Confinement King

While I was enjoying a Paris Collection video on my phone with a waterproof cover while taking a bath, a pop-up suddenly appeared on my screen.

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　Mai Mai : Fu~min's Mama sent me a message――――!

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　It was a post on the group chat of the four favored princesses on the night before last.

　For now, I'll just type a response with the same feeling of dismay.

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　Misuzu : Mai, you're not nervous at all, huh?

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　Before, before I became a favorite princess.

　It reminds me of the distance between Mai and Fumi-kun's Mama, who seemed to be just like a friendly wife and mother-in-law, when we visited Fumi-kun's house together.

　I was amazed that there was no limit to how friendly they could be.

　By the way, Mai once sent me a photo of Fumi-kun when he was three years old, and I felt like I knew the source.

　Of course, the Shota-Fumi images are kept forever, but anyway, does Fumi-kun know that Mai and His Mama are messaging each other?

　I think it's a pretty big privacy breach.

　While I was thinking about this, Masaki responded to my message, and we started chatting.

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　Masaki@wifeYome: I want to be friends with Mama-san too!

　Mai Mai: @Misuzu after all, Fumin's Mama has recognized me as the official wife.

　Misuzu: So we're pirates?

　Ui Tashiro: There’s no such story

　Mai Mai: Naron (No such?)

　Misuzu: Naron

　Masaki@wife: Naron

　Mai Mai: Fu~min has a date at the end of summer vacation

　Masaki@wife: With whom?

　Mai Mai: Aquarium date with Imouto-chan who he loves very much

　Misuzu: The new one at Seaside Park?

　Mai Mai: YES YES

　Ui Tashiro: Uchimatsugai

　Masaki@wife: We have to go to!

　Mai Mai: That's right!

　Misuzu: Hmm?

　Mai Mai: Hmm!

　Masaki@wife: She's Fumio-kun's little sister, right?

　Masaki@wife: Maybe she'll join his harem one day

　Masaki@wife: I want to watch over her with warm eyes.

　Misuzu: The truth?

　Mai Mai: There's no way Fu~min would touch his sister.

　Mai Mai: But he's horny after the date.

　Ui Tashiro: It's wrong

　Mai Mai: Direct attack

　Masaki@wife: That's it!

　Misuzu: I'm not going. It's not cool to be pushy.

　Mai Mai: Okay, Masaki, I'll meet you at Seaside Park.

Masaki@wife: OK! （=゜ω゜）ノ

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　After chatting, I get out of the bath and let the bath towel absorb the drops of my hair. Then I thought it again.

　Of course, it's not that I don't care about it.

　If there's a chance to be with Fumi-kun, I'd give it my best shot, but I don't think this is the right time.

　As his favorite princess, I don't want to do something that Fumi-kun might not like... something like that.

　But yesterday, when I told Akira about it at the shooting site...

「Are you an idiot?」

　I've heard that before.

「Why!?」

When I asked her back, Akira scowled, "It's hot" and took off the yellow down ochre jacket that we had used for the shoot, which would be in fashion this winter.

　We have to finish shooting winter items in the summer before the magazine can publish them in time. That's why the sense of season in the photo shoot is absurd.

　It's fine if it's in a cooler studio, but to be honest, shooting outdoors in August, wearing a down jacket is just hell.

「Misuzu, you're insane to miss such a chance. Even for a favored princess, it's the law of the jungle」

「Even if you say so, Fumi-kun has his own privacy... And it's not a game of chicken and egg. Fumi-kun wants all the favored princesses to get along...」

　As I said that, Akira shrugged her shoulders.

「Yes, it's true, we should get along, but Confinement King-sama only has 24 hours in a day, you know?」

「Yeah, that's right」

「Don't you understand...? So, when it comes to how much time he can give you, it's a competition.」

「I understand that, but...」

「I'm not saying that you should interfere with his date with his sister, or that you should get some time with Confinement King-sama on that day. What I mean is you must know her face, her name, her personality, her taste, and take her in!」

「Take her in?」

「Yes! Confinement King-sama loves her very much, right? Then, if you can get in touch with her later and get to know her, your chances will be much better!」

「I see...」

「Get a grip, I'm a member of your faction, after all. If you can't get enough time for Confinement King-sama, I'll be in trouble too」

「I-I'm sorry...」

　I feel like we've been talked into it, but that's why Akira and I are hiding in a building by the aquarium that day, waiting for Fumi-kun and the others.

　As we saw Fumi-kun and a girl who looked like his sister went into a fastfood restaurant, they are followed by Masaki and Mai. Behind them, Ui-chan and Natsumi-chan also follow them into the restaurant.

　The presence of Natsumi-chan is nothing strange.

　I knew that Ui-chan would ask Natsumi-chan for advice, and in fact, if Ui-chan was acting alone, I would be worried about her.

「We're coming, too」

「Uh, y-yeah...」

　At Akira's urging, we start walking towards the restaurant.

I don't want to face Mai and Masaki since I've already told them "I'm not going", but I still need to go inside the restaurant to understand the situation.

　As soon as I entered the restaurant, Mai and Masaki turned their smiling faces towards me.

（I'll pretend not to notice...）

　I ordered only a café au lait and sat down on a seat right behind Fumi-kun, so that we are back-to-back.

　It's so close. I can almost hear Fumi-kun's voice in my ear.

　But I nodded to Akira and listened to their conversation.

『Well, the track and field club are fine, but a girl from another club said that as soon as the third year retired, their second year member started bullying the first year』

『Is that so?』

『Yeah, it seems like the basketball club is having a hard time...』

（The second year of the basketball club...?）

The other day, President Chihiro asked me for advice and I said, "Why don't we just hire her?" I think that girl was in the second year of the basketball club.

　If she's involved in the bullying, we'll be in trouble. We have to be careful.

　Of course, there is the issue of personal character, but if the fact of bullying is found out, or if it is reported in a weekly magazine, it will damage the image of the office, and it will be bad for us.

（Just in case... it would be better to let President Chihiro know about it, too）

　After that, there was nothing special to say. When Fumi-kun and the others left the restaurant, we all left our seats at once.

「You came after all, didn't you?」

「You're such a tsundere even at this moment... Misuzu-chan」

「No, it's not like that」

　As I walked out of the restaurant, Mai and Masaki approached me with smiling faces, and I couldn't help but pucker my lips.

　Then――

「Come on, we'll lose them if we don't hurry. Confinement King-sama, I think, is already in the aquarium」

　Akira said, and we looked around in a panic.

　Indeed, we couldn't see Fumi-kun and the others, nor could we see Ui-chan.