Chapter 63
Lana Collet kept glancing sidelong at Monica, even though class was in session.
Monica hadn't seemed like herself lately.
The reason was surely that Casey had suddenly gone back home. Lana had only heard the details secondhand, but apparently Casey had been forced to withdraw from school at short notice because of family circumstances and return home.
Students withdrawing from the academy for family reasons were hardly unusual.
But for Monica, who had few friends, Casey's return home must have been a tremendous shock. She had spent the past few days sitting dejectedly with her head bowed, and even seemed strangely awkward around Lana.
Even at lunch, while Lana was picking a fight with Claudia, Monica seemed distracted.
Come to think of it, Casey had been the one keeping their lunch table together. Casey would gently rein in Lana and Claudia whenever they started arguing, and casually bring up a topic whenever Monica fell silent. Casey had been exceptionally good at reading the room.
The truth was, Lana felt a little lonely with Casey gone too. Claudia, with her stone face, probably didn't care in the slightest.
When class finally ended, Lana approached Monica's desk.
Monica was the sort whose moods showed directly in her clothes and hairstyle. Sure enough, she had forgotten to button her sleeve, and a lock of hair had escaped from her braid, bouncing up and down in a distinctly silly fashion.
Lana approached Monica from behind and poked the bouncing lock of hair with one finger.
"Your sleeve isn't buttoned."
"Huh? Oh—wow, you're right..."
Apparently, Monica didn't notice until Lana pointed it out.
While Monica fumbled with the sleeve button, Lana smoothed down the stray lock of hair and pinned it in place. At least now Monica looked a little more presentable.
"Your next class is an elective, right? Hey, what did you end up choosing, Monica?"
"Um... chess for my first choice, and law for my second."
"Today is your first choice, so it's chess day. Our classrooms are in the same direction, so let's walk there together for a while."
"O-okay..."
Monica nodded, packed away her writing supplies, and stood up.
As she walked beside Monica, Lana secretly racked her brains.
She never knew what sort of topic to bring up at times like this. She tried to think of all sorts of things, but the only subjects that came to mind were whatever happened to be trendy. Even Lana knew Monica wasn't interested in that sort of thing.
"Oh, right. Hey, Monica, have you decided what dress you're going to wear to the ball after the school festival?"
"...Huh?"
Monica stared up at Lana with her eyes and mouth rounded in blank surprise.
Lana had expected Monica to say she hadn't gotten one yet, but judging from her expression, could it be that...
"Monica? You know there's a ball on the night of the school festival, right?"
"Yeah. I saw it on the schedule... but... I assumed we'd be attending in our uniforms..."
Only now did Lana remember that Monica was a transfer student.
At Serendia Academy, students generally wear their uniforms to ceremonies and the like. But for the ball held afterward, of course, everyone wears the formal attire they've prepared themselves. The balls after the school festival and graduation ceremony in particular are spectacular affairs. Everyone dresses up to the nines for the occasion.
"...Would a uniform not be okay?"
"You're on the student council, so that really won't do..."
"Ugh..."
Student council members were responsible for running the ball. Monica couldn't possibly skip it, and if she attended in her uniform, she would definitely make a fool of herself.
"...Monica, do you have a dress?"
Monica silently shook her head.
Lana put a hand to her forehead.
There were only two weeks left until the school festival. Lana couldn't imagine Monica managing to prepare a dress on her own.
"I can lend you one of my old dresses, if you don't mind. The color and design are both out of fashion by now, though."
"Eh? B-but..."
Monica mumbled uncertainly, fidgeting with her fingers as she looked down.
Lana frowned, her lips curling into a pout.
"What, you don't want one of my old dresses?"
"N-no, that's not it, um... I-I... I..."
Monica's voice trembled as though she were about to cry.
Her uncertain brows drew tightly together, and a film of tears slowly spread across her round eyes.
"I'm always relying on you, Lana... and I haven't been able to give you anything in return..."
Monica's head drooped lower and lower.
Before long, Lana could see nothing but the crown of Monica's head, so she pressed one finger into it and rubbed it around.
"I don't need you to give me anything in return."
"...But..."
"You don't need a reason to be kind to a friend."
When Lana lifted her finger from Monica's crown, Monica's head slowly rose.
Monica still looked bewildered.
"...Thank you, Lana."
Monica thanked her in a faint voice. The tears seemed to have receded a little, but for some reason, a deep sense of guilt still showed on her face.
Was she feeling guilty about relying on Lana?
Lana folded her arms and gave Monica a slight glare.
"The dress will need to be taken in a little, so come to my room sometime. Actually, Monica, do you have a corset?"
"I've never worn one..."
"What?!"
Lana herself was wearing a light corset under her uniform even now. For a girl in her late teens, that was simply basic etiquette... but when Lana took a good look at Monica's body, she understood.
Monica's petite body could have passed for that of a girl in her early teens. It wasn't merely slender—it was too thin.
"...Well, I suppose that's true... There's no flesh to gather..."
"Ugh..."
Even so, cinching her waist to create a curve and padding her bust should make her figure look a little more feminine.
Lana secretly vowed to order the corset she had worn in her early teens.