Part-1 Ch-05 Ep-04

 Maki's POV

My prince seems like, if I leave her alone even for a second, she will end up becoming someone else’s prince too. The other day, my childhood friend almost got lost in the mountains.

Nagase Mari.

My childhood friend, my prince, and my future bride. I am fully aware that the latter two exist only in my own mind.

It’s fine. I am calm. Probably.

Ever since we were little, my childhood friend has had a constitution that attracts danger.

Whenever we go out, I am always prepared for whatever unexpected situation might befall Mari.

Preparation is everything, after all.

Not just for regular outings; ever since elementary school, whether it was nature school trips, field trips, or the family camping trips our families took together, I have always prepared for the worst-case scenario.

This is not something that began recently.

That is why I was able to handle this incident as well.

Still, isn’t that girl involved in accidents far too often?

I am genuinely considering dragging her somewhere to get exorcised or something.

And yet, despite all that, she always tries to throw herself into danger for my sake. I am happy she cares, but every time something happens, it takes years off my life.

On the bus ride back from the field trip, she proudly declared, “Even if Maki ever got lost or went missing, I’d definitely be able to find you.”

I wish she would worry about her own safety first.

Come to think of it, ever since we were kids, I always lost at hide-and-seek, one game after another.

It felt like she had a tracking device on me or something.

At first it was just mysterious, but eventually that sensation became comforting. The thought that Mari might always know where I was and what I was doing even began to feel like a strange kind of pleasure.

...I would never tell anyone this because nine times out of ten they would be creeped out. I will keep it to myself.

Anyway, back to the point: Mari really almost got lost this time, and that was a huge shock to me as well.

In other words, I had another close call. Again.

“...Hey, aren’t you bored?”

The first Saturday after we returned from the field trip, I was at the Nagase house.

In this familiar yet not-my-own home, I had come to spend the morning in Mari’s room, as always.

The truth is that I could not sit still, worried that she might suddenly wander off somewhere again without me knowing.

Since her family has taken care of me since we were tiny, I have a good relationship with both her father and mother.

Naturally, I informed both parents beforehand and received their permission to come over today. The only person whose permission I did not get was the person herself.

“Not bored at all.”

I answered while staring intently at Mari’s entire figure, keeping her fully within my sight.

She says I am the one who is restless, yet she simply starts reading a manga. I keep gazing at her the whole time.

“Because Nagase protected me.”

Asahina-kun’s words from that time replay in my head, and I silently fume: protected you how exactly?

He is not the one at fault.

I know that.

Rather, Asahina-kun chased after Mari and tumbled down the mountain slope with her.

My first impression of him was that he seemed incredibly frivolous, but now I feel like he might actually possess some backbone.

However.

The better a person Asahina-kun is, the more a scorching impatience burns deep in my chest.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

I answered with a smile, but there are times when Mari gets frightened by my smiles.

Right now too, upon seeing my smile, the corners of her mouth twitched.

Of course. I am not actually smiling in my heart.

Do you know the term “suspension bridge effect”?

It refers to the phenomenon in which, after experiencing intense emotions like fear or anxiety together (such as crossing a suspension bridge), people mistakenly interpret those feelings as romantic attraction toward the person they shared the experience with.

It seems Mari has developed a sense of camaraderie or bond with Asahina-kun.

They suddenly became close, and I saw them chatting frequently throughout the remainder of the field trip.

...Every time I saw them, I inserted myself into the conversation. 

Nagase Mari is my childhood friend, my prince, and my future bride.

It is frustrating, but at present, the only part we agree on is “we’re childhood friends.” She has forgotten all about the prince part, and I know full well that winning this girl’s heart is the most difficult challenge of all.

It is not enough to simply wish; I must concretely imagine and solidify exactly how I want things to be.

The outer moat, my own resolve, everything.

There is a mountain of things I need to do, and my impatience only grows, but I absolutely cannot let go of this girl’s hand.

Aiming for my one-and-only prince, I renewed my determination.

(End of Chapter 5)