When I Started Capturing the Academy Princesses, Things Turned into a Battlefield - V1 Chapter 35: The Saintess and the Opening Bell

Chapter 35: The Saintess and the Opening Bell

What’s the scariest thing in the world?

Everyone has their own answer,

But one of the correct ones is definitely letting your guard down.

A huge number of accidents happen simply because someone got careless.

“So, what’s this all about?”

“Mind explaining?”

“Come on now, tell us everything.”

What greeted me after arriving at school…

Was the sight of three Princesses, all smiling sweetly.

The moment I sat down at my desk, they appeared out of nowhere and surrounded me—making escape impossible.

Yukina Kazama, my classmate, had a playful smile that showed just a hint of her sharp little fang.

Kanon Hikawa, the elegant underclassman, wore a perfect porcelain doll smile that somehow felt glued in place.

Tsubasa Shiranui, my fellow Vtuber fan, flashed a princely grin that practically sparkled.

Right—

I had let my guard down, and they’d closed in without warning.

No way I expected this kind of ambush first thing in the morning.

Meanwhile, the rest of the class held their breath in silence.

Everyone was eavesdropping, desperate to catch any scraps of information.

“Uhh… what are you talking about?”

I played dumb while scanning their expressions for clues.

“Don’t pretend you don’t know. We’re talking about that rumor.”

Kazama spoke on behalf of the group.

She usually played the sweet, innocent type, but her tone had gotten noticeably sharper.

They were obviously talking about that rumor—

The one about me and Tsukihi being childhood friends.

I’d already found out Tsukihi was the one who spread it.

She did it because of our study session, and since she planned to keep tutoring me, she figured it’d be better to get ahead of things.

That way, if anyone saw us together, people wouldn’t start asking questions.

Basically, it was a form of preemptive defense.

It was a smart move—no doubt about that.

But still… a little heads-up would’ve been nice.

At this point, denying the rumor wouldn’t help.

I did want to score well on the midterms, and I didn’t want things to get awkward with Tsukihi again.

So yeah—probably better to be clear about it now.

“If you mean that rumor—then yeah, it’s all true.”

I said it without hesitation.

“““!?”””

All three girls froze.

Their expressions completely changed the moment I confirmed it.

Even the classmates who’d been eavesdropping started murmuring.

From the boys’ side of the room, I could hear groans—not of surprise,

But of utter despair.

…Wait, what?

Sure, she’s the so-called Saintess,

But is having a childhood friend who’s a guy really that big a deal?

I mean, I’m sure the other Princesses played tag with boys or went out on little outings when they were kids too.

Besides, it’s not like Tsukihi and I were that close.

We didn’t even start talking again until second term of our second year.

“Are you really getting married?”

“…Eh?”

This time, I was the one caught off guard.

I had completely let my guard down.

I’d forgotten—totally forgotten.

Between finding out Tsukihi didn’t have a boyfriend, and how fun yesterday was after so long,

I’d gotten carried away.

I completely overlooked the most explosive part of the rumor:

“The childhood promise to get married.”

This was bad.

I really needed to clear that part up.

Just as I rushed to correct myself, the classroom suddenly erupted in chatter.

The cause?

Two more students entered the room.

“Told you we’d hear something juicy.”

“I heard it loud and clear too~”

Two more Princesses broke through the circle like they were joining a stage show—both smiling from ear to ear.

My friend Misuzu Tsuchiya had this uncontrollable, full-blown grin like she was trying not to squeal.

And Arisa Hikawa, my mysterious alliance partner, wore a smug smile under her cool act.

…Why they too!?

“Yuma-kun and Tsukihi-chan are childhood sweethearts who made a promise for the future~!”

“A childhood romance turning into true love—how wonderful. I just have to support this.”

Hey, stop making stuff up!

Sure, things weren’t awkward between us anymore—

But we didn’t promise anything about the future,

Let alone marriage!

At least I don’t remember anything like that.

“Misuzu!”

“Onee-chan…?”

Shiranui and Kanon both looked stunned at the two newcomers.

Kazama, on the other hand, was the only one who remained calm.

She gave me a sharp glare—

Then let out a long, slow sigh.

“…So that’s what’s been going on lately, huh? I thought you two were spending more time together than usual. As if this wasn’t already hard enough—you’ve officially turned this into an impossible game.”

Kazama muttered sharply, her tone rough, followed by a small click of her tongue.

That reaction caught my attention,

But I didn’t have time to dwell on it.

First, I had to deny the marriage part of the rumor.

If I didn’t stop it now, it’d spiral out of control.

“Wait, about that rumor—”

Just as I opened my mouth, the classroom stirred again.

The reason was obvious.

“Whoa, the atmosphere just changed.”

The final Princess—my childhood friend Tsukihi—had arrived.

With a soft, serene expression that made her look every bit the Saintess she was known as,

Tsukihi walked in with a calm, gentle grace.

Even though I’d known her for years, I still found myself momentarily captivated.

She walked up quietly and stood beside me.

Now my seat was completely surrounded by Princesses—

A ridiculous scene that looked like something straight out of a dream… or a nightmare.

“Look, all the Princesses are here.”

“First time I’ve seen this.”

“It’s like a painting come to life.”

“Too bad the guy in the middle ruins the composition.”

Yeah, I heard that, glasses-kun.

Still, who would’ve thought the top six Princesses of Himegasaki Academy would all gather at once—

And not just anywhere, but literally around my desk?

What kind of joke was this?

While I was still processing the absurdity of it all—

“I’m just here to drop something off, so don’t mind me, okay? I was supposed to give it to you earlier, but I ended up chatting with Ayane-chan and missed my chance.”

By the way, Tsukihi came to our house again this morning.

But this time, she went to school with Ayane instead of me.

It seemed like their conversation yesterday had really brought them back together—

They looked like real sisters as they walked side by side, happily chatting away.

Now, in the classroom, Tsukihi placed something on my desk.

“Here you go, Yuu-kun.”

“What’s this?”

“A bento.”

“…Whose?”

“Yours, of course. I woke up early this morning to make it for you.”

…Are you serious?

The last time I ate Tsukihi’s cooking was back in elementary school.

And even then, it wasn’t really “cooking”—just stuff like fried eggs.

“Ah, that look—you don’t believe me, do you? I’ve actually gotten better, you know. I hope it’s something you’ll like.”

She gave a shy, slightly embarrassed smile.

And yeah… it was kind of adorable.

“…A homemade bento.”

“Ugh…”

“That’s… a devastating move.”

The three Princesses surrounding me each muttered something under their breath.

Tsukihi, clearly having noticed their reactions, turned to them with a warm, gentle smile—

The kind of serene expression only someone called the Saintess could pull off.

“Oh, you three have gotten close to Yuu-kun recently, haven’t you? Thank you so much for looking after my Yuu-kun.”

Still smiling angelically, she gave them a polite little bow.

Despite the kind face and graceful tone…

There was no mistaking the impact behind those words.

And just like that, the atmosphere turned ice cold.

Kazama, Shiranui, and Kanon all lost their smiles.

I didn’t know how long the silence lasted,

But it felt like hours—tense and suffocating.

The only thing that finally broke it…

Was the sound of the bell.

“Ah, hey… you should probably head back to class now.”

I completely forgot about denying the rumor—

Right now, I just wanted to defuse the situation as quickly as possible.

“Yeah, you’re right. Let’s go, Tsubasa-chan.”

“We don’t want to be late, Kanon-chan.”

Prompted by her best friend and her older sister, Shiranui and Kanon finally began to move.

Kazama, meanwhile, said nothing as she quietly sat down at the desk beside mine.

The crowd of onlookers that had gathered without me even noticing slowly began to disperse.

Some of them had looked at me like they were ready to kill, but…

That was probably just my imagination.

…Yeah. Let’s go with that.

“Hey, Tsukihi, you should go back too.”

“…”

As the other two left and Kazama settled into her seat,

Tsukihi opened her mouth slightly and whispered something.

“Just sit back—… ending—…princesses?”

She mumbled it with a serene smile.

But her voice was so soft, I couldn’t quite catch it.

“Hmm? Did you say something?”

“Nope, nothing at all.”

“…Alright then.”

“Okay, I’m heading back to class. See you later.”

“Yeah. And… thanks for the lunch.”

When I said that, Tsukihi looked pleased, then turned and left the classroom.

But man… things had gotten out of hand.

I really needed to clear up that rumor—

Especially the part about the whole marriage thing.

Did we really promise that when we were kids…?

Well, whatever.

The chaos had settled down for now.

I’d deal with the rest later.

I let out a small sigh of relief—

But for some reason, the sound of the class bell ringing felt less like the start of a lesson…

And more like the gong signaling the beginning of a new battle.