Chapter 23: The protagonist and the problem in the dressing room!

“Sorry, sorry! Please don’t do it!” I whimpered like a little kid, raising both hands to my face to show how deeply I regretted my out-of-place comment.

“You’re seriously testing my patience.”

“…Sorry…”

“…I don’t forgive you.”

Oh, damn. She really looked pissed. Crap, I just hoped she wasn’t thinking about cutting me off completely.

After gathering every last shred of courage, I asked the question I dreaded the most.

“…You don’t wanna be friends anymore?”

“We never were.”

Ouch. Straight to the jugular, girl. That stung—hard. The way she said it, just like that, so flat, like I meant absolutely nothing to her.

That cold stare, those silver eyes glinting under the fitting room light, her soft pink lips twisted in a faint scowl… I-I think this really might be the end.

“I-I’m gonna cry.”

“We were never friends,” she said, “but I’m not gonna hate you just for what you did today… maybe.”

“Eh?”

“Did you forget already? We’re not friends. We still have to get to know each other. You’re just someone I hang out with from time to time. So stop doing weird stuff, or I will hate you for real.”

“You totally like playing with my feelings!” I complained louder than I meant to, clapping both hands over my mouth immediately.

Maxi didn’t seem to mind though—she let out a small, mischievous smile.

She liked calling me “kitty,” but between us, I swear she was the one more like a feline—elegant, alluring… and distant.

“I didn’t know you were into this kind of thing, teasing a poor, cute girl like me. You’re such a sadist.”

“Mmm… maybe,” she replied in a sing-song voice, leaning closer.

Naturally, I stepped back a few times—the same number she used to get closer.

W-What’s she doing!? Wasn’t she mad like ten seconds ago!? I can’t read her at all!

“Why are you blushing, idiot?”

“Eh? A-Am I blushing?”

“Even a tomato’s got less red than your face. Honestly impressive. Didn’t know someone with tan skin could turn that red.”

“This is your fault!”

“My fault? I’m just doing what normal friends do. Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“What kind of friends do this?!”

“See? We’re not close enough yet for these totally normal things not to make you uncomfortable.”

“No! That’s not it at all! Anyone would blush if someone as pretty as you got this close!”

“Mmm… you think so? Whatever. Move over, my shirt’s behind you. I’m cold.”

She said that while gently pushing me aside.

Out of respect, I turned my face toward the wall; I had the gut feeling that if I kept watching, she’d kick me out for real. Still, I couldn’t stop the image of that scar on her pale skin from echoing in my mind.

What could’ve happened to her?

In the game, they never mentioned that detail, but… it’s not like Maxine Von Ryu’s story was ever fully fleshed out anyway. Damn lazy writers, always giving all the spotlight to the heroes.

“All right, you can look now.”

She’d finally slipped on the Academy shirt, and I could face her again.

“So? What now? You planning to stay here till they’re gone? That could take hours, and I don’t feel like being trapped in here forever.”

…Actually, yeah. That was my plan. But now that she said it out loud, it sounded kinda stupid.

“I guess we can’t stay here forever. Let’s just listen for now. Maybe they’re gone already.”

We leaned close to the door, pressing our ears against the brown metal.

From there, we could hear the voices much clearer than before—meaning those two were even closer now.

“Please, I beg you, my dear. Just let me go. I swear no one will notice if we’re not toge—”

“Not happening. His Majesty King Kaelvarion gave me a direct order to keep us together for at least three days to clear up all the misunderstandings that have piled up,” Carlotta’s voice sounded more tired than angry.

“You and my dear father are exactly the same.”

“Thank you. I’m not sure what part of your brain thought that was supposed to be an insult.”

A thick laugh followed, sticking to the air like glue.

“Ha. You really lack any feminine char—”

“Silence.”

“Eh? Did you just shush me? How dare y—oh. I see.”

Eh? What happened? Why the sudden silence?

“Good morning, Fisalia,” Elion greeted. “Come on, Clem, show some manners.”

“…Good morning. Elion, come, I want you to see this dress.”

“Well, I didn’t expect to find all four of you here. A very good morning.”

“Greetings, Lady Fisalia. It’s a pleasure to have you here,” Carlotta said—her tone completely different from the one she used with her fiancé; much kinder, in fact.

“What’s up, Fisalia! Weird seeing you without Auren. Don’t tell me he’s hiding around here to surprise us?” Kaelvarion’s playful tone actually sounded genuine—but knowing that guy, I doubted he even had a sense of humor.

“Not at all. Lord Auren’s busy with other matters, so I decided to come buy some clothes. Since we’ve met, allow me to spend a little time with you all while I browse.”

Damn it. A tiny part of me had hoped she’d already left—but of course, life couldn’t be that kind.

Maxi’s face twisted into a scowl that mirrored my own guilt. She was stuck here suffering because of me. I had to cheer her up somehow… but what could I even do here?

Then, a brilliant idea popped into my head—a way to make it up to my dear Maxine, and maybe, just maybe, apologize properly.

"Ryn, what are you doing?"

I walked over to the small leather couch in the fitting room. On top of it rested a messy pile of clothes —yeah, the same ones I’d thrown earlier— including the pajama shirt.

I grabbed it along with a couple of other garments and folded them in a way that I could stuff them between my shirt and jacket. One, two… up to three pieces. My chest ended up ridiculously overinflated, but just the right size to represent the person I had in mind. I adjusted my hair so that it covered my face down to my nose.

"Look, Maxi, guess who I am."

"Mmm…"

"I’ll give you a hint! Ahem!", I coughed a little to adjust my voice and then delivered my most serious imitation—:

“Lord Elion! Please, look at me! See how cute this plushie is, full of bows and lace along the seams! Isn’t it just adorable?”

While imitating Clementine, I exaggerated my body movements to make my “synthetic chest” bounce in the most unnatural way possible.

When I finished, I lifted my hair again, revealing my face. And there it was —a sight that melted my heart.

Maxi was smiling widely, wiping away tears of laughter.

It worked! My exaggerated performance had paid off!

As she kept laughing, I noticed her hand instinctively touch the place where the scar was hidden beneath her shirt, as if remembering something. That made me speak up.

"So? What did you think of my magnificent impression of our beloved psychotic dwarf?"

"Psychotic dwarf? Don’t you think that’s a bit much?"

"Tell me that again once she’s chased you all over the academy with a two-meter-tall bear armed with cannons in its hands. Only then will I stop calling her a psychopath", I retorted, pulling the extra clothes out of my chest.

"Fine, setting that aside… that was hilarious. Mmm… my turn."

"Eh?"

She was going to join in? I hadn’t planned for that. I just wanted to make her forget she was mad at me. Oh well… whatever, lol. I wonder who she’ll imitate.

We switched places. I went back near the door, and she stood by the couch.

She prepared by stuffing a few pieces of clothing into her shirt just like I had, then swept her hair back, leaving a few strands loose on purpose. Her posture changed—from relaxed and indifferent to commanding, her chest puffed out in pride. Right hand resting on her shoulder, left hand on her face, gaze turned away in haughty disdain.

The elegance of her performance was worthy of a Roman statue from my original world—one of those eternal figures in museums that radiate power with a single gesture.

It was… hypnotic. Seriously, beautiful women are dangerous!

She hadn’t even said a word yet, but it was obvious who she was portraying. Still, I wanted to hear her say it.

"You filthy Nen! How dare you speak to me so casually! Scum!”, she exclaimed dramatically, puffing her cheeks.

…Is it bad that I kinda liked being talked to like that? Nah. Pretty sure anyone’s heart would’ve raced a little.

"Let me guess, oh great Maxine von Ryu, you’re imitating… the crazy blonde, Carlotta!"

"That’s right."

"This is really fun, don’t you think?"

"Well… yeah. Though I’d prefer if it wasn’t here."

"Oh. All right, we can do it again another time."

"Deal. By the way, did you hear if they’re gone yet?"

"…I forgot. Come on, let’s listen together."

Maxi quickly got rid of her improvised costume and came closer. We both pressed our ears against the door.

“Please, just pick a dress already! It’s not that hard. I swear no one’s going to stare at you long enough to notice that your dress doesn’t match your eyes,” said Kaelvarion’s voice.

“Your Majesty, even if you lack the ability to recognize a proper gown, I assure you the other nobles do not. You could learn a thing or two from Von Lysandre—at least he knows how to dress.”

“Whatever you say. Just hurry up. I’m gonna chat with my dear friend for a while; his company’s easier to handle than your venomous words.”

“Ugh. What a jerk.”

“Honestly, yeah,” Maxi murmured. “Though… what did he do to you?”

"Eh?"

"You know, it sounds like you hate him. So, what did he do?"

"I don’t hate him… he just disgusts me on an atomic level. But I don’t hate him"I said, trying to deny it with more force than I actually had.

"…That sounds like hate."

I shrugged and tugged my tongue toward the corner of my mouth.

"Think about it this way: how am I supposed to feel about someone who tries to grope me every time we cross paths and acts like some kind of fake Casanova?"

Her reply came with the swiftness of a stage actor’s cue.

"…Sounds like you, but reversed. I guess."

"What!?" I started protesting, utterly confused. "That’s offens—"

"Didn’t you make Lady Wiebke touch your chest a few weeks ago? Plus, I heard you made Lady Clementine strip in front of Elion. And… well… you’re still staring at my chest, perv."

My face went up in flames. I wanted to dig a hole and crawl into it.

DAMN IT! I can’t deny any of that! I screamed, too loud—in my head, thankfully. I’m not that far gone.

"Damn stupid system" I muttered — Thanks to it, I’ve got a pervert reputation now. F*** everything.

At that very moment, as if it had been waiting for its cue, the cursed black screen appeared, displaying the usual in-game message:

[Main Quest: Act One — Shopping Mall Chapter. [Heart-to-heart moment with a main character — End with a sweet physical interaction.] Time remaining: 00:12:00]

My stomach flipped. So much for my “no drama” exit plan. I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time—both perfectly ridiculous and perfectly me.

"F**k off" I spat without thinking.