As Expected, the Golden Sun Was Hiding Her Dolls

As soon as I stepped out of the men's bathroom, a familiar figure caught my eye. It was someone whose image had been burned into my mind with searing intensity over the past few days—someone I couldn't forget no matter how hard I tried.

"Jack!!"

I'd desperately hoped Raul might have been mistaken, but of course this world never flows the way I want it to. The fact that Lucia was waiting right in front of the place I'd fled to avoid her was something I'd already anticipated.

"Classes are over now, so we're supposed to head back to the dorms. My roommate transferred out, so there's an empty spot...?"

For the record, with Fate gone now, I'd also predicted that she'd casually invite me to her room. Originally, Fate and Lucia were meant to share a room, but after Fate's death, Lucia ended up with the space all to herself. It was only natural.

Lucia gets terribly lonely...

It was obvious she'd call me over if only because she was bored, and that's exactly what happened. Everyone else believed Fate had simply transferred schools, so there was no lingering awkwardness about her. In every way, it was the perfect environment for summoning me.

Right. I was trying to run away.

Seeing Lucia brought my original purpose rushing back. I'd planned to slip away quietly during the last class by pretending to visit the bathroom, but running into Raul had distracted me completely. I'd lost all thought of escape and ended up caught without a fight.

Is there any way to get out of this...

Lucia had already spotted me and was charging over. There didn't seem to be any escape at first glance, but I started racking my brain anyway. Going forward meant certain capture. The bathroom behind me offered temporary shelter, but I couldn't stay trapped in there forever. Still, if I went to Lucia's dorm, who knew what she'd do to me. Maybe hiding in the safe confines of the bathroom was the smarter choice...

"Whoa!"

Suddenly, something shoved me hard from behind. I spun around to find the culprit was none other than Raul. When I stared at him with pure betrayal written across my face, he simply snorted and waved goodbye, as if wishing me luck. You rotten bastard. One day I'll pay you back by smacking the back of your head so hard it rings.

"Hehe."

I didn't have time to dwell on my grudge. In the next instant, Lucia had sprinted over and thrown herself into my arms. She'd been burying her face in my chest and nuzzling more and more often lately, and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠every single time it left me mortified beyond words.

"Let go of me...!"

I pushed with everything I had, but her grip was several times stronger than mine. I couldn't shake her off. I was nothing more than a tiny insect caught in a Venus flytrap, waiting helplessly to be digested.

"No thanks. What are ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you going to do if I don't let go?"

I struggled and shoved with all my might, but Lucia didn't budge. Faced with her fortress-like embrace, I eventually gave up resisting and let my body go limp.

"There we go. Good boy."

Lucia kept her face buried against my chest for a long moment before finally lifting her head. She grabbed my sleeve and began dragging me off somewhere.

"Perfect! Shall we head to the dorm now?"

...Somebody please save me.

***

"Who are those two? The semester barely started and they're already bringing a guy into the girls' dorm..."

"Seriously. Hasn't even been a full week yet."

No. It's not what you think. It's not that kind of relationship at all.

Logically speaking, I was being dragged along like livestock to the slaughterhouse. How on earth did this look like a couple to anyone? If someone saw it that way, they needed to get their eyes checked immediately.

Stop whispering and help me, damn it!

Did they even realize I was nothing more than a helpless victim? Even if I wanted to call for help, my sleeve was gripped so tightly I couldn't break free. And shouting for assistance would only invite worse consequences later.

"Hehe. We're here."

Lost in my racing thoughts, I suddenly realized we'd arrived at the dorm entrance I'd visited once before. Lucia parked me in place, pulled out a key, and started unlocking the door.

Nothing bad would happen just from stepping inside... right? These days, dealing with Lucia felt more exhausting than any episode. I prayed desperately that no additional hardships awaited me here.

Click!

The door swung open wide, and at the same time, noisy voices drifted out from the dormitory.

"Wow... look at that. He's really going in."

"If they're going that far, why not just get a room? Why act like this out here?"

"I knew it. They were glued together at the academy all the time..."

This was completely insane. Was a guy entering the girls' dorm once really something to cause this much commotion? After a few days of getting to know each other, visiting someone's room should feel perfectly normal! Why were their minds jumping straight to that?

"...."

It seemed the whispering from behind had irritated Lucia as well. She whipped around, strode out of her room with purposeful steps, and grabbed my sleeve again.

Yes, you hate those baseless rumors too, right? Let's clear this up togeth—

"Hey, you vixens."

...What are you doing?

I thought I needed to cover her mouth immediately and moved toward her, but Lucia was faster.

"This guy is mine, so if any of you so ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠much as touch him, prepare to get beaten half to death. Understood?"

I'm really going to lose my mind.

The dormitory hallway, which had been buzzing with whispering students, fell deathly silent as if someone had dumped ice water over everything. Lucia's explosive declaration had done its job.

"And whatever we do inside is none of your business, so why don't you all mind your own? He's just visiting, that's all."

With that, Lucia turned away with a huff, dragged me into the room, and slammed the door shut. The bang was loud enough to suggest she hadn't held back any of her anger. I made a mental note to check the wall for cracks later.

"...Hmm? Did you clean up?"

Still slightly intimidated by Lucia's strength, I cautiously stepped further into the room. The atmosphere felt somewhat different from before. Last time it had been overwhelmingly girly, packed with cute decorations everywhere. Now only a few simple pieces of furniture remained.

The one thing that hadn't changed much was the cute teddy bear with visible stitch marks.

"Haa... Excuse me for a moment..."

Just seeing the bed made all the tension drain from my body. I sat down carefully. Oh, it was comfortable. I hadn't noticed before because I'd been too distracted by Fate and Grayson, but this mattress was incredibly soft.

Lost in the pleasant sensation, I glanced around and found Lucia sitting on what used to be Fate's bed, watching me with a thoroughly satisfied expression. Only then did I realize I was sitting on Lucia's bed.

"Ah, right. This is your bed, isn't it, Lucia? Then I'll move over to—"

I'd spoken thinking it might be uncomfortable for her, but Lucia waved her hands dismissively.

"No! Keep using that one! You can even lie down if you want!"

Meanwhile, she was rolling around on Fate's now-ownerless bed as if she owned the place. She looked utterly at peace with the world. The dorm assignments would be reorganized according to our classes soon. Might as well enjoy it while you can, you enviable bastard.

"By the way, where did all the dolls and cute things go? They were nice to look at."

Now that I'd relaxed a little, I looked around and asked. Lucia flinched visibly and began avoiding my gaze.

"I-I don't knooow...?"

Her unnatural tone and awkward smile were dead giveaways. She must have hidden them somewhere out of embarrassment about her taste in cute things. The fact that she was even whistling nonchalantly on top of it was almost impressive. It was so obvious she was acting—completely different from the flawless performances she'd shown me before.

Either this is also an act, or everything she's shown me until now wasn't acting. One of the two.

If it was the former, then I was standing in front of a truly terrifying person. If it was the latter... well, that would mean she genuinely liked me.

...No way.

I shook my head, refusing to believe it, but evidence supporting the latter theory was already flooding my mind. The little actions, the way the distance between us had grown much closer lately, all those words that unnecessarily made my heart flutter.

Honestly, I'd rather it not be true.

If I asked myself whether I could accept Lucia's feelings if they were sincere, I honestly didn't know the answer. As I'd said before, I despised people who engaged in NTR or affairs. I believed such people could easily commit the same acts again without hesitation later.

Lucia had only targeted Heidi's lover, but she already had multiple precedents. So to avoid complicating things...

It would have been better if she'd just stayed as trash. Why did she have to confuse me like this and shake up my heart?

If only she'd taken the shock and wounds from being cursed at like a noble lady to heart and lost all interest in me. Then I wouldn't have to deal with any of this agonizing.

The fact that I don't actually hate it makes me even angrier.

If I truly hated her, that would be one thing. No—at first I definitely did hate her. But lately I've been developing feelings without realizing it. I keep finding myself paying attention to her.

The desire for her attention and the wish that she'd stop paying attention to me. Feeling these two contradictory emotions at once, I opened the cupboard in search of a simple snack to ease my frustration.

"Eek! Eeeeek!!"

"...Why are these in here, Lucia?"

Inside were the cute dolls, hidden away as if to shatter my complicated thoughts. I deliberately shifted my gaze and attention toward them, speaking in a perfectly natural voice as though I had no worries at all.

"Did you hide them because you were embarrassed to show me?"

Even as I spoke, every time our eyes met, my thighs tingled faintly. Only then did the realization truly sink in: not only had I been subjected to Lemon's training, but now I'd graduated to thigh training as well.

That's why, even though I knew I was gradually coming to like her, I refused to acknowledge it. This kind of woman wasn't what I wanted. It definitely shouldn't be.

"Ugh... ugh..."

...Why did she have to be so annoyingly cute while I was wrestling with these thoughts? You damn Golden Sun ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bitch.