Lily POV
Hina's reaction to the reveal of my true identity was way different from what I expected. I was ready for her to completely shut me out and to not even want to face me for lying to her all this time. I thought all I could do was hope that, when the real Lucy came back, she could make it up to Hina and become her friend.
That's part of why I was so hesitant to reveal all of this to her in the first place, but since she's my precious first friend, I didn't want her to live in a lie even after I left. However, reality completely shattered my expectations.
"Oh my, what a coincidence running into you here. I was just heading to the library as well."
"Um… didn't we agree on doing our summer homework together?"
The moment I arrive at the library, Hina greets me with a line that sounds like something you'd hear in a romance novel. She's also wearing an elegant, flowing dress instead of her usual school uniform. Combined with her makeup, styled hair, and faint smell of perfume, makes her look like she's prepared for a ball or something instead of just a study session.
"Is that so? Well, it's always a pleasure to be with you so it doesn't matter what we do, as long as we're together."
"...Okay. But um… your dress…"
"Hm? What about it? Do you like it?"
"I mean… it looks nice, I guess. Ah, but I mean, are you going somewhere later or should we postpone this study session?"
"Thank you for the compliment, and no, I just thought I'd try this on for our date today, but it's nothing special. I think you look much better, though you'd look good in anything. But anyway, let's get started."
"Thanks…? Ah, but it's not… nevermind."
There are so many things in her sentence that aren't quite accurate that I don't even know which one to start with, so I just decide to quickly move on instead.
At least I tried not to think about it much and just focus on studying, but it's a little hard when…
"Hey, hey. I think they put you in this problem."
"Hm? What do you mean?"
I tilt my head at Hina's sudden remark and look at where she's pointing, but it's just part of an equation, showing '√2'. I look up at Hina again with eyes filled with confusion, but she just says:
"Aren't you the square root of two? Because whenever I'm around you, I feel completely irrational."
"..."
Then, after we switched to another subject, she just casually says:
"I'm usually pretty good with vocabulary, but you completely leave me at a loss for words."
"..."
When I revealed the true nature of this world, did that somehow affect Hina's character and mess something up? Well, I guess she's been different from her in-game character from the start, but… how can she say lines like that with a straight face?
However, it seems like she isn't bothered by my lack of response and wants to start another one.
"Are you a footnote? Because I find myself constantly looking-"
"Ahem! Shouldn't we focus on getting our homework done first?"
"...but those were the best ones."
I quickly interrupt her because honestly, I don't know how many more of those I can take. Though she still doesn't seem that discouraged as she mumbles something to herself. Then she reaches into her bag and takes out a small bundle of cookies, the air around her suddenly changing.
"Yesterday I received too many of these, and there's no way that I can finish them alone. So I thought I'd give some to you."
"Um, thanks…?"
I awkwardly take the small bag after witnessing Hina's tsundere-like line. Why the sudden change though…?
I look down at the cookies and they do certainly look quite enticing. Though they are probably really expensive too. Would she really just accidentally get too much of these? Well, I guess it's not that unlikely for her.
"Do you want to eat one? I heard that sweet things can help you concentrate too."
"Is that okay?"
"Of course."
"...!"
After getting her approval, I put one in my mouth and it instantly melts on my tongue, filling me with a very delicious, comforting sweetness.
"Is it good?"
"Hm, it's really good."
Ah, it's been a while since I last got to eat something like this. Even though I quite like sweet things, I never end up buying them for myself.
"Hehe."
"...! Ahem, now we can focus on the homework again. What did we have for history again?"
I notice her warm gaze on me so I quickly snap out of my thoughts and change the subject.
We work through most of the assignments, only stopping around 2pm. Even though I might not have too much time left in this world, I feel like I should finish this up for the real Lucy too.
"Phew."
"Here, let me help you."
I stretch a little bit, trying to relax my body when suddenly a pair of warm hands settle onto my shoulders, making me stiffen up even more from the sudden contact.
"I also heard that massaging can help you prevent soreness. And also- Oh, wow! Are you always this stiff? It feels like I'm touching a wooden mannequin or something."
"Ah, no… I…"
"Hehe, leave it to me. I'll make you relaxed in no time!"
"That's not-! Hina, I'm- Hya!"
'That's not it, Hina. I'm really ticklish, that's why I tensed up.'
At least that's what I wanted to say, but Hina immediately got to work on enthusiastically massaging me, leaving me no chance to explain myself. I have to focus all my attention just to prevent myself from letting out any weird sounds.
…
"There! Now you're all good."
"Haah. Haah."
After what felt like an eternity of torture, Hina finally releases me and I instantly collapse on the desk in front of me, completely exhausted.
"Why… haah… are you… acting so strange, Hina?"
Originally, I meant to word this question better, but by now I don't have the brainpower to put it any more delicately and just ask her straight up.
"Huh? I was strange? So you didn't like my care?"
"Your care? Is that what you were doing?"
"Hm, seems like I should try another approach then."
Hina doesn't seem to be discouraged at all and just begins thinking, like she's just trying to solve some math problem. But I quickly call out to her and ask:
"No, wait. So you were serious about that whole… lo-... lov-... That thing you said yesterday?"
"That I will show you the extent of my love for you, so much so that you won't be able to let go of this life?"
"..."
How can she keep a straight face while saying all sorts of nonsense? I can feel my own face heating up just from listening to her.
"Of course I was serious. I intend to fulfill that promise completely."
"What are you even saying?"
"Ah, should I rephrase it? Then how about I will seduce you and-"
"Stop, stop! That's not what I… So you believe what I said about my previous life and about that game this world is based on?"
"Well, it is a little absurd… But I believe you."
The determination in Hina's eyes fades, replaced by a gentle gaze that makes her trust in me obvious.
Ugh, that kind of look is cheating…
"Really? Even though it's so ridiculous?"
"Hm, I promised that I'll always listen to you. And after thinking about it some more, that does explain a lot of strange details about you. You might have thought that your acting was perfect, but ever since I first met you, I felt that something was off about you and many things you said or did before didn't make much sense either. Like how you sometimes inexplicably knew things, or how you got mesmerized by your own reflection, or even how you proposed to yourself in that weird illusion. Though that last one might have just been a prank by that devil, your reaction made it seem a little more real. And well, there were a lot of other things that she said that make more sense now."
"Ugh… was I really that bad? And if you knew so much already why didn't you call me out?"
"Because it was you? I knew you must have had your circumstances so I didn't want to make things difficult for you. I believed that you would tell me everything one day and well, it turns out I was right. Even if it's more complicated than what I thought it might be."
"W-well, putting that aside for now… If you believe my story, shouldn't you be reacting differently? I mean, this entire world is based on a game so many things are already predetermined. Doesn't that bother you?"
"Hm, that's not really how I see it though. You said before that you, as in Lily, weren't in the game, right? And I was different too, so wouldn't that mean that things can be changed? So I'm not really worried about that part."
"Not worried about that…"
"Ah, right. What should I call you? Lily or Lucy?"
"Well since everyone here knows me as Lucy, it's probably easier to call me that. At least while I'm here."
"Now that's it."
"What is?"
"That right there is what I'm worried about. That some random person I've never met might replace the one I love and you talk about it so casually."
"Hina…"
"What?"
She keeps her tone light, but I can sense her displeasure. And she does seem serious, however there's something about all of this that's been weighing on my mind.
"You might say that you're not worried about things from that game happening in this world, but even with me in Lucy's place, things have more or less followed the game's plot. And after you became my friend Arthur began to act weirdly, which I think was because this world was trying to force the villain role onto him instead."
"Ah. Is that why he acted like that?"
"I think so. But after I became friends with him as well, I think the same thing then also happened with Hugh and Bernard."
"That is disturbing, but why are you bringing that up now?"
"Well… What if you lost the villainess role back then because you became a… love interest instead?"
"Oh."
"Right, so all of this might be just the world influencing you as well. I mean there's not much to love about me anyway, so it's hard to believe anyone would feel that way towards me in the first place. So I think it would be better if you just wait until the real Lucy comes back and everything should return to normal by then."
I try to convince Hina again, but she just doesn't seem affected by my words.
"No."
"N-no?"
"No, I don't believe that. My feelings are my own. Also, I believe in you a lot, so I'd appreciate it if you'd believe me at least a little when I say that I love you, instead of brushing off what I feel so easily."
"Ah, sorry… I didn't mean it like that…"
"Also, what would make you believe that those are my true feelings anyway?"
"Well, that… um…"
"You don't really know, do you? Should I start thinking bigger and show you my affection through even grander gestures? That way it's so out of character for me that there's no way it could be because of some higher influence. Hm, that might not be a bad idea. How about-"
"Ah! N-no, you don't need to…"
"Then there's no problem at all, right?"
Is this really what a Seraphina route is supposed to look like? I feel like I messed up something really badly to have Hina acting like this.
But I guess in her own way, she seems serious about um… pursuing me. However, I still believe that my actions must have somehow put Hina into a capture target role, and the will of this world must have forced her to have feelings like that towards me.
Though she's right that it's rather rude to call all her feelings fake. Even so, I still find it hard to believe that this isn't the case. I mean, why would anyone like someone like me that way? And the game this world is based on was a straight otome game to begin with.
Hm, that must be the case after all. But it's fine, Lucy will come back soon anyway and with her back as the protagonist everything else should go back to how it should be as well. I just have to wait a little longer.
Though if I'm being honest, when I first heard Hina's confession yesterday, I did hesitate a bit… If those were her true feelings, I… I don't know how I'd react to it…
"Oh, did you suddenly become a wind mage?"
"Huh? What?"
"Because you really blow me away."
"..."
"I just remembered that one."
Actually, I probably really messed up something with the plot after all.
***
Seraphina POV
After our study session I excuse myself from Lucy since there are some letters I still need to send and I return to my room.
"..."
I close the door behind me, still wearing that composed expression on my face. I take one step forward before throwing myself onto the bed, completely abandoning all social manners.
"Uwah! So embarrassing! Who says things like that! What is wrong with me?!"
I let out all my pent-up embarrassment and frustration as I roll around on my bed, physically cringing as my mind goes through all the stupid lines I said during my time with Lucy.
"This stupid book! I knew I should have never listened to that old hag!"
I pick up a certain book with the title 'How to win a maiden's heart' that I bought from a certain store and throw it to the ground.
"Ugh, and my stupid mouth too… I don't know how I could say so confidently that I'd 'show her the extent of my love' when I never even thought about things like that at all before. I should just find a hole somewhere and bury myself in it…"
I cover my head with my blanket, wanting to hide from the world and just curl up here.
Honestly, this whole matter of Lucy being from another world, and this world being based on some sort of game, is already difficult to wrap my head around. But I don't have much time to think about that.
The much more important part is that apparently the 'real' Lucy is just in the seal on Lucy's soul, and she'll come back once it's opened. And that idiot wants to just willingly fade away and let go of this life.
That's something I can't accept at all. How is that any different from her dying? And from the way she explained it, it really felt like Lucy feels like she stole the 'real' Lucy's life and she thinks she's just giving it back.
I really want to scold her for thinking like that, but I doubt I could convince her with logic, so I decided to rely on emotions to change her mind instead. I didn't exactly plan on confessing to her, at least not so soon, but I felt like that was the only way Lucy could feel the weight of my words. And well, it's not like I was lying…
It's also why I went to that old hag and got that book, but ugh, based on today's performance, it didn't really get through to her, did it?
Well anyway, that doesn't mean I'm willing to give up! I'll do anything, no matter how embarrassing it is, if it means that Lucy can stay by my side!
As a new wave of determination fills me, I manage to suppress the blush on my face and sit up.
"Ah, right. I still need to take care of those letters."
Once my mind clears, I remember my original goal and quickly get to work so I can get back to spending time with Lucy sooner.
…
In the end I quickly worked through everything I had to and went to the infirmary. If I remember correctly, Lucy should be tending to her flowers.
"Excuse me."
"Ah, it's you."
I open the door, but Miss Julia is the one who greets me instead. She's just leisurely sitting at her table, looking at some papers. She barely glances in my direction before returning to her attention to the documents in her hands.
"Is Lucy at the flower field?"
"Hm."
"Um, isn't that supposed to be the restricted zone so she's not allowed to go there alone?"
"It's still summer break, nobody is going to care about it."
"..."
Isn't that a little too relaxed?
"Then I'll go too."
"Wait."
Just as I turn to leave, Miss Julia suddenly calls out to me and then stands up.
"There's something I want to tell you."
"What is it?"
"Well, first, it's not really my place to ask, but I couldn't help but notice that something is off about Lucy."
"...! Is there really…?"
"Originally, she asked me to care for her precious flowers while she went back to her home with you, but then you two returned much sooner than expected. She also looked really down and sad, do you know anything?"
"Well… it's probably something you should ask Lucy about…"
"Hm, well just when I thought to ask her about it, that look disappeared from her face, and she seems mostly back to normal, though she seems to space out a lot more often. I take it that whatever was bothering her was resolved by you two?"
"I don't know about that…"
"Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for taking care of her."
"Wha…!"
Did this woman really say something nice for a change, or are my ears playing tricks on me?
"But that's not what I wanted to tell you in the first place. My investigation of Lucy's seal is pretty much done. We should get everyone together to discuss the situation soon."
"Ah… yes."
Right… I might not have that much time left to carry out my plans, so I have to hurry up. Though… it's not like that other Lucy will just suddenly take over her body, right?