When I Started Capturing the Academy Princesses, Things Turned into a Battlefield - V1 Chapter 18: The Fairy and the Princess-Prince

Chapter 18: The Fairy and the Princess-Prince

After surviving that hellish debriefing session, Monday arrived.

And my mood?

Absolutely rock bottom from the moment I woke up.

There was no way I could focus in class.

By the time lunch break rolled around, I felt like an empty shell.

Normally, I’d head to my usual empty classroom, but today—

I just couldn’t be bothered.

Instead, I slumped over my desk, lazily chewing on a sweet bun before dropping my head onto the table.

“You’re looking pretty down today. Are you feeling sick?”

A voice called out from beside me.

Kazama.

She had been sitting with her friends just a moment ago, eating her lunch.

I hadn’t even noticed when she came back.

“I’m fine. Just… dealing with some stuff.”

“So it’s not your health—it’s just your mood?”

“Yeah. Pretty much. Thanks for asking, though.”

There was no way my mood was going to improve.

The target Ayane had assigned me was a lowerclassman.

I had zero connection to her.

From the start, I had written her off as impossible.

Even if I did find a way to meet her, she was one of the most troublesome princesses to approach.

There was no way I could get excited about this.

I had tried to think of a few ways to approach her—

But every idea was too unrealistic.

From everything I had heard about her, it was impossible to imagine getting close to her.

That left me with only one other option—

Going after one of the princesses I had already met.

But even that was impossible.

I had no clue how to deepen any of those relationships.

And with zero experience in this sort of thing—

I was completely stuck.

“What happened?”

“Nothing.”

“You’re acting like this over nothing?”

“Some days are just like that.”

There was no way I could tell her the truth.

If people found out I was trying to ‘capture’ the princesses, I’d be ripped apart.

Now that I thought about it—

This whole “princess strategy” was kind of scummy in the first place.

Wasn’t this exactly like Kazama trying to win over the guy sitting next to her?

…Too late to care now.

“Oh, by the way—I heard something.”

“Heard what?”

“That you got Shiranui-san and Tsuchiya-san to make up. It’s a pretty big rumor now. Even my friends were impressed—they said they saw you in a new light.”

“…You’re kidding.”

How the hell did this get out?

As soon as I wondered, the answer hit me.

Ayane.

Of course it was her.

She actually went around spreading it.

She must’ve started early in the morning—probably right after she found out last night.

Come to think of it—

She did get to school way earlier than usual today.

Now that Kazama mentioned it, I realized something—

I had been getting weird looks all day.

Some were positive, but there were also plenty of glares mixed in.

Most likely from girls pissed off that I had interfered.

The whole “you had no right to step in” kind of anger.

Not that I cared.

I hadn’t done anything wrong.

No one would call me out for it outright—

And even if they did, I’d just stand my ground.

“I’ve gotta say, I’m impressed. Kanbara-kun, you’re actually a good guy, huh?”

Kazama said it in a tone so obviously fake—

And at the same time, she stepped on my foot under the desk.

“Ow!”

“So? Who’s your target?”

She leaned in, her expression shifting.

“You didn’t just help them out for no reason, right? The rumors weren’t clear on that part—but why would you go out of your way to fix things between those two?”

“…”

“Wait… are you after one of them?”

Damn. She was way too sharp.

The way I stayed silent must’ve been all the confirmation she needed—

Because Kazama let out a long sigh.

“This is way out of your league. Let’s be real, Kanbara-kun—you’re a mob. There’s no way you can land a princess. You should just quit while you’re ahead. And especially Tsubasa Shiranui—there is zero chance, so you’d better drop that idea fast.”

“I’m not—”

Just as I started to object, the hallway outside suddenly got loud.

The source of the commotion was getting closer.

And then—

“I was just passing by, so I thought I’d stop in and say hello, Kanbara-kun.”

Tsubasa Shiranui.

“O-Oh.”

I lifted my hand in greeting.

And immediately—

The murmuring in the hallway exploded into full-on whispers and gasps.

I had no idea why just raising my hand caused such a reaction—

But the reason became very clear in the next moment.

“The Princess-Prince just talked to a guy… on her own!”

“N-No way…”

“This is a historic moment.”

The students in the hallway were shocked beyond belief.

They just couldn’t wrap their heads around the fact that Shiranui had initiated a conversation with a guy.

Even Kazama looked genuinely stunned—

Forgetting to put on her usual fake mask for a moment.

But as expected of her—she quickly recovered, slipping right back into her normal expression.

“I’m shocked. I’ve never seen Shiranui-san talk to a guy before.”

At her words, Shiranui turned her gaze toward Kazama.

“Oh? It’s been a while, Yukina.”

“Yeah, it has. How’ve you been, Shiranui-san?”

“I’m always doing well. And it looks like you’re the same—I’m glad.”

The two exchanged smiles as they greeted each other.

“But seriously, this is huge. Last year, you only talked to girls.”

“Well, that’s true. I usually don’t click with guys, but… I just happen to get along with Kanbara-kun.”

They were former classmates.

I didn’t know much about their relationship, but—

The fact that they were chatting so naturally made it seem like they were close.

Then again, I had never seen them talk before, so maybe they weren’t that close.

“Speaking of which, Yukina—you seem to be getting along well with Kanbara-kun, too.”

“He sits next to me. It’d be a pain if we didn’t get along, you know?”

“Haha, fair point.”

Shiranui let out a cheerful laugh.

It was a pleasant atmosphere—

Like two old friends catching up after a long time.

“…By the way, what exactly is the relationship between Kanbara-kun and Shiranui-san?”

“We’re friends.”

The moment Shiranui said that—

The atmosphere seemed to shift.

…Or at least, it felt that way.

Kazama’s expression stiffened.

At the same time, a few girls in the classroom shot me glares—their faces filled with clear disapproval.

“H-Heh… so you’re friends, huh?”

“Kanbara-kun is a wonderful person. He helped me the other day, and thanks to that, we became close.”

“You mean the whole thing with Tsuchiya-san? It was all over the rumors.”

“Yes, it’s true. Kanbara-kun really helped me out, and I’m grateful. As my benefactor, I’d like to continue building a good relationship with him.”

As Shiranui said that, she gave me a gentle smile.

It was the kind of charming expression that could look both handsome and elegant at the same time.

I found myself nodding instinctively.

Honestly, I wanted to keep things friendly with her too.

Kazama, however, silently watched the interaction, glancing between me and Shiranui before muttering—just barely loud enough to hear—

“Huh. Interesting.“

“Interesting how?”

“I just didn’t expect it.”

“Didn’t expect what?”

“I mean—high schoolers should be able to make up on their own, right? So it’s kind of cute that Shiranui-san couldn’t handle it alone.”

With a soft laugh, Kazama covered her mouth with her hand.

And that’s when it hit me.

There was a thorn hidden in those words.

Her voice just now—

It was exactly the same mocking tone that Ayane used whenever she was trying to be sarcastic.

“…”

“…”

Had Shiranui noticed it too?

The atmosphere had changed.

It felt tense, almost uncomfortable.

Wait—

When did things get so hostile?

Both of them were smiling, but somehow—

That only made it worse.

Something about their expressions felt unnerving, like a quiet storm brewing beneath the surface.

This was bad. Really bad.

What the hell was I supposed to do here?

Just as panic started creeping in—

The classroom suddenly stirred again.

Someone new had entered, making their way over to us.

And when I saw who it was—

I nearly sighed in relief.

“Looks like you’re having fun. Mind if I join the conversation?”

It was Misuzu Tsuchiya.

“Of course! Please—by all means, join us!”

I agreed instantly..

A lifesaver had arrived.

If anyone could smooth this over, it was her.

At least—that’s what I hoped.

But then—

As soon as Tsuchiya looked at me—

She gave me a wicked smile.

“I was watching from the hallway, you know… Yuma-kun and Yukina-chan really are so close, aren’t they?”

What…? Where the hell did that come from?

As I stared at her, confused—

She just kept going.

“When I was looking for Yuma-kun before, Yukina-chan was the one who told me where to find him. And every time I pass by this class, I always see you two chatting and laughing together.”

She smiled—sweetly.

“Could it be… you two are dating?”

“Wait—what?!”

“Oh? Judging by that reaction, I guess not yet.”

Her tone was light—too light.

“But I think you’d make a great couple! I mean, think about it—a cute, kind-hearted girl like Yukina-chan, and a caring, loyal guy like Yuma-kun? Everyone would be so jealous. You two are the perfect match.”

With that cheerful smile, she had just dropped a nuke.

My lifesaver had turned into a demon.