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

“About time, I think.”

I packed my study things into my bag and left the library. Club activities were almost over.

After school, Iori-senpai was always tied up with practice, and finding time with her was nearly impossible. So I had decided to lie in wait for her on her way out.

I just happened to be studying in the library, and our times just happened to line up… — perfectly natural, don’t you think?

Congratulating myself on an airtight plan, I made my way to the front of the second gymnasium. Just as I’d calculated, basketball club practice was wrapping up, and Iori-senpai emerged in her club tracksuit.

“Iori-senpai!”

I called her name and went over at a run. After practice, Senpai was damp with sweat and smelled different from usual.
That faint air of languid exhaustion was strangely captivating. Senpai really was magnetic in every single moment, no matter how you caught her.

“…Himena-chan?”
“I was studying in the library. What a coincidence that we’d be leaving at the same time!”
“Is it really a coincidence?”
“…I timed it so we could walk home together.”

The moment I came clean, Senpai laughed out loud. Her reaction didn’t suggest she minded at all.

“If that’s the case, you could just say so from the start.”
“…I thought turning up to ambush you might be a bit… much.”
“Not for you, Himena-chan.”

Senpai started walking, so I fell into step beside her. There was quite a height difference between us, but our strides matched — because Senpai was adjusting her pace to mine, I was sure of it.

Technically I should have been the one to speed up, but I couldn’t bring myself to. I wanted every extra second I could get with Senpai.

Against my wishes, we reached the station almost immediately. The walk from school was only five minutes.

Still — even five minutes with Senpai had made the wait worthwhile.

Even so, five minutes was nowhere near enough.

“Iori-senpai — shall we pop into the convenience store on the way home? Just for a bit.”

Senpai was tired after practice, and if she said no I’d let it go — but I looked up at her with all the hope I could muster.

“Sure. I worked up a sweat — I feel like having an ice cream.”
“Let’s get loads!”
“We don’t need loads.”

Himena-chan, you’re so full of energy, Iori-senpai laughed. I caught a flash of her little fangs and my heart did something silly.
I never used to have a thing for fangs — but Senpai might have given me an entirely new weakness.

We went into the convenience store by the station and headed to the ice cream section. I rarely ate ice cream these days, so standing in front of a convenience store freezer choosing felt strangely novel.
I glanced sideways. Iori-senpai was picking up a soft serve cone. I thought about getting the same, then turned it over and checked the calorie count, and put that idea aside.

Being with Senpai was already happiness enough — I could afford to hold back a little.

After some deliberation, I chose a crushed ice drink with the lowest calorie count I could find.
We paid and moved to the eat-in area. It was right around the time clubs let out, and the place had the feel of an after-school rush — there was even what looked like a couple of high schoolers on a date.

“Do you actually like that one, Himena-chan?”
“Ah — honestly, this is the first time I’ve tried it.”
“Is that right.”
“Do you always get soft serve, Senpai?”

She nodded, and took a big, decisive bite of the cone. For someone eating an ice cream with such gusto, she somehow managed to look perfectly refined.

“Mm, so good. Nothing like an ice cream after training.”
“Soft serve really suits you, Senpai.”
“What does that even mean? Can food suit someone?”
“It can! Though honestly, I think everything probably suits you.”

Just the fact that Senpai was eating it made the ordinary convenience store ice cream look like something special. Regretting my choice a little, I tore open the crushed ice.
The lemon-flavoured ice was pleasant enough, but satisfying it was not. I was starting to feel the lack when — Himena-chan — Senpai held her soft serve out toward me.

“Want a bite?”
“Oh — r-really…?”

That would be an indirect kiss, you know! Obviously I couldn’t say that. And I certainly wasn’t going to say no and risk her taking it back.
There was no way I was letting a chance at even an indirect kiss with Iori-senpai slip by.
I made sure to bite exactly where Senpai’s lips had been. I’d been looking forward to soft serve for the first time in ages, but I couldn’t taste a thing.

“Good?”
“I’m in heaven.”
“What does that mean.”

Senpai laughed, wide and open.

…Iori-senpai is so cute.

While we were eating, the couple that had been there finished up and hurried out of the store hand in hand. I checked my phone. A message from my mother, asking when I was coming home.

I really did have to go soon.

“Iori-senpai, I’ll take the rubbish.”

I took her empty wrapper and dropped it in the bin. We stepped out of the convenience store together, and the couple from earlier was still in sight, strolling along at an unhurried pace, still hand in hand.

They were in no hurry to get home, just like me.

I glanced sideways at Iori-senpai’s profile. I wish she felt that way too.

“Are you interested in those two, Himena-chan?”
“Hm? No, not at all.”
“You seemed like you were watching them.”

Because I want to be like that with you, Senpai — that felt like too much to say, so I shook my head with a vague expression.

I wonder if Iori-senpai ever thinks about wanting someone. Does she want a boyfriend, maybe? She doesn’t have one, does she?

I’d never heard anything about Senpai having a boyfriend. But what about before? Senpai was beautiful, and lovely — it wouldn’t be strange if she’d had one at some point.

“…Have you ever had a boyfriend, Iori-senpai?”

I knew I shouldn’t ask. I asked anyway.

“A boyfriend?”
“Y-yes.”

Senpai’s lips parted slowly, beginning to form an answer. On reflex, I covered her mouth with my hand.
“Himena-hyan?”

Oh — the way her voice went funny because of my hand was adorable — no, that was not the point right now!

“Sorry for doing that out of nowhere. I just — couldn’t help it.”

“You asked yourself, and now you don’t want to hear the answer?”

“…That’s right.”

Why? Senpai looked genuinely puzzled. I stopped for just a moment and looked straight up at her face.

The moonlight was catching her. She was glowing.

If I were Kaguya-hime, I thought, I’d want to take Senpai to the moon by any means necessary.

“Because I don’t want to give up on you, Senpai.”

So I didn’t want to know whether there had been a boyfriend or not.
Senpai gave a small hm and nodded. She looked, somehow, like she was having a very good time.