Chapter One: “The Princess Wants to Win Over the Prince” — Part Three

I did a final fringe check in the corridor window and pushed open the door to the room where the environmental beautification committee was gathering. The meeting to decide the watering roster was about to begin.

Watering duty was once a week, done in pairs. Which meant that if I could get paired with Iori-senpai, I’d have a guaranteed slot of alone time with her every single week.

“Iori-senpai!”

The moment I stepped inside, I scanned the room for her. The seat next to her was empty. Lucky.

“Is this seat free?”
“Sure.”
“Thank you.”

I was busy getting completely lost in Senpai’s unfairly beautiful face when the meeting got underway. Apparently each person found their own partner, and then pairs drew lots or played rock-paper-scissors to decide which day they’d be assigned.

“Senpai. Will you be my partner?”
“Are you sure you don’t want to pair up with someone in your own year? Might be a good chance to make friends.”
“I want to get closer to you, Senpai!”

I leaned forward and held her gaze. She blinked a few times, then nodded. Sure.

She might actually cave pretty easily to a bit of pressure. In that case — push, and push, and keep pushing.

“Wednesday is the only day that really works for me — is that all right with you, Himena-chan?”
“Any day is fine as long as I’m with you, Senpai!”

Senpai gave a small laugh and murmured, that makes me happy, almost to herself. Unfair. Far too cool.

“You’re very thoughtful, Iori-senpai. Choosing a day when you don’t have morning practice.”

I was trying to hide my flushed cheeks behind my hair and keep the conversation going, but Senpai tilted her head.

“How do you know the basketball club doesn’t have morning practice on Wednesdays?”
“Oh — um, well, that’s — uh—”
“Did you look it up because you wanted to know more about me?”

She was smiling, but what was going on inside her head I couldn’t tell. What I could tell was that there was no point trying to wriggle out of it now.

So the only option, as ever, was to push through.

“Yes! I like you, Senpai, and I wanted to know more about you, so I looked it up!”

Senpai’s eyes went wide. Then she raised a hand to her mouth and laughed.

“You’re really something, Himena-chan.”
“Huh?”
“No one’s ever just said that to me so directly before.”

Wait — did that mean I’d just claimed Senpai’s first something?!

“Hey, Himena-chan — they’re about to do rock-paper-scissors for the days. You go represent us.”
“Me?”

Without my noticing, the representatives from each pair had gathered at the front of the room. Wednesday mornings were popular — apparently a lot of clubs besides basketball skipped morning practice that day, so there was serious competition.
If I lost, it would cause trouble for Senpai. I absolutely could not let that happen.

“Leave it to me, Senpai. I’ll win for certain.”

It was fine. My fortune slip had been daikichi. A girl as cute as me was obviously beloved by the gods.

“I’m going to win this — for you, Senpai!!”

I made two fists and announced it to her face. Do your best, she said, with a little wave. And just like that, I felt like an unbeatable rock-paper-scissors champion.

“Okay, everyone who wants Wednesday morning — first the fist, rock-paper-scissors…”

I swung my fist in time with the chant.

“Shoot!!”

I threw scissors. And miraculously, all three others threw paper.

“I won!! Senpai, I won!!”

I was so happy I practically bounced back to her side. Senpai smiled warmly and said, thank you.
And then.

She gently patted me on the head. Lightly enough not to disturb my styled fringe.

Oh no oh no oh no, this is way too much to handle!!
Was this a dream? A daydream? Surely even the gods weren’t this devoted to me…?

My mind was about to short-circuit. Was my heartbeat really so loud that Senpai could hear it?

“Something wrong, Himena-chan?”

Senpai tilted her head, still patting my hair. The way her eyes crinkled with amusement — it was doing something to a part of me that probably shouldn’t be tampered with.

I think I want to be Iori-senpai’s dog….

“W-Woof…!!”
“What was that. Are you a dog, Himena-chan?”

Senpai laughed softly and poked me on the forehead with one finger.

“Does that make me your master, then?”
“Y-yes, Master…”

I’d done it. I’d opened a door that should have stayed shut.

“Hehe. I look forward to it, my good little pup.”

She smiled and whispered it right next to my ear.

So this is what it feels like to be happy just from hearing someone’s voice…?!
Why was Iori-senpai so impossibly cool? And I’d wanted to find her cute side too — but she was so relentlessly cool I didn’t know what to do with myself! If cute got added on top of all this cool, how much further was I going to fall?!

I tried to calm down but couldn’t, not with someone this breathtaking standing right in front of me.
And from now on, every Wednesday, I’d get to water the flowers alone with Iori-senpai.
This was too much. I was too happy. Every day could just be Wednesday from here on out!!

“…Iori-senpai.”
“Yes?”
“As of this moment, Wednesday is officially my favourite day of the week.”