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Number 372 was charming. Tsumugi could tell that much from just a first glance, though perhaps she was a little biased. She'd always been weak to pretty girls, after all. Still, the passion 372 showed was unlike anything she'd seen in hours (which felt like weeks). She was a little rough around the edges, clearly had an anger management problem, but Tsumugi could work with that. She hadn't spotted a good athletic girl yet, and that was a niche that fans always expected to be filled.
One would think a candidate like that might focus on murder plans, or at least ideal talents and backstories. Something that showed a desire to win. But that wasn't the case. Standing there in front of the long table of Danganronpa employees, number 372 blushed an absolutely adorable pink as she uttered the last sentence Tsumugi would have expected from her.
"The thing I want most, if I'm picked, is a love interest. I know that can't be completely controlled, but...I really want a girlfriend," she said. She started off relatively confident, despite her flustered expression, but it trailed off into embarrassed mumbling. She tugged at one of her elaborate, helix twintails, looking away. Tsumugi's boss, a grumpy, middle-aged man who never had much positive to say, frowned. He didn't like the shyness, she could tell. But Tsumugi could see the potential. A character with a hidden weakness for romance was almost always likable.
She hummed, jotting down a few notes. Already, the skeleton of a personality was beginning to take shape in her mind.
"Would you consider yourself the protective type?" she asked. It didn't really matter. If Tsumugi wanted 372 to be protective, she would be. It was as simple as that. But traits took more easily when they had something to latch onto. The more drastically someone was changed, the more likely it was that something would go wrong. The less stable they were. For this Danganronpa hopeful to fulfill the role Tsumugi had in mind, she had to be stable. Reliable. Predictable.
"Er, yeah, I guess so," she replied. "I haven't really had an opportunity to be in real life, but...yeah, I'd like to be someone's hero. If I could defend a girl and keep her safe..." She giggled nervously, a bright sparkle in her eyes. "I wouldn't even mind if I died, as long as I could be happy like that for a little while."
Tsumugi tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear, took a sip of ice water. It felt awfully hot in here all of a sudden. Her own character was already mostly cemented, and she knew that a plain person meant to fly under the radar shouldn't get a love interest — not a visible one, anyway. Still, she found her gaze tracing the soft lines of 372's lips, her long, glossy hair, her toned build. Her reflection on the polished wooden floor was fit for magazine covers. She wanted her to pick her up and carry her back to her hotel room like a princess.
"Thank you for your interest," her boss said curtly. "We'll get back to you."
372 responded with a hearty thank you of her own, nodding sharply. As she left the room, her eyes met Tsumugi's for a long moment, shooting her right through the heart.
"What was her name again?" she asked faintly, before the next applicant could come in.
"Chabashira Tenko. What did you think of her, Shirogane? You've got the final say."
"I think she has potential with an athletic talent. Something related to martial arts, maybe? She did mention being a fan of Oogami." Tsumugi nodded, glancing down at her notebook in the hopes of hiding the longing in her eyes. "She's on my top ten list right now for sure."
She crafted the Ultimate Aikido Master so carefully, remembering that desire to love and be loved. A desire she shared, and fuck, she wished she could write herself to be more appealing.
She watched Chabashira fall for Yumeno, who was so clearly made uncomfortable. So uncomfortable, in fact, that Tsumugi almost had to wonder if she made a mistake giving Chabashira this much passion. She watched and said nothing, cherishing each time that pretty blush made itself seen. She tried to slip in casual comments when she could, just because, but she never truly affected her. Not the way Yumeno did, or even Akamatsu.
She remembered a dull wood-paneled room and hours of subpar candidates. She remembered the reflection of a blushing Chabashira on the floor and that loaded moment of eye contact at the end. She remembered those words, the 'I wouldn't even mind if I died.'
Tsumugi remembered, and she was more than happy to oblige. It was what they agreed on, after all.