Fighting! and… finally (part 1)

'Well... that worked pretty well to stop them, I guess.' I watch Lance collapse, spitting blood amidst his gurgling screams.

The crowd of bulky men immediately surrounds their leader. They look more like high-end bodyguards than tavern brawlers, dressed in sharp dark coats with structured shoulders, though their scarred knuckles and street-hardened eyes give them away. 

Anyway, who cares? I see my opening! As if lifting a tiny chick that fell into a puddle, I wrap a layer of darkness magic around both sisters, easing them off the floorboards and tucking them behind my back as we step away.

"Woah!? I'm floating!?" the blonde blurts out. The other woman, the one with the beautiful short hair, just widens her eyes as I lift her up.

"Are you hurt?" I ask, checking her over. I try my absolute best to keep my eyes from getting stuck on her very well-developed lower half. 

'Ahh! Focus, Seina. This is not the time to look.'

"Was that dark magic!? It's different from what I've seen before, but it's still amazing! To be able to pick people up like you're holding a little toy in your hand—hold on, what did you say? Oh, yes! I'm fine, thank you!"

She's really full of energy. Very nice, sure, but I'm not very good at dealing with people who talk this loudly. They're almost shouting. 

But who am I to ask her to change? Still, if we manage to become friends, I hope she won't mind lowering her voice just a bit.

"... Thanks for the help."

I avert my gaze to look at the second woman. 

She's an elf too. Her body leans on the modest side, but she's still beautifully shapely. Athletic, maybe? Her ears are a little smaller, and she has some of the most gorgeous hair I've ever seen. It looks silver-grey to the naked eye, but when the tavern light hits it, the underside of her short cut shifts into a bright, vibrant blue.

'Wait, I haven't answered. Quickly, say something!'

"Um, you're welcome. But more importantly, what about Lance?"

At the mention of his name, all three of us look toward the entrance. A guy with a staff tends to the brat who sprawls out on the floorboards. Eh... at least he isn't going to die. Good for him, I guess. 

If I remember correctly, he's actually older than me, but since he acts like a spoiled child, I'm going to treat him like one.

"You know him," the short-haired elf notes, her tone dropping a few degrees.

"U-unfortunately, yes. He's in my year at the Academy, though in a different group. And, uh, we're not friends or anything!" I sound a bit desperate, but I really don't want them to think we have anything to do with each other. 

Please stop looking at me like that!

"C-Calm down, it's okay. I believe you," she softens. "Um, thanks for helping my sister."

Oh? She doesn't seem angry with me anymore. Good.

Sisters, huh? I tilt my head. Now that I look closely, they certainly resemble each other, well, at least in their delicate facial features. Their bodies, on the other hand, are quite a contrast...

I need to keep an eye on those ruffians, but I also have two strangers right next to me. Two strangers I'd really like to get closer to. They look interesting, and I've really liked this place so far but... suddenly, a wave of nerves hits me. I need to talk about something, right? And quickly! But what's a good topic of conversation when a gang of bad guys is just a few steps away?

'Don't think, just say something!'

"Um... do you want to be my friends?"

"..." 

"..."

'... AAAHHH, I messed up! I should have thought a bit after all! This is definitely not the time to ask something like that!'

Ugh... But I guess it can't be helped. I have absolutely no idea how to make friends. Ever since I got here, I've been wondering how to even bring it up. Then I thought: how do kids do it? They just ask straight out, right? That question has been burning in the back of my mind for a while now, and I couldn't help but blurt it out the moment a conversation started.

"Hahaha, you're funny~" says the... older? Sister.

The short-haired elf just stares at me in pure confusion. I really need to say something to fix this.

"Sorry! Um, I must still be half asleep or something..."

I don't know what they see on my face, but they both stare at me for a moment in silence. Then, they glance at each other and... smile.

"Okay, let's be friends," the blonde says. She pulls me into a light hug, flashing a big, radiant smile that makes me completely forget about the grunts of pain echoing across the room.

"REALLY!?" I can't help but squeal. Finally! After who knows how many years, I have friends again! 

That was easy... wait, let's not raise any flags. 

---Sarisa POV---

The young vixen's face suddenly lit up. Almost literally! A soft, warm glow hummed around her, a quirk I'd only ever seen in people overflowing with immense mana pools.

A silly, beaming grin broke across her face. Her pretty lips quivered with pure excitement, and her cheeks bunched up so high her eyes squinched into tiny crescents. Above her head, her fox ears twitched wildly before snapping straight up. But the best part was her fluffy tail. It began to swish back and forth, up and down, completely unable to settle on a direction. Even the delicate dark magic hovering around her knuckles seemed to dance with delight.

My sister and I exchanged a quiet glance. We didn't have the heart to point out just how adorable her sudden burst of joy was, though I couldn't help but wonder. Just how lonely had this poor girl been to get this excited over making friends?

Glancing over her shoulder, I noticed Lance was still sprawled on the floorboards, groaning as his entourage desperately tried to patch up his throat. It looked like we still had a brief moment before the chaos erupted again.

Honestly, I thought making my first friend in this city would take months. Ever since my sister and I inherited this place and moved in, I had this whole elaborate plan pictured in my head: waiting until we finally built a loyal, recurring customer base, and then slowly, painfully breaking down the professional employee-client boundary over tiny polite conversations. But here we are!

Though... looking down at my torn skirt, reality hits me.

'Right. First impression: she saved us. Second impression: I'm going to need to ask my uncle for a second—no, third... wait, seventh favor to help replace my uniform.'

My poor uncle is going to lose his mind if I keep piling up requests, but I can't worry about that now.

Before I can even say anything to our new, fluffy friend, a sharp, angry cough shatters the quiet moment.