The Handsome Boy I Saved from Getting Beaten on the Train… Turned Out to Be the “Prince” of an All-Girls School

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Chapter 22: Don’t Lump Me in with That Wimpy Prince!

[Rinna Nishino’s POV]

“Lady Rinna, how are you feeling?”

“The fever’s gone down a lot. I’m fine now, Iō.”

I closed the novel I’d been reading and sat up on the bed as my personal maid, Kusajishi Iou, stepped into the room.

“Hmm. We kept you home from school today out of caution, but as I suspected—this wasn’t a cold, was it? Your brain simply overheated after being carried in a princess hold by your beloved.”

“T-That’s not it! Don’t make stuff up!”

“Saito-kun held me and my brain went fwoooosh~!

“Iou, do you want to be fired?”

I shot her a sharp glare as she grinned like a total idiot.

Ugh, this maid…

Sure, we’d known each other since we were little and we were close,

But still—couldn’t she show her lady just a little more respect?

“Oh? So the cause of your condition wasn’t Lord Kujou after all, milady?”

“It wasn’t! This is just a normal cold! So what if I got carried in a princess hold by Saito? He’s just… a friend!”

“Hmm. Then you’re saying you’re completely unaffected, even when a man holds you in his arms? Emotionally numb, are we?”

“I-I am not numb!”

“Well, setting aside the opinions of the uninitiated…”

This maid…

I swear,

I might actually fire her someday.

“How are you feeling after taking the day off, milady? Did you manage to sort through your thoughts a bit?”

“…Yeah.”

The truth is… my heart still feels kind of cloudy.

“Just so you know, I already contacted all of your instructors and told them you’d be absent from today’s lessons due to illness.”

“Huh? But didn’t Father say that if I recovered, I had to attend them…?”

“When it comes to your health, I’m the one who sees you up close every day—so my judgment takes priority. And by health, I naturally mean both your physical and emotional well-being. There’s no point attending lessons with your heart all tangled up, now is there?”

She saw right through me…

“But I already got you in trouble for skipping lessons the other day…”

“That’s fine. I’m used to being on the receiving end of your father’s lectures.”

“…Sorry, Iou.”

“Lady Rinna, you’re like a little sister to me. There’s no need to apologize.”

Iou smiled gently at my quiet apology and reached out to pat my head.

It annoyed me a little, but I had to admit—

When it came to things like this, she really was more mature than me.

And that’s why I could never win against her.

(Ding doooong~♪)

“Oh my, sounds like we have a visitor. I’ll go check.”

Saying that, Iou quietly left the room.

Alone again, I flopped down on my bed with my arms and legs stretched out in all directions,

Staring blankly up at the ceiling.

“…Sorting out my feelings, huh…”

Why did I even do something like that…

Once again, my thoughts drifted back to that moment—

When Saito carried me like a princess to the nurse’s office.

And just remembering it made the sensation of being held in his arms come rushing back,

Wrapping around my body all over again—

And of course, my face turned red.

“No. Saito is an important friend.”

It was the same line I’d mumbled to myself dozens of times,

Trying to calm my racing thoughts.

At this point, it wasn’t so much a mantra as it was a full-blown spell.

“Saito is my very first male friend. I want to treasure that…”

Until now, boys had always been a source of stress in my life.

I mean, I know it sounds conceited, but…

I’m well aware that I have the looks, the family background, and the abilities.

So I also understand why I might attract attention from the opposite sex.

But being confessed to by someone I’ve barely even spoken to?

That’s just scary.

And even when I do get along with someone a little,

They confess almost right away—

And just like that, the friendship is over.

That kind of thing always left me feeling lonely and disappointed.

And then… I met Saito.

“Saito… kind of reminds me of myself, in a way.”

It’s not like Saito is popular with girls the way I am with boys.

If anything, he’s pretty average-looking.

But what I felt was…

“Maybe this person carries the same kind of pain I do.”

That was the instinct I had.

And that’s why I spoke to him when he was seated next to me.

Just like I’d hoped,

He treated me like an equal.

He didn’t act overly humble or try to read my mood.

When I opened up, he did the same.

No games, no pretense—just honesty.

Bit by bit, we grew closer.

We could tease each other, joke around.

It felt a little embarrassing, but… it made me happy.

I really liked that.

And yet—

That balance… was broken.

And I was the one who broke it.

Even though I was the one who most wanted our friendship to stay the same.

“What do I even want… moving forward?”

I’d asked myself that question hundreds of times while I was home sick.

But if I don’t even know the answer deep down,

Then asking myself won’t get me anywhere.

“What’s wrong, Rinna? You look troubled. Want to talk about it?”

“There’s no point telling you, Sai—Wait, WHA!?!? S-Saito!?”

“Whoa, you’re livelier than I expected. Looks like you’ll be fine for school tomorrow.”

I’d fallen off the bed in shock,

And Saito, chuckling, reached down to help me up.

“Why is Saito in my house!? Wait—are you staying over tonight!?”

Saito suddenly appearing in my room—my territory—threw me into a panic,

And I blurted out something ridiculous.

“Why would I be? I’m just here to check on you. Look.”

With an exasperated look, Saito handed me a basket filled with assorted fruit.

Oh…

So he’s not staying over…

Wait—why am I disappointed!?

“Hold on, I’m still in my pajamas!?”

“Y-Yeah, I was kinda caught off guard too. But your maid—Kusajishi-san? She said it was fine for me to come in, so…”

Iooooooou!!!

If she knew Saito was here to visit me,

She could’ve at least warned me and stalled for time so I could change!

Why would she just send him straight into my room like that!?

“If you want to get changed, I can leave—”

“N-No, it’s fine. You’ve already seen me like this, so… I’ll just stay in my pajamas.”

“O-Okay then.”

I mean, it’s not like my pajamas are overly childish or weirdly sexy or anything.

I’ve been sick! Of course I’m still in sleepwear!

There’s absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about.

Nothing at all.

Totally not embarrassing!!

“I mean, it’s my first time seeing a girl in pajamas, so…”

“Huh? So even just seeing your female friend in casual, cozy sleepwear was enough to make your heart race a little?”

Seeing how flustered and fidgety Saito suddenly got,

I actually started to feel calm again.

“I mean, come on—it’s not something you usually see, right?”

“Want to have a pajama party sometime? Sleepover style?”

“…That kinda crosses the line from ‘just friends,’ don’t you think?”

“Oh? Well, in this house, we’ve got plenty of spare rooms, so it’s no problem. Oh wait—did you actually think we’d be sharing a room or something? Too bad~”

Ahh, this is fun.

Teasing Saito like this is probably my favorite thing in the world right now.

No—my reason for living, honestly.

I know that if I really want to stay just friends with him,

I probably shouldn’t keep reminding him I’m a girl.

But… I can’t help myself.

“Even if we sleep in separate rooms, these things always end the same. You stay up late, the mood kicks in, and you end up just crashing on the floor together.”

“…You say that like you’ve done it before.”

“Yeah. That time I stayed at Rei’s place, we ended up playing games until really late, and the two of us just passed out.”

“Hmmm… The two of you, huh.”

I could tell right away that my voice had turned a little cold.

But whatever—it’s Saito. I don’t have to hold back around him.

After all, he’s just my good guy friend.

Still, he better notice I’m in a bad mood.

“Back then, I still thought Rei was a guy, okay? If that happened now, I’d definitely go home, no matter how much she begged me to stay.”

Saito, realizing I wasn’t exactly thrilled, rushed to explain himself.

But that’s not even the part I’m mad about.

What bothers me…

is that in the whole sleepover category, I’m currently losing to that wimpy prince.