First Date With Yupi (1)
Morning had broken.
Once I finished getting ready, I opened the front door and stepped outside.
The weather's perfect.
The moment my foot hit the ground, warm sunshine greeted me. A crisp breeze, a sky without a single cloud, comfortable temperatures. If I had to sum it up in one word: flawless. Days this perfect for a stroll were hard to come by.
It had that feeling, you know — like nothing could go wrong today.
I set off toward our meeting spot. My steps were light as feathers, and I reached downtown in no time.
"Over here!"
Yupi, who'd been waiting by the fountain in the middle of town, spotted me and waved with a beaming smile.
"You're thirty minutes early, though. And you got here before me anyway."
"Speak for yourself. Didn't you come out way too early?"
"I was planning to arrive first and surprise you, but you beat me to the punch."
We still had time before we were technically supposed to meet, yet both of us had arrived early enough to come face to face. Which meant one thing — we'd both been counting down to this moment.
"Shall we stop by the clothing store first, then? Is that all right with you?"
"S-sure, let's do that."
"Would you care to take my hand?"
I extended my hand toward Yupi.
We were lovers now, but this was our first date. Some people are sensitive about physical contact, so I asked for her permission first.
Instead of answering, Yupi simply reached her hand out toward me.
I smiled and took it.
We wandered through the streets. Our destination was a nearby department store, where we planned to pick out some new clothes first.
"Hey, look. Isn't that Instructor Yupi over there?"
"Wait — that guy next to her. Isn't that the kid from Class A?"
"The two of them are holding hands? Where are they going?"
Attention. Students out enjoying their day in town turned to look at us.
A student and an instructor — a master and disciple walking hand in hand down the street was such an unusual sight that they all began whispering about us.
"Ugh..."
Yupi groaned, squeezing her eyes shut. The students' stares were weighing on her.
Yupi wanted to remain an idol in the eyes of the world. She practiced warm acts of virtue, and just as faithfully, she poured meticulous effort into maintaining her image.
She believed it was the legacy only she — not the Sitrin name — could leave behind.
No matter how consensual our relationship was, the age gap between us was glaring. Compared to the debauchery the nobles of this world indulged in, it was cute, really — but for a woman who'd lived her whole life with honor, her conscience pricked at her.
There was only one thing for me to do here.
Squeeze!
"Don't worry about what anyone else thinks. Come on, let's go."
Here, the person closest to her — me — would be her strength.
I broadcast loud and clear that hey, there's a guy out there who thinks as long as her face is pretty, it doesn't matter if she's fifty or hundreds of years old.
"Th-thank you."
When the person beside you believes in you, it becomes an enormous source of strength. I knew that better than anyone.
Yupi tightened her grip on my hand, and we walked on.
"Welcome, honored guests. How may I help you?"
The moment we arrived at the store, an employee greeted us with a fresh, bright smile.
I spread my palm and gestured toward Yupi.
"We're here to buy clothes. I'd like to order something that would suit her, so please guide us to the women's section."
"Understood. Right this way, please."
Following the staff, we arrived at a display packed floor to ceiling with women's clothing.
As expected, the types of clothing here aren't that different from the world I came from.
Which meant I could absolutely pick out the perfect outfit for her.
"This is troubling. I have no idea what to wear."
Accustomed to nothing but her perverted usual getup — a leotard with bikini armor layered over it — Yupi found herself frozen before the wide variety of clothes in a proper apparel shop, unable to decide on anything.
Well, she was in her fifties, and she'd spent her entire life on the battlefield. No wonder even picking out an ordinary piece of clothing felt foreign and difficult to her.
This is exactly why I brought her here.
Originally, Yupi had civilian clothes she wore when going out, and she'd wanted to wear those. Only after I desperately persuaded her to let me shop with her did I manage to drag her out in the very outfit she had on now.
I'd only seen it once, but her fashion sense was catastrophic. If I wanted to avoid a repeat of the disaster from practical training, this was the better option.
"If it's too hard, I can pick for you."
"N-no! Something like this is my job to—"
"Leave it to me. I won't disappoint you."
She was wearing that same outfit she always had on at the academy.
Because of the curse on her equipment, taking the armor off was impossible. But layering clothes over it — like that bikini armor of hers — would let us create a perfectly charming look.
A long, wide skirt for the bottom... and for the top, maybe a knit sweater with a coat draped over the shoulders?
"Let's take it one step at a time. Would you like to try this set on like so?"
I picked out several outfits that would suit her and handed them over.
Yupi carried the clothes I'd chosen into the fitting room.
Since she didn't need to go through the trouble of actually undressing, she changed in a flash and stepped back out.
"So... how is it?"
"It suits you beautifully."
A caramel-colored coat draped over her shoulders. Beneath it, a beige turtleneck knit and a long black pleated skirt.
Pair that with some long boots and the look is complete.
The coat concealed the pauldrons jutting from her shoulders, and since I'd chosen the other pieces loose-fitting, they hid every awkward protrusion of her armor.
Looking closely, there were still unnatural spots here and there, but within the limits of this situation, her equipment was hidden as well as it could possibly be.
I need to take action so she can get out of that uncomfortable gear as soon as possible.
Yupi's armor coming off was a Part 2 event. It only happened after she obtained that item mid-dungeon, as if by fate.
Playing it by the book meant waiting at least a year — so I fully intended to use whatever shortcuts necessary to get it in her hands as quickly as possible.
"What do you think?"
"Solid. It really suits you."
"Th-thank you."
I clapped my hands and praised her beauty. Clothes really do make the woman, as they say. The bikini armor and leotard weren't bad either, but that was entirely thanks to their sky-high exposure level.
Setting aside the sex appeal, this outfit actually had the effect of bringing out her natural beauty even more.
"Then let's go with this one."
"Are you sure? I think it'd be fine to try on a few more before deciding."
"This is the first outfit you ever picked out for me, Solis. I want to treasure it."
Yupi dropped her gaze, her face flushed. Covering her mouth with both hands, cheeks glowing red, she looked bashful — the exact opposite of her usual confident swagger.
"Understood. If that's what you'd like, Instructor, then next time you can buy mine."
Since I'd picked out her clothes, I was next.
I didn't have any proper clothes outside my uniform either, so I decided to shop here too.
"Ah, right. May I ask one small favor?"
"What is it? Speak your mind."
"We're lovers now — how about we change how we address each other? 'Student Solis' feels a bit stiff."
"I-is that so?"
"Just call me Solis. And instead of 'Instructor,' I'll call you... Yupi-noona."
"N-n-n-noona!"
Yupi's face, already flushed, turned the shade of a ripe red apple.
She panted heavily, at a complete loss for what to do. She seemed to be trying her hardest to keep her composure, but she couldn't hide the smile blooming at the corners of her mouth.
"All right. Let's do that."
"Looking forward to it, Yupi-noona."
"Hrk—!"
Had I hit her sweet spot or something?
One word — noona — and Yupi completely lost her mind.
It was what she'd been called back in her youth. She'd thought she'd never hear it again at her age — and now that I'd brought it out, she was over the moon.
To think a single word could capture a woman's heart.
Easy. Way too easy.
"I'll buy my clothes too. Could you show us to the men's section?"
"Of course."
I needed to hurry and spruce myself up with some new clothes as well.
My date with Yupi was an event I'd been eagerly awaiting too.
No time to waste. Once I was ready, I planned to enjoy every second of it.
Evening, after the sun had set.
In the hour when the stars and moon lit up the night sky, the glow of a café made its surroundings shine all the brighter. People escaped the cold breeze and sipped their drinks inside the warm building, smiles of contentment on their faces.
"Open wide, Eva. Here you go."
"Mm... mm!"
Eva and Chloe, enjoying their time together.
It was late evening, nearing curfew, and the two of them were chatting pleasantly in the café, taking it easy.
It was Chloe's thoughtful consideration for Eva, who found crowds overwhelming, that had them tucked away in a quiet corner, barely visible.
This is nice.
Chloe had barely managed to persuade Eva — who spent all her time at home gaming — to come outside.
It was only an hour or two, but Chloe knew that Eva had gone out of her way to muster her courage just for her. That alone was more than enough to satisfy her.
Chloe wished this moment could last forever.
But soon would come closing time.
Fun time was over.
"Time to get up and go now."
"O-okay."
The two cleaned up their trash, tidied their seats, and left the shop. The crisp breeze brushed across their foreheads, clearing the path ahead of them.
"So, Eva? Being outside isn't so bad, right?"
"Th-th-that's true. Still, having people around is a little... s-scary, I guess."
"Next time I'll find an even quieter hour, so just leave it to me."
I'll use the Opal family's influence if I have to — I'll carve out a place that's just for you.
At her trustworthy words, Eva gave an awkward little smile.
"Th-thank you. But more than that, we're heading home now, right? Hehe, I want to hurry back and play my game..."
Argh!
You're telling me games still outrank me in your priorities?!
Chloe took a wound to the heart from Eva's mumble. It made all her effort feel like it had been for nothing.
No, Chloe. This is just the first time. Get it together.
But she didn't give up.
She would drag Eva out of that internet world and keep her by her side — no matter what.
It was for the sake of the girl she loved, and it was also the mission entrusted to her by Eva's mother, Petra Amethyst.
Was there anything that might actually catch Eva's interest?
Chloe sank deep into thought.
That was when it happened.
"...Chloe."
"Yes, Eva? What is it?"
"O-o-over there!?"
Eva suddenly pointed ahead, her hand trembling. Her eyes were brimming with confusion.
"Over there? What is it?"
Thinking it might be an enemy, I — wait, no, thinking it might be an enemy, Chloe rested her hand on the hilt of the sword at her hip, but this was the academy grounds. There shouldn't be anything dangerous here, so she calmly followed the line of Eva's finger and looked.
"Isn't that the instructor?"
There was Yupi, walking along.
Dressed to the nines, she strolled side by side with a man, arm in arm.
Chloe saw through the man's identity in an instant.
Solis!
She'd heard from the woman herself that Yupi was dating him, but seeing it in person was a considerable shock.
So this was how tenderly the two of them went out together.
It was only for a moment, but she was almost jealous.
"C-c-c-chloe, over there! That's — that's where I know it's going, right?"
"Huh... you've got to be kidding me."
But the truly shocking thing was something else entirely.
The destination of their footsteps was none other than a high-rise building blazing with gaudy neon signs — a place that exuded a dreamy yet somehow decadent atmosphere.
A love hotel.