Chapter 2: The Earth Goddess and the Fire Princess-Prince
“Now then, let me hear your report.”
Ayane spoke while lying on the bed, stuffing her face with snacks.
It’s currently Sunday night. The location is my room.
I, the room’s owner, am sitting seiza in front of the bed. Or rather, it’d be more accurate to say I’ve been made to sit seiza.
The reason for this situation is simple to explain.
When I returned to my room after finishing dinner, Ayane suddenly showed up. After barging into my room, she discovered the snacks on my desk, opened the bag without permission, and started eating them on my bed.
That pissed me off, so I tried to scold her.
Then Ayane floated a triumphant smile and threatened me with “You want this exposed?”
And so, as punishment for defying her, I was made to sit seiza.
I thought about going wild, but I barely held myself back.
Going wild here would be a bad move. My position is overwhelmingly weak. Even if I went wild here and took down Ayane, what awaits me is bashing from my parents. If my parents found out about the situation, that brat Ayane would get scolded too, but more than that, my long super chat message would be exposed.
……A son who became a Long-winded Bro.
I don’t even want to imagine what kind of ending that fact would bring. Even if I did imagine it, what awaits is hell.
In other words, I have no chance of winning.
“Report about what?”
“A regular report.”
“Regular report?”
“Yep, from now on, every Sunday night you’ll report to me about your progress with attacking the princess.”
Sunday nights already suck because school starts tomorrow, but this is truly the worst.
“Well, knowing my pathetic big brother, there probably hasn’t been any change anyway.”
“Don’t be stupid. There’s been quite a bit of movement.”
“There’s been progress?”
“Listen and be amazed. Actually—”
I told her about everything that had happened so far.
However, I kept quiet about how Kazama had been playing around making the boy in the neighboring seat fall for her.
I don’t owe Kazama any favors or have any obligation to her, but if I told Ayane about that, she’d probably say something like “Use that as material to blackmail her into going out with you,” so I’ll pass on that.
At first, Ayane listened to my story with a relaxed attitude, but when I mentioned walking home together, even she was surprised.
“So you skillfully used being in the neighboring seat to get close to her.”
“I don’t know if we got close, but I did get a bit closer.”
“To think that big brother would become friends with the Wind Fairy.”
Ayane must have predicted the progress would be slower.
However, becoming friends with Kazama is easy for anyone. She’s the one who approaches you, after all. Well, maybe the rumors about Kazama haven’t reached the underclassmen. I’ll deliberately stay quiet about that part.
“I’m pretty good, aren’t I?”
“I suppose. As a reward, you can eat this snack.”
That’s my snack to begin with, you know.
“You look like you want more, but that’s impossible. Big brother hasn’t started dating her yet.”
We walked home together, but since then there’s been no change in my relationship with Kazama.
She still teases me. She apparently has no intention of stopping her game of teasing the boy in the neighboring seat. Compared to before, the attacks are lighter, so I can totally endure them though.
“I’m relieved you seem willing to attack her.”
“……If I don’t, my life ends, right?”
If I could refuse, I’d refuse even now.
“Then work hard so your life doesn’t end. The important part is what comes next.”
“I get that, but progressing from here is currently impossible.”
“Why?”
“There’s no opportunity. The opponent is an impregnable princess. It’s not easy. We’re in a relationship where we can talk casually, but right now there doesn’t seem to be any romantic atmosphere.”
There’s nothing I can do about the current situation.
I learned Kazama’s secret, but it’d be difficult to use that as a foothold for attacking her.
I have absolutely no idea how to attack her. The opponent isn’t a game character but a real human. Unfortunately, I don’t know how to attack real girls.
“So what do you plan to do?”
“A war of attrition is the only option. Wait for a chance.”
For a while, it’d be best to use the neighboring seat to deepen our friendship. Since she intends to keep teasing me from now on, she shouldn’t treat me coldly. She even declared war on me.
The most realistic strategy is to maintain the relationship while waiting for an opportunity.
“Then let’s go with a war of attrition for the fairy.”
“That’s okay?”
“It’s fine. In the meantime, I’ll have you attack a different princess.”
Ayane stated matter-of-factly.
“……Huh?”
A weird sound came out of my mouth.
“Stop making stupid sounds. If the fairy’s on hold, you have no choice but to make a move on another princess. Just waiting around would be a waste of time.”
Hey now, give me a break.
Attacking a different princess while getting along with Kazama is impossible.
“That’s definitely impossible.”
“It’ll be fine. Or can’t big brother follow what I say?”
Ayane swung her smartphone around.
I had no right to refuse.
“So, who will the next princess be?”
“Don’t ask me.”
“I’m saying I’ll let you choose.”
“……Even if you say that, I can’t choose. I don’t have any connections.”
This time was a coincidence.
I could make contact with Kazama because we were classmates and happened to become neighboring seats after the seat change. Even if you tell me to attack another princess, I don’t have any connections in the first place.
They’d probably be uncomfortable having some unknown guy suddenly talk to them. They’re probably fed up with being hit on. If the first impression is bad, attacking becomes impossible.
“Then pick someone easy to talk to.”
“Someone easy to talk to?”
“There is someone, right? For example, a beautiful childhood friend.”
“……Don’t joke around.”
“True, compared to that person, the current big brother is like comparing the moon to a turtle.”
Shut it.
“It can’t be helped. I’ll throw you a lifeline.”
“That’s worrying.”
“It’ll be fine. There’s a princess I’ve been indebted to for a long time. She seems to be in a bit of trouble.”
So this brat has princess acquaintances too.
“Help her with her problem. Use the consultation as an opportunity to hit on her.”
“Is that mandatory?”
“It’s not mandatory. It’s just that if you don’t comply, my lips might get loose.”
That’s essentially mandatory.
And so, unwillingly, I began attacking the second princess.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.GITHUB.IO
The morning after that hell called a regular report ended.
I walked to school with heavy steps.
Monday mornings being depressing hasn’t changed from before, but from now on mornings will be more painful than before. Apparently the regular reports will happen every week. Having Ayane raid me every time is nothing but a nightmare.
What makes me even more depressed is the problem looming right ahead.
“Attacking the next princess, huh.”
While maintaining my relationship with Kazama, I apparently have to attack the second princess.
“What an unreasonable demand.”
It was only one week, but the fatigue from that week of talking with Kazama was tremendous. Thinking I have to do that again makes me feel depressed.
The saving grace is that Ayane will create the connection. If I don’t have to talk to her myself, the difficulty should drop somewhat. Though it’s like pouring water on a hot stone.
“Ah—”
As I walked along feeling exhausted, a familiar girl came into my field of vision.
A girl with long flowing hair. Even from behind, you could tell she was beautiful. I know well that she actually is beautiful.
The people around her stare as if drawn in, letting out sighs of admiration at her beauty.
That person’s identity is someone I’ve known well since childhood. There’s no way I’d mistake the back of the childhood friend I offered my first love to, so I stopped in my tracks.
I used to call out to her at this timing, didn’t I?
Sweet and fun memories from when we were close, and the bitter memories I experienced in the latter half of middle school, pass through my mind.
In elementary school, we always walked to school together. Even after becoming middle schoolers, we walked together at first. Partway through, I intentionally started avoiding her, and since entering high school, I haven’t made contact with her even once. I didn’t even know she’d taken the entrance exam for Himegasaki Academy. I remember my heart nearly jumping out when I spotted her on the first day of school.
She was a princess too, wasn’t she?
Should I call out to her?
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