Chapter Two: “The Princess Wants to Appeal to the Prince” — Part Three

“Um — Iori-senpai!”

She’d just finished morning practice and was coming out of the gymnasium for lunch break. I called out the moment I saw her.
Iori-senpai’s eyes went wide when she spotted me.

“Himena-chan? What are you doing here?”
“I brought you something, Senpai.”

In her practice kit, damp with sweat, hair slightly damp too — no makeup whatsoever, of course — and still, terrifyingly, as beautiful as ever.

“Please have this, if you’d like. It’s lemon honey preserves.”

I held out the container. Senpai took it without a moment’s hesitation, and I felt a wave of relief wash over me at that.
It’s all right. I worked so hard on this, with Yuuri and Kanami-senpai both helping me.

“Can I eat some now?”
“Please, yes!”

Senpai opened the container and lifted a slice of lemon to her mouth.

“These are good. Really good.”

That it wasn’t just politeness was obvious from the way she kept reaching for more.

Senpai is eating something I made. Which means what I made is becoming part of Senpai, right?!
Cooking might actually be… incredible….

“Do you cook often, Himena-chan?”
“Yes! I’m quite good at it!”

A reflexive lie. I was absolutely terrible at it.
But I wanted Senpai to think well of me — just a little more!

“Is that right. Still, it must have taken effort this morning. Thank you for doing this for me.”

Iori-senpai smiled and patted my head. Her large palm sent my heart hammering.

“I-Iori-senpai…”
“Your face has gone completely red. Did that make you shy?”

She patted my head once more in that teasing way, and then her expression shifted to something apologetic.

“Break time isn’t long, so I’m going to have to go soon. I’m sorry — you came all this way.”
“Not at all! Even one minute, even one second with you, Senpai — that makes Himena so happy!”

If our time together was limited, there was all the more reason to say exactly what I meant. No room for anything roundabout.

“…You really are wonderfully direct, Himena-chan.”

She gave a small wave — see you — and headed back inside. It was hard to watch her go, but stopping her and getting in her way was the last thing I wanted.

“Even getting to talk to her for a few minutes on a weekend — that’s a huge win!”

A cute first-year who gives homemade treats on her days off — surely even Senpai would find herself thinking about that!

☆★☆★☆★☆★

When I returned to the home economics room, Yuuri and Kanami-senpai were eating their own lemon honey preserves.

“Welcome back, Himena-chan. Did she like them?”
“Perfectly!”

I struck a smug little victory pose. Kanami-senpai applauded. Yuuri followed with a clap of her own, wearing the mild exasperation she never quite managed to hide entirely.

Yuuri really does put on a different face around Kanami-senpai.

“Your feelings definitely came through, Himena-chan.”
“They did, didn’t they?!”
“I’m sure of it.”

Maybe Senpai will realise how I feel and start asking for my home cooking every day. Oh no — that would be basically a marriage proposal, wouldn’t it?! Should I be working on becoming a proper bride for Senpai’s sake?!

“Himena, you’ve checked out entirely.”

Yuuri leaned in close and murmured it in my ear, then landed a sharp pat on my back at an angle Kanami-senpai couldn’t see.

“And we’re leaving soon.”
“What, already? Is home economics club done for today too?”

Kanami-senpai looked apologetically toward Yuuri when I asked.

“Sorry — I always end up making you work around my schedule.”
“Not at all. If anything — thank you for making the time to come to club activities when you’re so busy.”

Yuuri gave a polite bow and began tidying up with brisk efficiency. The three of us gathered our things and left the home economics room together.
We parted ways with Kanami-senpai at the school gate. She was heading off to cheer on her younger brother at his club’s tournament, apparently.

“You really do put on a whole different act around Kanami-senpai, Yuuri.”
“I could say the same to you.”

Yuuri heaved an ostentatiously theatrical sigh. There she was — the real Yuuri.

“Honestly though, Himena — don’t you think you’re a bit too in character around Iori-senpai?”
“Well… not entirely wrong, but—”
“If she ends up liking that version of you, won’t that be exhausting?”

Yuuri stopped walking and looked at me steadily. I could tell well enough that she was genuinely worried.

“Even if it’s exhausting — if Iori-senpai comes to like me, that’s enough!”

I wasn’t blind to the argument that deceiving someone you love was wrong. But whatever anyone said, liking someone was liking them. No argument changed that.
Even if it meant some strain, even if it meant keeping up an act — I just wanted Iori-senpai to like me.

“Hm. Well. Don’t overdo it.”

Yuuri gave a quick nod and started walking again.