"Hey, hey, was that kind of thing decided since way back!?" "Those two had that kind of relationship!?" "An engagement between beauties is so romantic~!" "Will you become Oduka Satsuki!? Or Koto Mai!? Ahh, both are too wonderful...!"
Not just the popular Mai, but even Satsuki-san, who obviously radiates an aura of disliking people, gets surrounded by students wherever she goes.
When the two are together, it's like a festival.
"Kyaa!"
Every time Mai looked at Satsuki-san, every time Satsuki-san said something to Mai, cheers like at an idol concert erupted.
Even heroes who saved the world and returned home in triumph probably wouldn't get this level of fever. Takada Himiko-san, who had been burning with rivalry toward Mai and feeling frustrated, must have ruined her handkerchiefs for sure.
Meanwhile.
I was living peaceful days.
"Man, things have gotten pretty crazy, haven't they..."
"They sure have..."
Kaho-chan and I talked about this during break time.
In the Quintet, only Kaho-chan hadn't been told about Satsuki-san's true intentions... but she seemed to have sensed there was something more to it anyway.
'I mean, it's obviously weird that Satsuki-san is properly handling fan service for the gallery. It's like she's appealing to everyone that she's the fiancée. Plus, the fact that Rena-chin and Ajisai-chan are just letting it slide says everything.'
Detective Kaho-chan strikes again. Her mind works so fast, I genuinely respect it.
Even toward me, feeling somewhat guilty about keeping secrets:
'Oh, you don't need to tell me the answer. The fact that you haven't told me probably means it's hard to talk about with anyone who's not directly involved.'
She even said that. This friend is just way too cool.
Kaho-chan, being such a mature person, tries to reassure me by showing her less mature side on purpose.
Putting her hand to her mouth and narrowing her eyes with a mischievous grin:
"But Rena-chin, seeing Mai-Mai and Saa-chan all lovey-dovey must be pretty complicated for you, right?"
"Nah, not really..."
"Really?"
If Satsuki-san was all 'Hanyaan♡ I love love love Mai-chan, lovey-dovey chu chu♡', I might get a little annoyed, but I have complete faith that would never happen.
"But still, she's her fiancée, you know?"
"Yeah."
Kaho-chan wiggled her body while raising the corners of her mouth.
"They're living together~ and maybe sleeping in the same bed at night~?"
"I think Satsuki-san would say 'That's annoying, I'm sleeping alone.'"
"Maybe they're taking baths together and washing each other's bodies!"
"I think Satsuki-san would just say 'Annoying' and take her bath alone without anyone bothering her."
"What do you think Saa-chan is!?"
Eh...!?
What do I think of Satsuki-san...
"Satsuki-san is... I can only say she's Satsuki-san..."
"Saa-chan is just one high school girl in love like any other ☆"
Kaho-chan winked with a snap.
But I quietly shook my head.
"...No..."
"What do you mean no?"
"Satsuki-san is... Satsuki-san."
Even when I wracked my brain, that's all I could come up with.
"Isn't your thinking locked up?"
"Maybe it is!?"
I don't know. I don't understand anything about Satsuki-san. Even though we're supposed to be best friends...
"But Satsuki-san said 'I don't fall in love'..."
Yes, at every opportunity, Satsuki-san had made her position clear.
Even when she sent me that message asking me to 'go out' with her, it was probably just harassment toward Mai or something.
She said the reason was 'I don't want to say,' but... that's probably what it was.
Besides, I think the idea that all high school girls fall in love is just social prejudice. If I hadn't met Mai and Ajisai-san, I'd probably be living a youth with no interest in romance right now.
That would have been plenty happy too.
"...So I don't think it's really anything..."
Watching me mutter this, Kaho-chan fell silent for a moment.
But then she stretched big.
"Tch. That didn't get to you at all. I was trying so hard to make Rena-chin jealous too~"
"Why!?"
"It's boring~"
"Honestly..."
Kaho-chan was her usual self. But maybe it's thanks to Kaho-chan not breaking her pace that I'm able to keep my mental state together too.
It's better to have someone tease you than to carry secrets you can't tell anyone—it keeps you from getting too serious about things... I'm grateful.
The class bell rang and I returned to my seat.
Then I noticed Ajisai-san, who sits in front of me, wasn't chatting with anyone and was just staring blankly out the window. That's a bit unusual.
Her profile seemed to highlight the beauty of her features themselves more than her usual friendly cuteness. Ajisai-san really is beautiful...
"You know..."
Ajisai-san opened her mouth like she was talking to herself, without looking this way.
"Lately when I walk down the halls, I feel sympathetic looks from people I don't know..."
"The MaiAji faction's defeat!?"
Apparently at Ashigaya High, the MaiSatsu faction and MaiAji faction had been waging underground warfare over Mai. Arguing whether Satsuki-san or Ajisai-san was more suitable for the super darling...
And now this fiancée commotion. The hardcore MaiAji fans might be extending sympathy to the defeated Ajisai-san... Such unnecessary meddling...
"I haven't been defeated though..."
Ajisai-san pouted at the world's injustice.
Lately I often catch glimpses of Ajisai-san getting sulky at random moments. Her eyes following Satsuki-san or directed at Mai.
For Ajisai-san, who's usually smiling and gentle, it's pretty unusual... Maybe she's just not satisfied with this whole situation.
I feel the same complexity... But there's really nothing I can do about this situation...
As I was rummaging through my bag to prepare for class.
"Hup."
"Heh!?"
Someone ran their finger down my back from the side. The tickling sensation made all my body hair stand on end as I hurriedly turned forward.
"Wh-what!?"
Ajisai-san continued looking out the window with a disinterested voice.
"Nothing~"
"But you just!?"
Ajisai-san almost never does this kind of mischief... Did she catch it from Kaho-chan...?
But since Ajisai-san wouldn't meet my eyes, I reluctantly reached for my bag again.
"Hup."
"Stop! Again!"
My spine got traced with a finger again and I let out a shriek. Ajisai-san is acting weird too!
***
The whole school feels somehow restless. That's how big of a shock Mai and Satsuki-san's engagement announcement was.
Though it's not my place to say, but the world getting all worked up over other people's romance makes me think... how peaceful...
Well, I think it's a good thing. Way better than everyone getting excited over stories about someone hitting someone else or bullying.
Peace is wonderful. It keeps your mental state stable. Peace is the best.
I want to live a peaceful life where nothing happens. Yeah, I'll do that. A life unrelated to conflict. Always calm, never disturbed, like a plant...
That's what I thought—until that very moment.
While walking home to the station, someone grabbed my arm hard.
Huh—
I was forcibly dragged into an alley. Huh!?
"Wh-wh-wh-what!?"
A kidnapping!? Abduction!? The Amaori family is just a normal household!?
The girl who pulled such a suspiciously criminal move looked desperate.
"Renako-kun...!"
"Y-Youko-chan...?"
My friend from Class 1-B, Terusawa Youko-chan.
Usually bright, energetic, and cute, but also the dangerous girl who left bite marks on my neck when we showered together.
I instinctively pressed my hand to my neck while saying:
"Why are you scaring people like that!? Just call out to me normally! I thought my heart was going to fly out of my mouth!?"
"S-sorry about that!"
Youko-chan acknowledged her fault and apologized. Ugh... if she apologizes, I can't say anything more...!
"But! I can't handle this by myself anymore!"
"Wh-what...?"
This is the first time I've seen Youko-chan this flustered. She must be really desperate. My lungs filled with a bad premonition.
No... it wasn't the first time.
I'd witnessed Youko-chan, usually a carefree beauty, showing a face she'd never show at school and getting furious.
"You know what I'm talking about, right!?"
"D-don't tell me—"
Youko-chan screamed desperately.
"It's about our selfish princess!"
Ah...!
Youko-chan touched her IC card key to the apartment door and slowly opened it.
The curtains were drawn shut and the room was dim.
Gulp...
I involuntarily swallowed.
I thought I saw something moving in the back. It was probably a person completely wrapped in blankets...
Wh-why is this getting all horror-like!? This is way scarier than our class's haunted house!
Then Youko-chan put her hand on my shoulder. Eep.
When I turned around trembling, Youko-chan had clear eyes.
"Well then, Renako-kun. I'm leaving the rest to you."
"...Eh!?"
"I have no responsibility for this. Farewell!"
"Ah, wait!?"
Youko-chan spun around and disappeared in an instant.
Heyyy!
Wh-wh-what kind of person does that!? She dumped everything on me! On me, who's only met Lucie-chan three times!
Damn... I remembered my previous visit to this room.
Youko-chan really doesn't want to deal with Lucie-chan...
Then, from the back of the room came a weak voice.
"...Renako-sama...?"
Ugh...
Once my name was called, I couldn't run away either...
I took off my shoes and timidly entered the room.
The room's owner, Lucie-chan, looked up at me while wrapped in blankets.
Her eyes were red and swollen.
That's right—peace was all lies.
Here was one girl who'd been made unhappy by Mai and Satsuki-san's scheme.
"Ngh..."
A model from France and Mai's former fiancée. Lucie Lefebvre, heartbroken from being unilaterally dumped, had her big eyes full of tears as she hugged me.
"Renako-sama!"
"Whoa!?"
The momentum was incredible and I got pushed down to the floor.
Beautiful silver hair down to her waist and blue eyes. Her white skin seemed to emit a pale light. Lucie-chan wore a negligee with a wide-open neckline (or is it called a babydoll?) and covered me.
Lucie-chan sniffled. Even in the dim room, the brilliance of her eyes hadn't clouded at all.
"Um, well..."
S-somehow... this position is... bad...!?
Lucie-chan wet with tears had, how should I put it, with that outfit too, an alluring charm overflowing... Crying beauties really make a picture, you know... So incredibly cute!
Lucie-chan, who usually has fantastical beauty, suddenly seemed like someone close to me because of those tears. The texture, or rather, the physical sensation... that kind of thing made my chest pound wildly.
"Renako-sama..."
Her cherry-colored lips called my name clingingly. My heartbeat was so loud I couldn't think about anything.
"L-Lucie-chan..."
Lucie-chan sat down with a plop, straddling me. Actually, she was pressing down on me. Wait, isn't this position dangerous!?
Lucie-chan, mounted on me, grabbed both my hands.
"Please, come with Lucie..."
"T-together...!?"
Together!? What!? What are you planning to do!?
Stop! I have girlfriends! Really cute and beautiful girlfriends—two of them!? Cheating is bad!? So don't tempt me! I'm bad at refusing things! Don't tempt me, okay!?
Contrary to my noisy inner thoughts, my mouth just opened and closed repeatedly, unable to form words.
Lucie-chan tilted her head slightly, tears at the corners of her eyes, and put strength into the hands gripping mine.
Then she smiled as bravely as she could and said:
"Let's go blow up Queen Rose."
...
...
"Eh!?"
In a way, that was an incredibly heart-pounding invitation...
You're not serious, right!? Lucie-chan!
**Chapter 2: There's No Freaking Way We Can Blow Up Queen Rose! (※Thank God We Can't!)**
—And so.
This is where I finally get dragged into the incredibly beautiful but messy love triangle between Mai, Satsuki-san, and Lucie-chan...
In the end, I think this was a necessary event for all of us too. ...Probably.
On social media, someone's shouting "I want 50 trillion yen!" today too, but what they really want is pocket money of a few ten thousand yen they can freely spend and leisurely free time to spoil themselves.
Even though I wished for the best 'best friend' I could truly trust, what I really wanted was a version of myself I could be proud of.
Everyone insists "This is what I want!" about what they desire, but you don't know what you really want until you're backed into a corner.
Because human relationships are complex, and human hearts are even more complex.
Even if someone points it out to you, you'll never understand.
Only by realizing it yourself.
But still, surely.
Even if it's roundabout, even if you get lost, even if you take detours, even if you're wrong—the time you spend struggling with everything you've got, wishing to obtain something, isn't wasted.
...No, I want to think that way.
Those days when you face each day trying to become just a little bit more blessed than yesterday's self, within irreplaceable time—that's exactly what it is.
I think that's exactly what we call 'youth.'
'Feelings' are far too big, so overwhelming that us high school girls get swept away by them every day.
But sometimes, they give us unbelievably strong power.
Like that day when I swore I'd make both Mai and Ajisai-san happy together.
So, once more.
For us to achieve ourselves.
We face our 'feelings.'
***
Um... I, Amaori Renako, am currently hiding in the bushes in front of Queen Rose headquarters in Shibuya...
If anyone saw me, they'd call the police immediately...
And next to me was Lucie-chan, wearing what looked like a princess-like dress as casual clothes, with an incredibly expensive-looking fur coat over it.
Even I thought my uniform would be too suspicious, so I went home once to change into regular clothes... I wanted to disguise myself if possible... Why am I doing this...
"Now then, Renako-sama."
Lucie-chan smoothly pulled out a gleaming black credit card from her fur coat pocket.
"Please use this to buy bombs. Money is no object!"
"I don't think they sell those... This is Japan..."
When I said that, Lucie-chan looked as shocked as if a hawk had stolen the crepe she was about to eat.
"Eh... then how should Lucie blow up Queen Rose...?"
"I think you should recognize it's an impossible plan..."
"Impossible n'est pas français."
Lucie-chan spoke in fluent French. Eh!?
Then I heard a familiar voice from above.
"'Nothing is impossible for the French.' In Japan, it's generally known as Napoleon's famous saying, 'The word impossible is not in my dictionary.'"
Oh no.
I looked up. There stood a woman with a gentle smile.
—Oduka Mai.
"Mai!?"
The person I least wanted to run into right now!
Well of course Mai would be here—this is in front of Queen Rose headquarters!
"Hey there, Renako... and Lucie. What an unusual combination."
"Um, well, this is!"
I stood up to make excuses and turned around.
But Lucie-chan, who had been next to me just moments ago, was gone.
She ran away!? Leaving me all alone!?
No, wait. Lucie-chan was hiding behind a street tree in the distance. Though half her body is sticking out!
"Lucie."
Mai called out to her. Then Lucie-chan:
"Ça fait un bail ! Comment vas-tu!? Comment te sens-tu!? J'espère que tu vas bien!"
She's rapid-firing French again at incredible speed! I don't understand!
"Hmm..."
Mai looked back and forth between me and Lucie-chan.
"N-no, this has deep circumstances..."
"I'm sure it does."
"Look, both Lucie-chan and I play games, right!? So we're like gaming buddies! We met by coincidence! I only recently found out that Lucie-chan was Mai's fiancée!"
Those words are all completely true, but since I'm speaking rapidly while flustered, even I sound unconvincing!
Mai examined my statement with the face of a detective in the second half of a mystery drama.
"Hmm... What kind of 'coincidence'?"
"Um... Near the station... I found Lucie-chan lost and unable to get home, hugging her knees on the roadside..."
This is exactly what they mean by "hanging yourself with your own words." No one in modern Japan would believe such an excuse.
"I see. That's a believable story if it's Lucie."
"She believed it!?"
This girl actually has 'can't get home' in her behavioral patterns. No wonder Youko-chan suffers.
Then Lucie-chan peeked her face out from behind the street tree and showed a modest smile.
"Eh, ehehe... That's right, Renako-sama is my lifesaver. Mai should thank Renako-sama too."
"Thank you, Renako."
"Eh, ah, yes."
She bowed her head honestly.
Mai smiled gently.
"Lucie is a very innocent and charming woman, but she's a bit weak at taking care of herself."
"Oh my... calling me cute makes me embarrassed."
Lucie-chan put her hand to her cheek and grinned. It was such an innocent smile, you'd never think she was a terrorist plotting to blow up Queen Rose. Did she switch personalities...!?
"But it seems like Japanese life suits her—she's been having fun every day. I see, it was because she made a friend."
Lucie-chan nodded with all her might, like a kid who'd been invited to play by someone she really liked.
"Yes! It was worth learning so much Japanese from Mai and Satsuki."
"That's right. You've gotten really good at it. Is there anything else you're having trouble with?"
"Nothing in particular right now!"
"Well, that's good then."
The two exchanged friendly everyday conversation.
Mai approached Lucie-chan and stroked her gentle shoulders. At the light physical contact, Lucie-chan narrowed her eyes contentedly—
Then, as if a hypnotic spell had been broken, her expression changed.
"—Hah!"
She hid behind the street tree again and pointed sharply at Mai.
"That's not it!! That's not right!!"
As if she'd finally remembered her anger from before!
"Hmm?"
Perhaps used to Lucie-chan's mood swings, Mai just tilted her head lightly.
"Oh right, you said you were gaming friends. Actually, both Satsuki and I learned games from Renako before. We can play FPS a little now. We should arrange an opportunity for all four of us to play together sometime."
"Really!? Yay!"
Lucie-chan's face lit up as she burst out from behind the tree with full force like from Amaterasu's cave. S-so childish...!
But then, as if remembering again, she turned bright red.
"That's why! That's not it! Don't you understand why Lucie is here!?"
"You come to visit Queen Rose even when you don't have anything specific to do."
"Today I have business!"
Lucie-chan stamped her feet in frustration.
Then, as if pressing a missile launch button, she shouted:
"Because! Lucie and Renako-sama came to blow up Queen Rose!"
Major crime!
That statement apparently exceeded even Mai's imagination.
"B-blow up...?"
For some reason, Lucie-chan puffed out her chest and declared proudly, as if she'd successfully pulled off her first prank.
"That's right! Right now Renako-sama was about to buy really, really huge bombs in really large quantities for us! Right, right?"
"Wait! Don't drag me into this!"
I waved both my outstretched hands frantically. This was the last topic in the world I wanted to be dragged into.
Mai looked extremely confused.
"Um... so what exactly does this mean? Oh, are you talking about a game?"
"Yes, that's it!" "That's completely wrong!"
My attempt to cover it up overlapped with Lucie-chan's completely serious voice.
"Lucie is totally serious! Lucie is angry! Having the engagement broken off without permission and being left out! Lucie hasn't been this angry since... since Mai and Satsuki left Lucie out and ate sweets together! Lucie is furious!"
Lucie-chan puffed out her cheeks with all her might, trying to express her rage with her whole body. Is this the expressive power of a top French model?
Mai didn't respond to those words.
She approached Lucie-chan again, step by step, despite the distance.
"Wh-what...!"
Lucie-chan struck a mysteriously threatening pose toward Mai.
"A-ah, ahah... Even if you apologize, it's too late...! Lucie and Renako-sama have already decided to blow up Queen Rose... It's too late now...!"
Mai grabbed Lucie-chan's wrist. Lucie-chan let out a "Hyah!"
H-hey, Mai...
I got worried and hesitated about whether to interfere.
Sure, Lucie-chan was saying outrageous things, but she was also a victim who got dragged into this situation, so please don't get too angry with her...!
But Mai already understood that.
"I'm sorry, Lucie."
"—"
Mai released Lucie-chan's wrist and bowed her head sincerely.
"I apologized several times when I was proceeding with the engagement talk with Satsuki, but... let me apologize once more here. My mother forcibly pushed forward our engagement and caused you great trouble. It seems like you resolved to do it because it would benefit our company, but... it's okay."
Looking up, Mai smiled gently while slowly shaking her head.
"Lucie. I understand very well your feelings of trying to repay the debt you received from my mother. Thank you. But you have your own life. Please don't be bound by Queen Rose—I want you to find your own happiness."
Despite the gentle smile, those words were filled with passion.
I could really feel that Mai genuinely wished for Lucie-chan's happiness...
But... huh?
But then, it's almost like Lucie-chan was...
Lucie-chan, who had been leaning halfway out from behind the street tree listening to Mai's words, suddenly hid behind the tree again as if she'd realized something.
"Mai doesn't understand anything..."
"...What do you mean?"
Lucie-chan, still hidden behind the street tree, puffed out her cheeks, tried to smile, then suddenly looked like she was about to cry.
She kept changing expressions, and finally glared while pointing at Mai.
"How Lucie has been thinking about Mai all this time."
"You've been thinking of me..."
Lucie-chan glared fiercely at Mai.
"Lucie hates Mai!"
Whoa...
Not just me—Mai was surprised by those words too.
"Lucie hated Mai, who was loved by Renée and had everything!"
"But Lucie, you've always..."
"What happened before doesn't matter! Lucie is talking about now!"
Like a puppy yapping from behind a fence, Lucie-chan raised her voice.
"That's why! That's why Lucie thought she'd steal it all! That position, everything, all of it! Lucie thought that if she got engaged to Mai and married her, it would come true!"
This was my first time seeing Mai and Lucie-chan talk together.
I had no idea how Lucie-chan really felt about Mai. I could only guess from their conversation.
But this is...
"But suddenly getting engaged to Satsuki... That's unforgivable! Absolutely, forever unforgivable!"
"...I see."
Mai received Lucie-chan's gaze, then furrowed her brow painfully.
"I truly did something inexcusable. But I never intended to marry you from the beginning."
"!"
Hearing that, shock ran through Lucie-chan's eyes.
"I couldn't tell you before. I thought it would hurt you. But I have my own life too. I decided to be happy."
Mai declared resolutely.
Her decision to be happy was... because of what happened with Ajisai-san and me.
After a brief pause, Lucie-chan looked down and asked with trembling lips:
"You thought... you couldn't be happy with Lucie...?"
"That's not it either."
Mai quietly shook her head.
"You're important to me. I think of you as an irreplaceable friend I can open my heart to. Every time I went to France, I looked forward to the days I could meet you several times a year. You were always good to me. I tried to treat you with affection, like a blood sister."
Lucie-chan grasped at thin air like catching a spider's thread, murmuring "Then..."
But Mai didn't wait for Lucie-chan's words.
"But I have someone most important to me. So—"
As if repelled, Lucie-chan looked up.
"That person is—Satsuki!?"
For a moment, Mai hesitated.
Probably... she was about to tell the truth.
To receive Lucie-chan's feelings that came straight from the heart.
But—
"That's right."
A black shadow appeared there.
Long black hair swayed in the wind.
"Satsuki-san..."
Standing next to Mai, Satsuki-san put her arm around Mai's waist as if asserting ownership.
Then she turned eyes that reflected no light toward us.
"Mai chose me. That's everything, Lucie."
The stunned Lucie-chan asked in a small voice:
"Satsuki... why...!"
"I won't apologize. I'm different from Mai."
With her back straight, Satsuki-san stared back at Lucie-chan.
"To choose something means not choosing something else. Too bad for you. There's no place for you here anymore. Behave yourself and go back to France."
Satsuki-san, who had called Lucie-chan "like a troublesome little sister," spoke such cruel words.
"—!"
Hearing that, Lucie-chan gritted her teeth.
She raised her hand with all her might toward the cheek of Satsuki-san, who she had once kissed with a happy face.
Eh!?
—She tried to slap her!
Violence is wrong!
But Satsuki-san easily dodged that big swing.
"As always, so simple—"
—Right after her palm cut through empty air.
Lucie-chan's returning left hand slapped Satsuki-san's cheek!
Ehhhhhhh!
A tremendously satisfying cracking sound echoed.
I saw Satsuki-san's body tilting slightly in slow motion.
"Uwaaaaaaaaaah!"
But! Lucie-chan, who had just smacked Satsuki-san, turned on her heel and ran away!
Wait, um!
Ahhhhhh this is a disaster!
"S-sorry! Um! See you at school!"
I bowed repeatedly before chasing after Lucie-chan.
The situation had long exceeded the limits of my processing ability, and I couldn't take any of it in at all.
But still, I thought I couldn't leave Lucie-chan alone like this.
After running for a while, Lucie-chan stopped and was leaning against a random guardrail, out of breath.
Since I'm not particularly athletic either, I went over next to Lucie-chan and breathed heavily.
Ugh, this became a terrible situation...
I'd much rather have been the one who got hit...
I'm a girl who was struggling just recently with stories about hitting and not hitting people...! I don't think it would happen, but... now I'll have to solve a story where Satsuki-san becomes truant and Lucie-chan becomes a shut-in...!?
Stop it! I'll really become a shut-in myself!
I need to... provide all kinds of care...
But what should I say to her!?
"Um...!"
Like a baby who cries and screams when moved just one centimeter.
"Uwaaaaaaaaaah!"
Lucie-chan started crying with all her might!
"Uwah! L-Lucie-chan!?"
"Uwaaaaaaah! Uwaaaaaaaaaah!"
This is bad! Everyone around is staring! This is a public road!
"Lucie-chan! Lucie-chan, um!"
I took her white hand and suggested we leave.
"Everyone can see us here! It's not calm, right!? Let's walk a bit!? Just a little! Okay!?"
Like an ambulance siren, Lucie-chan continued crying at full force, loud enough to be heard from 50 kilometers away.
"Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Far in the distance, the sunset was setting...
Lucie-chan and I had come to a nearby park on a small hill.
Leaning against the railing, the day's fatigue oozed out of my whole body...
Really, this became an incredible situation...
Youko-chan caught me and took me to Lucie-chan, then suddenly she said 'Let's blow up Queen Rose'... Then we met Mai in front of the headquarters building, and Lucie-chan said 'I hated Mai'...
Satsuki-san appeared, and when she provoked Lucie-chan, Lucie-chan slapped Satsuki-san...
How will I be able to face those two tomorrow...
I sent Mai a message earlier and got back 'Don't worry about Satsuki. More importantly, sorry for leaving Lucie to you.'
Really...? Satsuki-san won't become truant, right...? Since she's always hitting people, she must be used to being hit too, right...?
But more than that...
I glanced sideways and saw that Lucie-chan, who had stopped crying for now, was staring into the distance with swollen eyes.
Earlier she started crying when I just barely touched her with my fingertip, so this time I spoke very, very carefully...
"Lucie-chan, um... Should we go... home...?"
"..."
No response came to those words.
Lucie-chan kept her hands on the railing and began speaking quietly.
"Mai and Satsuki were Lucie's first friends."
"...Mm."
Then Lucie-chan began speaking in halting Japanese.
"Lucie was always alone. She had no parents or siblings, and lived with relatives. Every day was lonely. But one day—"
She took a breath, then murmured:
"A fairy godmother came to Cinderella's house."
She said that woman came after seeing a local children's fashion magazine.
Renée Oduka. Also known as the fairy godmother Little Witch.
She was invited to become Queen Rose's exclusive model—and since then, Lucie-chan's life completely changed.
Renée's daughter, Oduka Mai, and her friend, Koto Satsuki. The three of them had lots of photos taken together and began to flourish as models.
Thus Lucie-chan blossomed her dormant beauty and achieved worldwide success.
"Lucie loved Mai and Satsuki. When she thought about them, her lips would naturally relax and she'd feel happy. She'd never had people like that before."
...But Lucie-chan said earlier.
"Lucie's precious stuffed animal that belonged only to her. A silver coin she found on the road. A four-leaf clover she discovered in a secret place. The faint memory of Papa and Mama patting her head... That's what Mai and Satsuki are to Lucie."
As Lucie-chan held her own head, I...
"...Did you want to marry Mai?"
I regretted it immediately after asking.
Even if she answered 'yes,' there was nothing I could do about it.
Even though I should be the most involved party, I didn't have the resolve to give up my own happiness... I was just pained seeing Lucie-chan look so sad right in front of me, so I asked such an irresponsible question.
So different from Mai, who bowed her head resolutely, or Satsuki-san, who deliberately played the villain. I'm just a coward who wants to look good. Ugh, my stomach felt heavy.
"..."
Lucie-chan didn't answer right away.
Looking down, Lucie-chan opened her mouth.
"Lucie doesn't know..."
"...Mm."
"Did Lucie want to get married...?"
Um...
"But you were sad enough about the broken engagement to want to blow up Queen Rose, right...?"
"Lucie doesn't know that either."
Quietly, Lucie-chan shook her head.
"She just felt like she had to do something... her ultimate gauge kept filling up more and more... So she thought of exploding."
I see... I wish she hadn't thought of that, though...
Lucie-chan gradually let out her unstable, shapeless feelings bit by bit.
"When Renée called her, Lucie thinks she was happy. She was honestly happy that Mai thought of Lucie as special. But about 'marriage,' she never really understood... It's different from playing the same game together, right...?"
"...Yeah, probably."
"Lucie knows that marriage is something people who love each other do. That it's something you do once in a lifetime with one precious person... Actually, Lucie was thinking... that maybe it was different..."
Even though her body was so big and she looked incredibly beautiful, Lucie-chan's heart was still like a child's.
...Like me in the past.
Lucie-chan looked at me pleadingly.
"...What did Lucie really want to do...?"
Probably... I don't think Lucie-chan has romantic feelings toward Mai and Satsuki-san.
When she says she 'likes' them, it's purely as friends... Or maybe, just like Mai and Satsuki-san think, Lucie-chan also felt a special sisterly bond with them...
When she said 'Lucie hates Mai' earlier, that probably... wasn't her true feelings either.
I say 'I hate you' to my sister sometimes too, so I understand. Even when I mean it at the time, it's not really my true feelings. Well, I do mean it at the time though! It's complicated!
Lucie-chan crouched down where she stood.
"But... Lucie said she hated her..."
Seeing that incredibly dejected profile made my chest ache.
"When Lucie gets frustrated, her head goes bang... It's Lucie's really, really bad point... The feeling that she doesn't need anything anymore overflows..."
"I see... Yeah, I understand."
Getting desperate or self-destructive, wanting to hurt everything around you. Saying mean things to people close to you.
I've experienced that too.
What comes after that is intense self-loathing.
"What does Lucie-chan want to do... from now on?"
"...For now, Lucie will stop the exploding."
"Y-yeah."
Of course! Thank goodness! Now she won't become a terrorist!
"Should Lucie... apologize to Mai and Satsuki...?"
"U-umm!"
I groaned. If she wants to make up, she should do that, but considering Lucie-chan's current state, it might be better to wait a little longer...!
I want to think this through carefully and give her the right answer...!
Right, in times like this I should ask my past self. The me from when I was acting out should be able to relate to Lucie-chan's current feelings a bit!
What do you think!?
Then, middle school shut-in Renako crawled out of the darkness and opened her mouth with incredible annoyance.
'Well, whatever. Just let it fade away naturally... You don't need friends. It's better not to have them—they lower your human strength... People live alone and die alone.'
Way less helpful than I thought!
No good. There was no way this person could say anything useful. After all, she had zero life experience and could only show off other people's pretentious philosophies she picked up online. I had to do this with my own power.
"W-well! Satsuki-san was pretty mean back there too! It's understandable that you hit her! But if you feel like apologizing later, I'll come with you, so for now let's just take it easy, okay? Right?"
Procrastination!!
N-no, but there are problems that time can solve...
For now, hearing my words, Lucie-chan gave a small nod.
"...Yes."
Ugh, the atmosphere is heavy.
"But... either way, we can't be together anymore... right..."
At those words that spilled out like tears, I said:
"That's not... necessarily true, I think."
"...Eh?"
Lucie-chan turned her tear-stained eyes toward me.
Well, it's troublesome when you get your hopes up too much...!
"At least, both Mai and Satsuki-san think of Lucie-chan as important... Things are all tangled up right now, but... maybe someday you can go back to how things were..."
Why did I think that?
Because neither Mai nor Satsuki-san looked like they'd come to hate Lucie-chan at all.
Mai seemed to think Lucie-chan was being used by her mother, and I couldn't imagine Satsuki-san being the type to accept a cheek kiss from someone she disliked.
"But..."
Lucie-chan murmured softly.
"Lucie said she 'hated' Mai..."
"W-well, that's true, but..."
The light gradually faded from her eyes. Eek.
"Lucie hit Satsuki's cheek..."
"That's right!"
That really surprised me.
When Ajisai-san got hurt during the sports festival before, Satsuki-san had burned with murderous intent, saying "I'll do it thoroughly so she never thinks of defying me again." That Satsuki-san was seriously scary.
B-but! I don't think it'll be like that this time!? Probably! Because Satsuki-san's way of saying it was wrong!
Lucie-chan held her head like she'd been caught in a downpour.
"Ugh... if Satsuki comes for revenge... Satsuki is scary when she fights... She's super strong..."
"Lucie-chan, you've fought with Satsuki-san before..."
That's some serious courage...
"Yes... When Lucie drew on her face as a prank, she clipped Lucie's cheeks with clothespins..."
"You drew on Satsuki-san's face!?"
That's way too fearless! If I did that, she'd hunt me down through seven reincarnations and drag me to hell!
"When Lucie cut her bangs without permission because she thought it would suit her, Satsuki didn't talk to her for about five days..."
"You cut Satsuki-san's bangs without permission!?!?"
I shuddered. Just imagining such a scene would give me nightmares for life. It's more terrifying than any gore-filled horror movie.
Compared to that, slapping her cheek isn't so bad, right? If you wanted to, you could probably make up as early as tomorrow.
"W-well! If Mai and Satsuki-san are still angry, I'll go apologize with you! Okay!?"
I forced the most unreliable smile possible.
"...Renako-sama."
Tightly.
Lucie-chan hugged me.
Mm...
I could feel her soft body and warm temperature.
But... I wonder why. The usual fluttering feeling didn't come. Well, my heart rate was incredibly high from the comment about cutting Satsuki-san's bangs, but...
This is probably because I think of Lucie-chan like a little girl.
A hurt girl who fought with friends, said things she didn't mean, then threw a tantrum.
...Well, anyway, Lucie-chan seems to have calmed down.
"Should we head home soon? Your body will get cold here."
When I said that, Lucie-chan shook her head while still hugging me.
I remembered Lucie-chan wrapped in blankets with red, swollen eyes.
"...Are you lonely?"
Lucie-chan nodded.
"I see."
I laughed lightly and petted Lucie-chan's head.
Her silky long hair felt nice against my palm.
"Then want to go somewhere fun?"
Gently, Lucie-chan looked up and peered at me like checking a parent's mood.
"...Is it okay, Renako-sama?"
"Well, I can keep you company for a little while. I don't think I can just leave Lucie-chan like this."
The origin of this whole situation. I have some responsibility for Lucie-chan's broken engagement too...
But more than that, I didn't want to leave Lucie-chan all alone.
Being alone in an apartment in a foreign country after fighting with friends you loved—I'd go crazy if that were me.
"Then!"
Lucie-chan finally smiled.
Still hugging me, her voice bounced with excitement.
"There's somewhere Lucie has wanted to go once."
Oh.
"Sounds good, let's go."
"At times like this, you've got to go out and have fun!"
Playing along, I laughed playfully too.
"Yeah yeah!"
"Then let's go!"
"Wooh!"
I'll go anywhere if it cheers Lucie-chan up!
Laughing, we held hands, caught a taxi partway, and headed to our destination.
—But!
"Hey!"
As soon as we arrived at the establishment and were shown to our seats, I raised my voice at Lucie-chan sitting diagonally across from me.
"What is this place!?"
"What do you mean?"
Lucie-chan tilted her head like an innocent doll with no sense of right and wrong, then showed me an absolutely innocent smile.
"It's a cabaret club!"
"But why!?"
The mood changed way too much!
I should have noticed before entering the store... Pulled along by Lucie-chan's hand, I stepped into the gaudy interior and was shown to our seats...
Inside was dimly lit, with glass chandeliers hanging from the low ceiling.
Smoke-tinted mirrors covered the walls, giving it a wonderland-like atmosphere.
Glamorously dressed ladies approached us as we sat on the gently curved sofa...
"Eh? Two girls? Aww, how cute~"
"Oh my. What brings you here today?"
Lucie-chan smiled cheerfully and raised one hand.
"We came to have fun!"
"I see, I see. Well then, let's have fun~"
"Yes!"
I was frozen solid like a Shigaraki tanuki statue...
"Why... did it come to this..."
Lucie-chan happily spread out the menu while turning an innocent smile toward me.
"What will Renako-sama drink!?"
You're way too excited! What's with this girl!? You were bawling your eyes out just a minute ago!
Gasp... Without realizing it, I was thinking such harsh things about such a cute Lucie-chan...! No, that was just the Youko-chan in my heart shouting...!
I forced a fake smile and tried to look at the menu together.
"Um, well~ Let's see~...!"
"Oh, I heard that it's proper manners to order Dom Pérignon at places like this! Can we have Dom Pérignon!?"
Heyyyy! I don't really know, but that's probably alcohol, right!?
I leaned toward Lucie-chan and whispered urgently.
"We're minors...!?"
"But in France, drinking is allowed from age 16."
"This is Japan!"
Then the lady tilted her head slightly.
"Minors? Did you just say minors?"
"Um, well, um..."
"If you're minors, I'll have to ask you to leave..."
"No, Lucie is twenty."
She lied so boldly!
The lady breathed a sigh of relief.
"Oh, I see."
With Lucie-chan's beauty and figure, people would believe she was over twenty... Only her way of speaking was childish...
"What about that girl?"
"Ah, uh, ah..."
My eyes spun around.
If I got caught being a minor here...
The school would be notified, and by the next day rumors of 'the girl who went to a cabaret club' would spread through Ashigaya High, and I'd live the rest of my life being whispered about...
That's not all. Having girlfriends like Mai and Ajisai-san while playing around with women at a cabaret club would earn me extremely harsh looks from them.
'...While you have me, how awful of you, Renako.'
'That's terrible, Rena-chan... You prefer mature older ladies over me...'
N-no.
That's not it! I was just dragged here by Lucie-chan! Even as I shouted that, they'd press me with 'But you did go, right?' and I could only nod tearfully...
The abandoned Amaori Renako would spend her life shut in her room, clinging to happy memories of high school...!
I flashed a hopeless, weak smile along with a peace sign.
"O-of course~ I'm a college student~..."
"Well then, enjoy yourselves today."
The lady smiled brightly.
"Haha, hahahaha..."
Was I about to fall into hopeless ruin by going along with Lucie-chan? I felt like I was being strangled by that thought.
"Then let's order Dom Pérignon, Dom Pérignon!"
You've got some personality!
I grabbed the wrist of Lucie-chan, who had become completely giddy.
"No! We can't drink alcohol! Right, Lucie-chan?"
"But in France—"
"Right!?"
"Y-yes."
Finally Lucie-chan nodded too. My feelings got through. If we drank alcohol on top of this, the 0.1% chance of clemency would become absolutely zero...
"Well then, we have orange juice and mocktails... non-alcoholic cocktails too~?"
"Please give us those!"
As I bowed my head, Lucie-chan ordered the same thing.
Furthermore, Lucie-chan said:
"Please order whatever you ladies like from the menu too."
"Eh~ Really~?"
"Yes. Lucie has lots of money."
The ladies happily ordered drinks. Eh, why do we have to order for the staff too...!?
And Lucie-chan, aren't you a bit too used to this!?
"I hate to think it, but Lucie-chan, you're not a regular at places like this, are you...?"
My whole view of you is about to change dramatically...!
Lucie-chan looked smug.
"This is my first time visiting for fun. However, I have heard. In Japan, when adults get stressed, they come to cabaret clubs!"
"That's probably a stereotype!"
"I learned it from Yakuza: Like a Dragon!"
"Don't take seriously a game where salarymen randomly punch yakuza on the street!"
As we argued, the lady sitting with us giggled.
"You two get along well. College friends?"
"Oh, no...! How should I put it, we're gaming friends!"
"I see. Do you play a lot at home? Games?"
"Haha... yes, well..."
As I nodded vaguely.
The lady sitting next to me moved closer. Eh!?
"What kind of games do you like?"
She was wearing a dress with an open neckline, so her, um, cleavage was right in my field of vision, making me look away reflexively.
"Ah, ahaha, w-well! Mainly games where you shoot people with guns!"
"FPS~? I play those quite a bit at home too~"
"R-really!? What a coincidence!"
The lady stayed close to me while actively chatting about various things.
She listened to my clumsy game talk with smiles and big nods of "I see~!" looking very entertained.
Ugh... The sweet scent of perfume...! I wonder what this is, rose...!? I don't know, but it's making my heart pound.
Don't be fooled, me! She's only doing this as part of her job! It's not like she likes me or anything!
"Is this your first time at a place like this?"
"Y-yes... I'm nervous...!"
"Ahaha. How cute~"
The lady closed the distance between us, which had been about a fist's width apart.
Why!?
"Come on, since you're here, let's have fun? Right?"
"!?"
The lady's knee gently touched mine. Eek! Accident!? Or intentional!?
Could this be more than just... customer service!?
The BGM in the store was relaxed R&B, but I couldn't calm down at all. My heart's BPM was over 200!
"Hey hey, my name is Rin, but what should I call you?"
"Eh? Um...!"
This is bad. Just the sense of crisis that giving my real name would be problematic kicked in.
I squeezed out:
"Ha..."
"Ha?"
"Haruna... is fine."
Before I knew it, I had given a fake name...
N-no, your honor! I didn't have any guilty feelings!
Five jurors in my head: Mai, Satsuki-san, Ajisai-san, Kaho-chan, and Haruna. All five raised their cards at once. Death penalty, death penalty, death penalty, death penalty, death penalty. Unanimous death penalty!
That's not it! I just got dragged into this by Lucie-chan! My motivation was kindness! I couldn't leave Lucie-chan alone when she was depressed and lonely! It was goodwill! This is innocent by reason of goodwill!
"Well then, Haruna-chan. Cheers♡"
"Ch-cheers~!"
Drinks were brought over. Clinking glass against glass, I—having impersonated my sister's name—wore a smile that looked ready to die.
The lady pressed her glossy lips to her glass and swallowed. Then she smiled brightly.
"Mm, delicious. Thanks for the treat, Haruna-chan."
"Ah, ahahaha!"
She winked along with her thanks, and all I could do was laugh.
What!? Does this person like me!?
I hurriedly brought the drink to my lips, but could only feel its coldness. My five senses had gone stupid.
"How is it?"
"It's delicious!"
"Hehe."
The lady's hand was now placed on my thigh.
!?!?
Peering into my face with a smile, her eyes held an alluring color.
"Feels like... an adult taste?"
Help me, Lucie-chan! This person likes me!
I looked pleadingly toward Lucie-chan. Receiving similar customer service from another lady, Lucie-chan's emotional state had become completely bizarre.
"My engagement was broken off! Waaaah! Lucie is, Lucie is!"
Tears poured from her eyes as she was comforted by the lady next to her.
"That's terrible!"
"That's right! It's too terrible!"
"Poor Lucie-chan!"
"Waaa, poor Lucie...! Waaaaah..."
Now she was clinging to the lady's knees, crying. Even though she hadn't had any alcohol... What is this girl... what is this girl!?
Help me, Youko-chan! Right now I can understand Youko-chan's struggles not with 'words' but with my 'heart'!
"Alright, I get it, let's drink, Lucie-chan! I'll keep you company all the way tonight!"
"Waaaah~! Another round~!"
Actually... somehow, Lucie-chan looks more cheerful than when I comforted her on that hill earlier... More than with me, her friend...
Well, there are things you can talk about with strangers that you can't with people you know... I understand that. I understand, but...
Is this the magic power of cabaret clubs...?
I was gradually getting tired of thinking.
Why have I been acting all 'I'm the normal one~' and flustering around this whole time? Isn't this fine already? I tried my best... yeah.
Let me put down this baggage called common sense...
...Alright, since it's Lucie-chan's treat anyway! I drained my mocktail with its strong fresh lime flavor and floating mint, then put the glass on the table.
"Rin-san! I'd like another drink too!"
"Oh, nice. Good drinking style."
"Since we're here! This is life experience too!"
"That's right~"
The lady laughed with twinkling eyes while nodding along. I felt like the stress I'd been accumulating recently was being healed...
Ahh, wonderful... Rin-san doesn't deny me...
This is a relationship connected by money...! Money really is the best...!
"Who's the king~"
The party was in full swing. Rolling chopsticks between her palms to mix them up, Lucie-chan held out the blunt ends toward us.
I had no idea how the conversation had gotten to this point, but somehow a King's Game had started.
Having given up on thinking, I smiled and pulled out a chopstick.
Oh... I'm the king!
"It's me~☆"
'Yay~'
Scattered applause. I looked back and forth between the beautiful, sexy ladies and Lucie-chan, thinking of a command. Hehehe, what should I make them do☆
"Well then~ Numbers 1 and 2~ should praise the king~☆"
Lucie-chan and Rin-san raised their hands.
"Then excuse me."
"Hehehe."
"Eh, eh?"
Lucie-chan and Rin-san moved seats to sit on either side of me.
As I waited nervously, they brought their faces close to my ears.
"Renako-sama, I love you♡"
"!?"
"Haruna-chan, you're so cute♡"
"!?!?"
By the way, Lucie-chan stubbornly kept calling me 'Renako,' but Rin-san properly called me 'Haruna' without letting that slip—she was definitely a professional.
That aside!
"Thanks to Renako-sama, today was really fun."
"Please come again. I'll be waiting. It was so much fun♡"
"Renako-sama is Lucie's benefactor... Lucie adores you...♡"
"Ah, your face is getting all red. So cute♡"
Hawawawawa...
Brain-melting voices from both sides...!
After being whispered to like that for a while, both of them simultaneously:
Made a 'chu' sound.
Soft sensation on my cheeks.
I had been kissed.
Uwaaaaaaaaaaaah!
I lay down on the sofa and writhed around.
"That's too stimulating!"
"Ahahaha."
Rin-san laughed with narrowed eyes.
This is the King's Game... what a terrifying devil's game...
"Next then! Next!"
Lucie-chan, who still hadn't been king once, gathered the chopsticks and held them out again.
Hah, hah... For a moment I almost came to my senses... Close call.
At my limit, I pulled out a chopstick with trembling fingers. This time, number 3.
Once everyone had drawn, Lucie-chan announced with obvious barely-contained excitement:
"The king is~! Yes, it's Lucie!"
The long-awaited Lucie-chan opened her mouth with an innocent smile.
"Number 3~!"
My heart skipped. That's me.
As if she'd already decided on the command, Lucie-chan proclaimed loudly:
"Let the king suck your chest!"
"No way!"
I shouted with the force of snapping chopsticks in half. The table erupted in laughter for some reason. I'm not doing that!?
And so my first cabaret club experience ended in complete chaos.
But the really difficult part was yet to come…
Here's the translation following the style guide from the reference:
---
Supporting the staggering Lucie-chan by the shoulder, we left the shop.
"Y-you really didn't drink any alcohol, right?"
"Ugh... Renako-sama..."
"Are you okay...?"
After settling the bill with her gleaming black card, Lucie-chan took a few steps and then went completely limp again. S-so heavy...!
Even though she was slender, Lucie-chan was about 10 centimeters taller than me. Carrying her all the way to her apartment like this would be quite difficult.
The night had grown completely dark. I hadn't noticed before, but we were in an entertainment district.
"We need to at least get to the main street to catch a taxi..."
"...Renako-sama..."
"Y-yeah. Just bear with it a little longer, Lucie-chan. Can you walk...?"
"..."
Then Lucie-chan, who I was supporting, turned those big eyes toward me from close range. Ugh... so beautiful...
"Wh-what...?"
A faint voice reached me.
"...Shall we rest, just a little bit?"
"That means..."
Right, we were surrounded by an entertainment district.
Which means.
I turned my face sideways. There was an adult-oriented lodging facility with both overnight and rest rates posted.
"Eh!?"
My cheeks instantly grew hot.
"Um, well!"
"..."
With what little remaining rational thought I had left, I almost threw Lucie-chan away and cried out. But Lucie-chan showed no reaction.
Ugh... Could this actually be really bad...!?
After such a long day with so many different things happening, Lucie-chan had exhausted both her physical and mental energy, like a kindergartener with dead batteries...
...Th-this is... helping someone...
Helping someone, right...!?
I didn't even know who I was asking. Maybe I asked the stars, but the winter night sky gave me no answer.
"...O-okay."
"...Mm..."
Dragging along Lucie-chan, who could barely manage a groan, I headed to the nearby adult-oriented lodging facility.
Am I finally getting stuck in a real quagmire...!?
***
After putting Lucie-chan to bed, I went to run a bath.
...I never thought the experience from the after-party with Kaho-chan and the photo shoot would come in handy...
I was even able to choose a room smoothly... No, that's not it... This is just accumulating life experience, you know...? It's proof that Amaori Renako is growing...
Frozen with pottery wheel-like hand movements, I looked down at Lucie-chan sinking into the big bed, not knowing who I was making excuses to.
This time it was a room with a fluffy rug at the foot of the bed. Soft indigo color scheme. The walls were unified in matte black, giving the room a luxurious atmosphere.
Compared to the room I visited last time, it had a somehow calmer feeling. Yet the panel attached to the queen-size bed was shining silver and seemed out of place, and the bathroom was completely visible from the room through glass walls. Definitely not a normal hotel...!
When I had nothing to do, I felt like the demon called 'sanity' would catch up to me, making me restless... I wanted to do something, something normal...
That's right... At least let me hang Lucie-chan's coat on a hanger... It looks expensive... Look how normal, so normal...
"Excuse me~..."
I tried to gently remove Lucie-chan's jacket without forcibly waking her. Then Lucie-chan, who was sleeping on her side with her knees drawn up, moved her lips slightly.
"Renako-sama..."
"Yes yes, I'm right here~"
I spoke to reassure her. Lucie-chan obediently listened.
First I pulled out her right arm, then drew out her left arm... Good, coat retrieval complete.
But.
"Mmm..."
"...Eh?"
When I came back after hanging it up, Lucie-chan had slowly raised herself and put both hands up in a banzai pose.
That means...
"...Renako-sama."
Half-asleep Lucie-chan urged me on with a sweet voice.
...She wants me to undress her!?
Wait wait wait! This is a hotel! Two young women! Undressing each other!? That's an unforgivable great sin!
Impure thoughts reflexively welled up, and I tried to keep my wits about me.
No no no, Lucie-chan's emotional state is like a kindergartener's, so it's nothing! Even I'm not the type of woman who thinks 'how lewd...' about just anyone!
I judge whether something is lewd or not extremely objectively based on composite factors like mood, expressions, tone of voice, skin exposure, and physical contact. If someone went around saying 'Hmm, lewd! lol' to everyone in the world, I think they should be arrested early!
So when I properly look at Lucie-chan with those eyes.
She's incredibly beautiful, and despite having princess-like looks, her powerless sitting on a hotel bed is immoral, her shining hair reflects the light creating an somehow lascivious atmosphere, and her dress hem is rolled up exposing her thighs which is incredibly—
—Well! It's not! Lewd at all!
That was getting dangerous. I forcibly cut off my thoughts.
Probably Lucie-chan usually has Youko-chan help her change clothes. So this is just an ordinary, everyday scene for Lucie-chan.