When I Started Capturing the Academy Princesses, Things Turned into a Battlefield - V1 Chapter 04: The Fairy’s Hidden Face

Chapter 04: The Fairy’s Hidden Face

The day after the seat change—lunchtime.

I was in an empty classroom.

As a loner, I hated staying in the classroom during lunch.

But going to the cafeteria wouldn’t change the fact that I was still a loner, and wandering off somewhere far was too much of a hassle.

So, since the first semester, I had settled into the habit of eating my lunch and messing around on my phone in one of the nearby empty classrooms.

“…This is going too smoothly.”

I was in the middle of carrying out the insane mission of capturing a Princess, and yet, things were going way better than I expected.

Not only had I ended up sitting next to one of the Hime 6, but Yukina Kazama was also incredibly friendly.

At first, I thought she was just curious because it was our first real conversation.

But today, just like yesterday, she had been actively talking to me.

We greeted each other in the morning, and during breaks, we casually chatted about random topics.

In just one day, I had gone from being a random classmate to almost feeling like a friend.

On the surface, everything seemed to be going perfectly.

But I knew better.

I had already figured out the unshakable truth of this world—handsome guys are unbeatable.

A girl being this friendly with a guy who wasn’t good-looking? That was impossible.

This world was ruled by looks.

And because of that, I couldn’t fully accept the situation.

Doubt creeping in, I started observing Yukina Kazama more closely.

And in just one day, I realized—

She was on an entirely different level.

Kazama had an insane variety of conversation topics.

With her female friends, she excitedly talked about makeup and male celebrities.

With me, she casually brought up anime and games.

On top of that, she could also talk about dramas, movies, and even sports.

Her range of topics was ridiculous.

Flawless looks and top-tier conversation skills—no wonder she was a Princess praised for her personality.

And just like the rumors said, she didn’t seem to have any weird biases.

She never looked down on anime or gaming talk.

In fact, she actually seemed to enjoy it.

“…Wait. Are there really people out there who don’t judge based on looks?”

As I absentmindedly scrolled through my phone, I suddenly heard footsteps approaching.

“—!”

Instinctively, I ducked under the teacher’s podium.

It wasn’t like I was hiding anything, but for some reason, I just really didn’t want to be seen right now.

The footsteps entered the classroom and came to a stop near the center.

“So, what did you want to talk about?”

A girl’s voice.

One I definitely recognized.

“Over the summer, I spent all my time improving myself. No matter what, I just can’t give up on you, Kazama. So… please go out with me.”

Normally, I wouldn’t care about someone’s confession.

But I knew that guy’s voice.

Keeping my presence hidden, I slowly peeked out from under the podium.

Standing in the center of the empty classroom were Yukina Kazama and one of my classmates—a guy I recognized instantly.

He was one of the most famous pretty boys in our year.

On top of that, he was a top student, always ranking high on tests.

He had a good personality too—unlike most guys in his league, he was actually friendly, even to loners like me.

Back in those hellish “find a partner” group activities, he had even reached out to me before.

A literal saint.

Honestly, for most girls, this would be a guaranteed success.

…Wait a second.

Isn’t this my chance?

If Kazama actually accepted his confession, I could spread the news that they were dating.

That would knock her out of the Hime 6, and in turn, Ayane would move up.

And best of all—my secret would stay safe.

“I’m sorry.”

…Unfortunately, reality was cruel.

“…Can I at least ask why?”

“I think I told you before, but I see you as a friend, Yamada-kun. You’re a great guy, but… I just can’t see you as anything more than that. I’m really sorry.”

A handsome guy got rejected.

And judging from the way she said it, this wasn’t the first time.

After a brief silence, Yamada-kun—the saintly pretty boy—accepted his loss.

“Sorry for taking up your time. Thanks for listening.”

Even in defeat, he left with words befitting a handsome guy, walking away with an air of dignity.

For a brief moment, as he turned to leave, I caught a glimpse of his profile.

His expression was… surprisingly clear.

A smart, kind-hearted, good-looking guy—rejected without hesitation.

Once again, I was reminded just how insanely difficult this whole Princess-capturing mission was.

…Maybe I should just give up and negotiate with Ayane instead.

The real problem was figuring out how to get her to back off.

Would she accept ice cream as a bribe? That would make things a hell of a lot easier.

…But Ayane wasn’t that simple.

Cash, maybe?

No, screw that.

The thought of paying off my own sister to keep my secret made me want to hurl.

That would make me nothing more than a pathetic pig groveling for mercy.

…Then again, I was already a Super Chat pig, so maybe I had no right to talk.

As I was getting lost in my own dumb thoughts—

A laugh echoed through the now-empty classroom.

“Ahaha! I can’t believe he actually confessed again. Looks like he spent the whole summer trying to ‘improve’ himself… but I already cleared his route, so it’s not like it matters. Honestly, being called out like this is just a hassle. I hope he gives up after this.”

…Kazama?

What the hell was she saying?

“Well, whatever. His desperate face was pretty funny, so I’ll let it slide. Watching handsome guys panic is always entertaining. Not a bad show.”

Her usual soft, fairy-like smile was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, Yukina Kazama was grinning—

A cruel, twisted smile, completely unlike the one she usually showed.

“Yamada-kun was pretty entertaining. At first, he didn’t care about me at all, but by the end, he was sneaking glances at me whenever he had the chance. Poor guy even started dropping in the rankings. Ah—better make a note before I forget. Yamada-kun, second-time completion.”

Kazama casually sat on top of a desk, crossing her legs as she pulled out her phone.

Normally, she’d sit gracefully in a chair, but right now, she was slouching lazily, tapping away on her screen.

“Things are going smoothly this year too. Even had a few idiots confess when they weren’t even sitting next to me. That makes… over half the class ‘cleared,’ huh?”

…My brain completely shut down.

I could not believe these words were coming from Yukina Kazama —the “kind-hearted” Princess everyone adored.

As I struggled to process what I had just heard, Kazama hummed to herself, still scrolling through her phone. Then, she suddenly smirked.

“And next up… is Kanbara-kun.”

The second I heard my name, my heart nearly stopped.

At Himegasaki Academy, there were probably only two students with the surname Kanbara—me and my sister.

And the way she said it?

There was no mistaking it—she meant me.

“Hmm, based on our conversations, I’d say he’s an awkward little otaku who doesn’t fit in with the class. Seems overly cautious too. I wonder—does he just have no interest in girls? Or maybe… he got rejected before, and now he’s traumatized? That’d be pretty funny. Got dumped by a real girl, so he ran off to his little 2D fantasy world.”

…She nailed it.

Kazama let out a long sigh before tucking her phone away and hopping off the desk.

“Well, I’ve already conquered plenty of guys like him, so this should be an easy win. Maybe I should try setting a new record this time… Yeah, let’s go for it. I’ll have Mob-kun confessing by the end of the week. I can’t wait to see that pathetic, desperate look on his face when he finally breaks.”

Still smirking, Yukina Kazama strolled out of the classroom.

◇

Left alone in the empty room, I sat there in shock.

I had just seen the true face of the girl everyone called the sweetest, most perfect Princess.

That alone was enough of a gut punch.

But the worst part—the thing that really crushed me—

“…She called me ‘Mob-kun’?”

I never thought of myself as a main character or anything.

I was well aware that I didn’t have the face of a protagonist.

And I sure as hell wasn’t delusional enough to think I was charming or cool.

But being flat-out labeled as a mob…?

That hurt.

Still—this confirmed it.

Kazama wasn’t looking for romance.

She was just playing a game.

A high-society level game where she toyed with the guy sitting next to her, just to see if she could make them fall for her.

And not only that—she kept records of her victories, basking in her own success like some kind of twisted collector.

No doubt about it.

She was completely insane.

So this was the “true face” of the Wind Fairy, huh?

Makes sense.

I always thought it was weird how she treated everyone the same—whether they were handsome or not.

Turns out, it wasn’t because she was kind or open-minded or anything like that.

She just didn’t care.

To her, guys weren’t people—they were toys she could play with to satisfy her own twisted little desires.

And that was why she was nice to everyone.

It all made sense now.

…Seriously, what kind of fairy was she supposed to be?

She was worse than Ayane.

Now that I knew her true nature, I finally understood why she reminded me of my sister.

At school, Ayane put on a fake, sweet persona.

And Kazama? She was doing the exact same thing.

The hidden side of the Wind Fairy…

Some things were better left unknown.

Thinking about it made my head hurt.

Apparently, I was about to be her next target.

That alone wasn’t a problem—I could probably handle it now that I knew her true nature.

The real problem was my mission.

Somehow, I had to capture her instead.

For a brief second, I considered using what I had just seen as blackmail.

But there was no way that would work.

Even if I spread the truth, who would actually believe me?

A Mob versus a Princess—who had the higher credibility?

If I were just another classmate hearing the rumors, I’d believe Kazama without a second thought.

And if some random guy like me suddenly started badmouthing her?

I’d be the one called a liar.

“…You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Letting out a deep sigh, I dragged my miserable self back to class.