Light Novel Chapter 18

月光ロストワールド (Gekkou Rosuto Waarudo, lit: Moonlight Lost World) is the eighteenth chapter of the light novel series of The "Hentai" Prince and the Stony Cat.
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==Plot==
Volume 4 starts with a flashback to Youto's first year in high school. Scouting out an escape route from the Steel King's track and field club, Youto crawls through a thicket tunnel, ending up in the backyard of a nearby preschool.
There, Youto encounters an "ogre girl." Startled, Youto tries to run but is stopped by the girl. Making eye contact through the holes in the ogre's face, Youto realizes she's only wearing a mask. However, the girl then questions Youto why he's here, arriving at the conclusion that he is a creep. She screams for help until she notices Youto's track and field club jersey. Realizing that Youto is from the nearby high school, she accepts him as not anyone suspicious. 
Youto asks the girl why she wears the ogre mask. Freezing briefly, she explains that she has to keep the mask on because she gets embarrassed too easily. Youto mistakes her for one of the young children at the preschool, prompting her to clarify by showing her uniform — that of a nearby middle school.
After this first encounter, Youto would often return to find the girl while skipping practice. Though the girl always calls out his skipping, she would still loiter around with him afterwards, chatting about all kinds of things.
One day, Youto mentions to the girl that he was able to see her underwear every time he popped his head out from the tunnel, making her realize that he is after all, a pervert. Despite this, Youto bribes her with food brought from the convenience store, having learned that the steamed buns are her favorite. However, she keeps her mask on even while she eats.
Another time, the girl suddenly starts making a ruckus — a bug has jumped into her uniform. Requested to help, Youto finds the bug on her stomach, next to her belly button, which he becomes infatuated with, describing it as extremely beautiful. With the bug being the perfect excuse, he allows his perverted nature to take over, feeling out the belly button with his finger. Calling him out, the girl grabs his arm, and in their struggle, the shirt flies up, revealing her upper body. Though the sight of her stature disappoints Youto, he still takes the opportunity to examine.
Once this is finally over, the girl condemns Youto for his behavior, in an uncharacteristically cold and dreadful tone, looking down upon him like human trash. However, this turns out to be Youto's imagination. In reality, though she still calls out Youto's perverted actions, she is more wary than condemning. Without apologizing or making an excuse, Youto leaves the scene. Afterwards, when Youto returns and pops his head out from the tunnel, the girl would sit on his head and pull on his hair as revenge.
Despite these incidents, they would grow attached to each during the time they spend together. Youto learns that the girl dreams to become a preschool teacher, which is why she volunteers here. Yet, she struggles greatly to communicate with the children. Youto suggests that the children would take a liking to her if she simply laughed with them, but the girl confides that she is too quick to show her emotions, and even if she became friends with the children, that is not enough to become a teacher. The reason she wears her mask is also to hide her facial expressions, though Youto believes that she is using the wrong method, being overly fixated on her goal.
Youto expresses admiration for the fact that she can work so hard for something she likes. The girl brings up that he is also working hard in his track and field club, but Youto confesses that he doesn't actually enjoy it that much, and laments over his habit of keeping up a facade, which regularly gets him into unwanted situations. Hearing his struggles, the girl encourages Youto to confess the truth to the club president, though she also wonders which one of them will overcome their challenge first.
A month after their first meeting, Youto visits the preschool as usual to find out that one of the horns has broken off from the girl's mask. The girl insists on repairing it, but Youto suggests getting a new mask instead — something that is a bit cuter. The girl explains that she chose the ogre because she thought the children would have an easier time remembering her, but Youto believes that it makes her stand out in a bad way instead. He makes a promise with the girl that he would help her pick out a new mask the next day.
However, on his way to find the ogre girl the following day, he encounters a different girl wearing an unfamiliar uniform. Noticing her feeling unwell, Youto approaches her with some degree of ulterior motive, asking if she is okay. However, the girl verbally assaults him in response. Despite this, Youto grabs the girl's arm and offers to take her to the infirmary. The girl resists but is clearly having a stomachache. When asked about the purpose of her visit, she says that she is picking up documents to transfer to this school.
After eventually taking the girl to the infirmary, Youto is caught by the president and forced to return to gruesome training, forcing him to break his promise with the ogre girl. When he finally arrives at the preschool however, he finds the girl waiting for him, already donning a new mask — that of a cat. Finding the new mask much more pleasant, Youto compliments her choice. She teases Youto for ditching her, but reveals that she was much more popular with the children today thanks to his suggestion, relieved that she managed to make some good memories "at the very end."
Youto questions her choice of words. The girl explains that this was her last day visiting this preschool, because starting next month, she will begin attending Youto's high school. Youto asks if that means she won't be able to come anymore, a response that seems to slightly disappoint the girl. However, Youto struggles to focus, only now realizing how irreplaceable the meetings at the preschool have been. Scrambling to somehow find another connection with the girl, Youto asks her a series of questions, including what her name is, but she refuses to tell.
The girl says that they will probably run into each other at school eventually. Giving a slight bow, she asks her "senpai" to please treat her well. However, she also declares that she will be the first one to find Youto — having never seen her without her mask, he wouldn't be able to tell even if she saw her. In spite of this, she promises to not say anything even if she found him, inviting him to make the first move.
Though the conversation doesn't quite move forward afterwards, the girl seems to be in a good mood and keeps giggling to herself, eventually prompting Youto to join in on the laughter as well. Youto quite enjoys the sound of her laughter, finding it of the perfect balance. He registers it in his mind as the "100% perfect laughing voice."
Youto thought of this bond as destiny, believing that he would eventually be find the girl at school somehow despite the tall border between different school years. However, in his forgetful nature, this thought eventually faded. Recalling these memories a long time after, he regrets never asking the girl to remove her mask — no matter how forceful he may have to be, he needed to see her smile.
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