When I Started Capturing the Academy Princesses, Things Turned into a Battlefield - V2 Chapter 17: My Favorite

Chapter 17: My Favorite

“She’s actually doing a livestream…?”

That evening, I stared at my PC in disbelief.

Feni the Immortal Phoenix was really doing a surprise stream.

She didn’t stream often.

While most full-time Vtubers go live practically every day, Feni was different.

She’d mentioned before that she was still a student, so her time was limited.

Her streams were usually planned and posted in advance.

But once in a while, she’d drop a surprise stream out of nowhere.

Today was one of those days.

The thumbnail showed her usual chatting layout, so it looked like a laid-back talking session.

Even I, a longtime fan who followed every post and stream, couldn’t have seen this coming.

Could Shiranui actually know more about Feni than I did?

Props if true. Fellow fan, I salute you.

…But wait. There hadn’t been any hint on social media earlier today.

How did she even find out?

During the last stream, Feni had said she hadn’t decided when the next one would be.

Even while mentally high-fiving a comrade, I couldn’t help feeling a little suspicious.

Just as I was thinking that, the stream started. 

The usual opening animation rolled across the screen.

『Descending once again with full energy! Lighting a tiny spark in your heart—I’m your indie Vtuber, Feni the Immortal Phoenix, here to make your everyday life a little brighter!』

As always, the stream opened with her signature greeting.

That sweet, mellow voice of hers instantly lifted my mood.

『Hi everyone, KonFeni~! How have you all been? It’s still super hot lately, so don’t forget to take care of yourselves, okay? Honestly, autumn these days feels just like summer, right? Even Feni’s been struggling a bit—but it looks like things will finally start to cool down soon~』

She started with her usual light-hearted small talk.

By now, I was used to this rhythm.

Back when she’d just started streaming, she’d been a complete beginner—nervous, unsure, still finding her footing.

But now? She felt like a totally different person.

Watching her like this, I couldn’t help but notice how far she’d come.

Yeah, I know I sound like one of those long-time fans reminiscing about the early days…

But that’s because I am one. So I’ll wear it proudly.

『So! Today I’ve got something to talk about. Feni’s going to reveal a secret. A super important secret I’ve been keeping hidden!』

A secret?

The sudden shift in tone caught me—and clearly everyone else—off guard.

The chat exploded with question marks and speculation.

Seeing the reactions pour in must’ve been exactly what she wanted, because she giggled and leaned in with a teasing grin in her voice.

『The truth is… at school, Feni is actually a handsome girl!』

Whoa, whoa—what did she just say?

There’s no way that voice belongs to a cool, handsome girl.

I’ve actually met a few of those handsome-type girls in real life, and their voices had a more androgynous vibe.

This had to be one of those typical Vtuber-style gags—just playful teasing for the chat.

It was a pretty bold “confession,” but the comments were as warm as ever.

Lines like “Knew it all along,” “Totally saw that coming,” and “Please insult me in that handsome voice” flooded the screen.

That whole “spoil the Vtuber no matter what” attitude?

Not gonna lie—I kind of loved it.

—Of course I knew. Feni’s totally got that handsome energy.

I tossed my own comment into the flood. Gotta match the vibe.

『Aha, judging from that reaction, you guys totally don’t believe me, huh? Alright then, I’ll give you a sample of my handsome voice. Listen closely, okay?』

She took a breath.

『I wonder if this will convince you. This is the real me.』

“—!”

That voice…

The moment I heard it, I froze. It was so sudden, I literally jumped out of my chair and scanned the room.

But of course, I was alone.

The chat didn’t think anything of it.

Comments like “Whoa, seriously!” and “You can do that voice too?” kept rolling by like normal.

『Surprised? That’s Feni’s other side~』

She was back to her usual sugary tone, light and cheerful.

But my brain wasn’t catching up.

That voice just now…

It sounded exactly like my fellow fan.

Like her.

While I stood there, stunned, the stream rolled on, carefree and casual—like nothing had happened.

『I think I mentioned the ball game tournament before, right? Actually, Feni’s pretty athletic! I got second place in basketball. Go on, praise me~』

As always, the regulars in chat flooded her with praise and cheerful emojis.

Now that she mentioned it… her class had come in second.

And the person stuck in my head right now—she’d also played basketball in that tournament.

Led her team to second place, had girls on the sidelines cheering like crazy.

…And that story about getting confessed to by a best friend?

I remembered that stream. 

The one where Feni talked about being confessed to, then making up with her friend afterward.

It had felt real even back then, but now it hit differently.

That was the very episode that pushed me to send that embarrassingly long superchat—the one that kicked off my whole “Princess Conquest” arc.

It couldn’t be.

It shouldn’t be.

There’s no way this could be happening.

But no matter how hard I tried to shake the thought, one face kept coming back.

And the more I thought about it, the more everything lined up.

“A Vtuber I follow goes to the same school as me? That’s way too convenient… haha, yeah, no chance.”

I let out a laugh, but it sounded hollow—even to me.

『Oh, by the way, I saw a real-life love triangle mess last Saturday! Feni was just out shopping and stumbled onto this intense scene. Two girls fighting over a guy—it was wild! Total drama, like something out of a romance manga!』

…Yeah. I knew exactly what she was talking about.

That was the disaster double date from the other day. No doubt about it.

But if my gut was right… she didn’t stumble into it.

She was right in the middle of it.

“…”

A strange sweat began trickling down my forehead.

A cool, confident girl who got confessed to by another girl.

A girl who led her class to second place in the ball game tournament.

A girl who somehow knew about the love triangle disaster at the shopping mall.

A girl who always seemed to know when Feni the Immortal Phoenix would go live—even the surprise streams.

And then… that voice.

A voice I knew far too well.

There’s no way all these things add up and I don’t connect the dots.

I’m not that dense.

After that point in the stream, I couldn’t even bring myself to type.

Not a single comment.

◇

The next day after school, I found myself alone in our usual empty classroom.

I couldn’t remember anything from today’s lessons.

Not a word.

My mind hadn’t been in any shape to focus.

I’d glanced over at Kazama a few times—she’d been right there beside me—but none of it registered.

My head was a storm.

Doubt, confusion, nerves—everything swirling nonstop.

If I kept this up, I wouldn’t be able to function.

So—I made up my mind.

I was going to find out the truth.

“Thanks for having me, Kanbara-kun.”

Tsubasa Shiranui stepped into the room.

I was the one who’d called her here.

She looked just as androgynous as ever—like she could pass for either a prince or a princess without missing a beat.

Until now, I’d only vaguely thought of her as someone with a striking face.

But looking closely for the first time… she was definitely a girl.

Her jawline was delicate. Her eyebrows were soft and slender.

Her face had a gentle roundness to it.

And when my gaze dropped lower, there was no mistaking the subtle curve of her chest.

…No way.

It couldn’t be.

It shouldn’t be.

Please let this not be what I think it is.

It wasn’t that I disliked Shiranui or anything.

It was just…

Some truths are better left untouched.

“You already figured it out, didn’t you? I mean, yesterday was kind of a dead giveaway.”

“…”

“You’ve realized it, haven’t you—who I really am?”

With those words, every last doubt I’d been holding onto shattered.

“Then… Feni the Immortal Phoenix is—”

She quietly drew in a breath.

“Me.”

That voice—soft and sweet—there was no mistaking it.

It was her voice.

The voice of the Vtuber I’d followed for so long.

The one who lit up my days.

Why had she kept it hidden all this time?

Why now, of all moments, did she decide to reveal it?

Was yesterday’s stream her way of leading me to the truth?

I had a million questions swirling in my head…

But not a single word made it out of my mouth.

“Ah—just so you know, the reason I went about it in such a roundabout way… was to keep the stream from getting too personal. If I’d said everything directly, it might’ve damaged Feni the Immortal Phoenix as a Vtuber. She’s an important part of me too. And I didn’t want to disrespect the people who support her—”

“I’m one of them, dammit!”

The words flew out of my mouth before I even realized.

Startled, I looked up.

Shiranui was staring back at me, her expression tinged with guilt.

“…I’m sorry for not telling you sooner.”

Feni the Immortal Phoenix had been the light that pulled me out of the dark.

Back when I’d given up on love, on people—on everything—she was the one who gave me a reason to look forward again.

And Tsubasa Shiranui…

She was the classmate who stood beside me, the comrade who made me believe Tsuchiya had rejected me.

“You’re in shock, right? I get it,” she said quietly.

“But there’s a reason I decided to come clean now. There’s something I need to tell you, Kanbara-kun. Maybe this is cowardly… but if I didn’t tell you the truth about who I am, I knew I wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“…Something you want to tell me?”

“I—”

Before she could finish, the door slammed open with a loud crash.

“Hold it right there!”

…Tsuchiya!?