When I Started Capturing the Academy Princesses, Things Turned into a Battlefield - V1 Chapter 16: The Princess-Prince’s Proposal

Chapter 16: The Princess-Prince’s Proposal

After school.

After receiving Tsuchiya’s heartfelt thanks, I felt surprisingly refreshed.

It was a rare moment where I could tell myself, Yeah, I did something good. My mood was lifted.

That said, I wasn’t completely worry-free.

I had failed the princess-capturing mission.

And when Sunday’s debriefing rolled around, I could already picture Ayane tearing into me without mercy. Just imagining it made my stomach churn.

Still, there was no point stressing about it now.

With that in mind, I stepped out of the classroom—

“Ya, Kanbara-kun.”

“…Shiranui?”

The moment I walked into the hallway, I ran into Shiranui.

This wasn’t a coincidence.

She was clearly here to see me.

“Wait, isn’t that the Princess-Prince?”

“Why is she here?”

“And isn’t she talking to Kanbara-kun?”

I could hear whispers from the students around us.

Unlike Shiranui, I wasn’t used to this kind of attention.

It was suffocating.

I wanted to get out of here as soon as possible.

“I need to talk to you. Do you have time?”

“I do… but I’d rather leave this hallway first.”

“In that case, how about that empty classroom we used before?”

“Works for me.”

“Great. Head there first—I need to grab something. I’ll meet you soon.”

I quickly left the crowded hallway and made my way to the empty classroom.

After waiting for a few minutes, Shiranui arrived.

There were plenty of open seats, but without hesitation, she sat down right next to me.

It felt a little too close, but I figured she was just being cautious.

After all, this was probably a conversation she didn’t want anyone overhearing.

If it was something Vtuber-related, it made sense to keep things quiet—having that kind of info spread around would be a hassle.

“Sorry for the wait. I got caught up on the way here.”

“Don’t worry about it. So, what’s this about?”

“Well… remember the thing I talked to you about before?”

Of course I did.

Her problem—being way too popular with girls.

In fact, the entire mess we had just dealt with had started because of Shiranui’s overwhelming popularity.

Not that it was her fault, though.

“I’ve been thinking about a way to fix it.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“And actually… I need your help, Kanbara-kun.”

My help?

“I just need you to talk to me at school every once in a while.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“One of the reasons I keep getting confessed to by girls is because I never talk to guys. That’s given people the impression that I hate men—and since I don’t show any interest in them, there’s this rumor that I must be into girls instead.”

“Wait… I thought you were bad with guys?”

I was honestly surprised.

The rumors about her being a man-hater were practically common knowledge.

She never talked to guys, and when I first met her—before she found out I was into Vtubers—she had straight-up glared at me.

I had assumed the rumors were completely true.

“I’m not exactly comfortable with them, but it’s not like I hate boys.”

“Then why don’t you try getting along with them?”

“It might sound surprising, but… I’m honestly scared of them. I mean, it’s obvious, right? They’re bigger and stronger than me. Just the thought of what could happen if one tried to attack me… it freaks me out.”

That… was unexpected.

“So then, back when we first met—and you glared at me…”

“I was scared. That was me putting up a front. I figured it was better to act tough than to show any weakness.”

I see. Her appearance might lean toward the princely side, but at the end of the day, she’s still a girl.

Even with her androgynous features, if she ever got into a fight with a guy, the odds wouldn’t exactly be in her favor.

And considering how popular she was, it wouldn’t be strange if there were guys out there who resented her for it.

Though, realistically, I doubted anyone would actually pick a fight with her.

“Plus, ever since I started getting surrounded by girls, it’s just… gotten harder to approach boys. Whenever I try, the girls around me immediately turn hostile toward them.”

Ah. So her fan club didn’t like the idea of their “Prince” getting close to any guy.

“I mean, couldn’t you just… tell them to back off?”

“That would go against my own sense of honor. They admire me—I don’t want to forcefully push them away. I know it’s selfish of me, but… that’s just how I feel.”

So, while she did find them a bit troublesome, she didn’t want to alienate the girls who admired her.

That was completely understandable.

Still, hearing the full story, I couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for Shiranui.

Because she didn’t talk to guys, people just assumed she hated them.

And since she didn’t show any interest in them, people jumped to the conclusion that she must like girls instead.

It was a vicious cycle.

“That’s why I need your help, Kanbara-kun. Just every now and then—I want you to talk to me at school. If people see that I actually have a male friend, maybe they’ll stop assuming things about me. Maybe it’ll break the illusion a little, and I won’t get as many confessions.”

It was actually a pretty solid plan.

That said… I could already tell that if I went along with this, I’d be on the receiving end of some serious backlash from her fangirls.

“Why me though?”

“…!”

“I mean, there’s gotta be someone better for the job. Like, I don’t know—a better-looking guy? You don’t have to explain everything, but I’m sure there’s someone out there who’d be willing to help you.”

If her fan club saw her talking to a pretty boy, they’d probably take it better.

A prince and a beautiful man—that would at least look good together.

If it was some ultra-hot guy, her admirers would have an easier time accepting it.

“A handsome guy wouldn’t work. In fact, that would be the worst choice.”

“The worst? What do you mean?”

“It’s because you’re not a handsome guy that I feel safe with you.”

…Wait. Did she just insult me?

I mean, sure, I wasn’t exactly a model, but was she saying I was so plain that no one would ever think the Princess-Prince would date me?

“Besides, after everything that happened, I’ve learned a lot about you, Kanbara-kun. Personality-wise, you’re fine—you’re not the type to use violence or anything. Even Misuzu holds you in high regard.”

Well, yeah, I hated violence. No argument there.

“There’s another reason, too. I want to talk to you about Vtubers again.”

“…I guess I am the only one who knows your secret.”

“Not having anyone to talk to about my hobbies has been really stressful.”

I could understand Shiranui’s reasoning.

I took a moment to think it over.

“Alright. I’ll go along with your plan.”

“Yes!”

Shiranui was one of the Princesses—one of my supposed targets.

If Ayane found out about this, she’d definitely tell me to go after her.

But even if Shiranui wasn’t exactly bad with guys, there was no way I could flirt with her.

So, I had an idea.

I wouldn’t try to capture her. Instead—I’d make use of my position as the only guy at school she was close to.

From the outside, my presence would stand out.

To the girls who followed Shiranui around, I would be nothing but a nuisance.

This was my chance.

If I didn’t actively pursue her, but still stayed close, it might chip away at her popularity.

It was a long-term strategy, and to be honest, the chances of success weren’t great.

But it was better than doing nothing.

As long as one of the six princesses lost her title, that would be enough.

…Damn, I’m a genius.

My own brilliance was starting to scare me.

“Well then, Kanbara-kun—looking forward to working with you.”

“Yeah, same here.”

We shook hands firmly.

With that, Shiranui turned and walked away.

The way she strode through the halls—it was exactly like a real prince.

But at the same time, the faint smile on her face had a certain softness to it… almost like a delicate princess.

Princess-Prince really was the perfect title for her.

Props to the news club—whoever came up with that nickname had great instincts.

“…Phew.”

Just as I let out a breath, I suddenly felt a sharp gaze on me.

I turned my head toward the door—

And there she was.

Tsuchiya.

She was staring at me from the classroom entrance.

…Wait.

Was she glaring at me?

Her face was cold, her dark eyes locked onto mine.

It wasn’t just irritation.

It was the kind of rage you’d direct at someone who betrayed you.

For a few seconds, our eyes met—

Then, still wearing that terrifying expression, she turned and disappeared down the hall.

I had no idea why she suddenly hated me, but one thing was clear—

I was in serious danger.

With a heavy heart, I started my way home.