When I Started Capturing the Academy Princesses, Things Turned into a Battlefield - V2 Chapter 11; Interlude – The Princess-Prince’s Panic

Chapter 11.5: Interlude – The Princess-Prince’s Panic

“Sorry about lunchtime. It was kind of an emergency.”

Misuzu, my best friend, pressed her hands together in apology right in front of me.

It was Friday afternoon, after school.

The two of us were walking home together—though we lived in different directions, so we’d split up along the way.

She was apologizing for what happened during lunch break.

Just when I was about to open up to Kanbara-kun and tell him everything,

Misuzu had walked into the classroom.

The timing was just too perfect—she must’ve been waiting outside, watching for the right moment to step in.

“I’m not mad. We weren’t really talking about anything serious anyway.”

“Really?”

“Really. If we’d kept talking, we would’ve been late to class. You actually saved me.”

That part was true.

Right after we got back to class, the teacher showed up.

And that teacher? Super strict.

If we’d walked in even a few seconds late, we definitely would’ve gotten yelled at.

As someone who’s not great with angry men, I was honestly kind of grateful.

“That’s a relief. You got really quiet after that, so I thought maybe you were mad.”

“I was just thinking, that’s all.”

With that, we continued chatting about random stuff, just like always, until we reached the point where we usually split up.

“Oh, by the way—I’m going out tomorrow, so if you message me during the day, I might not be able to reply right away.”

“Got it. Be careful while you’re out.”

“Thanks. See you later!”

After parting ways with Misuzu, I walked toward home.

As I walked, I could feel people’s eyes on me from every direction.

Ever since starting high school, I’d gotten used to being stared at more often.

By now, it didn’t bother me anymore.

Even the gazes from girls, filled with interest—I was completely used to them.

“I’m home.”

Once back, I headed straight to my room, hugged my favorite stuffed animal, and flopped down onto the bed.

My thoughts drifted to everything that had happened today.

“…I’m really panicking, aren’t I?”

Even I could tell.

I wasn’t even that close with Kanbara-kun yet, and I almost told him everything.

Still, it couldn’t be helped.

The reason for my panic… was none other than Tsukihi Yoiyami.

Until recently, I didn’t even know her.

Honestly, I thought she lived in a completely different world—someone I’d never cross paths with.

She’d stood out since last year.

Right after enrolling, her popularity exploded.

Even I found myself admiring her beauty.

She kind of reminded me of Misuzu in some ways,

But she had this mysterious aura that made her feel… untouchable.

Anyone could see she was in a league of her own.

I never imagined that she, the true “Princess of Princesses,” would be Kanbara-kun’s childhood friend.

And I definitely didn’t expect her to have feelings for him.

The moment I saw her bringing him a handmade lunch, I completely lost my cool.

Before I realized it, I’d called her out and basically declared war.

That thing I said about buying clothes with Kanbara-kun’s money—

It wasn’t a lie, but I said it in a way that could be easily misunderstood, just out of panic.

Sure, I had bought some clothes with the super chats he donated,

But looking back, that whole flex was way too childish.

When we won the ball game tournament, I really was happy.

But even winning didn’t mean I could win him.

“There are just way too many rivals…”

Honestly, I never thought I had any competition.

That’s why I felt relaxed—like there was no rush. I thought I could take my time before making a move.

But I couldn’t have been more wrong.

It wasn’t just Tsukihi.

Yukina was clearly aiming for Kanbara-kun too, and even Hikawa-san’s younger sister obviously liked him.

I’d always been a bit boyish, so I didn’t have much confidence in myself.

That’s why I had prepared for a long game—hoping that little by little, he’d come to see my good sides.

I planned to keep my identity as Feni the Immortal Phoenix a secret for a while, just get closer as friends first.

Then, once we had built a real bond, I’d finally reveal who I really was.

But if I kept holding back and just watching from the sidelines…

I was going to lose.

Still, it wasn’t just about how strong my rivals were.

There were also people actively getting in my way.

Hikawa-san, the student council president.

And even Misuzu—my best friend.

They were clearly siding with Tsukihi.

Especially Misuzu. She was definitely trying to interfere.

She must’ve realized how I felt about Kanbara-kun.

Knowing how Misuzu felt made things even harder.

I didn’t want to fight with her.

The thought of losing a friend scared me.

Pathetic, I know—but that’s how I felt.

The one person I still couldn’t figure out… was Hikawa-san.

No matter how hard I thought about it, I couldn’t understand why she was supporting Tsukihi.

…But this wasn’t the time to be worrying about that.

Seriously, what am I even supposed to do?

At this rate, Kanbara-kun and Tsukihi were going to become a couple.

It was only a matter of time.

And the only way I could think of to stop that from happening…

Was to reveal that I’m Feni the Immortal Phoenix.

I didn’t know if that conclusion came from panic or if it was truly the right move.

Still stuck in that swirling mix of emotions, I just stayed at home, rolling around and doing nothing all day.

◇

It was Saturday.

I had come to a shopping mall a bit outside of town.

There was a shop here that sold all kinds of cute stuff—exactly my taste.

Sure, there were similar stores back home, but if anyone saw me there, it might ruin my image.

I could always shop online, of course,

But every once in a while, I wanted to see things with my own eyes.

Shopping helped clear my head, too.

As I wandered around for a while, I noticed a stir among the male customers.

They were all looking in the same direction—at a particular group of people.

“…Huh? Kanbara-kun?”

I turned my eyes toward the crowd, and right in the center of it was Kanbara-kun.

As I kept watching, someone behind him started sneaking away—

It was his little sister, trying to slip off quietly.

A moment later, a handsome guy moved as if to follow her.

That had to be Yamada-kun.

I watched that ball game tournament too, of course—the one where Kanbara-kun’s class won.

Kanbara-kun had made that amazing pass. He looked incredible out there.

And Yamada-kun was the one who received it and scored the winning goal.

The girls in their class had been fussing over how handsome he was, so I’d remembered his name.

I also knew he was friends with Kanbara-kun.

But… what was his connection to Kanbara-kun’s sister?

They didn’t really seem like a couple.

Kanbara-kun’s sister clearly looked annoyed.

That was definitely curious…

But still, what caught my attention the most was Kanbara-kun himself.

He was completely surrounded.

And the people surrounding him were girls I knew very well—

Tsukihi, Hikawa-san, and Misuzu.

It wasn’t exactly part of the “surrounding,”

But clinging to Kanbara-kun’s arm was Hikawa-san’s younger sister.

And for some reason…

That scene ticked me off just a little.

“Yuu-kun, care to explain what’s going on here?”

Tsukihi pressed him with a sharp voice.

Her normally composed face clearly showed irritation.

“You traitor. Do you have a death wish or something?”

Hikawa-san stared at him like he was actual trash.

She was the one girl I genuinely struggled to deal with—

And right now, I especially didn’t want to go anywhere near her.

“This situation was definitely not part of the plan. You’re in trouble now, Yuma-kun.”

Misuzu’s tone hadn’t changed from her usual calm demeanor,

But as her best friend, I could tell—she was holding back a grin.

She was clearly enjoying watching Kanbara-kun squirm.

“Senpai didn’t do anything wrong. He was just out on a date with Kanon.”

The one saying that—and clinging tightly to Kanbara-kun’s arm—was Hikawa-san’s younger sister.

…A date?

Judging from the situation, it looked like Kanbara-kun and Hikawa-san’s sister had been on a date.

And then Misuzu and the others showed up and confronted them.

So, Hikawa-san’s sister, huh?

It was already obvious she had her eyes on Kanbara-kun,

But going on a date with him on their day off?

She might be an even bigger threat than Tsukihi.

Still, something didn’t sit right with me.

It didn’t seem like this was some random coincidence.

Tsukihi and the others might’ve known about the date in advance.

And Kanbara-kun’s sister being here too… that raised even more questions.

“Yuu-kun, you’re going to give us a proper explanation, right?”

“Get away from Kanon-chan this instant!”

“Yuma-kun, you really are full of surprises, huh.”

“Senpai’s going to keep dating Kanon.”

Kanbara-kun was surrounded by beautiful girls.

And that wasn’t all.

Off to the side, a bunch of jealous guys were glaring at him with bitter expressions.

You could practically feel the murderous aura in the air.

If I had to sum up this chaotic scene in a single word—

‘Shuraba.’

There was no better way to describe it.

It looked like a fight could break out at any moment.

But one thing was absolutely certain—

Kanbara-kun was in serious trouble.

“Answer me, Yuu-kun.”

Tsukihi’s calm composure was completely gone.

Her face now showed clear panic.

…So I wasn’t the only one freaking out.

At the very least, everyone in that group—except Misuzu—looked flustered.

And if I jumped in now, even Misuzu would probably lose her cool.

I pictured how this would unfold… and made my decision without hesitation.

I was joining the battlefield.

“Looks like fun. Mind if I join in?”