Lapis Julie's Crushing Grip
My hand hurt.
It was because Lapis Julie was gripping it so tightly, like she had no intention of ever letting go.
Unable to speak amid the unnatural pressure I felt in her grip, I cautiously called her name.
"Lapis Julie?"
It was a summons loaded with the meaning of 'What's gotten into you all of a sudden?'
Yet Lapis Julie said nothing, just squeezed my hand even harder.
Crunch. Crackle.
Uh? This is getting a bit dangerous.
No matter how long and flexible my fingers were, they would still squish under excessive pressure. Sounds I really shouldn't be hearing started coming out.
The pain surpassed the level I could endure with a straight face.
"Ah, aah! What the hell's wrong with you all of a sudden! Say it—use your words!"
As I protested with a pained cry, Lapis Julie finally loosened her grip a little. But it was only relatively looser; she was still holding on tight.
"...If I say it out loud, you'll misunderstand."
Lapis Julie turned her head away from me, her low ponytail exposing her ears and the nape of her neck as she spoke.
"...Misunderstand what?"
"...Th-that I like you, Senior. That ridiculous delusion."
Her exposed pale skin had flushed bright red, making it obvious she was incredibly embarrassed right now. In this light, she almost seemed like the younger junior she was. Though it was only a one-year difference.
But she does like me, right?
Would she grip some guy's bare hand this hard if she didn't?
That doesn't make any sense.
But if I said that straight out, my trapped hand would probably get crushed like it was in a hydraulic press. To an S-rank awakener, an F-rank's bare flesh was no different from soft pudding.
On the other hand, snapping back with something like 'Yeah, I know you don't like me. I've heard it from your own mouth how many times—think I wouldn't get it?' didn't seem like a great choice either. She'd probably burst into tears again.
It was frustrating and unfair—this situation where she could hurl insults at me freely following her whims, but I had to watch my words. Still, her flushed ears and nape, and the stiff way she spoke to hide her fluster, came off as a little cute, so I decided to let it slide this time.
Today was the day I wouldn't tease her. As my direct superior, I'd have to see her face for the next three months anyway. No point making things difficult from the start.
Regaining my composure, I realized the "proper education" should be postponed until the very last moment. If I showed my claws too early and things went south, I might end up in hell until the S-rank gate raid.
So for now, I needed to hold back and keep my teeth and claws hidden.
Of course, that didn't mean I'd endure it for the full three months. I'd only apologized to Ska yesterday because of the repair costs—it was unavoidable. Now that Ia Ris had offered to cover them, I had no mercy left.
The resentment built up against these women wasn't something a bit of cuteness could dissolve.
For greater revenge, I'd build it up. Make her think, 'Huh? Does Paster actually...?' fill her with expectations, then shatter them coldly.
After that revenge, extract an apology, free myself physically and mentally, and leave the guild.
Damn... this is what real sex feels like.
Just imagining it sent thrilling shivers through my nerves—far more satisfying than the "education" I'd planned for Lapis Julie earlier.
With my mind made up, I could hunker down for now. I hadn't expected to monitor Lapis Julie's mood and pick words she'd like, but framing it as prep for my grand future scheme made it enjoyable without resistance.
An answer that didn't assume she disliked me, while stroking her lofty pride... It might sound like nonsense, but for me—someone resolved to "fish tank manage these S-rank bitches and drop them from a height for bonus damage"—it wasn't hard.
I layered my other hand over the one gripping mine and spoke in a gentle voice.
"Then let's do it this way. I want to think you like me, so I'll assume that on my own. Whether it's a delusion or not."
"Eut?!"
Startled by my words, Lapis Julie whipped her head toward me, as if doubting her ears.
"P-pardon? N-no, what did you just say, Senior?"
Her eyes wide, she placed her remaining hand over mine atop her own as she asked again—like a girl who'd just heard her crush say, 'I actually like you.'
...Come to think of it, it's not "like"—it is exactly that.
Anyway, her flushed expression—doubting her ears yet desperately hoping she'd heard right—drew a relaxed smile from me as I gave her the words she wanted.
"I hope you like me."
So you'll regret and reflect even more later.
I kept the crucial follow-up to myself. Without it, anyone hearing would misunderstand completely.
My words—barely different from a confession—left Lapis Julie flustered, her face burning red as her happy circuit overheated.
"Eh? Y-yes? N-no, yes? W-wait a second, Senior. Th-that means... S-Senior, you... me...?"
Unable to continue, Lapis Julie bowed her head, unable to meet my eyes.
If this were a manga, white steam would be rising from her water-blue scalp.
She was that flushed. To anyone watching, Lapis Julie was a girl in love.
Even to me—who'd only learned romance from books and comics—it looked that way.
One sentence from my lips had turned the S-rank awakener called the flower of the Julie family into an ordinary girl.
I couldn't help but marvel.
Damn. It works like this?
How much does she have to like me to react this way?
Legendary.
As I marveled, a small worry bubbled up.
Hold on. If the buildup goes too fast, that's a problem too.
What if she confesses before the S-rank gate raid?
Shit, did I kill the momentum too soon?
Should I have built it slower?
Fishing tank management needed that subtle push-pull, but what I'd just said was basically an outright confession. Too on-the-nose to dismiss as delusion.
Taken by pointless leisure, I'd said what I shouldn't.
Proof: Lapis Julie was mumbling dangerously with her head down.
"'I hope you like me, Senior.' That's basically saying he likes me outright. Can I just pounce? Who'd hate a spoon on a ready meal? None. A table's made for food, and enjoying the meal with a spoon is its greatest joy. Y-yeah. That's it. I don't like Senior, but refusing a ready table would be rude. Against manners. As a Julie family member, I can't act against manners. Yeah. Good. By manners, I have no choice but to pounce on Senior..."
This crazy bitch.
'A table's greatest joy'? What the hell is that nonsense.
Lapis Julie looked so composed on the outside, but inside she was just as insane. Every S-rank female awakener I'd met was a total nutjob.
I had to stop her. She was now muttering stuff like 'How should I eat Senior to get a good reputation...'
But how? Use the hypnosis app? My hands were both caught, so sneaking out my phone was tough.
Rabbit Hole could escape me, but... using it after a near-confession would look weird. Risked ruining the buildup.
Damn. Can't use the app to stop her—what now...?
As I racked my brain for a way to halt Lapis Julie, I suddenly remembered something I'd forgotten.
...Wait a sec. Didn't I already hypnotize her?
The chaos had made me forget, but Lapis Julie had seen the hypnosis app and even acted hypnotized.
But I'd asked about gifts for girls and prodded if she liked me, breaking her act. We'd squeezed emotions so hard we'd both forgotten the hypnosis word itself.
Both of us are so sloppy.
To keep her from later wondering, 'Huh? Wasn't I hypnotized? Why didn't Senior suspect anything?' I needed to remind her she was under hypnosis.
Whether reminding her made sense, whatever.
I cleared my throat to draw attention and broached it as naturally as possible.
"By the way, Lapis Julie. Something's off. Hear me out without misunderstanding?"
"Senior likes what position... Hah?! Y-yes? What is it?"
"That... how can you mumble so normally? Thinking about it, it's weird. You were supposed to stay doll-like until the service command."
I acted puzzled, as if the hypnosis—which had worked fine for half a year—was glitching in this new form. Perfect acting comes from shamelessness, I realized again.
Lapis Julie blanked out at my words, then gaped in shock.
"Doll-like... Ah, ah!?"
She glanced at me nervously, then cautiously opened her mouth.
"H-hypnosis... maybe I built resistance? So I'm conscious but still hypnotized... that kind of thing."
I was curious what she'd say, but it was even dumber than I'd imagined.
But I had to play along.
So I nodded, accepting it.
"...I see. Guess I need to ask Dr. Emme to adjust it."
"Y-yes. Definitely ask her to adjust it."
"Yeah."
"Yes."
"......"
"......"
An intensely awkward air enveloped us.
Because what she'd said—and I'd agreed to—was utter nonsense on reflection.
Lapis Julie probably knew it was ridiculous and was dumbfounded she'd said it.
Perfect chance to use the awkwardness to split?
Can't push further now.
Yeah. Say it's time to go and send her off...
"Um, Senior."
"Y-yeah?"
Interrupting my thoughts, Lapis Julie looked straight at me and continued.
"You went to the trouble of hypnotizing me. Aren't you giving any orders? I have consciousness, but... I'm hypnotized, so I can't resist whatever you want."
Her eyes burned with heat undimmed by the awkwardness.
...Yeah, sending her off like this won't work.