Chapter 3

Chapter 3

No way, seriously?

Who could have imagined that Shirasaki Rinka, the school’s number one princess, was actually my online friend, Lily?

I stood there, frozen in shock, unable to find the words to respond. She simply smiled at me.

“Um, you’re Miyahara Kazuya-kun, right? This is our first time talking face-to-face.”

No, this can’t be real—my brain refuses to process it…

Is the princess standing before me really Lily?

“…Wait, so Lily was actually… Shirasaki-san?”

“That’s right. Here, look—this is proof.”

She pulled out her phone and showed me the screen.

There, right beside the familiar icon I had seen countless times, was the name “Lily.”

It really is her. The princess in front of me is Lily.

But the person standing before me is none other than Shirasaki Rinka—the most admired girl in school, our number-one princess. With her refined beauty and elegance that captivates everyone, she seems like a distant dream. The way she carries herself, poised and graceful, makes her seem almost untouchable.

And yet, the thought that she is the same Lily who would joke around with me in-game, laughing freely without a care, is almost impossible to believe.

“Hey, Kazuya-kun. You’re staring quite a bit. What’s wrong?”

“No, it’s just… I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that Lily is actually Shirasaki-san…”

My honest thoughts slipped out. My mind was still in chaos, unable to piece together the right words.

“Fufu, was it really that surprising? But I was just as shocked to find out that you’re such a serious-looking guy, Kazuya-kun.”

Her voice was soft, carrying a reassuring warmth.

At the same time, it had that calm confidence—just like the Lily I knew from the game.

“Kazuya-kun, since we’re here, why don’t we go to that café? There’s so much I want to talk about!”

“Y-yeah, sure, that sounds good.”

Following her lead, I walked alongside her toward the café.

My heart was still pounding, but little by little, my nervousness was beginning to turn into excitement.

Once we arrived at the café, Lily—no, Shirasaki-san—gracefully picked up the menu and smiled gently.

The elegance in her every motion made it obvious why she was called “the princess.” Yet at the same time, I could feel the warmth of the Lily I had spoken to in-game, which oddly put me at ease.

“What would you like to drink? I think I’ll go with a caramel latte. I love sweet things!”

Shirasaki-san peeked at me playfully as she spoke. It was a look I had never seen from her at school—completely natural and unguarded.

“Th-then… I’ll have the same.”

The words left my mouth effortlessly. Even though I wasn’t used to this situation yet, being with her didn’t feel awkward at all.

I had only ever seen Shirasaki-san from afar, but now that I was up close… she really was beautiful.

“But I’m really glad I figured out it was you, Kazuya-kun. Even when we were playing together in-game, I got a sense of your personality—kind, serious, and maybe just a little clumsy.”

“Eh? You could tell just from that?”

I asked, surprised, and Rinka let out a small laugh.

“Well, you talk to Saionji-kun at school the same way you do in-game. It was kind of obvious.”

Her words made my face heat up a little.

But at the same time, knowing that even someone like me—an introvert—had caught the attention of the school’s princess was oddly reassuring.

As our caramel lattes arrived, I took a deep breath, mustering the courage to ask something that had been on my mind.

“Lily… No, I mean, Shirasaki-san, you’re so different from how you are at school.”

When I said that outright, Shirasaki-san blinked in surprise before letting out a quiet laugh.

“You’re right. I guess I do act pretty differently in-game and at school.”

“Why is there such a big difference between how you act at school and in the game?”

My question made Shirasaki-san lower her gaze slightly.

“At school, people just decided that I was supposed to be the ‘princess.’ They started saying things like, ‘Shirasaki-san is perfect’ or ‘She’s so elegant, just like a princess.’ I never chose to act that way, but before I knew it, everyone expected it from me.”

A faint loneliness colored her voice. But then, she quickly lifted her head and smiled gently.

“But in the game, nobody knows who I really am. I don’t have to be Shirasaki Rinka—I can just be Lily. The game lets me be my true self.”

Now that I think about it, Lily had always seemed so lively and free in the game. She truly looked like she was having fun.

At school, she must have been playing the role that everyone expected of her.

That must have been exhausting.

“I see… So, does that mean the Lily in the game is the real you?”

When I asked, Shirasaki-san smiled softly.

“Yeah. I think the way I am as Lily is the most honest, the most ‘me.’ So, if you see me as my real self when I’m Lily, that would make me really happy.”

She said that with a gentle smile.

“Got it. Then I’ll think of Lily as the real Shirasaki-san from now on.”

“Thank you, Kazuya-kun.”

Her expression as she thanked me was warm—full of kindness, yet carrying a quiet sense of pride.