When I read the heart of the never-smiling princess, for some reason she had already fallen head over heels in love for me.

Chapter 11: A completely defenceless Princess

I wonder how much time passed with only the sound of the keyboard resounding alone in the room.

I stretched to loosen up my stiff body and checked the wall clock.

It was 4:00 PM.

Except for lunchtime, I had been working continuously. Thanks to that, I could see the end in sight.

Glancing briefly, Katsuragi Minami had been reading a paperback in the same posture since then. There was not even a sound made. The only time she moved and responded was when my concentration had broken.

Her ability to maintain such focus on me while also reading a paperback was really worth a praise. By the way, it seems to be some kind of foreign literature novel that she was reading.

(Why would someone like her be interested in me?)

It’s a mystery akin to the Seven Wonders of the World.

With Katsuragi Minami’s level, there’s no doubt more attractive men than me would come courting her. I’m probably as noticeable to her as a roadside stone.

Yet, she harbors a clear affection for me. Naturally, my first reaction is more to one resembling confusion than joy.

(And it’s also strange how well she knows about me.)

It’s also about my part-time work; Katsuragi Minami occasionally speaks as if she’s grasped my personality completely. Given our lack of prior interaction, I can only assume some form of information about me has reached/leaked to her.

That narrows down the possibilities. School-related individuals are out, considering I have no friends.

Okay, let’s temporarily forget about the harsh truth over here.

The potential sources are limited to either my parents or my elder sister who lives alone.

Given Katsuragi Minami’s demeanor with my mother, today must be their first meeting without doubt. My father is abroad, so it couldn’t be possibly him.

That leaves only my elder sister, Kyoko, did she? We’ve touched upon my job situation briefly, but Kyoko lives far away, so I’m not sure of her current situation right now.

But what if my elder sister had somehow formed a close acquaintance with Katsuragi Minami without my knowledge?

(Un~nn, I’m probably stretching it too much here. After all these are all just conjecture.)

I leaned my complete weight against the backrest of the chair, causing it to creak softly. I gazed up at the ceiling I’ve looked up to since childhood and clasped my hands behind my head.

(If there’s another possibility… that could only be: Katsuragi Minami has been independently researching about me.)

In simpler terms, it’s the stalker angle.

I scoffed at myself.

(Nope, no way. Why would such an amazing person even stalk me in the first place?)

It seems like I’m going around in circles, but ultimately, it appears that unless I understanding why Katsuragi Minami likes me, I can never crack the case at all.

Finding out the reason that led her to develop feelings of love towards me, would in fact be the first step at it.

(Once I figure that out, then I will—-)

Suddenly, my thoughts came to a halt.

After understanding the reasons behind her falling in love with me, what next?

In my normal thinking, it would boil down to a binary decision of whether to date her or not.

…Honestly, I can’t imagine the picture of myself dating her at all.

After all, I’m a lonely person with not a single friend. I’m an introvert among introvert, what the epitome of introvert looks like. I can’t even hold an enjoyable conversation, I don’t know what would make girls giggle, and there’s not a trace of coolness about me as well. Also the thought of being treated as a sandbag is not a pleasant at all, and since that looks very close to real, it’s no fun at all.

(Even if we were to date, I would probably not even touch her.)

The closer I get to reality, the more afraid I become of knowing her true feelings.

Would she not be upset with me? I am not disappointing her am I? She didn’t get angry right?

I’d become hypersensitive to every change in her emotion, which would likely make me avoid touching her more and more.

From Katsuragi Minami’s perspective, even if she were to date someone like me – with whom she can’t even hold hands with, it wouldn’t be enjoyable in the slightest.

Even though she should be easily able to imagine that dating me would mean a rather unconventional way of being together, absolutely opposite to the norm. Yet, why did she really become attracted to someone like me really?

As I was lost in thought, the wall clock caught my eye.

It had already been quite some time that passed.

(Oh no, if I don’t get back to work soon, she’ll get mad.)

She’s quite perceptive. If I’m thinking about something else, she’ll accurately call me out on it. To the point where I wonder if she can actually read minds like me.

The presence behind me was felt silent and unmoving.

When I turned around—I was instead captivated.

Katsuragi Minami, had her eyes closed.

Right behind where I was sitting, my bed was placed, and she was resting her head against it, softly snoring.

The paperback she had been holding had fell down from her hands to the floor. Her chest rose and fell rhythmically, and I could hear the gentle and content ‘Su~ Su~’ from her.

For a few seconds, I stood dumbfounded, then I snapped back to reality and become panicked. What do I do in this situation?

After hesitating a bit, I approached quietly. Though it felt like I was intruding upon her, I gently covered her with the blanket folded at a corner of my bed.

There was no sign of her waking up.

I remained there, observing her peaceful sleeping face.

(Really, her skin is so really white. Her eyelashes are so long. Her cheeks look so soft.)

Katsuragi Minami was completely defenseless, allowing me to gaze at her without reservation.

I sat nearby and watched her sleeping face for a while.

(There’s no tension in her. Even though this is a guy’s room… Nope, she must have probably anticipated this coming huh.)

In a somewhat awkward position where I wasn’t sure if I should complement her or not, a wry smile escaped me.

If I couldn’t read her mind here, there was room tthat I would have interpreted this as not even looking at me as a man, but unfortunately, I know that she has feeling for me.

And also, the fact that, even if I continue and touch her erotically, I won’t even be hated for that.

Being able to read minds is really useful. There is no way I would get the timing wrong.

But I still can’t bring myself to act.

“Quite literally, an unattainable beauty.”

I can just admire her from afar, but not touch—such is her, Katsuragi Minami.

—Suddenly, a question arises.

Considering I have an extreme aversion to being touched and prefers to maintain a certain distance—’haptophobia’.

And even after knowing such condition about me, did she still expect me to make a move on her?

That Katsuragi Minami, of all people?

(…There might be a slim chance in all odds, but it still seems odd.)

Even if I were infatuated and in love with Katsuragi Minami, it would be normal for me to think that, since the person is of this disposition, I would take small steps forward.

Yet Katsuragi Minami had prepared herself for such an act, just in case.

Moreover, right from the first day she visits.

Strange.

Is she perhaps under the impression that only she’s special and different?

Nope, it’s unlikely she would recklessly rush into this, especially given her intelligence.

Another possibility is…

The fact that she realizes that this illness is a façade altogether?

(Haha, no way right. That’s impossible.)

I’ve never disclosed this lie to anyone. Even with my parents, I behaved as if it suddenly manifested and convinced them about it.

There’s a possibility she deduced through reasoning, but even for someone as intelligent as Katsuragi Minami, it’s impossible.

Who would think that, since the person can read minds, he was distancing themselves from other.

I chuckled at my own thoughts when I sensed movement in her.