The Heroine Is Capable, Desu wa!

"I am Summer. But that is a false name to hide myself. My true name is Hiiro Inn. Please, everyone, call me Hiiro…!"

"… Uh, um. Summer… san?"

"I'm sorry, I have circumstances that prevent me from saying it… Please go with Hiiro Inn…"

"A-ah, okay…"

Blushing with shame, Summer had to give that headache of a self-introduction.

As expected, Summer pulled it off for her beloved Ojou-sama.

Seeing her cheeks dyed with embarrassment, a mass of male students fell in love at first sight… As expected of a Heroine's showing, Koleha nodded.

"Uu, I did it…! Ojou-sama, please praise me…!"

"Hey, Heroine. Don't cling to me in class. I have to act like I have nothing to do with you, remember?"

"Guh, right… When we get back, then—"

"Yes. When we get back, we'll hold a review meeting."

They kept their voices to whispers so their words weren't heard, but from the outside it looked like a teary-eyed Heroine and a smirking villainess.

No doubt later the story would become, "The villainess Koleha told her to say that, so bullying." In this case, it was frankly true, so she probably wouldn't be able to deny it at the condemnation…

(I should at least make it agreed-upon.)

"… Well, I'll praise you later."

"!! Ojou-sama… love…!"

With that settled, Koleha's academy life began.

 

＊ ＊ ＊

 

At lunch, Koleha moved separately from Summer and came alone to the cafeteria.

It was a half-self-service cafeteria where you took a tray and lined up. Meals were included in tuition; there was no need to pay here.

It was a system familiar to Koleha, who had memories from a previous life.

Leisurely waiting her turn, she took the daily special she'd had her eye on (croquette set) and walked, searching for a free seat.

"… Wait, I'm eating alone, aren't I!?"

Whoops. She'd completely forgotten, but the academy had a system called "friends" — a non-sellable asset — and without it, school life would be lonely.

Even game-Koleha had a setting of having 'followers'!!

This was not good.

In fact, her social activities, except for interaction with the prince, were nonexistent…!

"Kuh… What to do. No, this is when I rely on my game knowledge…!!"

The 'followers' from the game should be able to become real friends. She tried to recall their appearance, but no corresponding memory came to mind at all.

Why. How. Koleha couldn't hide her panic, but then realized something.

— If they were going to commission 3D data of followers, there's no way the villainess would be a one-woman show!?

Right. The villainess in Face☆Meet was just Koleha alone. Aside from the prince, the other fiancées — be it Kenho's or Kurushu's — didn't even show up, not even a single pixel.

The followers were just a setting. Or perhaps… they only existed in Koleha's imagination…?

(… No. The prince's fiancée wouldn't come to school alone; there would have been attendants like Summer. And those were the followers. That's surely the truth!)

In other words, because she'd made the follower slot the Heroine, she no longer had a friend to eat with…!

What a blunder! What a pitfall!

Koleha grit her teeth.

"Oh, Koleha. What's the matter, are you alone?"

"Hm?"

Turning toward the voice, she found Harks.

He'd secured a rather good four-person table. Kenho and Kurushu were seated as well.

Even Harks had friends, and yet she…! Koleha felt a twinge of frustration.

"Oh, Your Highness. Um, well—"

"Heh. You want to eat with me, don't you? Very well. Come, sit at my side."

Sitting near the middle of the bench, Harks slid inward to make space.

"Hey, hold up, Harks. Listen to Lady Koleha's reply. I'm sure she's been invited elsewhere, right? Right?"

"My, good day, Sir Kenho. Your way of speaking has improved a little. But you should polish your expression more. Your feelings are written all over your face—at this rate, your feints with the sword will be read completely."

"Guh…!!"

Koleha delivered her greeting with a side of psychological damage. Kenho was at fault for talking like that when she hadn't been invited anywhere.

For the record, Koleha didn't dislike how easily Kenho showed frustration. As a toy.

"Lady Koleha. It's been a while."

"And a good day to you, Lord Kurushu. You're a year above me, aren't you? Here to help with the ceremony today?"

"Yes. Just so."

Unlike Kenho, the other capture target, Kurushu, was unflappable. Since he hadn't been adopted by the Nyarlathotep marquis house, he was just a cousin from the branch family to Koleha.

Then she remembered.

Eating with these three should also have been a Heroine event.

She looked and spotted the Heroine (Summer) at the cafeteria's edge in her peripheral vision. Not alone; she had two companions. The three of them, trays in hand, seemed to be searching for seats as they chatted happily.

(Isn't she integrating too fast!? While her lady is alone!)

Their eyes met.

… Koleha jerked her chin: Come. Summer nodded, said a word to her companions, and started this way.

"… Koleha, won't you sit? Oh, if you already have an appointment, you should prioritize that. Building connections is important for both of us."

"Ah — um, right… Ah, I just remembered something I have to do, so I'll eat over there! I'm honored, but do invite someone else!"

Koleha promptly sat at an open seat nearby.

Immediately after, Summer passed in front of Harks and the others.

"… Oh? You're from this morning. How about you eat with us?"

"Eh — ah, yes… Excuse me."

"Wait. Kurushu, come to my side. Hiiro, was it? Sit there."

Harks adjusted the seating so Summer sat diagonally.

(… Good! As expected of the Heroine, she slipped right into an invitation from a capture target!)

All according to plan. Seeing that, Koleha quickly ate her croquette set and left the cafeteria ahead of them.

Having said she had business, she couldn't stay and eavesdrop.

Well, hearing it directly from Summer later would be sufficient.