Chapter Four: “The Princess Wants to Be Chosen by the Prince” — Part Nine
“Please, Himena-chan. Will you show me your face?”
That’s not fair.
When the person you love most asks you something in a voice that gentle, there’s no saying no.
I steeled myself and came out slowly from under the duvet. Seeing myself reflected in Senpai’s eyes made me want to cry.
“You’re cute like this too, Himena-chan. Properly cute.”
“…Senpai.”
“Yes. The glasses suit you, I thought so.”
Because I loved Senpai, this was the version of myself I least wanted her to see. And because I loved Senpai, this was the version of myself I most wanted her to accept.
The two feelings pulled against each other and I didn’t know what expression to make.
“You don’t have to try so hard. The real Himena-chan is wonderful too.”
“…But I want you to only ever see my most beautiful self, Senpai.”
Tears blurred my eyes. It would only make things harder for Senpai, but my fever-weakened body refused to let me hold it together.
My eyes would swell up if I cried.
“I’m sorry.”
Senpai wiped my tears with her right thumb.
“I knew you’d hate it. I knew, and I still came.”
The words wouldn’t form properly, and I shook my head as hard as I could. I didn’t want an apology. Because I’d been happy she came.
“I knew, and I just couldn’t help myself.”
“You w-were worried about me…”
“Yes. But it wasn’t only that.”
Senpai smiled with just her mouth, looking somewhere between troubled and embarrassed.
“I got a little jealous that Yuuri-chan knows a Himena-chan I don’t.”
“…What?”
“…It’s just jealousy.”
Her ears, turned down toward her lap, were red. The hand gripping the sheets trembled just slightly.
Senpai is embarrassed?! And she just said jealous? Jealous!!
“I’m sorry for barging in. I’ll go now.”
I grabbed her hand before she could stand. Senpai immediately looked away from me, visibly flustered.
She is so, so adorable…!!
Yuuri and I have been childhood friends since nursery school. Of course she’d seen me without makeup a thousand times — it made sense that it was nothing to her.
But Senpai was jealous of that. She was jealous of Yuuri.
“I was really, truly so happy you came, Senpai!!”
There were so many other things I wanted to say, so many things I wanted to ask. But this was the one thing I had to get out first.
“So… so thank you. For coming. Really.”
“Himena-chan…”
Senpai smiled with something like relief, and stroked my messy hair.
“You’re more than cute enough just as you are, so please don’t push yourself too hard.”
Take care, she said softly, and left.
I didn’t think she’s leaving already. Because Senpai had used precious time to come and see me.
“…If you tell me not to push myself, it just makes me want to push myself even more.”
I let out a slow breath. I’d been feeling a little better, but now my whole body was warm again.
I needed to actually get well in time for the date.
I reached for the convenience store bag Yuuri had left on the table. Inside was a sports drink and my favourite peach jelly.
I sipped the sports drink and picked up my phone. Several messages from Yuuri had come in.
I’m so sorry. I said no a few times.
I genuinely feel bad. But Iori-senpai was pretty insistent…
I kept telling her it was just a cold, but Iori-senpai was really flustered and kept worrying about you.
I sent back it’s fine straight away. Given the situation, there was no way Yuuri could have held out.
Senpai was that worried about me.
“…With all of this, Senpai likes me too, doesn’t she.”