The next morning, I woke up early, ready to head to Lucy's place just as we had planned. The weather was beautiful, the air cool and fresh, and I had a feeling today would be an interesting day.
I arrived at her apartment building at exactly 9 o'clock, wondering how I should tease her today. I rang the doorbell once… then waited.
No response.
I rang it again.
Still nothing.
Nearly a minute later, the door finally creaked open. And then Lucy appeared.
In her pajamas.
A loose white t-shirt, slipping off one shoulder, her hair loosely tied and falling everywhere, eyes still sleepy and it was clear she hadn't realized what was happening yet.
"…Hiro?" she blinked at me for a few seconds, her voice drowsy. "Why are you here…?"
I stood silent for a moment, then smirked.
"Well… you did tell me to come at 9, remember?"
Lucy blinked again, as if the world was moving in slow motion inside her head. Then
SLAM!
She slammed the door shut.
I could still clearly hear her voice screaming from behind the door: "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"
I chuckled, folding my arms as I waited patiently. That's the Lucy I know.
About ten minutes later, the door opened again.
This time, Lucy was properly dressed,white blouse and simple shorts, her hair neatly tied back. But her face was still bright red, clearly still embarrassed about earlier.
"…Come in," she mumbled, avoiding my gaze.
I stepped inside, tossing out a light tease:
"I got to see Lady Lucy in her pajamas~~. I don't think I'll ever forget that sight."
"Cut it out!" she snapped, her cheeks still flushed. "I… I just stayed up a little late last night, that's all."
Then her voice softened into a mutter I could barely catch:
"It's not like I was nervous about you coming today or anything…"
I nodded with a grin, even though I hadn't heard it clearly.
"Rare to see Lady Lucy so flustered."
She bit her lip, turning away.
"Just sit there and wait. I'll make some tea."
I walked into the living room. Her place was fairly tidy, though there were still quite a few unpacked boxes. Looking around, I spotted some sports gear, a gaming console, and a bunch of other games,well, she was a gamer after all.
A little while later, Lucy returned with two cups of hot tea.
"No snacks. Don't expect any."
"That's fine. I came to help, not to lounge around."
She set the cup down and pointed toward the boxes nearby.
"Those are books and kitchen stuff. Help me put them on the shelves."
"Understood, milady."
"Shut up."
I laughed and got to work. Even though I was just helping out, deep down I was kind of happy. Being here alone with Lucy like this felt more intimate than any of our meetings at school.
I was rummaging through a box of kitchenware when I heard a clattering sound behind me from the small kitchen area.
Turning around, I saw Lucy trying to reach a big pot that was awkwardly placed on a high shelf.
"Careful," I called out.
"I know," she replied, stretching a little more.
Then suddenly, the pot slipped.
"Ah—!"
I rushed over just in time, my hand catching the falling pot before it could hit her. It landed hard on my hand and stung like hell, but at least Lucy was fine.
"What are you doing, idiot?!" she shouted, then noticed my hand turning red, and her eyes softened a bit.
"Saving you. If that thing hit your hand, you'd be the one putting on a bandage now."
"Y-You idiot! Who told my kitchen to be so dangerous?!"
I chuckled, raising my hand.
"Just a little heat. I'm fine. But if you want to thank me, how about making that 'legendary curry' of yours?"
She stared at me, flustered and unsure.
"If you say one more thing, I'm throwing the pot at your head."
"So… curry or pot?"
"…Curry," she muttered, turning her face away.
I laughed softly and sat down, hand still red.
It was nothing serious but it felt nice, being cared for by her.
Seeing me sit there with my hand still red, Lucy bit her lip, turned away briefly, and came back holding a small first aid kit.
"Give me your hand." Her voice was noticeably quieter, though she was trying to sound firm.
I held out my hand. She sat beside me, gently pulling up my sleeve and blowing on the red spot.
"Luckily it's not a serious burn…" she murmured, pulling out some cotton and ointment, her hands slightly trembling.
I watched her face, eyebrows furrowed in concentration.
"Are you worried about me?" I asked in a low voice, teasing her on purpose.
She paused for a second, then lowered her head more, ears turning bright red.
"I just don't want anyone getting hurt in my house. Don't get the wrong idea."
"Right… of course. I totally didn't get the wrong idea." I smiled and let her finish applying the ointment.
She placed a small bandage over the red spot, then quickly stood up to clean up, clearly avoiding my eyes.
"There. Don't go injuring yourself again."
"Are you that worried about me?"
She turned and squinted at me.
"If you collapse from infection or something, who's going to finish unpacking, huh?"
I laughed quietly.
She really was the ultimate tsundere… but too damn adorable.
After the first aid was done, we kept unpacking a few more boxes—mostly books, some photo frames, personal items… until we got to one box that was sealed more tightly than the others.
"This one's packed pretty carefully." I commented.
"Ah… that one…" Lucy quickly squatted next to me, her expression tense.
"Don't open—!"
I had already removed the lid before she could stop me. Inside were… a bunch of stuffed animals and tiny notebooks,teddy bears, cats, rabbits,all carefully wrapped in soft cloth.
I stared for a moment before bursting into laughter.
"Wow. Didn't expect this. Are you secretly a stuffed animal maniac?"
"Sh-Shut up!" Lucy quickly snatched the box back, her face bright red.
"I just… liked them when I was little! I don't anymore!"
I tilted my head and smirked teasingly.
"Then why are you still keeping them so carefully?"
"I-I was going to throw them out… just didn't get around to it!"
She turned away, hugging the box close like a treasure chest.
"I really hate you…" she mumbled to herself, then quickly faced the other direction.
I smiled and picked up a small stuffed cat from the box.
"They're actually really cute. These are cleaner than my own pillows."
"Give that back!" Lucy lunged at me to grab the cat from my hand. In the scuffle, she lost her balance and fell right on top of me.
Thud.
She landed on me, knocking us both to the floor. I felt the warmth of her small body, the gentle scent I'd started to recognize.
"…You… idiot…" Lucy muttered softly, not lifting her head.
I stayed quiet for a few seconds, then chuckled.
"Sorry. But I wouldn't mind more 'accidents' like this."
Lucy pushed herself up, face as red as it could get.
"Shut up… and stop saying things like that."
I sat up, nodding lightly.
"Alright. But seriously, that stuffed cat… really cute."
"Get out!"
"Wait, I wasn't done—"
She grabbed a pillow and hurled it straight at my face before I could say another word.