Beautiful Barking Tsundere

Chapter 1

Original Author: ひのはら (Hinohara)
Date Submitted to Kakuyomu: 2021/09/13

Ever since she was little, Hoshimiya Airi has received praise for her looks.

On a first meeting, she would without fail be praised for being cute or pretty. Quite a number of people even confessed to her right away.

In her daily life, her school teachers give her preferential treatment and her classmates fawn over her.

Most people would probably be envious of Aira's life.

Aira herself also understands that her own life is on easy mode.

Aira is on her way home after having tea at a cafe with her friends on the weekend.
While riding the largely empty train, she notices a folded piece of paper in the bottom of her bag.

"What is this...?"

After taking it out and unfolding it, she finds a name and the contact information for someone written on it.

 Then, in messy letters that are most likely written by a male are the words, 'I love you'.

"Gross."

After crushing it in her hands, she puts it back into her bag.

She'd rather throw it away immediately, but littering is bad manners.

Anyone who would send something like that to a high school girl is disgusting, although Aira does look older than her classmates.

Since she's not wearing her school uniform, she was probably mistaken for a university student.

She's not especially tall at 163 cm, but her prominent looks catch people's attention.

This letter was probably sneaked into her bag back in the cafe during the time she left her stuff on her seat to place her order.

She's used to people hitting on her, but this method is scary.

Right as she lets out a large sigh, the sound of a camera shutter echoes in the train.

"Eh...?"

She raises her head in surprise and sees a man that's around the age of a university student pointing a smartphone at her.

When the man notices Aira's gaze, he hastily flees to the next train car.

"...This really sucks."

Today, she is wearing pants instead of a skirt so she didn't get any upskirt photos taken.

The summer knit she's wearing is hiding her chest, so that wasn't his aim either.

If that's the case, the only thing he could have taken a picture of is her face.
Aira desperately tries to convince herself to not worry about that, but her heart has become overcast.

Even though she was having fun talking with her friends just an hour ago.

If she cried now, that would be the reaction others are hoping for, so she desperately bites on her lower lip.

Aira has probably heard the phrase, "It's fine since Aira-chan is cute," over 100 times in her life.

She's heard that line when she made mistakes and when she had interpersonal troubles.

There are many people who do not think well of Aira because of how people cover for her since she's cute.

That also happens when males persistently try to hit on her.

Her friends brush it off by saying, "That's because Aira is cute."

When she tells them that people sneak notes into her bag, they think she's boasting. When people steal her textbooks or gym clothes, no one gives it a second thought.

The look on their faces as they said, "It can't be helped since Aira is cute," show that they find those incidents more amusing than worrying.

People praise her while adding that since she's so good-looking, that much can't be helped.

Everyone just tells her to not worry about those things.
All those are just considered a part of being cute.

"...It's so stupid."

After getting off the train and onto the station platform, she immediately throws the note she received into a  garbage can.
She walks out of the ticket gate towards her home while feeling irritated.

Aira's life appears to be on easy mode for any outside observers.

She seems like a happy girl with looks others would envy.

"...Haah."

If she could accept her cuteness and weaponize it, life would surely be a lot easier.

She's sure that people want her to say things like, "Will you protect me?" in a cute and pleading voice, but she doesn't have that kind of personality.

A meek and submissive personality to match her cute looks.

To hell with that fantasy.

Aira refuses to rest on her laurels while coasting on her cuteness.

She can't be satisfied with life from just being judged highly by others.

She doesn't want to be a weak woman who needs someone else to protect her.

She wants a stable life with her feet planted firmly on the ground.

As she gets older, the worth of her looks will gradually decline.

The younger generation will appear one after another and people will become less interested in Aira's looks.

She wants to acquire academic abilities and knowledge in order to preserve her worth as a person for as long as possible.

Even if those around her pamper Aira.
Even if her life is on easy mode, she'll set it to hard mode herself.

Not coasting on just her looks, Aira will spare no effort to cultivate her skills and become a woman who's attractive on the inside as well.