Light Novel Chapter 28

ぼくたちはひとつになれない (Bokutachi wa Hitotsu ni Narenai, lit: We Cannot Become One) is the twenty-eighth chapter of the light novel series of The "Hentai" Prince and the Stony Cat.
==Plot==
A field trip is coming up, and students have been gathered to determine their groups. The field trip represents a significant event for second-year students, as it is their last opportunity to create lasting memories before their final year.
Azuki Azusa insists on grouping with Yokodera Youto, holding up a placard to recruit additional members. Despite her optimism, their group fails to attract others due to Yokodera's reputation as "The Hentai Prince" and Azusa's odd activity plans involving visits to places like the insect swarm museum and the unkempt hairy caterpillar botanical garden. Even Youto's childhood friend Ponta refused to join their group — his relationship with Azusa makes Ponta feel left behind while Youto moved on to a different world, and the two worlds "cannot become one."
Azusa is nearly brought to tears as the grouping session draws to an end. Ultimately, their 2 other team members are decided by the field trip committee — the vice president of the track-and-field club, Maimaki Mai, and the newly appointed president of the swimming club, who apparently has known Mai since they started attending this school.
The destination of the field trip is the Chubu Region. The field trip is one that focuses on student independence, where each group is free to decide their own activities after arrival while tasked with completing a research topic of their own choosing. Choosing a topic would prove to be no easy task however, as each member had vastly different ideas. Youto finds himself unable to engage in productive conversation with Mai as she treats him with the usual disgust. The swimming club member on the other hand, seemed eager to meet the infamous Prince. She proposes the outrageous idea of swimming across Lake Suwa under the winter weather, pointing out that Youto seemed interested in swimming as he often peeked into the swimming club during practice. Finding her cozy, cute, and scary at the same time, Youto decides to nickname her "Cozy-sama." Finally, there is Azusa, who keeps going on about her animal park ideas.
Later, Youto meets up at the cafe with Tsukiko, venting about the exhausting planning sessions. However, the possessive girl would express jealousy over his interactions with other girls, feeling neglected. Tsukiko seems to have kept track of Youto's every move as she tallies his points for the week: things like glancing at other girls in class, having a fight with Mai, and walking home with Emi would each accumulate varying amouts of points. Just as Youto breathes a sigh of relief when the points end up at 26, Tsukiko proceeds to add another entry: patting Azusa on the head multiple times, which earns him 700000 points.
According to rules written on her notebook, each point tallied has to then be repaid to Tsukiko in the following ways:
*100 points: holding hands
*1000 points: entangling legs
*10000 points: touching ears
*100000 points: hugging
Thus, Youto must hug Tsukiko seven times to repay his debt, but she stops him after only one. Not yet satisfied, Youto proposes a kiss. The two if them keep on going back-and-forth until a server kicks them out of the cafe.
As they walk together, Tsukiko's jealousy is not yet quelled. Despite being in different years, she demands to go on the field trip together as Youto number one. Youto has to bait her with all of her favorite things for her to calm down, and she eventually settles with borrowing his guidebook for the field trip.
There is one thing that is excluded from Tsukiko's point system however — when Youto works as a private tutor for the Steel King for upcoming exams. As usual though, she is complete hopeless when it comes to studying. She too expresses interest in going on a field trip, even with the National Test for University Admission being right around the corner. A fruitless conversation about which universities she is aiming for eventually leads to a new game she apparently spent an entire month creating, named the "Tsutsukakushi Shogi," much to Youto's frustration. Eventually, Youto gives in and spends the rest of the session playing the game, which turns out to be quite exciting, with strategies focused around winning the Tsukiko piece. Satisfied, Tsukushi even forces him to take the game with him.
Some time later, Youto meets up with Maimaki Mai after school and attempts to reconcile their differences for the sake of the field trip. He finds out that Mai also has a piece from the president's game, which Mai emphasizes that she has gotten first from Tsukushi. Mai expresses disdain for Yokodera, accusing him of being insincere and flirting with another girls while planning the trip, having spotted him with Tsukiko on the weekend. Youto is unable to find anything to respond with, aware that any attempt at explanation would only deepen misunderstandings.
The chapter ends with Youto's reflection, acknowledging that no matter how hard you work for one person, there is no guarantee that everyone else will appreciate your efforts, and the feelings at the core of your being will never break through the invisible barrior between one person and another.
==Characters==
==Navigation==