A Date with the Princess Feels Kinda Weird (4)
After the movie that had been, in a completely different sense, incredibly hot, we tossed our barely touched popcorn and cola and left the theater right away. The shock must have scrambled my brain, because my head was a total mess. Neither Se-rin nor I said a single word as we stepped outside. I figured the awkward silence would just drag on like this, but then—
Se-rin, walking beside me, fiddled with the hair by her ear and muttered in a small voice.
“Y-yeah. I should give that friend who recommended it a piece of my mind.”
“N-no, it’s fine! I was just surprised, that’s all!”
She was seriously apologizing just because there was a spicy scene in a movie… I told the visibly depressed Se-rin that she didn’t need to. Honestly, even if she paid me, I wouldn’t watch it again. Still, both that shameless scene and the sight of her blushing face were burned clearly into my memory. In a way, it felt more valuable than just watching one movie… Wait, what am I even thinking right now? The second half I could forget, but the first part was definitely something I could do without remembering!
I pinched the bridge of my nose at the useless thought that had suddenly popped up, then spoke to the gloomy princess beside me.
“Hey, you don’t have to keep wearing those sunglasses, you know?”
She seemed even more shaken up than I was. She had taken off the sunglasses she always wore when going out. At least she still had the beanie on, which was a relief. Otherwise she would’ve drawn way too much attention.
As I stared at Se-rin fumbling to put her sunglasses back on, a mischievous impulse suddenly hit me.
“So even you get flustered sometimes. Are you actually super weak to spicy stuff? For someone who looks like that, you’re surprisingly pure.”
“Ha! No matter how weak I am, I’m still stronger than you!”
I pointed a finger at her, acting all cocky. After turning bright red over nothing but a slightly spicy scene in a movie! Who was she calling weak? She had no right to say that about anyone!
When I shot back at her with that shameless retort, Se-rin looked a little deflated. She glanced at me weakly and asked,
“….”
“N-no, I don’t!”
What the hell was this girl saying in the middle of the street? She was treating me like some kind of pervert who watched that stuff all the time. If anyone was weird, it was her for having zero tolerance. Getting that worked up over a little kissing on a screen was an overreaction. Besides, it was a movie rated for teens, so the one thinking it was strange was the strange one!
I argued back point by point, almost like I was making excuses. By then she had recovered her smile and nodded at me like she was looking at a child.
“I said it’s not like that!”
Looks like I had no choice but to show her who was boss. I was about to counterattack using the smooth talking skills I’d honed while preparing to become a VTuber, when suddenly someone called out to me from behind.
The voice was shockingly familiar.
“You’re…”
Fluffy hair and gentle eyes that gave off a soft, comforting vibe. A pure, innocent high school girl who seemed filled with nothing but wholesomeness instead of bones and flesh. She was the class president of our school, the angel who always spoke to me… Cha Yu-na.
I never expected to run into someone I knew here. My brain froze for a second, but I quickly pulled myself together and answered.
“Oh, hey, Yu-na. I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Thanks.”
Yu-na’s casual outfit was cute and pure too! I held back the urge to say that and tried to respond as coolly as possible. At school I was the ice-type who only spoke when necessary, after all. Any unnecessary flattery would break character.
For some reason, Se-rin was staring at me intently from the side, but I ignored her gaze and naturally continued talking to Yu-na.
“Are you out in the city alone?”
“I’m just… watching a movie with an acquaintance…”
I gave a vague explanation while gesturing toward Se-rin, who was standing awkwardly beside me. Yu-na’s gaze slowly slid over to the suspiciously dressed girl. Sunglasses at night—even someone as positive as Yu-na looked a little startled. Still, I had no intention of revealing Se-rin’s identity here. Outside of our VTuber lives, our relationship was complicated to explain. I’d feel a little bad if Yu-na found out that someone like me was on a date with the princess.
But that worry turned out to be completely unnecessary.
Se-rin took off her sunglasses herself and spoke to Yu-na first.
“Eh? S-Se-rin?!”
“Eek.”
Weren’t we supposed to be moving around secretly without getting recognized today? Or did she just not care because Yu-na was a school friend?! I froze in shock at Se-rin’s sudden move. Yu-na looked back and forth between us with wide eyes, then asked in surprise,
“What… N-no, it’s not like that. We just happened to run into each other and… one thing led to another…”
“H-huh…”
Yu-na nodded in a daze at Se-rin’s mysterious statement. She probably had no idea how to respond to the sudden display of closeness. I was obviously flustered too. Why was she spilling all this information that nobody had asked for? And the fact that there wasn’t a single lie in what Se-rin said made it even harder to react.
I have no idea what she’s thinking…
I really couldn’t figure her out sometimes. When Yu-na stared at me like she was demanding an explanation, I just shrugged. I had no clue how to explain this. Human relationships were my weak point, after all.
Then Yu-na suddenly glanced down at her phone to check the time. Realizing she had to go, she waved her hands in the air and said,
“Yeah… take care.”
I actually wanted to talk a little more, but if she was busy, there was nothing I could do. Feeling a bit disappointed, I waved lightly as Yu-na left. Since I probably wouldn’t have any meaningful connections during winter break, the next time I saw her would be at school… I hoped we’d be in the same class again next year as second-years.
As I was thinking that and watching her go, Se-rin suddenly stepped right up beside me and wrapped an arm around my shoulder!
“Eep?!”
“Awaaah…”
The situation was so sudden that I froze with my hand still raised. Yu-na stared with eyes as round as saucers, like she’d witnessed something shocking, then covered her mouth and practically fled the scene.
I came to my senses a moment later and quickly pulled away from Se-rin, who was standing far too close. Then I glared at her as she casually put her sunglasses back on.
“What… what the hell was that?! You just hugged me out of nowhere!”
“…Huh?”
What on earth was she talking about? I looked at the sulky princess like I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. But she just walked ahead a few steps, then turned back and said,
“…Do you and Yu-na not get along?”
Then why the obvious jealousy…? I sighed at the completely unreadable Se-rin and followed after her. It looked like I’d have to clear up the misunderstanding with Yu-na next time we met. Of course, once the new semester started she probably wouldn’t even remember any of this! For a loner like me, that was a pretty heartbreaking thought.
*
The dinner that followed was an unexpected Japanese meal. It was something called gyukatsu—beef coated in breadcrumbs and grilled on a hot stone. The visuals were completely new to me, and the taste was surprisingly good. It was a fun experience. The price was pretty steep, around the upper ten-thousand-won range per dish, but thanks to my well-stocked wallet, it didn’t feel like too much of a burden.
Good thing I brought plenty of allowance today.
I was glad I’d prepared in advance. After we split the bill Dutch-style, Se-rin and I walked toward Mir Station. We’d wandered around quite a bit, so it was probably time to part ways. With that in mind, I glanced at the princess walking beside me.
She must have been staring at me for a while, because our eyes met naturally when she turned her head.
“Do you have something you want to say?”
“…What’s with that, it’s embarrassing. I had fun too. Even if your intentions were impure.”
Only then did I remember the purpose of today’s date. I’d gotten so caught up in enjoying myself halfway through that I’d forgotten, but the goal had been to make Se-rin fall for me. Hmm… but I didn’t get the feeling that it had worked at all.
I looked forward again and snuck a glance at her from the corner of my eye. With the sunglasses on, I couldn’t read her expression at all. If I had to guess whether anything had changed, the only conclusion I could reach was that I had no idea.
Of course. There’s no way someone would fall for another person after just one date.
When I thought about it that way, I felt both relieved and strangely unsettled. We walked in silence, matching our steps without saying much, and before long we arrived near the station. When the clock tower came into view not far away, Se-rin, who had been quietly thinking about something, suddenly grabbed my wrist.
“Hm? What is it?”
I was momentarily startled when she started pulling me toward a dark alley, but figuring she wanted to share her thoughts about the date, I followed obediently. The alley we entered was a narrow path between two buildings, so quiet it felt awkward. Even though we could hear people chatting noisily outside, this place was eerily silent.
Se-rin looked around to confirm no one was watching, then took off the sunglasses she’d been wearing even though it was nighttime. She turned to face me, who was standing near the entrance. Even with her bare face revealed, I still couldn’t read her expression at all.
“So what did you want to say that you had to drag me into an alley like this?”
“You’re the one making me impatient, don’t you think…?”
“Well, that would be true for the Princess at school.”
She was almost a completely different person now compared to at school. I muttered that to myself and stared at her, urging her to get to the point. After hesitating for a moment, Se-rin finally looked me in the eye as if she had no choice.
“That’s obvious. It doesn’t make sense to consciously decide to like someone. Love isn’t something you can force. It just happens one day.”
“Shut up. I’m just not interested.”
Besides, there was no obligation to romantically like someone, right? When I said that and lightly crossed my arms, she nodded as if she agreed. It seemed the lead in the conversation had shifted to me. Seeing it as a chance to persuade her, I relaxed my shoulders and spoke in a convincing tone.
“So let’s stop this pointless stuff and go back to how things were. We can do plenty of Yuri Business as friends, can’t we?”
“Ugh, this is so annoying!”
Why was she so obsessed with Yuri Business? I’d told her multiple times that it was just acting to make the viewers happy. At this rate the conversation would never end. I decided I needed to snap her out of it with something strong. Just as I was about to deliver the finishing blow—
Se-rin, who had been deep in thought, suddenly closed the distance. She furrowed her brows with determination… then grabbed both my shoulders and slowly brought her face closer to mine!
The violently beautiful girl filled my entire field of vision. Caught so I couldn’t run away, I froze solid. No way… was this girl trying to kiss me?!
“Hieek…”
What I felt wasn’t on my lips, but on my cheek. Not that I was expecting a kiss on the lips or anything! My paralyzed brain finally rebooted, and I shoved her away. I stumbled back several steps, clutching my warm cheek.
I couldn’t properly process what Se-rin had just done to me.
“W-wait… what did you just…!”
“Why all of a sudden?!”
Saying I could think of it as friendship meant there was another meaning, didn’t it… I ground my teeth at Se-rin’s absurd tyranny and trembled. My face was so hot it felt like my brain was boiling. But maybe she had achieved her goal for dragging me into the alley. She started leading me back out to the main street.
Hey, you just kissed my cheek! Why am I the only one conscious of it?!
“Weak… I’m not, though…”
Ugh, so annoying… She was completely looking down on me. I’d just had my whole world shaken, and yet…! It was incredibly unfair. I swore to myself that I would definitely pay her back for this someday.
While I was grumbling and making that vow, we somehow arrived at the station.
“N-no, it’s fine… You don’t have to go that far. I’m going now. See you later.”
It had been fine until now, but the beginning and the end were both so exhausting… I kept my hand on my cheek, which still seemed to hold the lingering sensation, and walked down into the station while staring at my feet. What kind of troublesome situation had I gotten dragged into? I had a feeling that my VTuber life from now on was going to be anything but ordinary. Actually, this ominous premonition could be wrong for once! I prayed inwardly for a peaceful, uneventful daily life instead of a turbulent one.
*
Se-rin stood there watching Seolhwa’s back as she disappeared into the crowd. Maybe it was because the image of her bright red face after that last cheek kiss kept coming to mind. She felt a sudden urge to hug the retreating girl tightly from behind. Of course, if she did that, Seolhwa would probably thrash around like a cat thrown into water. So, as always, Se-rin quietly stuffed her desire back into its box and hid it away.
Once Seolhwa had completely vanished into Mir Station, Se-rin spoke without even turning her head, as if talking to someone.
Almost as soon as she finished speaking, someone emerged from the alley without a sound. A girl dressed entirely in inconspicuous black from head to toe, with a mask that covered even her nose. The girl called I-ryong was a member of Se-rin’s secret escort unit, the Black Dragon Guard.
I-ryong scratched her head in annoyance, then slipped back into the alley as if to say she understood. Seolhwa was probably already on the train heading home, so the distance between them would be considerable by now. But both of them seemed to think that was no problem for I-ryong.
Once she was sure I-ryong had completely disappeared, Se-rin took off the sunglasses and beanie she’d been wearing. In an instant, as if the very air around her had changed, she returned to her princess self.
“Oh, over there…”
“Isn’t that the princess? Wow, first time seeing her in person.”
“Is there some kind of event? In the middle of the street like this…”
Maybe because her recognition was on par with a regular TV celebrity. The moment Se-rin revealed her presence in the middle of the street, people’s attention instantly focused on her. Wearing her familiar public smile, she returned their gazes with one of her own. As the princess who had to serve as a role model for the citizens, that smile was practically an obligation.
The considerable commotion only died down when several men in black suits appeared all at once. Since they clearly looked like bodyguards, people naturally made way for them.
Se-rin got into the familiar limousine and headed straight home. As if the warm little escape she’d just experienced had been a dream, the inside of the limousine was uncomfortably cold. She sat in her usual seat, rested her chin on her hand, and stared out the window. Then, suddenly, she gently touched her lips with her fingers and thought quietly.
I ended up kissing her…
The voice echoing in her heart was neither that of the princess nor that of the VTuber. It was a fragile girl’s voice—one she never thought she herself would be able to make.