Best Friends
Well, yes. Come to think of it, this was only natural. My opponent was none other than Yujin. There was no way a model student like him would abuse a debt to do that kind of thing.
I had known it from the start. That's why I gave him the wish coupon in the first place. I had absolute faith that Yujin wouldn't do anything weird. Even if I egged him on, saying I'd grant him anything, I knew he would ask for something modest and trivial that wouldn't burden me. And indeed, he did.
But you know... maybe, deep down, I had been looking forward to it. The wish coupon I handed to Yujin under the guise of repaying a debt. It wasn't a joke or empty words; I had handed him my leash with the genuine intention of doing anything he asked.
For example, if Yujin had asked to do it just once, I would have let him. If he told me to crawl on the floor, I would have crawled. If he told me to lick his feet, I would have licked them. If he told me to obey him for the rest of my life, I would have gladly become his slave.
The wish was absolute. At least, it was to me. It was the product of my—Lucia's—desires. The urge to be dominated. The craving to be broken. That's why, deep down, I had hoped to be 'used' by Yujin. Yes, just like Frey had done to me. Just like when I became a toy for her to unleash her sadism. I wanted to be a tool used at his whim.
Even though I knew Yujin would never do such a thing, I had been secretly wishing for it. That's why I got so worked up the moment he showed even a hint of hesitation. He was probably just too embarrassed to speak. Somehow, I felt pathetic. No, I was pathetic. Hmph, whatever. I'm not the one at fault here. It's all Yujin's fault.
After Lucia went out of her way to say she'd 'grant any wish,' the best he could come up with was being friends? "Be my friend"? It was classic Yujin. I could guess his intention. It probably meant, "Let's get along from now on." To be honest, we weren't even that close. We were in the same class but never interacted, and we only spoke for the first time during the practical training. We knew each other, but we couldn't be called close. No matter how much you sugarcoated it, that was the extent of our relationship.
Well, fine. Objectively speaking, it's a decent wish. I can make use of this in its own way. If I get closer to Yujin, I can interfere more actively in Aris's love life, right? I'll be able to push them together much more dynamically.
Besides, if Yujin had actually made that kind of wish, and we ended up becoming too intimate, that would be a whole different problem, wouldn't it? There's no way I'd fall for Yujin. I have no interest in loving men. I want to be 'used' by Yujin, but I have absolutely no desire to make love with him. But what if Yujin fell for me? Just imagining it gives me a headache. Though, considering how single-mindedly devoted Yujin was to Aris in the novel, it's a completely groundless worry.
Aris, backed by the little sister buff, is invincible. She's practically standing right in front of an open goal. Just a tiny, tiny nudge, and it's a goal. In many ways, it's a safe wish. Considering the future, it's not a bad outcome. ...Still. I'm a little unsatisfied. Making me squirm with anticipation like that, only to ask to be friends...? Hmph, so that's how you want to play it? If you get teased, you have to pay it back in full. I'm going to tease him right back!
"Yujin."
I stopped my busy acupressure. Letting go of Yujin's right hand, which I had been massaging, I spoke in a dry, flat voice.
"I'm disappointed."
At that quiet remark, Yujin's pupils shook violently. They trembled aimlessly like a tiny boat caught in a tempest.
"Th-that... s-sorry. Was it offensive after all? Saying something like that all of a sudden..."
"Yes. It's offensive. Extremely offensive."
With each word I added, Yujin's gaze sank lower. His flushed face turned pale. He fidgeted with his fingers, his shoulders slumping. Hehe, it's too late to regret it now. You missed your chance, Yujin. You could have been my master instead of just a friend, but you kicked that opportunity away yourself. Please understand and humbly accept this little bit of spite.
"...?"
But why does he look so terrified? His breathing is ragged, and his expression has frozen as if he's about to cry. Huh? Was my reaction really that shocking? I only said a few words. His face, which had been excessively flushed just moments ago, was now excessively pale. The contrast between the two extremes was stark. Yujin looked absolutely petrified now. Though his head was lowered, making it hard to see clearly, it was easy to tell he was deeply shocked.
Strange. I thought he'd just be a little flustered. His reaction is so severe that I'm the one getting flustered instead. ...Did I go too far? Is that it? ...Well, yeah, I suppose. No matter how absolute a wish is, who would suddenly make that kind of wish? Especially when we aren't even close yet and are only just getting to know each other. Making a wish like that would easily ruin a relationship. Yujin's wish was actually the sensible one. Fine, I'll stop teasing. Don't look like you're about to cry. It makes me feel like I'm being horribly mean.
"Yujin."
I reached out and grabbed Yujin's shoulders. Then, dropping my stern act, I spoke in a melancholy voice.
"Weren't we already friends?"
"...Huh?"
Yujin looked up. Meeting his blue eyes, I put on a sullen expression.
"How cruel. Was I the only one who thought we were friends? You didn't think of me as a friend at all..."
"Ah? No, that's not it...!"
"To you, I was just a classmate..."
"No! I-I just! I wanted to get closer to you...!"
Yujin stumbled over his words, completely tongue-tied. Seeing him like this, he really is a match made in heaven for Aris. They act exactly the same. But while it's cute when Aris does it, it's just pathetic when you do it, you know?
"Pfft, I'm just kidding."
As I burst into a sly laugh, Yujin finally realized it was a joke and let out a hollow, exhausted sigh.
"Sorry. Your reaction was just too funny to resist."
"...No. Now that I think about it, you're right. We... w-were already friends."
"Exactly. What else would we be if not friends?"
"..."
Though who knows what will happen in the future. No one can say whether a friend will become an older brother, and an older brother will become a master.
"Unfortunately, you can't change your wish. Just like spilled water can't be gathered back up. I have officially accepted your wish to be friends."
Even if I gave the wish coupon back, Yujin would only ask for something trivial anyway. In that case, I'd rather twist the wish he already made and use it in the direction I want.
"But since we're already friends, I'm going to tweak the wish just a little bit. That's fine, right?"
"I mean, it's fine, but... what part are you tweaking?"
"It's simple."
I took my hands off his shoulders and grabbed his hands again. Yujin's palms were drenched in sweat. Why on earth was he sweating so much? Holding his hands tightly, I interlaced our fingers just like I had done with Frey. Locking our fingers so he couldn't easily pull away, I smiled brightly and declared,
"Be my best friend."
"...?!"
"That's my tweak. Just being regular friends is a bit disappointing, isn't it? We've saved each other's lives once already. The only reason we're standing here safely is because we had each other. In other words, we owe our lives to one another. I think ordinary friends is a bit too plain."
I could confidently say Aris and I were best friends. Although we hadn't known each other long, Aris liked me, and I liked her too. Honestly, to the point where I felt reluctant to hand her over to Yujin. So now, it was time to get close to Yujin. I had to be close to him first to interfere in their romance, right? If some random acquaintance started meddling, it would just be annoying and unpleasant. But if it's a best friend, that's a whole different story!
"What do you think? Are you going to settle for being just ordinary friends with me, Yujin?"
"...No."
Color returned to Yujin's face. He steadied his trembling gaze and put on a resolute expression. However, his voice was still shaking slightly.
"I want to have a deeper relationship with you too, Lucia. More than just ordinary friends."
"Hehe, I'm glad. We were thinking the same thing."
"I don't know you very well yet. So, I want to get to know you from now on."
"Yep, I'll let you know everything."
I already know everything about Yujin. Because I read the novel. I probably understand Yujin better than he understands himself. But Yujin doesn't know me. He doesn't know Lucia. I'll teach you step by step from now on, Mr. Protagonist. Until the day you can drop the 'pro' from 'protagonist' and become my 'master'.
"Because we're best friends."
"...Yeah."
There was still a pretty big distance between us to call ourselves best friends, but we were best friends anyway. Because we were going to get close from now on! Yujin was a guy who gave his heart easily. Getting close to him was simple. There was nothing to it. Just approach him first and act friendly. Well then, to celebrate becoming best friends, let's help Yujin out a bit more. His face was still beet red. He must have a really bad case of indigestion.
"Yujin, can you turn around for a second?"
"Huh? Like this?"
When I released our interlaced fingers, Yujin obediently followed my instructions. He spun his body around. Finding the posture uncomfortable, he took off his shoes and climbed onto the bed mattress to sit. After loosening up my wrists, I approached Yujin's back. And without warning, I hugged him from behind.
"...?!"
Yujin let out a silent scream. I couldn't see his face to confirm, but he was definitely screaming silently. Letting out only a wheezing gasp, Yujin spoke in a trembling voice.
"Lu-Lucia?!"
"Stay still. Straighten your back. There, good boy."
I placed both hands on Yujin's abdomen. I slowly stroked it. Moving my hands from his lower belly to his ribs, I pressed down firmly. I wanted to take his shirt off, but I held back, thinking that would be crossing the line. It would be just as effective through his clothes anyway.
"I'll massage your stomach. Stimulating this area will help with your indigestion."
My chest was pressed against Yujin's back, making it a bit hard to breathe, but I didn't show it. The sensation of my breasts being squished like pudding wasn't entirely unpleasant, after all. Just like when I pressed his thumb and index finger, I calmly massaged Yujin's stomach. Touching him directly like this made me realize it physically. Yujin's body was incredibly sturdy. It wasn't muscle built for show, but muscles forged for actual combat. Lucia's body was also toned and firm without an ounce of fat, but it couldn't compare to Yujin's. Somehow, I felt a sense of defeat as a man... Ah, right, I'm not a man anymore.
"How is it? Feeling any better?"
"..."
Yujin didn't answer. He merely nodded silently to show his response. I'm glad if it's working. Then I'll keep massaging him until lunch is over. He should be completely cured by then, right?