Lapis Julie (1)
“What a ridiculously small room. It suits you perfectly, Sunbae.”
Those were the first words out of her mouth the moment she opened the door and glanced around. Her voice and tone were just cold—nothing more—but they had this power to make anyone listening shrink back for no reason at all. To Lapis Julie, though, a jab like that was as casual as a greeting. Knowing that, I let the irritating comment slide right off me like water.
“This was the only room left. So, why are you here?”
“I heard your precious cheap penthouse—that you squeezed every last penny out of to buy—got totally wrecked. I came to see what kind of face you'd make. Got a problem with that?”
“......So, now that you've seen it, what do you think?”
“You look better than I expected. I was hoping to find you staring blankly at the ceiling with dead-fish eyes. Color me disappointed.”
With that, Lapis Julie kicked off her shoes without asking and strode right into my quarters like she owned the place. She plopped down on my bed as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Running her palm softly over the blanket I'd been under just five minutes ago, she added some pointless commentary: “This blanket suits you too, Sunbae. Stained and filthy. Makes me want to clean it all up for you.”
If this were the old days, the mere fact that Lapis Julie was in my room would've stressed me out enough to grimace. But now that I knew she harbored feelings for me akin to love, I could afford to stay relaxed.
“By the way, Sunbae, why do you seem so chill today? Your precious home just got blown away, and here I am, your team leader, sitting on your bed unannounced.”
What the fuck? How'd she know?
Lapis Julie had picked up on my subtle shift in demeanor in an instant. Well, sharp observation and insight were among the top virtues prized by the Julie family, so of course she'd notice a change in my attitude right away.
Best to play dumb. No point inviting trouble.
“Huh? Me? Nah, I'm the same as always.”
“No. You're not. The usual you is warier, more anxious, always peeking at me from the corner of your eye.”
......She's not wrong.
How closely had she been watching me to clock my first relaxed moment like that? Did she like me that much?
Even thinking about it now, it was hard to believe Lapis Julie had special feelings for me. We'd known each other for seven years already, though there'd been a four-year gap in between.
True to her roots in the prestigious Julie family—rivaling even the Rate clan—Lapis Julie had graduated from the Academy. She'd been my junior there by a year and joined Liar's Trap a year after me too. It would've been nice if she called me Sunbae out of simple seniority, but that wasn't it.
Once, when I'd asked, “Why do you still call me Sunbae even after becoming team leader? You call Ska Rate 'First Team Leader,' don't you?” she'd flashed a wicked smile and replied:
“Now that I'm your boss despite joining a year later, if I keep calling you Sunbae, it'll make you look like a loser who's been lapped by his junior in everyone else's eyes. I just like that, so I keep doing it.”
For such a vicious reason, even now—when she was my team leader and under no obligation to—she still called me Sunbae.
Compared to back when she'd just been promoted to second team leader, though, this was a huge improvement. That version of Lapis Julie had been a total bitch. So much so that even I—who flinched at Ska—once thought, Honestly, Ska's better than this one. And she softened up a bit when we were alone, so assuming no hypnosis app, this was the mildest Lapis Julie I'd ever known.
“......Speaking of which, I don't think I've ever seen you in clothes like that, Sunbae. You've always worn the Academy uniform, or those tacky Rate family outfits, or suits.”
Lapis Julie paused, lifted the blanket to sniff it lightly, furrowed her brows, and turned to me with a question.
“It's been bugging me since earlier. Where's that suit you treasured so much?”
The soft latte version of Lapis Julie eyed me with suspicion. It was a follow-up to her earlier “not like you” comment—a probe laced with doubt.
“Suit? Oh, the suit... probably went up with the house. Lost it, I guess.”
The suit had evaporated in Ska's hands without even leaving ash behind. No point stating that plainly—it wouldn't do me any favors—so I brushed it off.
Such clothes? What the hell does that mean?
I glanced down at what I was wearing: a tracksuit printed with some anime character. Guess I'd crashed out in it last night from sheer exhaustion. It sucked that this ratty thing was all I had left. Guess I need new clothes. But I'm broke right now. Maybe pick up some low-rank dungeon scouting gigs.
Just as my thoughts veered into everyday worries about the suit, Lapis Julie's icy voice cut them short.
“That suit you wore had a retrieval function—you bragged about it to me last time. Plus self-repair and defense that blocks most impacts, so no worries about damage from B-rank mana disasters or lower. And you're saying it vanished along with the house? That custom special suit you loved and cherished so much?”
“Uh, uh-huh?”
I could feel the room's temperature plummeting. It wasn't my imagination—Lapis Julie's mana was reacting to her emotions, actively chilling the air. Frost bloomed like flowers on the windows and mirror, and my breath came out in white puffs.
What the fuck is happening all of a sudden? Wasn't the mood fine?
Ignoring my panic, Lapis Julie fixed her deep blue eyes—now devoid of light—on me and kept pressing.
“You said the house and suit both vanished at the same time? Come to think of it, the guild master only mentioned your place blew up—didn't say why. Your penthouse had the latest mana defense system, nullifying anything below a certain level. For something that fortified to get obliterated, it'd have to be massive mana output—news, articles, something would've hit the wires. But nope, just a one-liner: 'Explosion accident.' Makes you think some deliberate force was at play, right?”
It felt like a net with no escape was tightening around me. The cold intensified as she spoke, my body starting to shiver involuntarily. My earlier composure was long gone.
As I trembled in the chill, anxious, Lapis Julie curved her lips into a faint smile. The cold didn't let up, though—which meant she was smiling while pissed.
“......There we go, acting more like yourself, Sunbae. Now that you're back to normal, let me ask: What happened yesterday that your blanket—where you slept—smells like women's perfume you never use?”
With that question, a brutal cold snap swept the room. Her intent was clear in the blizzard: answer properly, or she'd freeze me into an ice statue right here.
Scratch that 'milder' bullshit. She's gotten worse.
At this rate, I'd really freeze to death. But confessing, “Must be from hugging and petting Ia Ris, hehe!” wouldn't save me from a tragic end either.
Rabbit Hole to escape? Worst possible move. Never thought it'd come to this.
In this sudden crisis, pulling out my hidden trump card felt like some protagonist cliché—then I got pissed. Hold up, it's been less than five minutes since she walked in. How'd shit hit the fan this fast?
Anyway, I had one option left: the hypnosis app I'd planned to use anyway. No hesitation—I'd had my phone ready since she entered.
I shoved the screen in her face.
“J-Just look at this and calm down first.”
“Nngh......”
The purple-pink glow, lewd and mesmerizing, seized Lapis Julie's gaze. The light faded from her eyes, her unfocused stare drifting into space. At the same time, the room's blizzard died down in a flash, leaving only cool air behind.
“Phew......”
Relieved to have survived, I let out a sigh and sat beside her, gazing at her.
Her water-blue low ponytail was striking no matter how many times I saw it. Hair smooth as actual water. Total opposite of Ska's fiery red blaze. The tear mole under her right eye, her sculpted features, that frosty aura. Lapis Julie was a different breed of beauty from Ska—the type that made your body heat up just looking.
“Yeah, up close like this, she really is pretty.”
Come to think of it, this was the first time I'd stared at Lapis Julie's face this long. Up till now, it'd been all revenge fantasies—hypnotize and get serviced.
She'd probably find it weird too. Normally, I'd command right away: “Hah... hypnotized, so you won't remember shit anyway. Just service me like usual.” But today, no orders—just me scrutinizing her face.
“......Nngh.”
Maybe embarrassed by my unusual behavior, a faint red tint seemed to creep across her translucent skin. Seeing that reaction lent more weight to the idea she had feelings for me.
If the person I liked hypnotized me by mistake and stared at my face in awe, it'd be kinda embarrassing... but nice?
Honestly, that wasn't important. What mattered started now.
I grasped her chin, turning her face toward me. The subtle red on her cheeks deepened.
“I've got one question for you. Answer honestly.”
“......Yes.”
I posed the crucial question—the first step to throw her off balance and keep her from threatening me like before.
“Do you like me?”