I Accidentally Triggered The Anomalous Prince Flag (Part 2)

[Loading Cutscene…]

[Record File #1 - Second Day Of School]

“Dude, Haruki, why’d you have to rope me into this? I wanted to join the Gaming Club or the Tennis Club or something—not work my ass off.”

I gesture toward the tower of boxes stacked in my arms.

“You could have just said no.”

“Easy for you to say. You weren’t there.

Trust me, ‘no’ was definitely not an option.”

“Oh cheer up, Tomoya, it’ll be fun! You should consider yourself lucky! Student council member at Saishin your first year? Think about how that’ll look on university applications!”

“Yeah…my parents would kill me if I turned this down and they found out.”

“Hey, Kojima!”

“Oof!”

Some blonde girl from our class barrels straight into me without a second thought, knocking me onto the ground.

Before I can even process what’s happened—

Gone.

She’s already grabbed Haruki and is sprinting off with him.

…

Dude.

This is getting ridiculous.

Ever since school started, it’s like someone cast a charm on him.

Everywhere we go, girls keep swarming him.

I could barely get ten minutes alone with him yesterday.

Ugh.

Whatever this weird phase is, hopefully it finally blows over today.

…

Well.

Guess I’m heading to the student council room alone.

Which one of these doors even—?

“Oof!”

I crash back to the ground again.

As I peer around the boxes to see what I ran into—

Oh crap.

A blue-haired, model-esque girl sits on the floor amidst a storm of scattered papers.

“I’m so sorry! Are you alright?”

I offer her a hand up…

…but she makes no move to take it.

Instead, she starts diligently gathering the papers scattered around her.

“I’d appreciate it if instead of going around carelessly knocking over random women, you actually tried paying attention to your surroundings.”

I quickly crouch down to help pick up papers.

She raises an eyebrow.

“I’m really sorry. I’m new here and trying to find the student council office. My friend Kojima was supposed to be guiding me, but, uh…something came up.”

“Kojima?”

She pauses to examine me.

“Ah.

You’re that guy who’s always hanging around him.”

“Oh, you know him?”

“You could say that.”

…

She glances at me sidelong as we continue picking up papers.

“I can’t say that’s the only thing I’ve noticed in passing about you. Whenever he’s surrounded by women you don’t seem all too thrilled, is it really that hard to contain your jealousy?

“Pfft, jealous? Of getting swarmed by people all day? No thanks.”

She scoffs.

“You really don’t have to pretend, I know how guys like you are, always—”

“Tomoyaaa!”

Without any warning, Yuka grabs me by my hair and yanks me upright, still holding a half-eaten melon bread in her other hand.

“Have you seen where Haruki went?”

“I’m a little busy right now, Yuka.”

Yuka pressing herself against me, attempting to weaponize her…assets.

“Aw, come on, Tomoya! You can make time for a pretty girl, can’t you?”

Shinomiya scoffs again.

“So much for—”

“Yuka, stop.”

I gently push her back.

“We’re in high school now. If guys see you acting like that, they might spread rumors or even try to take advantage of you.

You know you don’t need to do all that with me, right?

Promise me you’ll just ask normally next time?”

“Okay…” she says, a little deflated.

I sigh.

“Some girl ran off with him that way. The blonde one from class. You can’t miss her.”

“Thanks, Tomoya! See ya lat—”

As she sprints off, she slips on one of the scattered papers—

But I barely manage to catch her by the jacket before she faceplants.

“Are you alright?”

“...No…” she sniffles, tears beginning to well in her eyes.

“Oh no, where did you get hur—”

“I dropped my melon bread.”

…

I sigh.

Reaching into my pocket, I pull out a pack of cinnamon rolls and hand them to her.

“This a suitable replacement?”

“Oh, Tomoya! An upgrade!”

She rips the package out of my hands.

However, right before she can pop one into her mouth—

“Stop.”

She freezes.

“Your nose is running. You’re about to add your own special green frosting to it.”

I pull out a tissue and wipe her face clean.

“Feeling better?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright, you’re free to go.”

“Okay! Thanks, Tomoya! See you later!”

I let out another sigh.

Looking over, I see the blue-haired girl is just about finished gathering her papers.

“I’m really sorry about that. I should’ve been helping you, I—”

“No, it’s alright.”

Her expression doesn’t seem nearly as cold anymore, so I try once more.

“Are you really sure you don’t need a hand getting up?”

She smiles.

“You know what? Sure.”

I help her to her feet.

“I’m Ubakawa, by the way.”

“Shinomiya. A pleasure to meet you, even if under less than ideal circumstances.”

“Hm…Shinomiya. You seem really familiar somehow. We haven’t met before, have we?”

“Doubtful. I’m not from this region. I’m one of the dormitory students.”

“Wait…you wouldn’t happen to be that new Event Chair girl, would you?”

“Indeed I would.”

“Is it really true you walked up to the president on day one and demanded the position?”

“Indeed it is.”

“Wow…

She’s so terrifying. I can’t believe you actually did that. I wish I had your confidence.

The president asked me to be the General Affairs Clerk. I didn’t really want to, but I was too intimidated to say no.”

“Well, I find that confidence is something you develop—not something you’re born with.”

“I think so too.

Though…I don’t think I’m nearly as far along as you are.”

“Well…

I’m sure you’ll get there.”

…

“So…if it wasn’t jealousy, why were you so down yesterday?”

“Oh, uh…

It’s kind of stupid.”

“I won’t judge.”

“Well…I mean, I’m happy so many people are realizing what a great guy Kojima is…

But we’re pretty close, so…

I guess part of me feels a little sad thinking I might have to share him with so many other people, that I might not get to spend as much time with him anymore.

But—it’s alright.”

She leans in, studying my face.

“Hm…

It’s a shame.

You have a rather attractive smile.

It’s a waste to hide it behind a frown.”

Attractive?!

I freeze.

The way she suddenly said that so casually…

The way she’s piercing me with her gaze…

I can feel my face heating up.

And deep in my stomach, a strange discomfort starts to stir—

One completely unfamiliar to me.

I don’t know what to make of it.

All I know is—

She’s way too close.

“H-Hey, uh…if you wouldn’t mind, you’re getting a little close.”

She tilts her head, puzzled.

“Why are you getting so hot and bothered? You didn’t seem to have a problem earlier with your friend rubbing all over you.”

“I mean—I’ve got a cute girl a few inches away from my face…how could I not be?” I say, unable to maintain eye contact.

For the first time since we’ve met, this girl who’d seemed so effortlessly cool and collected briefly loses her composure.

She stares at me in surprise—

Like I’d just informed her she was, in fact, a girl.

For a fleeting moment, her face flushes red before she quickly gains control of herself.

Then…

She smirks.

“Oh? So this bothers you?” she asks, stepping even closer and placing a hand against my chest.

“Yes, it does!” I blurt out. “So could you please stop?”

She steps back, still wearing a sly smile.

“...My apologies, I meant no offense.”

…

“How about…I make it up to you?

I could give you a tour of the student council office.”

My ears perk up.

“...Really?”

“Well, if we’re going to be colleagues. May as well use the opportunity to get to know each other a little better.”

We exchange smiles.

“Awesome. Sounds like a plan.”

[Cutscene Complete]

***

Maybe I didn’t get everything wrong about her when we first met.

She’s definitely trouble.

But…

I think all the teasing might’ve been her way of trying to pull me out of those moments when I seemed down.

And leaving me alone to deal with Haruki’s harem…

Maybe she genuinely thought it would help me build confidence. Or better understand a “maiden’s heart” or whatever.

Clearly, she clearly has trust issues when it comes to men…

But for some reason, she didn’t seem to have those same walls up around me.

Or at least…

She didn’t.

…

I can’t let things end like this.

…

Lunch.

This is my last chance to fix things with her.

After today, everyone goes home for the weekend.

Then when we get back, we’ll spend two full days buried in election work before Golden Week starts.

And if she’s really able to stew on this contempt for me that long…

The damage might truly become permanent.

…

This has to work.

***

“President?”

“Yes, Ubakawa?”

“There’s something I urgently need to deliver to Kojima. Is it alright if I go?”

“Certainly.”

“Thanks!”

I bolt from the room and sprint toward the far end of the central hallway.

The moment I round the stairwell, I duck behind a vending machine.

“What the—? Where did he—”

I step out in front of Shinomiya and gently grab her wrist before she can run off again.

“Please, Shinomiya.

It’s not Kojima I wanted to talk to.

It’s you.

All I want is to—”

She slams me against the wall.

“I’m getting real sick of your conniving little games, Ubakawa! I ought to kick your ass for the way you treat women!”

Pain jolts through my body as she drives her knee between my legs.

“Maybe if you felt the kind of pain those girls do when you toy with their hearts, you’d think twice about inflicting it on them.”

I recoil in pain—

But an even more immediate concern suddenly takes priority.

I try to talk her down.

“Shinomiya…

You need to move your knee.

Right now.”

She presses it in harder.

“Uncomfortable? This doesn’t even begin to compare to what you’ve put them through.”

“No, Shinomiya, it’s not that! Please, you don’t understand—you need to listen to—”

“And why should I? So you can keep lying to me? I know you have no interest in any of those girls, Ubakawa. That it’s Kojima you really want to—”

She suddenly freezes.

And I feel my soul leave my body.

Something…hard—presses into her knee.

She looks down.

Then back up at me—

My hands desperately covering my face in humiliation.

“Please, Shinomiya…

You’re crossing a line…

All I wanted was to talk to you…”

Her entire face erupts bright red.

“Y-Y-You—!

You animal!”

Her voice shoots higher than I’ve ever heard before.

She turns and storms off.

And I slowly slide down the wall.

Not just mortified…

But completely defeated.

That was my last chance.

It’s over.

I’m going to lose my best friend…

…and her too.

…

…I failed.