying too hard to be cool?”
“I don’t think that way.”
“Really?”
I thought that every time I looked in the mirror.
Do people’s aesthetic standards differ?
Maybe I overthought because it was about myself.
But I always thought that way, yet Saran said the opposite.
“I’m pretty.”
“Huh, that’s good if you think so.”
“…And I think I’m naturally feminine. Being short is just a bit smaller than average. I don’t think it’s bad.”
“Um… then I’m happy.”
Saran spoke more than usual.
Her words were a bit surprising.
I honestly didn’t expect her to say that much.
Even when I talked to Baek Eun-hwa about this kind of thing, I thought so, but it felt like people around me thought I was prettier than I did.
That wasn’t bad.
Compliments, of course, felt good.
When someone as pretty as Saran said it, it was even better.
“And even if my face isn’t pretty, or I’m short, I don’t need to think it’s bad…”
“Huh, that makes sense. Appearance isn’t everything.”
“Yeah.”
Was it because I was a different gender in my previous life…?
It felt like I was only thinking about appearance unnecessarily.
After all, appearance wasn’t that big a deal, but I was overthinking about it… honestly, I didn’t think it was bad.
I just didn’t wear heavy makeup usually.
It was true that I had quite a bit of interest in clothes and various parts.
“I don’t think the parts where you treat me well as my counselor are due to appearance.”
“Huh, really? Then what reason do you think I treat you well?”
Curiosity naturally arose from Saran’s next words.
I thought one of the strongest elements for a person to feel affection was appearance, but Saran was talking about my advantages.
What was the advantage as a counselor?
Anyone would naturally be curious about that.
Really, everyone.
Students, advantages as students.
Teachers, advantages as teachers.
Writers, advantages as writers.
Parents, advantages as parents.
Everyone had advantages and disadvantages in their position and role… it was natural to be curious.
It was true that I had to live my own life.
But it was natural to be influenced by others’ words, and it was natural to care about it.
“Miss Saran, when you think about it, what parts do you think I’m doing well? Please tell me comfortably.”
I wanted to hear the answer to this question from the hero I was counseling at least once properly.
Unlike performance evaluations, I asked this because I really wanted to hear it from her.
“The intention to genuinely help the other person is felt.”
“Um…”
“In the end, they’re not family, but I think it’s really good that you treat them so well.”
“Ah… that’s the point.”
I see, she thought that.
It wasn’t the case that I heard such things from others often.
Rather, because it was rare, it was quite… interesting.
“And… there is more.”
“More?”
That was why Saran’s next words were even more curious, and I even forgot to blink while eating the tomato pasta… and asked again while looking at Saran.
“If it’s what I said earlier, I think that’s enough.”
“Eh.”
“That’s the biggest advantage.”
“You won’t say any more?”
“Yeah.”
…Unfortunately, Saran started refusing to answer.
It was really unfortunate.
She said she wouldn’t speak.
I couldn’t keep talking about it over and over…
“Then next time, please talk in more detail. After all, even if it’s not today, I’ll be in charge of Miss Saran in the future.”
“Yeah.”
“Huh, but it was really nice to hear what you said earlier. I’ll do my best to make you feel good in the future so I can help more.”
Because I was really happy to hear directly from the hero I was counseling that they liked the things I was doing.
I just said such words while having dinner with Saran.
I decided to continue Saran’s counseling day.