"Hmm~ stuffed animals, stickers, cute mechanical pencils... there’s quite a variety here."

"Hey, Tachibana. You’ve been dragging me around until after school, what exactly is this about? And why a fancy shop that girls would like?"

Since it’s not a shop I’m used to, I’m wandering around to get a sense of the whole place first, but Princess Kaguya is already in a bad mood.

"Hey, stick close to me properly. You’re supposed to be my bodyguard, after all."

"Why does a famous actress like me have to act as your bodyguard of all people!?"

"It can’t be helped. That’s the least suspicious way so your disguise doesn’t get exposed. If you stay next to me, a guy, the attention will be on me and the risk of people realizing you’re Princess Kaguya goes down."

After school.

Princess Kaguya and I had come to a fancy shop in town.

But I’ve already learned firsthand from when I went shopping with Haruto in drag how much attention you attract.

On top of that, bringing along a top actress would make it impossible to even walk around normally.

So I had her disguised.

"Still, this hoodie you lent me for disguise kind of smells."

Sniffing the sleeve, Princess Kaguya tilts her head.

"Don’t say rude things. I lent it to you because your uniform with just a hat would look weird."

It was unusually cold for spring this morning, so I brought the hoodie for warmth.

Still, Princess Kaguya, with her hood up and sunglasses like some suspicious figure, sure complains a lot.

Honestly.

In this world, girls would drool over the chance to wear a hoodie a guy has worn.

—Wait... damn. I’ve started thinking with the values of this chastity-reversed world too...

Naturally placing myself as some kind of valuable special person... what am I, some self-conscious puberty-addled teenage boy?

Man, that’s embarrassing...

"Well, if it turns into a scene, that defeats the purpose, so it can’t be helped. Oh, and don’t go selling this hoodie to fans just because a famous actress like me wore it."

While I’m spiraling into self-loathing, there’s someone even more self-absorbed right in front of me.

"I’m glad we’re friends."

"...What’s with that all of a sudden?"

When I say that sincerely, Princess Kaguya looks at me suspiciously.

Not worried—more like, ‘what’s this guy talking about?’ which is actually kind of nice.

"Seeing how you act makes me confident I’m a normal person."

"Hmph. If we weren’t in public right now, I’d hit you even if you’re a guy."

"Whoa, that’s dangerous."

It’s because she’s the kind of person who’d hit back like this that I can be friends with her even in this world.

I really do want Princess Kaguya to stay just the way she is.

"So why did you bring me to a shop like this? Just so you know, I’m not really into this kind of thing."

"It’s not for you. Haruto likes cute little items like this."

We came to this shop last time too when I went out with Haruto.

"You should’ve said that first! Alright! Then I just need to buy out everything in this shop for Haruto-sama!"

I hurriedly stop the out-of-touch, useless actress as she tries to head to the register with a platinum card in hand.

"Wait! It matters that you’re the one choosing it!"

"Ehh~ wouldn’t a mountain of presents on a truck make a guy happier? In dramas, that’s how women show their generosity, right?"

"If you do that, Haruto will definitely be put off. Picking out a single item carefully and giving it during the overnight class camp will hit him right in the heart."

"You’re surprisingly romantic, aren’t you? Doesn’t match your face."

"Shut up. Hurry up and pick something."

Urging the always-one-comment-too-many Princess Kaguya along, I head further into the shop.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

"Phew... seriously, why does shopping with women take so long?"

Compared to my past life, there are more women who take the lead boldly, but it seems like the length of women’s shopping time is a universal constant even in this world.

—At this rate, maybe I should’ve just had her buy out the entire shop? But then she would’ve just asked me which fancy goods suit Haruto and when I say ‘yeah, that’s fine,’ she’d get mad and say ‘don’t just answer randomly!’

Thinking that, I’m in my safe haven—the boys’ restroom.

Even in large commercial facilities like this, there’s usually only one boys’ restroom, which is a pain.

‘Huh? Where did Princess Kaguya go?’

After leaving the restroom and wiping my hands with a handkerchief, I look around, but she’s not here.

Did she wander off somewhere again?

"Hey you. You’re hiding it with that hoodie, but you’re a student from Honey Academy, aren’t you?"

"W-what do you want?"

Oh?

Sounds like trouble.

Following the voices, I find Princess Kaguya surrounded by several girls in an area between stores marked ‘Staff Only.’

The ones surrounding her are girls dressed like delinquent bosses, with their uniforms worn loosely.

"That guy you were with earlier was wearing a Honey Academy uniform."

"But it’s hilarious that someone like you is the bodyguard."

"Who are you calling short!?"

"You’ve got spirit, but no presence."

"You go to Honey Academy, so you’ve got money, right? Share some with trash delinquents like us."

"Yeah, yeah. You get to enjoy time with guys all the time anyway~"

Ugh... so this kind of thing happens even in the Honey Academy world. They’ve got numbers, but against girls, I should manage somehow.

Thinking that, I stepped in.

"Um—"

"Huh? Who the hell are—wait, huh!?"

"A... a guy!?"

"Why!? I heard guys would just run immediately if their bodyguard got harassed..."

When I call out, they turn with hostile voices, but the moment they realize I’m a guy, their pitch shoots up, making me let out a wry smile.

"She’s with me. Maybe you wanted to hang out with her, but let her off, okay?"

Saying that, I grab Princess Kaguya’s hand and pull her out of the shaken group.

"Ah..."

"U..."

"He talked to us... a guy..."

"Waa... a boy..."

Like they’re dreaming, the delinquent girls stand there dazed as I take Princess Kaguya’s hand and quickly leave.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

"Alright, we should be safe now."

Getting into the hired car I called with an app, I finally relax.

"............"

But an awkward silence fills the car.

Maybe Princess Kaguya, who’s been cherished like a princess since her child actor days, has never had malice directed at her like that before.

Unable to stand silence, I make the first move.

"Sorry, Kaguya. It must’ve been scary being alone."

I go for the classic handsome move and pat her head gently.

With her strong personality, she should—

"Mm..."

Huh... what?

Kaguya lowers her gaze slightly and lets out a faint sound, just letting me do as I please.

What is this?

A trap?

"W-well... anyway. I’m just glad we managed to get Haruto’s present."

Forcing the conversation to end, I look out the car window.

Pretending not to notice Princess Kaguya’s reflection glancing at me again and again in the glass.

Why did I ignore it?

Even I didn’t really understand the reason.