Lucy X Lumi (2)
"...."
"Ah, here... have this."
Lumi—no, Lucy—held out the drink she'd bought herself. As I took it, I studied her face closely. Once I started thinking of her as Lucy, my head got it, but no matter how I looked, she didn't seem like Lucy at all. From the size of her breasts to the shape of her eyes, her nose bridge, her lips, even her earlobes—everything was identical.
Even in a game world, they made them this identical.
With my Memory Supplementation Ability, even I couldn't tell the difference. That said it all. Sure, it was possible in a game world, but that wasn't what mattered to me right now.
What did matter was why Lucy was doing this—and how I could make the most of the opportunity.
I slowly scanned her up and down. This could be the chance to push forward her strategy progress, which had stalled out ambiguously.
A quick glance at my watch showed 11:30. The hospital room was too unpredictable—who knew who might barge in?—so heading out was the smart move.
"Hmm... it's about lunchtime. Wanna grab lunch instead of dinner?"
"Y-Yes? Um... sure, but... what about the Lucy talk...?"
"We can do it over food. What else do we have to talk about besides Lucy, anyway?"
"...Y-Yeah. Okay."
Lucy nodded, clearly intrigued by my words. We didn't only talk about Lucy, but under Lumi's lead, we spent at least two hours praising her every time—so it wasn't exactly a lie.
"Alright, let's go."
"O-Okay!"
I quickly got an outpatient pass and slipped out of the hospital. Iron Blood Hospital was massive with tons of foot traffic, so there were plenty of eateries nearby. I walked a bit to find a quiet place with private rooms.
"Hey, isn't that the café we went to with Lucy last time?"
"I remember. It was delicious..."
Matching my pace to Lucy's slower steps, we strolled until we found a serene restaurant. Inside, I led her to a quiet private room.
Once our food arrived, we dug in and started chatting.
"Mmm, this is really good. Right?"
"Yes... it really is..."
*Nom nom nom.* I watched her slowly sip her soup.
"Once Lucy's better, let's come back together."
"...Should we?"
"Yeah. Every time we hit a good spot, I think of Lucy."
"Ahaha..."
Lucy awkwardly stuck her spoon in her mouth at the mention of her own name. The mood was great, of course. No reason it wouldn't be—things had always been good between Lucy and me.
Which made this even more of a problem. Our relationship hadn't soured, so why had she dolled herself up like Lumi?
I had no clue. Without a status window, I couldn't read her thoughts or figure out what dilemma had led to this. No hints at all.
Maybe I'm just not skilled enough.
It probably wouldn't happen, but if my status window suddenly vanished, could I even keep the harem together?
Think straight. This was a trial—and an opportunity.
Why had Lucy shown up as Lumi? She wouldn't spill it herself, so I'd have to draw it out with my own skills.
"This is a flavor Lucy would love."
"...Yes. It is."
As we enjoyed the sweet dessert after the meal, I kept bringing up Lucy on purpose. It was working—every time her name came up, I caught a flicker of again? in her reaction.
Lumi never reacted like that. I'd definitely planted the idea that we talked about Lucy all the time.
"This ice cream tastes like the stuff we ate as kids."
"Right. I loved it back then too."
"...What were you like as a kid, Lumi? You always said you're who you are today because of Lucy."
Lumi had never said anything like that, of course. I tossed it out based on the original game's backstory—I knew their history roughly.
"Ah... um, yeah. Lucy... she worked really hard for me."
"What kind of hard?"
"She got part-time jobs for me, protected me from bullies..."
Lumi—no, Lucy's face gradually flushed. Talking up her own good deeds must have been embarrassing.
She seemed reluctant to go on, so I jumped in.
"So Lumi must trust Lucy completely, huh?"
"Yes. Totally."
"And Lucy feels the same about Lumi, right?"
"Of course. Absolute trust. No question."
*Nod nod.* I nearly burst out laughing at how vigorously she nodded. That had been a bit obvious.
Keeping a straight face, I feigned regret.
"Then why hasn't it worked out...? Is it me?"
"Huh?"
"I mean the three of us hanging out. You said you and Lucy were like one mind—you could convince her no problem. That she'd never say no to you. But it hasn't panned out, so yeah... must be me."
Her pupils trembled the instant she heard that.
"N-No, it's not... not like that. It can't be you, Ho-yeon. Probably me..."
"Your problem, Lumi?"
"No, uh... Lucy's... the problem."
Cute reaction. She looked totally confused about how to respond. Well, I'd steered her there on purpose.
"Lucy? Didn't you say there's no way Lucy's the problem? What's wrong with her?"
"Uh... um, well..."
Watching her fluster, I reflected. Her acting was near-perfect, honestly. Sure, they looked identical on the outside—but speech patterns were hard to fake.
Lucy normally had a higher-pitched voice, talked a ton, and used casual speech with me. Yet throughout the meal, she'd nailed Lumi's opposite style without a single slip.
Even for close twins, was that possible? Everyone has their verbal habits, and hiding them isn't easy.
A natural thought bubbled up: maybe this was Lucy's real personality.
The game's lore didn't detail the twins' past much, but they had a tough childhood, with Lucy protecting Lumi as the big sister. Had that changed Lucy's personality?
I tucked the idea away for now and put on an apologetic face.
"Sorry. I don't mean to blame you two. If it came off that way, my bad."
"No, no! It's not like that at all!"
Lucy waved her head and hands frantically. Not fully satisfying, but I'd learned something: she didn't hate me or Lumi.
She still liked us. But something was holding her back. To uncover it, I'd need a stronger push.
"Ready to head out?"
"Yeah. I'll walk you back to the hospital."
"Nah, motel time."
"...Huh?"
"We had a deal. Dinner, then motel. You didn't forget, did you?"
"N-No, but... I'm worried about you, Ho-yeon. You're still a patient..."
"Psh, I'm fine. Full of energy."
I flexed and twisted to show off, and bewilderment crossed her face.
"B-But... shouldn't you rest...?"
"Lumi, you promised you'd keep it this time. Breaking it again today?"
No such promise existed, but I pressed anyway, adding a hint of disappointment. Lucy, who adored Lumi, couldn't refuse.
"......Let's go."
*Thump-thump.*
Lucy's head felt stuffed with clouds from this first-time experience. The room was middling—not too small, not huge. A big TV sat there, towels neatly folded. The upscale motel even had a cleaning magic circle.
Coming here alone with a guy was uncharted territory. And he thought she was her sister Lumi.
*Shhhh—*
While Lee Ho-yeon showered, Lucy perched on the bed, clutching her head in turmoil.
I should just tell him the truth. But... is now the time? What do I do?
Too late, really. She'd let the mood carry her here, but the conversation flow left no room for refusal. She didn't even know what "deal" he'd made with Lumi—blurting "It's me, Lucy!" right after his offer would sound insane.
She cursed herself for not anticipating this, despite knowing about Lumi and Ho-yeon's relationship.
Of course, it was all Ho-yeon's plan.
As Lucy agonized over her next move, Ho-yeon emerged from the shower.
"Lumi, you're all ready, huh?"
With just a towel around his privates, he eyed her on the bed. Lucy had wrapped herself tightly in the motel's robe, but her protruding breasts still asserted themselves.
Yeah, it shows here.
Ho-yeon smirked inwardly at the sight. Her awkward scan of the room screamed "first time at a motel."
"Y-Yeah. The cleaning magic..."
She couldn't even look straight at his towel-clad form, sneaking peeks cautiously.
"Yeah, yeah. C'mere."
Having plotted in the shower, Ho-yeon took her hand and pulled her body against his chest.
*Poof.*
The robe muffled it, but her soft skin pressed through unchanged.
"Ah... ahh..."
His hands slowly roamed her body. Her face burned like fire at the rapid pace; tension gripped her as she clenched her fists.
His bare upper body—privates barely covered—was too much stimulation for inexperienced Lucy.
Every touch on her breasts and stomach sent electric shocks through her. Unable to hold back, she grabbed his arm tight.
"H-Ho-yeon... d-don't we need... preparation or something? J-Just a sec..."
"Oh, right. Got it."
Her tension radiated to him. Her deep breaths—whoosh-whoosh—were obvious to anyone.
He paused, pondering her next move.
How's she gonna play this?
From her side, confessing now was too late. Sex felt iffy, refusal awkward. Her only out was if he stopped and left... but no need.
What Lucy lacked was that final push to max affection to 100. Sex might be it.
It fit the board he'd set—no reason to dodge.
But better if she reveals herself first.
Sex as Lumi meant nothing for conquering Lucy. He'd have to expose the truth—ideally dramatically.
He glanced over. Lucy still had her eyes shut, breathing deeply.
"Lumi, how long you gonna prepare?"
"H-Huh? Uh..."
She jolted at her name, eyes snapping open, trembling like a herbivore.
"If you're ready, do it like usual?"
Normally with Lumi, it'd start with a blowjob for prep, but he wouldn't push that on tense Lucy. Something else instead.
"L-Like usual...?"
"Yeah. Beg me to put it in."
Her face flushed crimson in an instant.