When I Started Capturing the Academy Princesses, Things Turned into a Battlefield - V2 Chapter 26: Days Full of Doubt and Dilemmas

Chapter 26: Days Full of Doubt and Dilemmas

I was stuck.

Like—really stuck.

And the reason?

Yeah, you guessed it—how the heck was I supposed to respond to a confession like that?

Time, of course, didn’t care about my internal meltdown.

The days kept flying by, and now the cultural festival was just a week away.

Since that day, my feelings had been all over the place.

That massive inferiority complex I used to have around good-looking guys?

Gone. Completely wiped out by the end of summer break.

For the first time ever, I was actually thinking,

“Maybe it’s okay for me to fall in love, too.”

…Which is great and all, but—

How do you choose just one girl when all four of them are amazing?

No matter who I turn down, I know I’ll regret it.

But even so… I can’t just keep dodging the decision forever.

“Come on, it’s obvious I’m the best match for you.”

That confident voice came from Yukina Kazama—my classmate, and the girl who sat right next to me.

She was super outgoing, with tons of friends—guys and girls alike.

We hadn’t known each other that long, but thanks to our seating arrangement, we’d been talking almost every day.

Sure, she had a sneaky streak… but after dealing with Ayane, I was basically immune to that kind of thing.

She was full of wild stories, always keeping things interesting.

And honestly? If we started dating, I was pretty sure we’d have a blast.

With all her friends, we’d never be short on fun or group hangouts, either.

“Nah, it’s clearly me you’re most compatible with.”

The one who jumped in to compete was none other than Tsubasa Shiranui—

The real-life person behind my favorite Vtuber.

On the outside, she was the definition of a prince: cool, composed, and effortlessly handsome.

But I knew her secret side—

How she loved frilly outfits and cute stuffed animals.

How, deep down, she was soft, sweet, and a little delicate.

We even shared the same hobbies.

If we ever started dating, I knew we’d never run out of things to talk about.

And if I said yes to her confession?

I’d get to monopolize my idol.

Spending time with someone I’d admired for so long…

It would honestly feel like a dream come true.

“Let’s be real, Kanon’s the one you match with best.”

The next one to quietly raise her hand was Kanon Hikawa—my in-game wife.

Yep. Wife.

We were married in an online game, and out of everyone, she was the one I confided in the most.

In real life, she was shy and didn’t talk much.

But in-game, she was bright, cheerful, and full of energy.

She also happened to be the only one younger than me.

Considering we were already “married,” our bond might’ve been the strongest of all.

If we started dating, I could totally picture us just lounging around at home,

Playing games together—online and IRL.

“Obviously, I’m the one who fits you best.”

My childhood friend, Tsukihi Yoiyami, gave me a confident, relaxed smile.

She was my unforgettable first love—the girl I’d known the longest, ever since we were kids.

There was a time we’d drifted apart, but we’d managed to reconnect… and now, we were closer than ever.

If we started dating, I knew we could take that bond to the next level.

We’d both found out we were each other’s first love.

Honestly, I’d imagined being with her so many times over the years that picturing a future together felt totally natural.

No doubt about it—it’d be a warm, happy relationship.

Fun. Familiar. Safe.

…Should I just go for the harem route?

Yeah—not happening.

There’s no way these girls would ever agree to something like that.

Even if I somehow pulled it off, I’d have half the school out for blood.

The whole point of the “Princess Route” was to live a peaceful, high school fantasy—

Not spend every day running from angry mobs.

Besides…

I know myself.

There’s no way I could handle it.

So yeah—I was stuck.

Trapped in a world of painful, overwhelming indecision.

“It’s totally me!”

“Like hell it is! He clearly fits best with me!”

“Kanon’s the obvious choice!”

“It’s gotta be me!”

The four Princesses, completely oblivious to my emotional crisis, raised their voices again today.

It was lunchtime.

As usual, I was hanging out in an empty classroom.

Ever since I became a second-year, this had been my go-to spot—eat lunch, mess around on my phone, and just chill.

But lately… that peaceful routine had been completely destroyed.

Ever since those confessions, the four of them had started showing up constantly.

Whether it was to flirt, sabotage each other, or just make sure no one pulled ahead, they kept dropping by whenever they could.

And the thing is—whenever all four of them gathered in the same room, they drew attention like moths to a flame.

Curious classmates would peek in, and chaos would erupt in seconds.

So, eventually, we moved our little disaster circle into this empty classroom during lunch break.

At first, even this place got swarmed with spectators…

But after catching the combined “get lost” aura of four Princesses, people quickly learned to steer clear.

“So? What’s the result?”

“You can tell us now, right?”

“I believe in you.”

“It’s me, right?”

…And the person being cornered by these four?

Wasn’t me.

It was, in fact, the smallest, most childlike-looking girl in the room.

Yep—my little sister, Ayane.

She had nothing to do with this romantic battle royale, and yet somehow, she was always in the middle of it.

Her reason?

“I need protection.”

One day, she begged me for help, claiming some pervert was chasing her every single day.

When I asked for details and found out the creep in question was that Mountain Prince, I nearly fell out of my chair.

…But anyway, that’s a whole other disaster.

Let’s just skip it.

“Okay then, I’ll announce the results!”

Ayane glanced nervously at the tarot cards spread out on the desk as she made her grand declaration.

Now, a bit of context:

For the upcoming cultural festival, Ayane and Kanon’s class had decided on a fortune-telling booth.

Ayane had volunteered to handle the tarot readings, so she brought a deck to school to practice with.

Then Kazama leaned in with her usual casual grin and said,

“Hey, why don’t you do a reading to see who’s most compatible with Kanbara-kun?”

And that’s how this whole compatibility fortune-telling mess began.

Here’s the catch:

Ayane doesn’t actually know how to read tarot.

She only started studying it a few days ago and barely remembers what any of the cards mean.

But instead of shutting it down, my idiot sister went, “Sure!” and jumped right in.

And now?

All four Princesses were locked onto her like heat-seeking missiles, watching her every move like it was a life-or-death decision.

Ayane looked totally cornered, her eyes darting all over the room.

With zero clue what the cards were saying, she had no choice but to bluff her way through.

After a long pause—and a lot of face scanning—she finally pointed and announced:

“The one with the best compatibility is… Kazama-senpai.”

She turned to face Kazama directly.

“You really are the best, Ayane-chan. Come here.”

“Okay.”

“There, there.”

Kazama pulled Ayane into a side hug, gently patting her head like a proud parent.

For some reason, Kazama had recently taken a real liking to Ayane.

I’d often catch the two of them chatting, hanging out, or laughing together.

They probably just vibed with each other’s chaotic energy.

Meanwhile… the other three Princesses?

They looked extremely unamused.

“As if. Yukina and Kanbara-kun? No way they match.”

“…Absolutely not. It’s a total mismatch.”

“Their compatibility’s garbage. This whole thing’s clearly rigged.”

One by one, the girls voiced their complaints.

Kazama, completely unbothered, just let out a tiny snort.

“Well hey, if the cards say it, then it must be fate, right? Maybe me and Kanbara-kun are tied together by a red string of destiny or something. Like soulmates~”

She shot me a wink as she said it.

And wow.

That wink hit way too hard.

My heart definitely skipped a beat.

“Hmph. It’s just fortune-telling. Say whatever you want while you still can. The real showdown’s almost here. And in the end, I’ll claim the glorious victory.”

Shiranui’s sharp words cut right through the atmosphere, spiking the tension in the room.

The “showdown” she meant was happening on the final day of the cultural festival.

It had already been decided: I’d give my answer to the confession at the very end of the festival, during the closing event.

“Exactly. Kanon’s going to be his girlfriend, so the cards don’t matter. It’ll be a little sad when our time together as rivals ends, but… someone wins, and someone loses.”

Even though her voice was soft, Kanon dropped that win flag like it was nothing.

“Yeah, it is kinda sad. I mean, we all fell for the same guy. Somewhere along the line, we ended up like weird comrades-in-love. But don’t worry—once I become Yuu-kun’s girlfriend, I’ll tell you all about everything we do together. So the rest of you can just enjoy the fantasies, okay?”

Tsukihi smiled sweetly… while absolutely roasting everyone in the room.

And then, after a short, charged silence…

“I’m the one he’s going to choose!”

“No way, it’s obviously me!”

“It’s totally going to be Kanon!”

“I am the one he’s picking, obviously!”

And just like that, the usual chaos broke out again.

At this point, it had basically become part of my daily routine.

A little farther off, Ayane sat at her desk, watching the argument unfold with a look that screamed, “Ugh, not this again…”

As I watched the mini war explode in front of me, I let out a long, tired sigh.

Yeah…

My days of indecision and internal suffering weren’t ending anytime soon.