When I Started Capturing the Academy Princesses, Things Turned into a Battlefield - V2 Chapter 15: A Painful Blow

Chapter 15: A Painful Blow

Why is Kazama here?

As I stood stunned by the sudden encounter, Tsukihi quickly moved to stand next to me. I was pretty sure she was standing closer than before.

“Ah, it’s Kazama-san.”

“Hello, Yoiyami-san.”

They greeted each other with smiles, but the air between them felt oddly tense.

As far as I knew, they were just acquaintances. They hadn’t talked at school, never shared a class, and probably only exchanged a few words before.

“Um, are you two on a date?”

“That’s right.”

Tsukihi answered before I could.

“Oh, but you’re not dating, right?”

“You don’t have to be a couple to go on a date.”

“True. I heard Kanbara-kun went on a date yesterday too. Sounded like it was quite the ordeal.”

How does Kazama know about that?

She shouldn’t know anything about what happened yesterday. No one mentioned the double date at school. So how did she find out? Was she there? Did she see us?

No, that didn’t seem likely. Judging from the way she said it, she must’ve heard it from someone. And if she really had seen it herself, she would’ve approached us then and there. Kazama was friends with Shiranui and Tsuchiya from last year’s class, so at the very least, she would’ve greeted them.

She probably asked one of them about it after we split up.

“Yeah, it really was rough.”

If she already knew, then there was no helping it. I was curious whether she heard it from Shiranui or Tsuchiya, but it didn’t matter anymore.

Yesterday had been a mess, but I brought half of it on myself. Winning the ball game tournament was entirely my fault. Still, it was a mystery how that double date turned into such a war zone.

“By the way, Kazama, are you here alone?”

“Nope. I came with some school friends. They’re over there taking purikura. I just slipped away for a bit because there was this stuffed toy I really wanted.”

In Kazama’s hands was a plushie she must’ve won from the crane game. It was a cute little teddy bear.

…Thank goodness. So Kazama isn’t part of that.

For a second, yesterday’s chaos flashed through my mind. I almost braced myself, thinking this might be another ambush like with Tsukihi and Hikawa. But on second thought, there was no reason for Kazama to get mad at me. This really was just a coincidence.

“Oh, right. I was going to wait until Monday, but now’s a good chance.”

“…?”

“There’s something I wanted to tell you, Kanbara-kun.”

“Why so serious all of a sudden?”

Kazama let out a soft breath.

“I like you, Kanbara-kun.”

“—”

The sudden words froze both me and Tsukihi in place.

Wait, was that… a confession?

The unexpected words completely threw me off, but I quickly remembered.

Right—this must be about that thing.

“Come with me for a second!”

“Kya, you’re so pushy!”

I grabbed Kazama by the arm and pulled her aside.

This girl used to play a pretty nasty game—trying to make the guy sitting next to her fall for her. It wasn’t really just a game, though. It came from some emotional trauma in her past.

I figured that out. But apparently, realizing that had bruised Kazama’s pride, and ever since then, she kept teasing me. Looked like this was her way of getting back at me.

“Give me a break. Even if this is payback, Tsukihi has nothing to do with it.”

Today was, at the very least, a date. I originally agreed to come along thinking I’d just be carrying her bags, but there was no denying it was a real date now. And for another girl to suddenly show up and confess? That was nothing but a provocation toward Tsukihi.

“…You’ve got it wrong. Yeah, I was just playing around at first, but somewhere along the way, it became real. I seriously like you now, Kanbara-kun. And yes, I mean romantically.”

“Eh, seriously?”

“Totally serious. I just thought… you’re the type who won’t get it unless someone tells you directly. Hints probably won’t reach you. I mean, you don’t seem very confident in yourself.”

She really saw through me.

Even if it had been a misunderstanding, there was a time when I’d given up on romance altogether. Since then, I hadn’t been able to feel confident about myself.

To be honest, I had felt something from Tsukihi too. She gave me a handmade lunch, and we’d been walking to and from school together. Today’s outing probably counted as a date too.

I’d been sensing her feelings for a while now… but somewhere deep down, I kept thinking that a plain guy like me didn’t stand a chance.

“Besides, Yoiyami-san is involved.”

“Huh?”

“She’s a rival, after all. Well, if she’s not going to say it herself, it’s not my place to spell it out.”

Kazama gave a daring smile.

“So then, Kanbara-kun—how do you feel after hearing my confession?”

Be in a relationship with Kazama…?

As I started playing out the scenario in my head, a few faces came to mind—Tsukihi standing there, my favorite Vtuber, and my in-game wife from the net game.

“You were just thinking about someone, weren’t you?”

“…”

“So you already have someone you like.”

“Well, that’s…”

“And that person isn’t Yoiyami-san, right? I’m right, aren’t I?”

Strictly speaking, Tsukihi was one of them too…

“I thought it was strange, you know? Normally, a guy would’ve just gone out with Yoiyami-san right away and that would’ve been the end of it. But that’s not what happened here. Which means there’s someone else you like. I can’t lie—I’m really curious what kind of beautiful girl could outrank Yoiyami-san.”

I couldn’t say it.

There was no way I could admit that the people I had feelings for were a faceless Vtuber and an online game wife I hadn’t even seen in real life. I’d totally get judged for that.

“Well, I’m not planning to ask who it is or anything.”

“Huh?”

“Even if you told me, it might be someone I don’t know. What matters is that I’m not in that lineup. That’s why I confessed—to get you to notice me.”

Kazama handed me the teddy bear she’d been holding. I didn’t really get what she meant by it, but I accepted it on instinct.

“Oh, you don’t need to answer my confession yet. If you gave me your answer now, I’d definitely get rejected.”

Honestly, I was relieved she said that.

My thoughts were all over the place.

I was supposed to be the one doing the pursuing, yet here I was, being confessed to. And by someone I had made a move on first, only to get stuck, unsure how to take things forward. On top of that, it happened while I was on a date with another girl. Anyone who could stay calm in a situation like this would be terrifying.

“You don’t have to do anything. Just know that I’ve fallen for you, Kanbara-kun.”

“……”

“Huh, no reaction? Didn’t expect that. Don’t tell me… are you bothered by my personality or something?”

“Huh?”

I hadn’t been thinking about her personality at all.

Maybe she took my silence the wrong way, because Kazama puffed up her cheeks.

“Sure, I’m a terrible girl who teases the boy sitting next to her. Even I’ll admit I’ve got a bad personality. That’s just how it is. But come on, Kanbara-kun, you’re not one to talk either. I think our personalities actually match really well. In fact, I bet two people with bad personalities are a perfect match.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Exactly what it sounds like. I mean—”

And then, Kazama said it.

“Kanbara-kun, you were trying to win over the academy princess just to keep your secret safe.”

My heart pounded. The words she threw at me hit like a critical strike.

No—since I was on the receiving end, maybe it was more like a devastating blow.

H-How does she know…?

It was obvious from her face that she wasn’t just throwing out random guesses. Kazama was absolutely sure that the whole “princess conquest” thing was true. Her expression practically screamed, I know everything.

The one who spilled it—

I didn’t even need to think. There was only one person besides me who knew about the princess conquest.

“Even if it was to protect yourself, that’s pretty awful. Seems like some of the girls actually started falling for you, you know? You ever think about what’ll happen if you end up charming multiple girls?”

“……”

“It’s guaranteed to turn into a mess. And let me be clear—this won’t end like one of those peaceful harem anime. No way. It’ll definitely blow up. You’re seriously underestimating how possessive girls can be.”

I knew it was a terrible thing to do.

But hearing someone actually say it out loud really hit hard.

“Don’t worry. I haven’t told anyone about it, and I won’t.”

“W-Why not?”

“Because even after you learned my secret, you didn’t try to blackmail me or anything. So I figured it wouldn’t be fair for me to use this against you either. Oh, and just to be clear—I still don’t know what your secret is. I asked, but she never told me. She’s got a sharp tongue like me, but surprisingly… people really seem to care about you.”

The person who leaked the princess conquest was confirmed.

Well… not like it wasn’t obvious from the start.

What the hell was that girl thinking?

This is bad. Really bad. 

She said she wouldn’t blackmail me, but just the fact that she knew was already a huge problem.

“—Your face is pale. Are you okay?”

Tsukihi had finally moved, as if the spell had worn off.

While gently rubbing my back, she glared sharply at Kazama.

“What did you say to Yuu-kun?”

“Who knows? You can ask him later.”

“……”

“Anyway, let me know your answer on the day of the cultural festival, okay? If it’s after that, whatever happens might mess with my focus during finals. Until then, I’ll do my best to win you over. So make sure I’ve got a spot in your mind too, okay?”

Kazama turned around and started walking back in the direction of her friends.

“Oh, right. Yoiyami-san.”

“…What?”

“I don’t plan on losing.”

She said it without even glancing back, and just kept walking.

Even from behind, it was obvious she was in a great mood. Her steps were light—like she might burst into a dance at any moment. It looked like something out of a fairytale, the way a sprite might twirl through a forest.

When I glanced beside me, Tsukihi had a look on her face I’d never seen before.

I couldn’t tell exactly what mix of feelings was behind it, but…

She looked like someone who’d just taken a devastating hit straight to the heart.