The Villainess Reika-sama

[112]

Ririna was a high schooler now. Despite my apprehensions, she didn't go on a rampage like three years ago, and she didn't have problems making friends either. To my surprise she was actually doing pretty well for herself. She had rounded up the External Students and was ruling over her own clique now.

And since she wasn't just some External but my younger cousin, apparently even the Pivoine members in her grade couldn't make a move against her. Using my name like that while I had no idea. What a terrifying girl.

I had asked her friends before to tell me if she ever went crazy again, but things seemed to be fine for the moment.

Although, I did receive one report before that she had butted heads with some underclassman. Despite my worries though, it turned out just to be Bird-Brained Katsuragi so I ignored it.
Later, Ririna came up to me breathing excitedly.

"I wasted that idiot!" she boasted, like some kind of thug.

Kind as I was, I decided not to mention birds of a feather.

Anyhow, I hoped she wouldn't do anything to harm my reputation here.

In primary and middle school, the girls of my grade had only two major cliques; mine and Tsuruhana-san's. Ever since we entered high school though, all of the new Externals were leading to a new, third faction being born. It wasn't something you could afford to ignore.

Also Fellow Stalking horse was getting more and more popular amongst the girls. Even though we were both stalking horses, how come the guys were all avoiding me!? Wasn't this unfair? I want to be popular too!
Not that I couldn't understand the leader of the girls being frightening...
That's what I had concluded, when a few days later I saw Ririna in the cafeteria surrounded by boys, giving me such a shock that I couldn't stop trembling.

Why was it just me...

Wondering if there wasn't at least one boy interested in me, my eyes darted around the crowd but every single boy I met eyes with looked away in fear.

Oh no... What if I was the Village Chief forever...

I had a ray of hope though. Mao-chan's party was coming up.
After she invited me I checked my schedule, only to find out I was free indeed. When I told her she was so happy she started clapping. How much cuter could she get!

And what was even better was that Ichinokura-san would be coming too. Ichinokura-san who had treated me delicately like I was a princess. A ray of light to sooth the discomfort of my heart!
I was going at the exercise stepper like crazy to maintain his image of the dainty, delicate ojousama.
It was making weird noises, actually. Was it because I hadn't used it for a while? Maybe it was too old?

Anyhow, I was exercising while watching informercials. Oohh... Some of these looked interesting...
Before I knew it, I was off the stepper and on the phone, ready to order.

Today was Mao-chan's birthday party so the moment my classes were finished I rushed to her house.
The party had already begun at the Sawarabi household, and Mao-chan was surrounded by classmates.

"Reika-oneesama! You came!"

"Happy Birthday, Mao-chan," I said as I held out my present.

It was pretty hard finding something for a little girl, but after a lot of searching I decided on a finely ornamented music box that looked like some sort of antique.

When you opened it up, a little prince and princess pair danced to 'Someday My Prince Will Come'.

I had been really worried about whether she'd like it, but when she opened it up her eyes sparkled. Hahh, thank goodness.