Chapter 18: Singing in the Rain


"Fight-o!"

"Fight-o!" The twins respond, raising their pamphlets high up in the air as I raise my fist to pump them up.

"It's predicted to rain today, maybe a sixty percent chance, so if it does, come right inside. I don't want you two getting soaked."

The twins cheerfully promise to do so as they run outside, ready to tackle the challenges of Wednesday. Yesterday went fairly smoothly, which was nice, so really I just have to survive only one more day.

"You're pretty good with kids, aren't you?" IF asks as we watch the two of them already start greeting people outside.

"I wouldn't say that. I've just learned how to get along with Lady Rom and Lady Ram."

"That's a lie, Elliot. I still remember when we got caught in that rainstorm, back when you first met Nepgear. That woman with the two kids, after her umbrella got blown away. You swooped in and just gave up your umbrella, then made nice with those two kids." IF says with a knowing grin.

"Ah, so you remember that, huh…?"

It seems like something so small to remember, so I can't help but wonder why IF remembers it. I suppose a day we got utterly soaked might be something to remember.

"Well, it's not like it was hard just to say hello and give them a good smile, right? It's just what I'd do for anyone."

"No, that's all wrong!"

IF and I sigh as the third member of the party, Compa, interrupts. She started tagging along when she found out IF was going to be watching over the cafe while Lady Rom and Lady Ram were here, but so far she's mostly just interrupted the dynamic that IF and I usually have. Not that it's unwelcome, but…

...come to think of it, it's not really that annoying, but why am I getting so worked up about it? It's not even that major, just like, a small itch that won't go away.

"That's when you should say something like 'It's amazing that you remember that'!"

"Compa…" IF says, shaking her head, but Compa merely holds her balled hands up in front of her chest.

"But, it really is impressive that you'd remember a day like that, IF!"

IF waves her off, with Compa pouting in the background. "Oh yeah, I'm sure glad to remember a day I got soaked in the rain. Probably only because of Elliot's reaction to learning I knew Nepgear was priceless. I should've taken a picture of your face."

"You nearly gave me a heart attack with that!"

"Probably why I remember it so fondly."

"Oho, so it's a fond memory~?"

You walked right into that one, IF…

Ah, this might be the reason why. It's probably the fact Compa keeps teasing IF and I about a relationship despite the fact IF hasn't said a thing to indicate any interest in that. However, based on her reaction from the gala and her teasing from before, I think she's gotten the wrong idea. I'd like to correct her, but finding a way to transition the conversation into that topic is… difficult.

Though, even though we haven't said anything regarding a relationship or interest in such, I think we're both still feeling a bit self conscious about our planned outing, so there's been a 'silent agreement' of sorts just to avoid the topic.

Ha… it feels like I'm back with my girlfriend from high school again, enduring yet another round of teasing about how far we've gone. Things like "So, did you sneak a kiss in as the movie started" or "I heard Elliot visited your house while your parents weren't home".

Of course, despite the fact I'm not the best at reading people, in this case I can rely on months of personal experience to avoid stepping on all of the landmines.

But on the other hand…

"What's wrong with saying that?"

This person in front of me, despite being a high class probably-spy and someone able to go toe-to-toe in terms of wit with the goddesses can't even see the trap being spun in front of her. IF is normally on top of her game with this sort of thing, but I feel it's a combination of the fact she keeps focusing on the twins to make sure that they're not getting into trouble, watching the cafe in general so no troublemakers show up, and the fact Compa is her friend which is why IF has her guard lowered.

"Well, from what I remember, the two of you were waiting around for a while, weren't you? What part of that memory was fond?"

"Didn't I just tell you?"

"Oh, right, it was because Ell—"

"Ah, the vanilla latte and chai tea!" I call out, grabbing the attention of a young man who comes up to the counter to get them as I put them into a drink holder and slide them over to him.

I try to avert my gaze, expecting to see an annoyed look from Compa, but when I glance over I only see her smile a smile that I would be terrified to see on Lady Neptune's face. It's the kind of smile I saw right before Lady Neptune unmasked Lady Noire as Costumer. A smile that says "Is that how it's going to be?"

It seems I've awakened a sleeping tiger. Goodness, it's always the nice ones. What a mistake. My attention is somewhat divided though, as I have to handle the shop, so… please forgive me if I leave you behind, IF!

I mostly tune out what Compa and IF are discussing as I continue to slog through the morning rush, preparing drinks and pastries for the longer line today. I do miss having Lady Blanc here, though. It made everything so much smoother, but at the same time it's quite the fun challenge. It's not as bad as when all four goddesses showed up though, the days after that were definitely the busiest.

Besides, I can't let the shop down. My pride won't allow for it.

"Good job." IF says as I lightly strike the counter with an open hand in a small celebration, finishing the last of the morning rush orders.

"Haha, thanks."

"So, as I was saying before—"

With that, the door chimes open, interrupting Compa. Lady Rom and Lady Ram run in, coming up to the counter. I move over to the other side to greet them, kneeling down to be on their height level.

"Yes, girls, what is it?"

"U-um!" Lady Rom says, hiding her mouth with some pamphlets. "There's a big gathering of people in one of the plazas nearby…"

"Yeah, I heard someone say that a high school marching band finished a live performance!"

"Can we go and advertise there…? We won't slack off, we prom—"

I pat both of them on the head and smile. "I trust you. Make sure you take your umbrellas in case it rains, okay? IF, can you go with them?"

"Sure." IF says, likely glad for a break from Compa's teasing.

"Wait, actually." I say, glancing at the twins. This is a good time for me to show my trust in them, after all. "I said that I trust you two, so you don't need IF to go along. Do you think you two can handle it by yourselves?"

"We've taken down big monsters before, this won't be a problem!" Lady Ram says, pumping her fist up. "We'll do it!"

I glance at Lady Rom, who has a light blush and behind the pamphlet I can see a genuine smile. Being trusted definitely feels good, I bet.

"Alright, please be back in thirty minutes. If you aren't, I'll come and search for you myself, okay? It's my responsibility as this cafe's owner." I say, standing up. "Really, though. I wouldn't want to make your sister mad."

"Hehehe, you might need a new job, right?"

I can only sigh at Lady Ram's teasing, as she laughs and grabs Lady Rom's hand as they run out the door. Before of course, running back in and getting their umbrellas before leaving again.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm sure that if Blanc blows the shop to smithereens, that Noire would hire you in a heartbeat. Plus Nep seemed to enjoy your pudding, so she might fight for you to be employed with her."

"IF, if I drop dead from a stress-induced heart attack, may my post-mortem lawyer hold you responsible."

IF laughs at that while I scowl as I move back over to my usual side of the counter. "Haha, well, sure. I'll just flee Planeptune in that case and claim refuge in Leanbox. Vert's offered me citizenship there before and it's still open."

"That's because Lady Vert is dying for anyone she can treat as a little sister~" Compa says with a big smile.

"Little sister?"

"Well, of course." Compa says, sitting up as she faces me. "Nepnep has Nepgear, Noire has Uni, and Blanc has Rom and Ram."

"Vert has Chika, though." IF says with a smile that makes it sound more like a joke.

"Chika's a little…"

"Whoa, wow Compa, I didn't think you had it in you to not compliment someone."

"She's… overprotective?" Compa says with a strained smile. "We don't talk so often, so it's a bit hard to really think about her. Kind of like Kei, too."

"That's because Kei's a workaholic. Though Elliot was crushing on her for a bit."

"Hey, that's not true!"

"I mean, only because Noire came waltzing into your life."

"Mghghgh…!"

I lose the capacity for speaking properly in the face of IF's relentless teasing. It's normally fine when it's just us two, but I feel more self-conscious about it since there's a third person in the mix. Might be because I'm a bit on edge when it comes to mentioning Lady Noire due to the whole thing Lady Blanc warned me about—that it's possible the twins might leak something.

"Haha, alright, I'll stop, I'll stop. Shame it's been a while since she's visited, right? Probably only here as it was conveniently close by and you got lucky Nep brought everyone here. Imagine that, though, that she was friends with another guy named Elliot."

I notice IF glance over at a table, where some people quickly write something down. While I'm not any better at lying, I can only laugh mostly at how blatant IF seems to be, though it's probably working in our favor.

"You sure that it's fine for you to be here again, though?" I ask, waving to someone who walks in the door. I quickly take their order and start preparing it, with IF talking behind me.

"Well, Blanc requested it. Not like anyone can really say 'no' to that, especially if Nep backs it." IF says, though I notice that Compa looks a bit down when IF brings it up out of the corner of my eye. There's a quick silent conversation between them, I think, as when Compa looks back over at me, she puts on a smile.

"I see—ah, thank you, please come again." I say, handing the two sugars one cream coffee to my latest customer. "Oh, wow, look at that."

Certainly a uniform I haven't seen in a while. My old high school's marching band, led by Lady Ram and Lady Rom, all of them carrying various amounts of umbrellas. I must've not noticed that it started raining…

I move over to the door and open it, letting everyone inside.

"Oh, wait!" Lady Ram says as she enters the cafe, closing her umbrella while facing the marching band members. "Welcome to Lapin House!"

"W-welcome to Lapin House!" Lady Rom follows, eliciting an "Awwww!" from the students.

"Mhm, welcome to Lapin House, everyone. Good jobs, girls."

I hold the door open for everyone to come inside, with the rain starting to come down pretty hard. I don't remember it being this ba—

I feel something, or somethings quickly brace up against my leg as a flash of light and quick crash that could only be the sound of thunder echo out. Sheesh…

"It's okay, you two." I say, letting the door close as the last person has made it inside. With that, I then put a hand on each of the two girls, patting their heads. "You'll be fine. Come on, let's go get an apple juice."

It's a bit hard to shuffle over, but eventually Lady Rom and Lady Ram let go of the vice grip around my leg, instead choosing just to cling to my apron. I suppose that while they are goddesses, even goddesses have their own fears. And they seem pretty young, too, so I wouldn't fault them for being afraid of lightning.

"I'll be with everyone in just a moment. Think about what kind of warm drink you'd like while we wait for the rain to pass by, okay?" I say after giving Lady Rom and Lady Ram an apple juice and a pastry of their choosing.

There's certainly a lot of people, but fortunately after the morning rush it's not like there's a ton of people taking up space. Plus, with all the heavy rain I doubt there'll be a big lunch rush if everyone stays here, and some of them are using their instrument cases as seating.

"Ah, excuse me." IF says as I slide over a latte to one of the students. She takes out her phone and picks it up, with her expression darkening in the next second.

"IF?" I ask as she ends the call, putting her phone back into her pocket.

"Elliot, Compa, kitchen for a second."

Both of us nod, though I leave the twins another two bottles of juice as IF brings us both inside, pulling us as far in away from the door as possible.

"What's going on, Iffy?"

"Emergency call. Looks like the storm's spreading out over some of the nearby areas, so it's driving some of the Dogoos mad. I'm heading out to the countryside area on my motorcycle since the trains might be out."

"I don't…"

"Gregory lives out there, doesn't he?" IF asks, looking right into my eyes.

"Y… yeah." I mumble, glancing down at the ground.

"I'm going to make sure everyone there's okay."

"Don't they have anyone closer? It's dangerous to even go out there in these conditions."

IF clenches her fist and pumps it. "They tend not to field too many people out there, so it's best if I go. Besides, I have to pull my own weight. I brought you and Compa here so that way you two can hold the fort while I'm gone. That, and you won't panic about where I went."

"I'm going to worry, Iffy…" Compa says before being wrapped up into a hug by IF. "Geez… that isn't going to always work."

"I'll be fine. I promise." IF says, letting go of her friend. "Just keep a hot chocolate for me to come back to, okay?"

"Okay."

"Elliot…!" Compa half-shouts, but covers her mouth.

"I knew you'd understand." IF says, patting me on the shoulder. "I owe you one after this, okay?"

"But hey." I call out as IF starts walking away. "Don't make me have to worry about you."

I see IF give a relaxed, warm smile as she is likely remembering our conversation after the gala. "I'll be back before you know it."

Before we can get another word in, she's already out the door. I hear Compa sigh, half in frustration, half in acceptance.

"There she goes again…"

"Compa?"

"Oh, haha, it's nothing, Elliot." Compa says, flashing me a comforting smile. "It's just that well, Iffy is being Iffy again."

"I'm not sure I follow."

"Hmmm… she's talked about her life at the office sometimes, right?" Compa asks, tilting her head to the left as she puts a finger on her chin.

"Sometimes, yes. She's brought up before that some people don't exactly view her friendship with the goddesses positively."

"That's one of saying it, maybe. She really didn't want to take off during the gala because of that, too."

I nod in agreement. "I remember she said that people might view it as her asking Lady Neptune to get her out of her duties."

"Mhm… it's why Iffy tries so hard, sometimes. They probably don't even care in the long run, but she wants to be someone who's seen as honest and deserving of what she has." Compa says, a definite gravity present in the words she's saying. "So, no matter how many times Iffy helps save the world, she'll always try her best."

"That's just…"

I can't help but feel just a bit angry about that. She's already accomplished so much and yet some kind of jealousy makes them belittle it all. I can still remember high school, when Melanie pushed herself really hard to score higher on those standardized tests. I remember the sleepless nights that we had, staying late at the library since I didn't have to worry about them as I was going to move into taking over the shop. She scored pretty damn high, too.

If it had just been a low score, that'd be fine. But if someone had said "Despite the fact you scored in the top 5%, we're denying you for no other good reason", then certainly I would've done something…!

I take a moment to catch myself before I say something stupid. Come on, Elliot, calm down. There's nothing you can really do in this situation and you have more important matters at hand.

"...was I wrong to ask her to take off on that day, then?" I ask, trying to get away from the previous topic.

"No, no you weren't." Compa says, taking my head and making me look into her eyes. "Don't think any less of that. She told me about you, you know?"

"She did?"

"That's why she almost took off on that day, just because you kept suggesting it. I think, if you hadn't been there with, you know who, right, that she would've taken the day off." Compa pauses, then takes my hands into hers. "So, Elliot, please keep being there for Iffy, okay? She needs someone like you."

"Well, when you put it like that…" I say with a small grin despite the heavy atmosphere. "I didn't have any intention of leaving her."

"That's great! Oh, wait, you have customers!"

"Ah, right, right! Gotta get going…!"


The rain hasn't stopped in the past two hours and it is still coming down pretty hard. I keep checking my phone, looking for any sign from IF, but there's nothing.

Please be okay…

She'll be fine, I tell myself. It's IF. There's no one in the world who could beat her. Except maybe the goddesses. But there's a small itch in my head that says if IF was really that driven, then maybe… she might just stand a chance.

I look up from my phone, finding Compa reaching out from across the counter, tapping me on the shoulder. She offers a healing smile, as if to say that it'll all be okay.

"Thanks."

"Hehehe, Iffy will be fine. I didn't want her to go, but she'll win against whatever's out there. Iffy always manages to win."

"I'm glad we can agree on that."

I glance over at Lady Ram and Lady Rom, who are helping to clean the tables and take additional orders from anyone. Seems like everything is going fairly smoothly so far. I think I've managed to nail down who the tabloid journalists in this room are too, but I'm not really in a position to force anyone out the door. Not in this rainstorm, anyways.

The occasional lightning strikes also seem to have stopped, but I made sure to keep them safe by switching to my paper plates and taking all of the drinks out myself to the various tables. It's the least I can do for them.

Bzzzzt. Bzzzzt.

My heartbeat soars as I hear a buzzing sound, feeling the vibration in my pocket. I don't even bother checking who it is.

"IF?"

"Hey, Elliot."

"Oh, thank the goddesses."

"I told you, I'd be okay. Uh, not sure why you thought it was me, though. Seems like it should've been Gregory's number."

Huh?

I pull the phone away for a second, seeing that it was in fact, Gregory's number. To the side, I can hear Compa stifling her giggles and when I put the receiver back next to my ear, I can hear Gregory's guffawing in the background.

"Well, I um… I just assumed it was you, I guess. I was worried. Why are you using his phone, anyways?"

"One of the enemies made a huge splash. My phone's normally waterproof, but it must've been more than it could've handled."

"Geez..."

"We've all got those days. How's the shop holding up over there?"

"We're still drenched like crazy, but we're fine. How about you?"

"Monsters have been subdued, so I'm currently crashing in Gregory's place until the rain stops. He was nice enough to call out when I was making my way back."

"Sounds like him, alright." I say, nodding.

"Hey, Elliot."

"Hm? What is it, Compa?"

"Can I go upstairs to take a phone call?" she asks, holding her phone screen towards me to show it's Lady Neptune calling her. "I don't want anyone to overhear, in case."

"Oh, yeah."

I pause, fishing around my pockets for the key upstairs before handing it over to her.

"Make sure to lock it behind you, too."

"I will, thank you!"

"No problem. Ah, sorry for the interruption there, IF."

"I hope you hid your magazines well." IF says as I put the phone back next to my ear.

"Magazines?"

"You don't need to play dumb, Elliot. You should probably make sure they're well hidden."

"I don't follow."

"You mean to tell me you don't even keep one copy of Playgoddess in your room?"

"I don't keep magazines like that! How do you even know what those are, that's not a question that you would be asking!"

"Ah, well, I just hear stuff from around the office. I overhear things like that, where some guys will talk about hiding something under their mattress for when a woman might come over. I mean, Compa's not exactly prudish about it, but she uh… she can do the disappointed parent stare very well."

"How well?"

"Well, one time we ran into a robot ninja who threw uh, adult magazines at us and—"

"You know what, suddenly I don't feel like knowing any more about it."

"So anyways, this means I have permission to conduct a full room sweep, right? I'd like to confirm that you're not lying to me, since I can't see your face. Seriously, your expression always gives away that you're lying."

"That's an invasion of privacy."

"So you do have something to hide."

"Yes, like my poetry from my ninth grade creative writing class."

"Oh, this I have to read."

"Hmph, well, if you've got the energy to joke around, I guess I don't need to worry about you anymore. You're fine, right?"

"Other than being soaked to the bone, yes. Keep a cup of hot chocolate warm for me, okay?"

"Will do. Also, I think Lady Neptune called Compa to ask about you. She's worried, so I'd give her a call if you can." I say, trying to focus on the conversations happening around me. I definitely noticed some of the people I thought were reporters trying to strike up more conversation with Lady Rom and Lady Ram, though with all the people in here and all the instruments, it's a bit hard to keep track.

"—liot?"

"S-sorry, I just… I'm a bit distracted, you know?"

"Oh, right, right. I shouldn't take you away from your work. We'll talk later, okay?"

"Mhm. Stay safe."

With that, I end the call, looking at the screen which now has my reflection in it. I try to think about where I can interject in the conversations going on without it coming off as too obvious. With it, I confirm that I definitely should never, ever be a spy. I've really got no sense of subtlety.

Though, thinking about it…

...wasn't I not wearing my contacts that morning? I distinctly remember taking them off before going to bed, but during breakfast after I woke up…

I mentally replay that memory in my head. I woke up to Lady Neptune taking pictures, followed by Lady Noire yelling, and then ordering breakfast, which is when the CPU Candidates knocked on the door as IF went to go get it…

My heart sinks as I realize that I had let my guard down too early. While all of the goddesses had been accounted for and there seemed to be an unspoken (at least to me) agreement of what to do, I was unaware if the information had been given to the CPU Candidates. I think that IF would've at least kept it under wraps, as to avoid potential information spillages.

"Though, it does seem quite mysterious that there are two Elliots running around, right?" One of the people in the crowd asks, apparently captivated by the ongoing rumorspinning happening.

"Yeah, and the only difference is their eyes, isn't it?"

"But the one who went with Lady Noire to the gala, he looked super rich. Like, owned a franchise of coffee shops."

"Hey, you can't say that, that's rude…!"

I give a smile, waving it off. "No, no, I'm well aware of what my lifestyle here is. While I'd like to be that rich, I think I'm actually very happy just having this store."

It's not a lie at all, that perhaps I'd like to have a few more customers, but it's not so much of the money, but… I just want this shop to succeed. I've been entrusted with its growth by the founder. As such, I absolutely cannot allow it to fail. I want for Gregory one day to come here, look at the shop, and say that he was proud to turn it over to me.

"U-um, Lady Ram, did you meet this other Elliot?"

"Ho, scoping out a catch, Helen?"

"No Sam, shut up!"

I try not to chuckle at the bickering between the students. It's been a while since my friends and I met up, hasn't it…? My life really has been a blur since meeting the goddesses.

"I did, but our big sister says we shouldn't talk about him."

"Huh? Why not?"

"O-our sister says we should respect his privacy!" Lady Rom chimes in, which seems to send a ripple through the crowd.

"Yeah! If he didn't want to reveal who he wasn't, we shouldn't either."

"But, shouldn't he have expected being such a major focus?" One of the students asks from the back corner.

"Mhm!" One of the people who I guessed to be a reporter adds on. "He's a public figure, now that he came out like that."

"Th… that doesn't mean we have to talk about him, though." Lady Rom replies, aided by her sister.

I pray that Compa returns faster, as while I'd like to interject, I can't help but feel as if I'll make it worse. If I get a question turned on me, I'll just end up either having to give a half-truth or straight up lie. The latter of those two would get caught immediately as I'm still a terrible liar.

I try not to sigh, thinking about it. Maybe the rain isn't helping with my mood about all this, but… I've always ended up needing someone's help, haven't I? The last time it rained like this IF called Lady Nepgear, the gala was a joint effort between tons of people, and whenever something happens I'm always so quick to go to IF. And despite the fact she's already got so much on her plate with what Compa told me, she's never said "No". I really have been taking her for granted, haven't I?

I hear the twins slowly getting cornered by the reporters, though. No, rather than directly asking them anything, they're using the escalating tension to try to get them to say something that would reveal details.

"Are they just trying to conceal some kind of scandalous relationship?" is met with "No, Noire and him said they were just friends". In turn, "Do you believe them" is asked. Things like that, asked in that tone made to anger and annoy you, goading you into responding. And Lady Ram and Lady Rom, Lady Blanc probably told them who I was. And knowing who the 'two' Elliots are, maybe they see it as insulting someone who they seem to be friendly to.

"Excuse me."

I speak up, though it takes my mind a second or two to catch up with the fact that I talked.

"S-sorry, I… just couldn't help but speak up."

Maybe it was the fact that I didn't want to see them struggle alone. Lady Rom and Lady Ram weren't here to deal with a problem that I caused by being afraid of the consequences of being in the spotlight. Therefore, I should deal with it. That's just the right thing to do. If Lady Blanc tries to put any of the fault on the twins, I'll stand up for them.

I put my hands in front of me, folding them together, feeling the pressure on my shoulders as everyone turns towards me. I should've thought this through a little more, but it seems that I always end up doing something foolish. Well, I guess that's how it's been most of the time. Somehow it always manages to work out.

"I think that, while he likely acknowledges that he would be in the eyes of public scrutiny, perhaps he didn't want to reveal who he was because it would radically change his life."

I gesture to the photo of all four goddesses that I have hung in the shop.

"Even my shop was affected quite a ways just by all four goddesses visiting for a day, even though as far as I am told, it just so happened they decided to come together and not that they had all been curious about coming here. How much more for this guy, who took Lady Noire to the gala?

"I think he foresaw what was going to happen. I think you'd really have to be an idiot to not, actually. However, there was probably a reason he went through with it regardless. If Lady Ram and Lady Rom said that they were just friends, then I think we should leave it at that."

That seems to get most of the crowd to calm down, mumbling amongst themselves.

"Then, mister Elliot—" One of the reporters says. "—since we've been unable to get you officially on the record, can you confirm that you really aren't the same Elliot that Lady Noire brought to the gala?"

"I think that my statement speaks for itself, sir. Besides, look at me. Do I really seem like someone who's worthy of that much time from the goddesses?"

"It just seems like you've got an ulterior motive with that answer, it's a bit evasive."

"Well, of course I have a motive behind it. I would like people to stop bothering me about it. It is a bit exhausting, after all. In fact, I was vacationing in Lowee a while ago, and even then people were asking me on the streets if I was the same Elliot. I'd like to be able to enjoy a vacation, is all, so the faster this all fades away, the easier I have it."

It's not a lie, after all. I can only hope that people believe what I say as everyone mumbles amongst themselves.

"But, enough of that heavy topic. Anyone fancy another cup of coffee?"


Compa comes back down the stairs soon enough, with the call having took so long since Lady Neptune can talk up a storm and Compa is easily distracted. My words seem to have kept the peace for the most part, with Lady Ram and Lady Rom sticking closer to the counter to avoid another cornering.

"Looks like the rain stopped." I say, looking out as the last of the everyone who was in the cafe before leaves, waving to them.

"I should probably get to the hospital, just in case." Compa says, picking up her bag.

"Thanks for everything, today."

"Mhm. Make sure you have a cup of hot chocolate for Iffy."

I wave to her as she leaves, running down the sidewalk. In the reflection in of the glass, I see Lady Ram and Lady Rom looking just a bit glum.

"You two didn't do anything wrong." I say, turning towards them.

"But…!" Lady Rom says before trailing off. "We almost…"

"I know, but you didn't. And that's—"

"Rom, Ram!"

The door is thrown wide open by Lady Blanc, or perhaps I should say Lady White Heart in her HDD form, who immediately scoops the two twins who come running for her in her arms.

"Thank goodness you two are safe."

"Sis, I can't… breathe…" Lady Ram says, with Lady Blanc loosening her embrace. She then quickly looks over them as she transforms back to her usual state.

"Are you two both fine?"

"M-mhm!" Lady Rom says, giving a nice, wide smile. "Elliot took care of everyone while it was storming."

"Good evening, Lady Blanc." I say as she looks up at me. "Can I get you anything?"

"Thank you."

"It was my pleasure." I pause, looking at the clock and realizing that it's actually just past five thirty, with the twins working a bit overtime due to the rain. I'll make sure to send them a bit extra later. "Ah a moment, though," I reach underneath one of the cabinets and grab two envelopes. "There is one last thing. Lady Ram, Lady Rom."

As I step out from behind the counter, the two twins come running up to me. I kneel down, as always, to put myself at their height level.

"Now, as we all know, the first day was a punishment. However, the two days after that were of your own free will. As such, it's only fair that you be paid for doing your job well."

I catch Lady Blanc giving off a tired, yet somewhat content expression as I hold out the two envelopes for them.

"Thank you for all of the hard work. It was a pleasure having you two working here."

Though, before they can take them, Lady Blanc reaches above them and takes them.

"Aww, come on, sis!" Lady Ram protests, reaching for her envelope but having it held out of reach.

"These are going straight to your savings." Lady Blanc says, closing her eyes and nodding.

"Not fair!"

I can't help but smile a little bit as I stand up, reaching out for the envelopes as well. Lady Blanc catches me, and despite the fact she could easily yank it away from me, doesn't immediately do so.

"Lady Blanc, if I may be so impolite, but I think you can trust them to make good decisions with it."

"You really do spoil them." I hear her mumble, lowering her arms and allowing Lady Ram and Lady Rom to take their envelopes and I retract my hand as well. "You two can't spend all of it in one place, got it?"

Lady Rom nods as she holds the envelope up to her mouth, likely to cover her embarrassment as she looks up at me. Though, from my angle, I can see the smile on her face.

"Hey, Lady Ram, Lady Rom."

"Ehhh? 'Lady' again?" Lady Ram asks, probably being a little too used to me only using her name now.

"Well, you two aren't my employees anymore, so…"

"Um…" Lady Rom says, tugging on my apron. "It's okay if you just use our names, mister Elliot."

"Then, how about if you don't use 'mister', then I won't use 'Lady'?"

"M-mhm!"

I smile, crouching down. "Then, Ram, Rom. There's a nice little candy store about three blocks from here, if you make a right out the door. Personally, I recommend the assorted chocolates that come in a purple box with a golden ribbon. Now then, with that, that's all I have to say. Thank you for being employees of Lapin House."

"Um… thank you for having us!"

"Yeah, it was really fun! Can we work here again sometime?"

"If your sister allows it."

With that, the twins cheer before Lady Ram says something about "Going to the candy store" to her sister before she can react. They're out the door by the time Lady Blanc can even reach out to those high energy girls, leaving her with nothing to do but sigh.

"It looks like I didn't need to worry." Lady Blanc says, looking towards me. "But you do spoil them too much."

"It's a bit hard not to." I say, scratching my cheek. "They did really good. There was a close call earlier when some reporters tried to corner them about the gala still, but they evaded it."

"You're lying."

Lady Blanc's voice cuts deep, stopping me in my tracks as I move back to the other side of the counter.

"Okay, I guess… I stepped in just a bit. But they did their best. They're good kids. I could feel that they didn't like those reporters insinuating things about 'Elliot, the man who was with Lady Noire', knowing that he was the same person as me. You've raised them very well."

"Thank you, for that. I'm glad to know that I've been successful so far. You have nothing negative to say about their performance?"

"Only positives through and through, Lady Blanc. Oh, and of course…"

I reach for one more envelope, holding it out to her.

"You willingly chose to work here on Monday, so…"

"Good grief. You really will cause trouble with that kind of attitude in life."

"I don't… follow?" I ask as Lady Blanc takes the envelope.

"Ah, perhaps I should say it as: You'll cause yourself quite a lot of grief with women if you act that way all the time." She says quite bluntly, though despite the cutting remark there's a bit of a smile underneath it. "Perhaps if you had a girlfriend, you'd understand a little more."

"Ah, I suppose my ex-girlfriend did tend to get a bit upset when I played nice with other girls…" I mumble, scratching the back of my head. "But I don't quite see how it applies right now."

But…

"Though, Lady Blanc."

"Hm?"

"If I could trouble you just… one more time."

"That's a very specific kind of language, Elliot." Lady Blanc says, narrowing her eyes at me. "Well, you've done quite a bit for my sisters and myself, so I'll hear it. However, answer this first: why me?"

"This is… something I don't know if I should talk to Lady Noire about yet, and I'm not that close with Lady Neptune or Lady Vert. You understand me very well and I thought I could turn to you."

She nods, looking around at the now empty shop. "I see. Well, I'm glad that you've opened yourself up a little more. That much will help you when it comes to your friendship with Noire. So, let's hear it."

"I want to come clean about the gala."


Ohohoho. Things are ramping up quite a bit.

Had a bit of fun having Compa back on screen for a bit, back with her usual teasing shenanigans. I don't exactly have too much to say about this chapter, though, as it ends somewhat like when Kei asked Elliot to take Noire to the gala. I did enjoy making a lot of things revolve around this gala as it's been an event that definitely changed Elliot's life, so it doesn't just disappear after it was done. It felt a little more down-to-earth that way, but yeah.

Also yes I couldn't resist a Playboy/Playgoddess joke. Sue me, haha. Also I know people asked about what timeline this was and the mention of a robot ninja who threw magazines would hint this was VII time, but I'm keeping it relatively ambiguous. Since I never mentioned explicitly that the events of VII happened, I think it's more just pulling in elements from previous games for a one-off joke that fits in with the mood. Besides, to me, for a simple slice of life story, I think it's better not to be tied down by the timeline and use the general world at large.

Either way, we're approaching sort of the big hump of the Blanc arc, as if I recall correctly, Chapter 11 was Kei asking Elliot about to gala, then Chapter 13 was the gala. I'm not saying it'll come in two chapters, but I like to think of what happens after Elliot decides to come clean about it as what the Blanc arc has been building up to (i.e. Blanc forcing Elliot to treat the goddesses as equals).

Also as another side note, I've finished planning everything out through the end. I also started actually writing them down physically before typing them, haha. I've gotten a first draft of everything through the end of the Blanc arc, so Soon (tm) lmao. Either way, let me know what you all think, and see you next time!