The Handsome Boy I Saved from Getting Beaten on the Train… Turned Out to Be the “Prince” of an All-Girls School - V1 Chapter 23: Time for Super Heavy Mental Strain Training…

Chapter 23: Time for Super Heavy Mental Strain Training…

[Rei Hoshina’s POV]

“Rei-sama! I love you! Please go out with me!”

It was lunchtime.

In the school’s proudly maintained garden, I stood face-to-face with a line of girls filled with a mix of hope and anxiety—

Accepting their confessions one after another.

“Sorry~. I can’t go out with you.”

“Waaaah!”

“Alright, next! Anyone hesitating or mumbling their confession, move to the end of the line! You’re holding things up!”

Standing next to me, Sasaki-san—wearing an armband labeled ‘Royal Guard’—was handling crowd control.

“I love you, Rei-sama! Please become my little sister!”

“Sorry~. I’m an only child. And my mom’s already like an older sister to me, so I’m good.”

Confessing your feelings isn’t something you should take lightly.

It’s supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime moment.

So even when turning someone down, I want to be sincere.

That’s why I never lie to myself about how I feel.

“Uwaaah!! I really wanted a little sister taller than me who talks like a boy~!”

“You did great. I’m proud of you for working up the courage to confess.”

“Any friend-comforting or emotional breakdowns after rejection—please move to another area. The rooftop is full. Next!”

How many more girls were left for today…?

No no, stay serious.

It’d be rude if I didn’t face each confession properly.

“I’m sure… Saito would do the same.”

Murmuring to myself as I thought of the one I loved,

I continued standing firm—meeting every girl who came to confess with all her heart.

“Thank you for your hard work, Rei-sama.”

“You too, Sasaki-san. Thanks for helping manage the confession line.”

After finishing up the long line of confessions,

I sat down to eat the lunch the Royal Guard girls had kindly prepared for me.

“It’s part of our usual duties.”

“Even so, I wonder why the number of confessions has suddenly gone up lately? I mean, I’m not even dressing like a prince anymore—just wearing my skirt uniform like a normal girl.”

“My humble guess is that those who were hesitant about the whole handsome tomboy thing… have now had their brains completely fried by the shocking contrast of seeing Rei-sama in a skirt instead.”

“I see…”

I said “I see,”

But honestly, I had no idea what she meant.

What does it mean to have your brain fried!?

“In other words, Rei-sama has now become someone who toys with the pure hearts of maidens even more than before.”

“I figured putting on this outfit would mean retiring from the whole prince act, though~”

As I said that, I pinched the hem of my skirt and gave a wry little smile.

“Rei-sama… if I may, I don’t think sitting cross-legged in a skirt is very appropriate.”

“Ah, sorry. Old habits from my pants days. But hey, I’ve got black tights on underneath, so even if something shows, it’s not a big deal, right?”

“It is very much a big deal! Even Rei-sama in black tights is too much stimulation for mankind! Please have a little more awareness!”

“R-Right…”

Sasaki-san was amazing.

She went all in when it came to supporting me.

“But still, there are a few girls from the Royal Guard I haven’t seen around lately. I guess some of them were disappointed when they saw the real me…”

“Rei-sama… I’m so sorry. As the Commander of the Royal Guards, I feel like I’ve failed you…”

“No, it’s not your fault, Sasaki-san. It’s all on me. I’m the one who’s disappointing. I ended up getting hurt on the train, and I showed everyone such an uncool side of myself.”

“That’s not true at all, Rei-sama!! You only got hurt because you stood your ground and stopped that vile lowlife—that disgrace of a human being who dared to leer at the students of Eio! And now, outsiders who know nothing about what really happened have the nerve to judge you!”

“Sasaki-san, you’re getting a little intense. You’re cute, you know—don’t ruin it with a scary voice.”

I was grateful she got angry on my behalf like it was her own problem.

But turning into a demon-faced fury wasn’t exactly ideal.

Sasaki-san was a proper high-class lady, after all.

I didn’t want her ruining her reputation over something like this.

“M-My apologies, Rei-sama…”

“But in the end, I couldn’t handle it on my own. If Saito hadn’t stepped in when he did… I really don’t know what would’ve happened.”

“Well… that may be true, but still…”

Sasaki-san and the other Royal Guard girls fell silent,

Their expressions tight with frustration, like they’d just bitten into something sour.

It was obvious they weren’t too thrilled about me spending time with Saito.

But since I’d once seriously scolded them for it,

They haven’t said anything out loud since.

“More importantly, Rei-sama, the muffins just finished baking. Would you care for one as a dessert?”

Since they couldn’t openly criticize me,

The moment Saito came up in conversation,

They all clearly tried to steer the topic elsewhere—just like this.

But I’m a selfish little prince, so I don’t care about that.

“So, you know—the other day, I hung out with Saito, and he totally bullied me!”

“F-Fueh!? He bullied you!?”

“Even though he looks like that, Saito is ruthless when it comes to training. Even when I begged, ‘Please, stop! I can’t take it anymore!’ he just kept pushing, saying, ‘One more time! Just one more!’ without any mercy. In the end, my legs were shaking so much I couldn’t even stand.”

I never thought squats could be so brutal.

I learned the hard way just how seriously Saito takes his workouts.

Though I’ll admit—the sense of achievement afterward was pretty amazing.

“B-Bullied!? Pushed to the limit!? Shaky legs!?”

“Rei-sama, how far have you fallen…?”

“Ah… ahhh…”

“Gugigi…”

“My vision’s flickering… Stars are blinking on and off… Wait, that’s weird… Stars are supposed to shine more… like, more… Paaaahhh…”

“Girls, get it together! Oxygen tanks over here! Smelling salts over there!”

Lately, whenever I talk about Saito,

For some reason, the Royal Guard girls go completely wild.

In what now looked like a full-on field hospital,

Sasaki-san moved around like a seasoned combat medic.

“And get this—Saito was totally glued to me when I wore my gym outfit! My crop top showing my belly, my yoga pants showing off every curve—he couldn’t take his eyes off me~”

You know how it is—when girls talk about love stuff, we tend to spice up the story a little.

“Ahh… So today we have to endure Rei-sama’s lovestruck ramblings again…”

“It’s time for ultra-heavy mental strain training…”

“But Rei-sama looks so genuinely happy when talking about that boy…”

“It’s so precious… but every time we hear about him, we take continuous emotional damage…”

“We must endure this trial for the sake of seeing her beautiful smile…”

“Lately, I keep dreaming about being a vampire, turning to ash under the sunlight while trying to drink blood from a beautiful girl’s neck…”

“What a coincidence. So have I.”

“It’s like my brain is sending me a warning… that my life force is definitely being drained away… But even so, I’d sell my soul to a devil if it meant I could keep seeing Rei-sama’s dazzling smile…”

I had a feeling the Royal Guard girls were muttering something behind me,

But nope, not gonna pay attention to that.

Until the very last moment of lunch break,

I went on and on, gushing about Saito.

By the time the bell rang, Sasaki-san and the others looked completely drained,

While I was the only one full of energy.