TLPSO 04

chapter 4:

 The Discovery of the Clumsy Prince

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It had been several days since I began my serious observation of Rei Kirishima.
My “Observation Diary” was steadily filling up with notes about his little habits and fleeting expressions.

“During break time, when girls talk to him, he replies coolly—but his fingers flip the pages of his textbook faster.”
“At lunch, when he buys bread from the school store, he actually takes a long time to decide.”

Each one was proof of the small traces of humanity hidden beneath the flawless mask that no one else ever noticed.

But the event that truly shook my journalist’s soul happened on Monday, during fifth period: Modern Society class.

That day’s lesson covered a rather tricky current events topic. The teacher scanned the classroom, looking for someone to call on. While most students silently prayed not to be chosen, the girls in class stared hopefully at one particular person.
Without hesitation, the teacher said:

“Alright then, Kirishima, let’s hear your opinion on this one.”

There it was again. Even the teachers had high expectations for his perfection.

Rei stood up quietly and began to speak in a smooth, confident tone.
It wasn’t the kind of answer that just parroted the textbook. His argument was logical, well-structured, and grounded in a mature, multifaceted perspective that didn’t seem like it came from a high schooler.

The entire classroom was captivated by his words.
Even I couldn’t help but be impressed.

(He’s smart, too… Does he really have no flaws at all?)

Just as I thought that—

“…That’s all.”

He finished his answer perfectly. The teacher praised him:

“Excellent, Kirishima.”

Admiring gazes filled the room—respect, awe, even a little infatuation.
Rei, perhaps uncomfortable under all that attention, walked quickly back toward his seat.

And the moment he sat down—

Clatter, roll roll…

A single mechanical pencil slipped from his fingers and rolled across the floor with a tiny sound.

It was so small an incident that no one else noticed.
But my eyes caught every second of it.

“…tsk.”

He made a barely audible click of his tongue. Then, desperately trying to maintain his perfect poker face, he bent under the desk and hurriedly picked up the pencil.
The way he moved—so stiff and awkward—was utterly unlike his usual graceful self.

(He dropped it!)

I screamed silently in my head.

(The perfect Rei Kirishima just made a clumsy mistake in front of everyone!)

The other students were still lost in admiration over his brilliant answer.
No one noticed his tiny blunder.
No one—except me, who had been watching him so, so closely.

(The cause: excessive tension and embarrassment from being in the spotlight… without a doubt!)

My chest filled with warmth—part amusement, part something softer, something that made my heart tighten.

The perfect prince… was actually capable of getting flustered and making silly mistakes like this.

Under my desk, I hurriedly opened my “Observation Diary.”

Observation Record #4: Right after giving a flawless answer under attention, tends to drop small items due to relief and nervousness. Utterly adorable.

That last word—“adorable”—had slipped out without me even realizing.

I watched Rei’s back as he sat down.
Then, as if he could feel my gaze, he turned his head slightly toward me, before quickly facing forward again, looking awkward.

When I saw the faint redness in his ears, I knew for sure—

Rei Kirishima, the more I learn about you, the more fascinating you become.
This scoop… I’m never giving it up halfway.