When I Started Capturing the Academy Princesses, Things Turned into a Battlefield

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Chapter 13.5: Interlude – The Goddess’s Decision

“See you later, Tsubasa-chan.”

“Yeah. Be careful on your way home.”

After parting ways with Tsubasa-chan at our usual spot, I started walking toward home.

A lot had happened today.

We’d gotten word that Yuma-kun might be going on a date with Hikawa-san’s younger sister, Kanon-san.

So we headed to a shopping mall a bit farther out.

I didn’t really have to go, but I was free, so I tagged along.

Just like the rumors said, Yuma-kun really was on a date with Kanon-san.

Those two didn’t hesitate at all—they went straight in.

Even though Yuma-kun looked like a cornered animal, trembling and helpless,

There was still this small, bitter part of me that felt… oddly satisfied watching him squirm.

But then—Tsubasa-chan showed up.

And everything inside me got completely scrambled.

We moved to another place,

And what followed was less of a “talk” and more of a full-on interrogation.

In the end, it turned out to be just a double date involving Ayane-chan.

Nothing special between Yuma-kun and Kanon-san after all.

“…I’d rather not remember how it ended though.”

At the end of the interrogation, Yoiyami-san hinted at a date happening tomorrow.

That much was fine.

It was clearly meant as a warning shot toward Tsubasa-chan and Kanon-san.

I honestly thought the two of them would just accept their loss and back off.

But their reactions completely caught me off guard.

Instead of conceding, Tsubasa-chan and Kanon-san started freaking out—demanding to know every detail about the date.

I really didn’t want to see Tsubasa-chan panicking over some guy’s movements.

Watching her desperately trying to come up with ways to sabotage the date…

That was unmistakably the behavior of a girl in love.

Tsubasa-chan was serious.

At first, I thought it was just a whim.

That she’d lose interest quickly and go back to being her usual self.

But I was wrong.

Bit by bit, Yuma-kun had taken up more and more space in her heart.

That dignified “Prince” face of hers…

Lately, it had started looking more and more like that of a Princess.

“…I can trust you, right, Yoiyami-san?”

The decision we made that day to form an alliance—

I still believe it wasn’t a mistake.

Tsukihi Yoiyami—

Even back in middle school, she was on a whole different level.

A breathtaking beauty who turned heads wherever she went.

Unlike me, who only grew in one particular area, she had a perfect figure too.

I couldn’t even begin to guess how many times she’d been confessed to.

With that dazzling presence, she was like the moon shining in a dark night sky.

She had always liked Yuma-kun.

But because she misunderstood and thought I was dating him, she kept her distance.

Once that misunderstanding was cleared up, though—she launched a full-on offensive.

Years of holding back exploded all at once, and she came at Yuma-kun hard.

Before anyone knew it, she’d secured a spot right by his side.

Honestly, I thought they’d become a couple in no time.

But it didn’t happen.

It’s clear they’re more than just friends now, but they’re still not dating.

Even though she could probably make it official if she just confessed,

Yoiyami-san told me she doesn’t feel like she’s getting through to him.

…Is Yuma-kun just weird?

I mean, seriously.

What kind of guy doesn’t fall for a gorgeous childhood friend who’s throwing herself at him?

There’s only one possibility I can think of:

He must already have someone he likes.

But the problem is—I have no clue who that person might be.

It’s not Yoiyami-san.

It’s not Kanon-san.

And as complicated as it makes me feel,

It’s not even Tsubasa-chan.

“Maybe he’s secretly in love with a game character or a Vtuber or something.”

I’ve heard that’s actually becoming more common these days…

But come on, that can’t really be the case—right?

That said, there’s no doubt Yoiyami-san is currently leading the race.

She’s already set up a date with him, and they’re childhood friends who are close enough that even their families get along.

Under normal circumstances, Tsubasa-chan should’ve already admitted defeat.

…So why hasn’t she, even though she’s clearly at a disadvantage?

And it doesn’t feel like she’s just being stubborn either.

It’s like she still has a trump card hidden up her sleeve.

Like she actually believes she can turn the whole situation around with it.

Back on that day, when I got in her way, she was about to say something.

That’s probably what it was.

Now I can’t stop wondering…

What exactly is her trump card?

“Huh? Tsuchiya-san?”

I was so deep in thought as I walked that I didn’t notice someone calling out to me.

“Yukina-chan.”

Standing there was my friend and former classmate from last year—Yukina Kazama-chan.

Judging by the bags in her hands, she’d just come back from shopping.

Come to think of it, Yukina-chan also had feelings for Yuma-kun.

Looking at it again, Yuma-kun really is something.

Yoiyami-san, Kanon-san, Tsubasa-chan, and now Yukina-chan too?

That’s way too many admirers.

And every single one of them is a top-tier beauty.

It’s kind of shocking… but in a way, it makes sense.

His looks are pretty average, but his personality is genuinely good.

To me, he’s someone I owe a lot to.

Thanks to him, I was able to get along with Tsubasa-chan.

And after that awkward confession, he even helped us patch things up.

I’ve never forgotten how grateful I am for that.

…Of course, while I do feel thankful, I also can’t help resenting him a little.

He’s the guy who stole Tsubasa-chan’s heart, after all.

“Out shopping?”

“My mom asked me to run a quick errand. You too, Tsuchiya-san? Were you just out somewhere?”

And right then, a quiet unease crept into my mind.

I trusted Yoiyami-san, I really did.

But… what if she failed?

If things dragged on too long, Yuma-kun might start noticing how charming Tsubasa-chan is.

If that’s the case… maybe I should do something now to improve our odds.

“You see—”

I gave her a quick rundown of what happened today.

Of course, I left out anything negative, like how we had advance info.

I framed it like we just happened to run into Yuma-kun and the others while hanging out,

And it turned out they were on a double date.

“So that’s what happened.”

As expected, Yukina-chan looked annoyed—probably because she felt like she was the only one left out.

“Oh, and get this—Yuma-kun’s going on a date with Yoiyami-san tomorrow.”

“…What?”

That definitely hit her hard.

“Just curious, but… do you know where they’re going?”

“Nope. She didn’t tell me.”

Yoiyami-san was like a fortress.

Even I couldn’t get her to spill where the date was happening.

“But Yukina-chan, I do have a juicy bit of info for you.”

“Info?”

“It’s about Ayane-chan.”

“You mean Kanbara-kun’s little sister, right?”

“Yeah. She was my junior back in middle school. Turns out—Ayane-chan wants to become a Princess. You know, in the general election the newspaper club’s putting together.”

I purposely let that bit of information slip—

That Ayane-chan had her eyes on the Princess title.

And I didn’t miss the way Yukina-chan’s eyes lit up sharply the moment she heard it.

“So that’s her game, huh… aiming for the Princess title. Well, I get it. It does have a kind of special feel to it. I still remember when I was chosen—I was honestly shocked. I kept thinking, ‘Am I really good enough for this?’”

I knew a lot of girls looked up to the Princess title.

Personally though, I had zero interest in it.

If anything, it was just a nuisance.

I hated the way sleazy guys would stare at you once you had that title—it just made me feel gross.

“Yuma-kun, you know? He cares so much about his little sister that he tagged along on her double date. You get what that means, don’t you, Yukina-chan?”

“In other words… the fastest way to win over Kanbara-kun is—”

“To get Ayane-chan on your side.”

To be honest, I didn’t really understand Yuma-kun’s thought process or how his emotions worked.

But this much—I was sure of.

After everything that happened today, it became clear.

Yuma-kun was really soft on Ayane-chan.

It wouldn’t even be surprising if people called him a siscon at this point.

I mean, who actually tags along on their sister’s date just because they’re “worried”?

Even if Kanon-san invited him, it’s still weird.

Most likely, Ayane-chan holds the key to Yuma-kun’s heart.

“That’s some valuable intel, but… are you really okay with that, Tsuchiya-san?”

Yukina-chan looked at me with a suspicious glare.

“What do you mean by that?”

“You’re on Yoiyami-san’s side, aren’t you?”

“I’m always on the side of any girl who’s doing her best. And I do know you’ve got your eyes on Yuma-kun, Yukina-chan. I just want to cheer on my friend too, that’s all.”

For a moment, Yukina-chan and I locked eyes in silence.

“Well, whatever. The truth is—I’ve decided I’m going to seriously go after Kanbara-kun. I don’t want to regret anything, so I’m just gonna throw myself at him, no holding back.”

“…I see. Good luck.”

“Thanks.”

Yukina-chan began walking away.

Her back looked so confident.

She didn’t seem like the same girl from last year… no, not even the same girl from just a little while ago.

“Yoiyami-san is amazing, but Yukina-chan might be just as strong when she’s serious.”

It honestly felt reassuring.

If both of them went all-in on chasing after him,

Any normal guy would’ve already crumbled.

Even Yuma-kun might not be able to hold out.

That said… the one thing that still worried me was Tsubasa-chan’s trump card.

I had no clue what it might be, but… I hoped it wouldn’t be anything big.