Chapter 6: The Prince’s Confession  

Moongirl

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On Monday, as I headed to school with the sweets for Mizuhara, I got an email from Arioka.

「I’ve obtained important information: Kinoshita’s first class today is bookkeeping. It’ll be held in Building A, 402. I will station investigators at the front entrance, the two passages of the side entrance, and in front of the elevator and classrooms. You are in charge of the elevator. If you see Kinoshita, immediately follow her and wait for orders.」

Didn’t the investigation headquarters break up already?

My lecture was in Building C; I had no business in Building A. I could end up being late if I headed there instead. While Building A and C were in the same premises, they were pretty far apart.

「That’s impossible.」

I refused in two words, and instantly got a reply, with an annoying emoji.

「Where do you think your first period Economics textbook is? The answer is, in the elevator of Building A.」

Textbooks were the only thing I properly care for, I couldn’t be cowardly!

And what did “in the elevator” mean!? Was my textbook going up and down the building floors?

I’ll find all the porn books they keep in the headquarters and send them to the student affairs office. All the members would be found guilty, not just Arioka.

As I reluctantly headed towards Building A, I saw two karate club members hanging around the left and right of the entrance as if they were guards.

「Yo, Noda!」

「How do we look? We decided to wear the best clothes since today’s the meeting with Kinoshita!」

The two of them turned around daintily, while making sound effects.

One was wearing a suit that he’d probably worn to the school entrance ceremony, and the other was wearing brand new karate clothes.

I had no words.

「Kinoshita hasn’t come yet, I think she’s probably gonna show up soon, since class is starting in 10 minutes.」

I nodded to them, and went towards the elevator where my textbook was supposed to be. If I got my textbook back now and ran, I could make it in time for the beginning of my class.

One of the two elevators arrived at the first floor.

The members standing nearby, too smelly to be called elevator guards, stared intently at the faces of all the students getting on.

They were completely suspicious.

「Oh, Noda! You’re finally here.」

I didn’t want to be thought of as their acquaintances, so I was hoping they wouldn’t talk to me.

「Arioka’s in the next elevator, with your textbook.」

I waited for the next elevator, as they continued to stare. Since there was a ramp on the 4th floor, it took some more time to descend.

The elevator doors opened and instantly Arioka’s sleepy face came into view, along with the excitedly trembling Michel, who was sparkling like usual.

They’re causing such trouble with the elevators at this busy time of morning!

「Please give me back my textbook!」

Arioka quickly slipped by my side as I held out my hand.

What? I thought, turning around to see:

「Kinoshita Yui, isn’t it?」 Arioka started talking to the cute girl beside me.

Huh? She was beside me? Although my mind was in a rush, I calmly studied the girl.

She was about half a head shorter than me, with smooth curves right where they should be.

Her light brown hair, loosely coiled, reaching her breasts.

Her face was perfect! The same amount of cuteness everywhere.

The atmosphere turned calm and comforting, as if this was therapy of some sort. Miss K really was a convincing, traditionally beautiful person.

Michel quickly reacted to Arioka’s words, walking tensely to Kinoshita.

「Um— I’m Michel! I ate the cookie you made for me!」

No, you didn’t… my heart whispered.

「It had such a kind, tender taste… I fell in love with you the second I tasted it!」

The spectators that had gathered without anyone noticing suddenly started cheering and whistling old-fashionedly.

The bell, being unable to read the atmosphere, rang just then.

Nobody cared.

Was this really okay? If I stayed here, I’d end up missing my first lesson.

「Um… Would you please go out with me?!」

Surprised, Kinoshita’s fair-skinned face turned red, blushing at Michel’s confession.

Bashful and shy, she gazed at Michel with big, wet eyes.

The scene of a princess, being courted by a prince.

A beautiful man and a beautiful woman, gazing at each other. An exceedingly pretty picture.

The newspaper club members, suddenly arriving out of nowhere, took a picture with a snap.

「…Of course. I’d love to!」 replied Kinoshita in a voice that was small yet unable to hide its excitement.

Cheers and shouts erupted; a clerk came running in with a 「What’s going on!?」

In a storm of clapping hands and hoorays, the two of them stood, smiling shyly.

「All right, Noda. Now we have an interview with the newspaper club. Find an empty classroom.」

「…I have class…」

「Well, you’re already late. You won’t lose a credit just for being absent once. And if it’s a required subject, I’ve taken it too, I’ll give you my premium notes.」

「But Arioka, I can’t read your awful handwriting.」

His letters are like wriggling earthworms.

When I first saw his handwriting, I thought it wasn’t actual Japanese but some form of cursive.

「My notes are premium level! Anyhow, I took the course for two years.」

「Doesn’t that mean you failed once?」

「That’s why there’s two years worth of notes. It’s premium.」

The newspaper club handed the interview details to Arioka. Reading them, he gazed at the duo emitting a lovey-dovey aura.

Aah, come on! I reluctantly assembled the karate club members stationed at the entrance, who still hadn’t realized anything happened.

Where did Kinoshita come from? How did the members stationed at the entrance just miss her?

Having missed the confession scene, the members saw the couple and crumbled.

「Hey, Noda.」

「Yes, Arioka, what is it?」

Completely unable to run away, I mailed a report to the absent members. I kept getting annoying replies about how I didn’t tell them earlier, and about the details and what they hoped would happen.

「There’s a scent of delicious sweets coming from Kinoshita. Even though we just decided she was Miss Chocolat in the heat of the moment, she might actually be the real thing.」

The scent of sweets was coming from my bag.

I broke into a cold sweat.

I’d promised to give Mizuhara the sweets in first period Economics, but I’d ended up being unable to do so.

While there probably wouldn’t be a problem if I gave them to him any other time today, I didn’t have any way of contacting him.

I hadn’t considered how he’d react at all.

With the happy couple giving an interview in the corner of my vision. I let out a huge sigh.