Valerie's POV
Now that the queen was coming to the school festival, it had generated a lot of work for me as the head of security. I was quickly learning that this apprenticeship was something really different than going to school. The queen's security detail had asked for a detailed plan of our security and had demanded several adjustments. Those had been keeping me occupied all morning. I thought some of the stuff was outright ridiculous. First, they needed three completely different escape routes without any path being used in any of the other routes. And if that wasn't hard enough in a school, they demanded a fortified room and food for a week in case of a siege.
For crying out loud. This was a school, not a fortified army base. What did they think was going to happen? Luckily, Lucy, my teacher, realized this was all a bit above my station, so she decided to help me and I was learning a lot. The Lyst security force was an oiled machine. It was all really impressive.
When Mia entered the office again, I felt a smile creep on my face, but instead of coming straight for me like she usually did, she just sat down and sighed.
“Hey, you okay?” I asked her. I was a bit concerned. This was just not like her. She looked up at me and said
“Things have been changing so fast lately, and I feel I'm changing and I do not really know if I like it.” What was she talking about? I thought Mia had proven herself to be really dependable now that she had quit the bully act.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I feel like I'm becoming like one of those hardworking best of the class types.”
“Well, I can tell you have been working really hard lately, and I was glad to see you make some real friends.”
Then suddenly she got up and hugged me and said “But... Will you still like me like that? Weren't you more into bad girls? I feel like I am throwing away my chances.”
So Mia could be cute and insecure like this too.
I patted her head and said “Silly, girl. You know you are the only one for me.”
Mia looked up at me with big eyes, then seemed to realize the situation she was in, turned red, removed my hand, and said “Hmph! I guess then you will find an excellent way to prove it to me tomorrow. Don't think I will be satisfied with one of those recycled moves of yours.”
Troublesome girl. Playing hard to get, and I knew she knew that that was irresistible to me. I knew I was being played, but still I said “I will make sure it will be something I never did before that will blow you of your feet.”
Mia looked satisfied and said “Now I won't be satisfied with anything less. You promised after all.”
Why did I have to go ahead and promise something like that? She made me break my own rule. “Never try to be original. Only use the proven methods. They are called that for a reason.” It was my own mantra. I know all my pickup lines are cliché, but they get the work done. Now I had to come up with my own way of confessing. My nerves were killing me. I already knew I was going to have trouble sleeping.
“I-I'll do my best.” My voice was already wavering. Mia looked satisfied that she broke my cool and whispered “If you succeed, I will make it worth your while.”
My face flushed completely red. I thought I had an opening and went for it, but she had turned the tables on me in an instant. Only Mia could outplay me like that and it made me fall even deeper for her, every time she did that.
To calm me down again, I focused back on my work, while Mia took out her tablet and started drawing. She was probably making one of those BL things again. I knew a little about BL, and I thought it was cute, but I knew better than to start talking about the subject with Mia. We almost always disagreed on who should be seme and uke. Every time I disagreed with her she looked at me with pity. Like I was a poor misguided soul that needed help. It was a lot worse than if she would just have gotten angry.
When I got up to put a folder back into the cabinet, I could not help but take a glance, and what I saw was amazing. This wasn't BL. It was a drawing of the two of us dancing, yesterday at the ball. She was using a picture of Eline as a reference. It was really realistic too. I did not know she could draw like that, I only ever saw her draw manga-like stuff.
When she saw I noticed, she started blushing. I noticed that she wanted to click it away, so I said. “Please don't. I was just amazed how good you had gotten.”
Mia looked a bit embarrassed at my praise. “Can I take a closer look?” She nodded and let me watch while she kept drawing. She was like a magician with that digital pen.
“Is that how you see me?” She depicted me as a fragile girl, and she herself was strong. In other words, it was a picture where she topped me.
“It's how you were yesterday when we danced.” She answered, and enlarged the source picture. It was true. I had that same look in my eyes in that picture. This was so embarrassing.
“I just loved this picture so much, that I asked Gazette to send me a copy.”
I swore to myself that I needed to find a way to top Mia tomorrow during my confession. I needed to find something so out of there that she would not see it coming. On the other hand, I did enjoy Mia's lead during that dance... but that did not matter. This was a question of pride. My reputation was at stake!
A short while later, all the other girls started coming in. The first ones to come in were our two cute mascots walking hand in hand. They both looked really happy, and after waving at us they made their way to the yuri library to pick out a book together. They were really cute to watch. I was glad that I got to play a role in them getting together. I noticed Mia was also looking at them with an endearing look.
“We did well with them, didn't we?” I said.
“They seem happy. I just hope they won't forget about us now that they no longer need us.”
“I doubt that would ever happen. Not with those two.” I said to comfort her.
My words weren't even cold when Fien and Maura stood in front of us with shy looks in their eyes.
“Can we ask you two something?”
I felt a bit superior because my prediction had come true.
“Go ahead. That is what friends are for.”
Fien looked around the room and then said “What are we supposed to do now?”
“Except kissing, it feels like nothing changed in our relationship.” Maura then added.
Mia started laughing and said. “That is Valerie's department. She can tell you all about that.”
That's true. But to tell two twelve-year-olds about how girls can have sex still felt wrong to me.
It's safe to say, I felt a little conflicted. I was thinking about ways to broach the subject when Maura said:
“Please master, give us some knowledge about how a date works in real life. We only know dates from mangas.”
“D-DATES!” I shouted out relieved.
Mia giggled. She clearly realized my misunderstanding.
“But dates should just be about doing something together that you both like. Or one of you organizes something you think the other would like. Stuff like that. There isn't really a rule, as long as you are having fun.”
I wasn't about to tell them about my dating schemes with Mia present. I thought I taught Maura better than that.
“Oh, so we can just switch who organizes the date. That sounds awesome.” Fien said. The two looked happy in each other eyes and kissed in front of us. It was only a quick peck, but it was enough to raise the sugar levels in my bloodstream to diabetes-inducing levels.
Mia was still staring at them while they made their way to the salon.
“I can't believe those mascots beat us to it.”
It seemed like Claire had struck a nerve yesterday with Mia's competitive side.
Next to enter were our four idols. Elsa seemed to be furious about the fact that Anna and Claire hadn't shown up for practice this morning. While she was venting her anger, the targets of her ire entered the door.
thanks for the chapter
Thank you for reading Trunk
It's one big rush toward the fesival from now on!