When I Started Capturing the Academy Princesses, Things Turned into a Battlefield - V2 Chapter 25; Interlude – The Self-Proclaimed ‘God’s Beloved Daughter’ Talks to Herself – Part 2

Chapter 25.6: Interlude – The Self-Proclaimed ‘God’s Beloved Daughter’ Talks to Herself – Part 2

That awful, totally-not-my-choice double date day…

The moment I spotted Tsukihi-nee and the others at the shopping mall, I ran.

No hesitation.

I mean—duh.

If anyone saw me out on a date and started spreading rumors, I’d be toast.

I don’t know whether those upperclassmen take the whole Princess title seriously or not,

But there’s no way I could let them get their hands on something like this.

Running away was the only option.

I managed to escape…

Or at least, I thought I did—until Yamada-senpai came chasing after me from behind.

Tch. What a pain.

Honestly, I just wanted to call it a day and head straight home.

But yeah, with my level of athleticism?

There was no way I could shake him off.

And even if I bailed now, I’d still have to deal with him at school.

If he kept bothering me afterward, it’d be an even bigger headache.

Better to just settle it now and be done with it.

So, in the end, we wandered around together like we were wrapping up our “date.”

I figured since the area wasn’t close to school, we probably wouldn’t run into anyone we knew.

Should be safe… right?

As we walked and talked, I started to realize a few things.

This senpai… yeah, I’ll admit it—he’s hot.

Good-looking, athletic, and with a surprisingly decent personality.

He even slowed his pace to match mine, and he could actually hold a conversation.

If I were dating him for real, I bet we’d have a pretty fun time.

…Well, aside from his minor narcissist problem. That part definitely needs work.

Still—

I’m not the kind of girl who’d settle for just one handsome guy.

“Thank you for today. I’ll be heading home now.”

I tried to end the date before the sun even started to set.

But of course, just as I was about to leave—he stopped me.

And just like I feared—bam. Full-on confession.

“When I was heartbroken that day, you were the one who spoke to me. You saved me. You looked like an angel. I truly felt it was fate. And after spending today with you, I’ve fallen for you even more. Please, go out with me.”

Okay, yeah—being confessed to by a handsome guy does feel kinda nice.

But… my answer was already locked in.

“Ah, I see. That’s really sweet, but sorry. I’m not interested in romance right now.”

Clean and simple. Done and dusted.

Maybe it was kind of a waste.

But whatever. I’ve got bigger goals.

I’m aiming to be the one and only Princess adored by the entire school.

I belong to the people, after all.

So, after turning him down, I casually turned to go home—

“I won’t give up that easily.”

“…Huh?”

“The old me might’ve quit here. But thanks to my friend Kanbara, I’ve learned something. That destiny is something you fight for—and win—with your own hands.”

Seriously, Aniki?

What kind of weird inspirational speech did you give this guy?

Can you not drag me into your mess?

“I swear I won’t give up. Even if I get rejected a hundred times, I’ll still reach out and claim my fate!”

“No, like—I already said it’s not happening.”

“No matter how many times you turn me down, I’ll win in the end!”

“…Are you even listening to me?”

That guy was way too persistent.

No matter how many times I turned him down, he just wouldn’t take the hint.

It was like talking to a wall.

And honestly? It was really starting to get on my nerves.

We went back and forth for a while, but eventually, I snapped.

It’s not like I even wanted to go on this date in the first place—my patience was already hanging by a thread.

And then… it happened.

“…You’re gross.”

“Huh?”

“I said you’re gross. Can’t you tell I’m not interested? Take a hint already. I’ve been trying to go home forever and you’re still dragging this out? Seriously? And like—calling me an angel? Please. I’m way above angel-tier, okay—”

I don’t really remember what came after that.

Pretty sure I let out every insult I could think of.

Probably dumped all my pent-up irritation while I was at it.

Next thing I knew, Yamada-senpai was gone.

Just straight-up vanished.

…Oops.

I’ve always known I tend to lose control when I get mad.

I was trying to keep it together… but the frustration just boiled over.

…Well, whatever.

From his side, it’s just a failed confession, right?

No way he’d go blabbing about it.

And even if he did, everyone would just think he was a sore loser making stuff up after getting rejected.

People saw him come to my classroom to see me, anyway.

Thinking about it like that made me feel a little better.

And of course—that was exactly when it happened.

Right when I finally let out a sigh of relief…

“Wow. So that’s the real you, huh?”

“…!”

A sudden voice cut through the air.

Standing right beside me—when did she even get there?—was none other than the Wind Fairy herself… Kazama-senpai.

I’d totally assumed this spot was far enough from home that I wouldn’t run into anyone I knew.

And yet, of all people to catch me mid-rant…

It just had to be one of the current Princesses.

Great. Just great. I needed an excuse—fast.

“You know, I kinda thought we were alike. Not that I wanted us to be, but still. Seeing someone act the way I probably would? It’s… weird. Half ‘ugh, no thanks,’ half ‘oh hey, same hat.’”

She kept mumbling with that soft little smile on her face—

And ugh, it was so annoying how even that looked cute on her.

“Nice to meet you, by the way. I’m Yukina Kazama. I’m in your brother’s class.”

“…I know who you are.”

We exchanged a quick, awkward introduction after that.

Apparently, she already knew about me.

Of course I knew about her—

Who wouldn’t know the dazzling Fairy Princess of the school?

“But you really went off back there. That guy looked terrified. Kinda wanna give you a high five for that. Not gonna lie—I can’t stand him.”

Huh.

So she hates Yamada-senpai too.

Did not see that coming… but honestly? Not important.

“By the way, Ayane-chan—you’re aiming to be a Princess too, right?”

“Wha—How do you know that!?”

“You literally said it out loud. Don’t you remember?”

…Not even a little.

I must’ve blurted it out while yelling earlier.

“If you help me out with a little favor, I’ll back your Princess campaign. If I ask people to vote for you, you’ll get a solid bump. I’m not really into the whole Princess thing anyway.”

“…”

Tch.

Right then and there, I decided—

I didn’t like this girl.

Like, seriously? Just tossing the Princess title aside like it’s no big deal?

The thing I’ve been dreaming of for years?

That chill, smug attitude rubbed me the exact wrong way.

“Thanks, but no tha—”

“Actually, I like Kanbara-kun.”

“…Huh?”

…Excuse me, what?

Not just Kanon, but now this goddess-tier fairy likes Aniki too!?

I already had my suspicions about Tsukihi-nee.

I mean, she literally brings him homemade lunches—no way that’s just “being nice.”

She’s definitely got feelings for him.

But at least her I could understand.

She knew the old Aniki—the cool, handsome version.

She probably still believes he can glow-up again with a little polish.

But Kazama-senpai too!?

I hate to admit it…

But for a hopeless otaku, Aniki’s somehow pulling off something kind of insane.

“…Okay, fine. I’ll bite. What’s the favor?”

“I want you to help me figure out how to date Kanbara-kun. The competition’s seriously stacked. One girl totally gives off ‘main heroine’ vibes, and another apparently has some kind of secret weapon up her sleeve.”

I had very mixed feelings about this whole deal.

Honestly? The fairy senpai’s offer was super tempting.

But…

A part of me still wanted Aniki to end up with Kanon—she’s my friend, after all.

Or maybe with Tsukihi-nee, who’s basically family at this point.

Even though, let’s be real… he’s definitely not worthy of either of them.

While I was still stuck in my little internal tug-of-war—

“Hey, can I ask something? Just out of curiosity.”

“What is it?”

“What exactly do you mean by ‘Princess Conquest’?”

The moment that phrase hit my ears, my brain just… short-circuited.

“Don’t tell me… you heard that too?”

“Mhm. You were shouting it loud and clear—right along with all that trash talk about Kanbara-kun.”

Apparently, I’d blurted out everything in my blind rage earlier…

“I kinda got the gist from your ranting, but I’d really prefer to hear it straight from you. Oh, and we can talk about my proposal after that, okay?”

She flashed me another sweet little smile.

And right then—I knew.

That smile? It wasn’t innocent.

It was absolutely laced with evil intent.

How did I know?

Because it looked exactly like the smug, devious grin I make

When I’ve got someone backed into a corner.

◇

In the end, I gave in and accepted the fairy senpai’s offer.

Apparently, I’d ranted so hard, I ended up spilling the entire “Princess Conquest” plan.

I double-checked just in case, but thankfully, Yamada-senpai had already bailed by the time I got to that part.

Still, if I’d turned her down, my reputation would’ve gone straight into the trash.

And worse—if I actually ticked her off, there was a very real chance she’d team up with Yamada-senpai.

If that happened, my dark side would be exposed, and it’d be game over for my dream of becoming a Princess.

So yeah… I caved.

And the result of our little “strategy meeting”?

I ended up handing over a ton of insider info about Aniki.

When the fairy senpai found out he’d never been confessed to before, she basically launched herself into action like a homing missile.

Being the first to confess is a huge advantage.

Firsts always stick in your memory.

Even if the guy’s a total troll, I still remember the first boy who ever confessed to me.

That’s just how human brains work.

Clearly, fairy senpai was banking on the same logic.

It’s been a week since then… but I’ve got zero clue how her plan’s going.

“…Ugh, seriously? Nothing but failures.”

She promised she wouldn’t spill anything,

But honestly, the whole thing feels like blackmail in disguise.

I couldn’t keep my mood up at all.

Knowing she had something over me—because of my own screw-up—just made it that much worse.

Should I try flipping the script?

Maybe blackmail her back, since I know she’s crushing on Aniki?

Ugh. No good.

She doesn’t even care about being a Princess.

I’ve got zero leverage there.

And sadly, the trouble didn’t stop there.

Just earlier today, after school—

I ran into Yamada-senpai.

I hadn’t seen his face since that whole awkward confession disaster.

No idea where he’d been hiding…

And yet suddenly—bam.
There he was.
Right in front of me.

“I have a request.”

“For the last time—I’m not going out with you!”

“No, that’s not it… I want you to insult me. More. Harder!”

…Did he seriously just say that?

“It was the first time in my life a girl ever insulted me to my face. And not just any girl—a younger one, a whole head shorter than me! In that moment, something inside me awoke. I realized—this is my true destiny!”

“…”

“Please! I’m begging you! Say the nastiest things you can—just let me have it!”

I legit screamed like a grade-schooler and sprinted away like my life depended on it.

And now… here we are.

“Unbelievable. This is just—unbelievable.”

Even though I was closer than ever to claiming the Princess throne…

My mood had never been worse.