Chapter 9: The Princess Is Acting Kinda Weird

Aqua arrived at the nurse's office, holding a beautifully prepared lunchbox. I was lying on the bed, trying to rest, but I was caught off guard by her sudden arrival, which looked like it had been meticulously planned.

"Fah, I brought you some food."

Aqua said with a bright smile, like a goddess descending to bless me. But honestly, I felt uneasy, because the peaceful rest I'd hoped for definitely wasn't happening today.

Heaven... is there really no break for me?

"Um, thanks, but you didn't have to go to the trouble," I said awkwardly, trying to turn her down. But she smiled confidently and sat down next to the bed without hesitation.

"It's no trouble at all, Fah. You need to eat well to recover quickly."

"But actually, I think I asked Beam to grab me some food..."

"Beam had some errands to run, so I'm here instead."

I don't know why, but beneath her kind, goddess-like smile, I could sense something dark and ominous. My instincts told me not to ask any more questions.

"How are you feeling?" Aqua's voice was full of genuine concern.

"A lot better... It doesn't really hurt anymore."

"That's good to hear," she sighed in relief, smiling like an angel blessing the world. Then...

"Well, let's eat, okay?"

She opened the fancy lunchbox and picked up a spoon, ready to feed me right away!

"Whoa, whoa, Aqua, you don't need to feed me! I can eat by myself!"

I protested immediately, but she looked serious, like she wasn't about to give up.

"No, Fah. You just got hit by a volleyball. You need to rest, so let me take care of this."

The spoon was already heading towards me, filled with the luxurious fried rice that was probably made of all expensive ingredients. It made my embarrassment spike.

"No, really, I'm fine now, so—"

"Fah, we can't underestimate this. You might be hurting more than you think, so let me take care of you, okay?"

Her voice left no room for refusal, and I had no choice but to accept my fate and let the class princess take care of me.

"Okay... I'll eat."

Hearing my reluctant agreement, Aqua's face lit up with satisfaction, and she brought the first spoonful closer.

"Open wide, Fah~"

Feeling incredibly awkward, I opened my mouth and accepted the food she was feeding me.

"Um... Thanks. It's good."

"I'm glad you like it. If you do, I'll bring you more often."

"No need for that..." I tried to decline softly, but she quickly fed me another spoonful.

"You need to take care of yourself, Fah. If anything happened to you, I'd be so worried."

Aqua smiled warmly, but her words made me shiver. She spoke with such genuine care, yet I couldn't help feeling a chill run down my spine. There was no escape from the tender care of this princess.

Geez, between the Prince and the Princess, both of them have overwhelming powers of destruction. I wonder if my fragile, boyish heart can survive this...

After she fed me for a while, Aqua tilted her head, looking at me with a curious expression.

"You've been spacing out a lot lately, Fah... Is something bothering you?"

It seems I really have been acting strangely. Both Aqua and Beam noticed. Ugh, I guess I really need to pull myself together from now on.

"Well... a bit. Just some stuff at home. It's nothing major."

I gave her the same answer I gave Beam. Usually, that stops people from asking further questions.

"If it's about family or friends, you can tell me, okay?"

Aqua said gently, her delicate hand reaching out to hold mine as if trying to comfort me.

"It's really not that big of a deal," I said. If I said it was serious, they would just worry more, and that could make things even more chaotic.

"But the way you've been acting doesn't seem like it's 'not a big deal,' Fah."

Aqua looked at me intently, like she was trying to uncover the truth. I found myself averting my eyes, which was honestly a pretty weak move on my part, so I decided to steer the conversation elsewhere.

"Um, Aqua... shouldn't you go back to class? You'll miss it."

"It's fine. I already asked the teacher for permission to stay here with you. As the class rep and your desk mate, I don't want you to be alone. What if something happens while no one's around?"

Her words left me speechless for a moment. She had planned everything so thoroughly that I couldn't find a way to escape.

"Uh... but the nurse is still here, so..."

"Oh, it's about time for my shift to end. I'll take my leave now."

Before I could finish, the nurse stood up and left the room, glancing at me with an expression that seemed to say, "Please don't involve me in your relationship drama, I'm scared."

Yeah, in that moment, I could feel it. I could feel Aqua giving the nurse a look as she left.

The nurse must be scared of the Gulf of Thailand too, huh...

"Looks like the nurse will be gone for a while, so as I said, I'll stay here with you."

"Okay."

If I resisted more than this, I'd probably end up in the Gulf, so I just accepted the warm, yet chilling, care of the beautiful princess.

Aqua picked up an ice pack and placed it on my burning face once more, while her other hand held mine loosely.

"Taking care of you like this feels like I'm looking after a cute little sister."

"Are you teasing me because I'm small?"

"Oh, don't think of it that way, Fah. You're just so cute and protectable, it's like having a little sister to care for."

Is that really how she sees me? Somehow, knowing that made me feel a bit embarrassed. Protectable, huh? Am I really that weak-looking?

"So, would it be okay if this big sister takes care of you, cute Fah?"

"But we're the same age."

"Actually, based on our birth dates, I'm older, so I get to be the big sister."

Wait, how does she know my birthday?!

"You know my birthday?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

"Of course~ We're close, aren't we? Knowing your birthday isn't difficult at all."

Aqua answered with a bright smile, but instead of feeling comforted, it made me feel... a little intimidated.

Creepy. Aqua, you're getting way too scary. How did you find that out?

It was like she could read my thoughts because she leaned in close and whispered softly, making my spine tingle.

"There's nothing that your big sister doesn't know about her cute little sister."

AHHHHHHHHHH!

Terrifying!

But I mean, it's to be expected, right? I almost forgot that Aqua is from one of the top elite families in the country. Finding out something like a birthday would be nothing, especially since the company probably released my information to make everything seem legit.

Still, Aqua, why do you have to smile like that? It feels like if I rejected this whole 'big sister' thing, I'd definitely get tossed into the Gulf for real.

"R-Right, haha."

"So if there's anything you need help with, let me know, okay? This big sister is always here to take care of you."

...

I wonder what would happen if she found out that her cute little sister is actually a guy. Honestly, I'm curious, but let's keep that curiosity to myself for now—I'd rather not get a free ticket to the bottom of the Gulf.

Wait a second... think, Fah. If the person in front of you has enough influence to gather information like this so easily, then finding someone shouldn't be that hard, right?

Yes. That's it. Just don't mention that I want to turn back into a guy, and only talk about finding Dr. Frey. Brilliant. I'm a genius!

"Actually, I'm looking for someone."

"Huh? Looking for someone?"

It wasn't surprising that Aqua looked confused since I suddenly brought this up. Still, she didn't interrupt. She just smiled and listened.

"Yeah. It's my sister's friend... She—"

"You have a sister, Fah?"

Suddenly, Aqua's eyes went blank for a moment, and it felt like my entire body had been thrown into the Arctic Circle. I shivered all over.

"Um, yes."

"She must be really lucky to have such a cute little sister."

I don't know if Eve would consider herself lucky to have a fake little sister like me, but it really felt like I'd just stepped into some kind of trap. Gotta be extra careful now.

"R-Right. But we're not really that close."

"Oh, that's a shame. Having such a cute sister must be a blessing."

Aqua's eyes went back to being bright and cheerful, and I started to wonder if the word 'sister' had some sort of effect on her. Anyway, let's not poke that bear. Better to avoid it, Fah, unless I want to give Eve a free tour of the Gulf.

"Thanks for the compliment. So, back to the topic, Aqua."

"Of course. Sorry for interrupting, Fah. You said it was your sister's friend?"

"Yeah. She's missing."

Time to put on the big performance, Fah... Can I pull this off?

I tried to look as serious as possible, gathering all the acting skills I had, because my instincts told me that if I made even one mistake, I'd be getting a free ticket to the Gulf.

"Yeah... My sister's friend went missing without a trace."

I spoke with a sad voice, slowly bowing my head as if I were a small, dejected child.

"Apparently, they were really close. I'm not sure if they were coworkers or what, but since then, my sister hasn't been eating or sleeping well... She seems really off. Seeing her like that, I... I just..."

I started making sobbing sounds, and Aqua responded by gently patting my back, her soft touch a clear sign that phase one of my plan had succeeded.

"Calm down, Fah... It's okay. Don't worry. Do you have any leads? Maybe I can help."

Right on target...

I wanted to grin in victory, but I held back, knowing it would ruin everything.

"The last we know... she was last seen at this school. My sister has been trying to gather information day and night, but all she got was this security footage from the police showing her friend entering the school before she disappeared."

I started explaining with as much detail as possible, acting like I knew everything from my concerned sister. At the same time, I handed over the photo of Dr. Frey that the company president had given me.

"This school, huh?"

Aqua frowned slightly, her tone becoming more serious. It seemed like she wasn't doubting anything I said.

"What's your sister's friend's name? Maybe I can help you, Fah."

"Her name is... Frey."

Aqua paused for a moment, as if calculating something in her head.

"Frey... Never heard of her, but she must be important to your sister, right?"

"Yeah, my sister's really worried about her. Seeing her like that, it just made me feel so helpless..."

"I see, so that's what it is."

I tried to look as sad as I could, pulling off an Oscar-worthy performance that would make any actor bow down in respect. Then I nodded slowly to her, acknowledging her words.

"Don't worry, Fah. I'll help you find out more."

"You'll really help me?"

"Of course. Whether it's top-notch detectives or secret information networks, I'm confident we can find your sister's friend."

For some reason, the more I heard her say she'd help, the more I worried about Dr. Frey making it back in one piece. But maybe I was overthinking it. Aqua might be a little overbearing, but surely she wouldn't do anything extreme.

"So then..."

Aqua raised her hand and gently wiped away the tears that had formed at the corner of my eyes. Then she smiled softly, her blue eyes filled with concern.

"Please don't make such a sad face, okay?"

Success... Absolute success, Fah! Who would've thought that fake tears and a sob story would work so well... If this keeps up, I won't even have to lift a finger—info on Dr. Frey will just come to me.

"Got it."

With that thought, I couldn't help but smile cheerfully, though Aqua probably understood it differently. No matter—what matters is the result.

"Good. Rest up, Fah. I'll handle the rest. If there's any progress, I'll let you know right away."

Aqua said, smiling widely before carefully packing up the lunchbox. It looked like her mission of taking care of me had come to an end for now.

"Oh, and if there's anything urgent, you can call me anytime. No matter what it is, I'll be there right away... Oh, we don't have each other's numbers yet, do we? Here's mine."

"Uh, thank you."

"By the way, could I get your number too, Fah? That way, I can contact you as soon as I find something out."

"Uh... here. Let me call your number."

Since I had just gotten my new phone and number, I couldn't remember it yet, so I dialed Aqua's number. Seeing her smile so widely when I did made me wonder if it was really that big of a deal. And then, a thought struck me...

*Ding!*

A cute bunny sticker popped up on my Line chat from Aqua. I accepted her friend request, but a question lingered in my mind.

"I'll get in touch, okay?"

Was giving her my number really a good idea?

*********************************************