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

Just as the station was coming into sight, Yuuri spoke up as though she’d just remembered something.

“By the way, Iori-senpai. Have you decided where you’re applying for work experience yet?”
“Wait, what’s that?”

My reaction earned me an exasperated look from Yuuri.
Oh no. Should I have pretended to know about this?!

“Our school has a work experience programme every year, in the first term.”

Iori-senpai stepped in with an explanation. She really is kind.

“And to encourage independence, students have to find their own placement and get approval themselves. Anyone who genuinely can’t find a placement gets one arranged through the school.”
“I had no idea this was even a thing…!”

Finding your own placement?! Does that mean going up to a business and asking in person? That sounds completely impossible…!

I’d chosen this school for one reason only, which was Iori-senpai. So I hadn’t known the first thing about any of its events or programmes.

“Last year I worked at a café my relative runs. I’m planning to do the same this year.”
“Oh, Senpai, what does the uniform look like?!”

My panic about work experience evaporated instantly, replaced entirely by thoughts of Senpai in a uniform.
A café, so maybe just a simple apron? Though there was always the possibility of something cuter. I absolutely had to see it. I wanted to skip the work experience entirely and just be a customer.
Actually, I was borderline resentful of every customer who’d ever been served by Senpai.

“Himena-chan? Why have you gone blank all of a sudden?”
“Hm?”

Apparently I’d drifted into a daydream and stopped walking at some point.
Also, her face was very close!!

“Hehe, Himena-chan, you’ve gone completely red.”
“Well, you’re very close, Senpai…”

I pressed both hands to my cheeks and they were burning, feverishly hot. I hadn’t even expected to see Senpai today. Of course my heart was going more than usual.

“So, about the café uniform…”

Iori-senpai took out her phone and opened her photo gallery.

“Actually, I’ll keep it a secret.”
“That’s so cruel…”
“Something to look forward to on the day itself.”
“What?”
“If you haven’t found a placement yet, why don’t you work with me? They can probably take a few more people.”

Senpai glanced over at Yuuri as well, not just me.

“That’s a kind offer, but I’ve already sorted mine out. So just Himena, please.”

Yuuri gave me a little push forward. What a shame, Iori-senpai smiled.
“U-um, Iori-senpai.”
“Yes?”
“I look forward to a long and happy future together!”

You’re so dramatic, Senpai laughed. But I was quite serious.
Because wearing matching uniforms and doing the same work together was a kind of loving partnership, wasn’t it. Which meant it was basically marriage, when you thought about it.

“I’ll work hard and be useful to you, Senpai!”

I’d never had a part-time job, so café work would be completely new territory.
But I was confident in my people skills. Customer service was something I could absolutely do well.
I had to show Senpai a capable, dependable side of me!

☆★☆★☆★☆★

“Yuuri. Have you actually sorted out a work experience placement?”

I waited until Iori-senpai had got off the train and it was just the two of us before asking. She hadn’t mentioned it to me at all.

Yuuri had an even narrower social circle than I did, and I couldn’t think of anyone she could ask…

Her parents both worked, and her older sister was already out in the workforce. But they all seemed to be at fairly rigid, formal places, not the sort that would take on a student for work experience.

“Not yet.”
“I knew it. Should we go back and ask Iori-senpai now?”
“It’s fine. I already said I had one sorted. And you’d rather have her to yourself anyway.”
“But still…”
“Besides, I’m not completely without options.”
“Really?”

I was half-convinced she was lying and just being considerate of me.
Yuuri did that sometimes.

“Yeah.”
“Where?”
“Somewhere with Kanami-senpai.”

The answer came out in an unmistakably buoyant tone, and all my concern dissolved in an instant.

“Yuuri, you just wanted an excuse to tell Kanami-senpai that Himena has her work experience sorted with Iori-senpai so you have no one to turn to and really need help, didn’t you?!”
“That is not what my voice sounded like.”
“That is completely beside the point right now!”

I’d been a fool to worry. This was exactly who Yuuri was. Efficient, sharp, always reading the situation and using it to her advantage.

“I can’t believe I wasted time being concerned.”
“It cost you nothing. Worrying’s free.”

She said something deeply irritating and sent Kanami-senpai a message. A reply came almost immediately, and Yuuri’s work experience placement was settled just like that.

“Good luck to both of us, then.”

Yuuri gave me a pat on the shoulder. She didn’t need to tell me. I was planning to put everything I had into this.

“Just watch. Capable, competent me is going to have Iori-senpai completely head over heels.”
“…Well, I suppose confidence is a good thing.”

Yuuri was as rude as ever, but I wasn’t deterred.
It would be fine. I knew I could do it!