Takatsuki-Ouji 3.1

Prince Takatsuki And The Way Home

“Manaka, let’s go home~”

After end-of-day Homeroom was over, Maeda-kun came over to my seat.

“Sure, let’s go home.”

Today, there is a 2-hour anime re-broadcast that I’m looking forward to. All day long, there was a skip in my steps. Yosh, I closed my bag and got up.

“Can I tag along with you?”

Takatsuki-kun…

Takatsuki-kun called out to us, showing a dazzling smile.

It’s been 3 days since he’d called me Lust Demon. After that incident, nothing in particular happened. There is no action from neither him nor me. Whenever we see each other, the only conversation we had would be a greeting or two and nothing more.

The secret I confided in Takatsuki-kun didn’t seem to have been leaked, so the relationship between my classmates and I was still there. Also, in the end, the thing about Takatsuki-kun liking me, I don’t know if he was just teasing me or if he was serious about it.

If you ask whether or not I care about it, then I’ll have to talk to Takatsuki-kun again, have a real conversation between us, match his pace and understand his reasoning. But if you think of it like that, then wouldn’t you be reluctant?

Since Takatsuki-kun haven’t done anything since that time, I’ve come so far, so I thought it was fine.

“Is it no good?”

Why would you want to go home with us now? There were envious looks thrown at us from the girls behind Takatsuki-kun who wanted to go with him. S-scary… I’m not in the mood to be in contact with Takatsuki-kun right now, I just want to go home and watch anime. The girls behind Takatsuki-kun were sending out a, “You guys refuse him. Refuse him, and let us have the chance of going home together with him,” aura. Yeah, this is where I refuse and say, “Oh sorry, I have to dash home today, so let’s walk home together next time, okay?”

“Oh, it’s alright, let’s go home together.”

It’s alright, right, Manaka? Maeda-kun said to me.

You see I, don’t usually mind Maeda-kun’s inability to read the atmosphere, but not today. This sucks.

You see, at this point I can’t refuse anymore. Takatsuki-kun was watching with a sparkling smiley face. At this point, is it impossible to destroy the happy look on the Prince’s face? That’d be a sin. Walking down the road, you know, it’s equivalent to a prison sentence, isn’t it*.

“Yeah…. It’s okay.”

The moment I said so, Takatsuki-kun’s smiling face became even more dazzling, blinding the whole classroom. The girls behind him looked furious, //Like the dancing of an angry Kabuki actor//,I closed my eyes and pretended to be oblivious to the situation.

“Well then, let’s get going.”

“Okay.”

I follow Takatsuki-kun and Maeda-kun out of the classroom. Yep, as long as I’m not alone with Takatsuki-kun, as long as Maeda-kun is here, then everything will be okay. We could go home without a hitch. Let’s go home like always, listening to Maeda-kun’s stories without a hitch.

“Hey, Maeda, wait a sec. You haven’t submitted last week’s Math prints.”

Maeda-kun was stopped by the math teacher in the corridor.

“Eeh, but why~?”

“Don’t ‘but why~?’ me, quickly go and submit it.”

“Well… You see, I sorta left the print at home and so submitting it right now is sorta impossible?”

“That’s not a problem. I have extra prints. Do it now.”

“Eeh…..”

“Then, let’s go.”

Maeda-kun who was caught by the math teacher said, “Sorry Manaka, you go home without me,” and was taken away.

Maeda-kun. Screw you. Seriously, screw. You.

There goes Maeda-kun. Then a hand landed on my shoulder, so I turned to look.

“Well then, let’s go home. (Manaka cutecutecute haa haa an after-school date with Manaka haa haa)”

That was of course the Prince’s elegant and fine hand.

T/N: I’m not sure about this sentence, 市中引き回しの上、張り付け獄門の刑じゃん。 It’s supposed to be some sort of Edo period punishment, like walking in the streets, showing everyone what kind of wrongdoings you’ve done, that kind of thing I think? Though I’m not sure what the 張り付け獄門の刑じゃん。part mean. 😦 Someone help please. 張り(Post/stretch)付け(Bill or something)獄門(Prison)の(‘s)刑(Sentence)じゃん。(Isn’t it)

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