“Do your best. I’m rooting for you!”
Those were the words that flew out of my mouth.
……Wait, is it okay to cheer for her?
I was supposed to be pursuing Tsuchiya.
Right after saying it, I remembered the reality that I’m being blackmailed, but this is honestly impossible. There’s no way I can woo Tsuchiya in this state. I’ve completely settled into the friend position, and the atmosphere isn’t one where I can take it in a romantic direction.
But that damn little sister of mine will probably tell me to target Shiranui next.
Even if she does say that, this one is even harder than Tsuchiya. The possibility of me winning over Shiranui, who hates men and has overwhelming popularity with girls, is zero. More than that, if I made a move on Shiranui, the goddess before me might target my life.
That’s it—I’ll honestly say these two are impossible.
She’ll complain, but she probably doesn’t expect that much from me anyway.
I managed to restore a friendship that was becoming distant, and I became friends with a girl who shares my hobby. This is a good result in its own way.
“So, Yuma-kun.”
“What?”
“If I have trouble again, can I come to you for advice? Like in the old days.”
“……Once in a while, I guess.”
“Really!? Thank you!”
Besides that, I get to see the goddess’s innocently happy face up close that other guys don’t get to see. This has great value in its own right.
“If you have any troubles too, Yuma-kun, tell me. I’ll do everything I can to help!”
Right now is exactly that time though.
The conversation ended, and Tsuchiya was about to leave the classroom—
“While we’re at it, can I consult with you about something?”
“Eh?”
I thought she was leaving, but she approached me with flaring nostrils.
“This time, you actually made contact with Tsubasa-chan, right, Yuma-kun? So I want to hear your impressions of Tsubasa-chan from a guy’s perspective and what you felt. I need to prepare for the future.”
I gave a wry smile at the sight of the persistent goddess.
After school, I grabbed my bag and stood up from my seat.
I felt somehow refreshed after being thanked by Tsuchiya. My spirits were high, feeling like I’d done the right thing.
That said, it’s not like I have no worries.
I failed the princess capture mission. Thinking about the future where Ayane will tear me apart during Sunday’s regular report makes me feel gloomy.
There’s no point thinking about it now. With that thought, I left the classroom and—
“Hey, Kanbara-kun.”
“Shiranui?”
Right outside the classroom, I ran into Shiranui.
This wasn’t a coincidence. She clearly came here with business with me.
“Isn’t that the princess-prince?”
“Why is she here?”
“She’s talking to Kanbara-kun, right?”
I could hear voices around me.
Not used to being the center of attention, I felt very uncomfortable. I wanted to get out of here as soon as possible.
“I have something to talk about—do you have time?”
“I have time, but I’d really like to leave here quickly.”
“Then, how about that empty classroom?”
“That’s fine with me.”
“Then go ahead first. I’ll prepare and head over too.”
I hurriedly left the spot and headed to the empty classroom.
After waiting in the empty classroom for a few minutes, Shiranui arrived. There were several empty seats, but she sat next to me without hesitation.
I thought it was close, but she’s probably being careful because it’s something she doesn’t want anyone to know about. VTuber-related topics would be troublesome if overheard by others.
“Sorry I’m late. I got caught along the way.”
“Don’t worry about it. So, what did you want?”
“Yeah……I talked about my worries before, right?”
Of course I remember. The worry about being troubled by being too popular with the same sex.
This whole incident originally stemmed from Shiranui being incredibly popular anyway. Though it’s not Shiranui’s fault.
“I tried thinking of a solution on my own.”
“I see. Tell me.”
“Actually, as part of that solution, I have a favor to ask of you, Kanbara-kun.”
A favor from me?
“I want you to talk with me on school sometimes.”
“What do you mean?”
“I think one reason I get confessed to by the same sex is that I don’t chat with guys. Apparently people think I hate guys. Because of that, somehow a rumor spread that I like girls.”
“Eh, you’re not uncomfortable with them?”
I was genuinely surprised.
“I’m not good with them, but I don’t hate guys.”
“Then why don’t you talk to them?”
“This might be surprising, but I’m simply scared of guys. You know, naturally they’re bigger than me and stronger. If I got attacked, the thought of that scares me.”
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT LOCALIZERMEERKAT.GITHUB.IO
Being scared was also unexpected.
I see. Even if she looks boyish on the outside, inside she’s a girl.
No matter how androgynous her features are, if she got into a fight with a guy, she’d obviously be at a disadvantage. It wouldn’t be strange if there were guys harboring hostility toward the super popular Shiranui. Though there probably aren’t any.
“Also, since I started being surrounded by girls, I somehow couldn’t approach guys. When I tried to get close, the girls around me would direct hostility toward the guys.”
So they find it displeasing when their admired princess-prince gets friendly with guys.
“What about separating yourself from your entourage?”
“I can’t forcibly push away girls who look up to me. I know I’m being selfish though.”
So she’s somewhat troubled, but she doesn’t want to be disliked by girls who admire her.
Hearing the circumstances, Shiranui is also pitiful. Because she doesn’t talk to men, people assume she hates men, and they misunderstand that she likes the same sex.
A negative spiral.
“So, I want to ask you, Kanbara-kun. Talk with me sometimes. Then people around us will understand too. That I have a guy friend I’m close with. That should dispel the illusion a bit and reduce the confessions, I think.”
It might be a clever plan.
However, in that case, I’ll probably get a lot of resentment from her female entourage.
“Why me?”
“—!”
“I think there are better candidates for this role. You know, more ikemen types. You don’t need to explain everything, but I think someone would come forward to lend a hand to a troubled Shiranui.”
The girls around her would probably accept an ikemen better than me.
If it’s a handsome guy and a beautiful girl, it would make a good picture, and it wouldn’t damage the surrounding image. If the other party is super handsome, people around would be convinced too.
Shiranui shook her head.
“I understand your personality from this incident, Kanbara-kun, so I feel safe. I understand that you’re not someone who uses violence. Misuzu, who’s uncomfortable with guys, only spoke highly of you.”
It’s true that I dislike fighting and violence.
“There’s another reason too. I want to talk about VTubers with you again, Kanbara-kun.”
“……I’m the only one who knows your secret, after all.”
“Not being able to talk about my hobbies is quite stressful.”
I could understand Shiranui’s reasoning.
I thought for a bit and—
“Alright. I’ll accept that proposal.”
“Yes!”
There’s a reason for this decision.
Shiranui is a princess and also my capture target. That Ayane will probably tell me to go after her.
Even if she’s not uncomfortable with men, there’s no way I can woo Shiranui. So I thought about it. The deliciousness of the position of being the only guy at school who’s close to this princess.
To those around us, my existence will be anomalous, and to her female entourage, it won’t be pleasant. This is a chance to drop Shiranui’s popularity without pursuing her.
It’s a long-term strategy, and I don’t know how effective it will be. But it’s better than doing nothing. I want to increase the probability even a little. Ultimately, it’s fine if any one of the “Princess Six” falls from their throne.
“Well then, Kanbara-kun. I look forward to working with you from now on.”
“Same here.”
We shook hands firmly.
When the conversation ended, Shiranui left. Her gallantly walking figure looked like a real prince, but her happy face somehow seemed like a lovely princess. The nickname “princess-prince” really does fit. I should praise the newspaper club’s excellent sense for coming up with it.
“Phew.”
The moment I exhaled after the conversation ended, I suddenly felt someone’s gaze.
When I turned my face that direction, I saw Tsuchiya looking at me through a gap in the door.
……Eh, am I being glared at?
Tsuchiya, with a cold expression, glared at me with pitch-black eyes. It felt like she was looking at me with the hatred one would direct at their parent’s killer.
After meeting eyes for a while, she disappeared somewhere with that scary expression still on her face.
Having suddenly been directed that hateful gaze, I headed home feeling frightened and heavy-hearted.
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