Lady Misfortune: Daddy, I'll Be A Righteous Villainess!

This kind of reminds Weiss of that certain memory.

It was back when he first told his mother about the girl he met one summer. He could still remember how thrilled she was at that time. Then again, he never made an effort to befriend someone before. She was glad to know that the experience taught him that it was not as difficult as he thought it would be.   

"Come on, tell me...!" his mother prodded. 

"What's her name?" 

Weiss hesitates.

He shook his head, trying to rid himself of his blush. But it was to no avail. 

"I can't believe you found yourself a crush on your second day…!" she enthused, probably more ecstatic than he was. 

"Not bad~!"

"I can't believe it either…" he muttered in a low voice, casting down his gaze. 

"I really can't."

She blinks at him in confusion. He appears to be bothered about something. 

"Honey, what's wrong?" his mother asked, her elation giving way to concern.

Weiss hasn't said that it's Lady yet.

She still didn't know that she's the same girl he kept talking about all those years ago. For some reason, he suddenly feels reluctant to tell her. It's just too good to be true. He didn't expect that she'd be the one to approach him again – and that she'd want to be his friend again. Perhaps, they're really meant to be together. 

But that's the thing. Everything he earned so far was out of pure hard work. He's not sure if this opportunity to finally spend more time with her will last long, especially since he isn't even trying. 

He also couldn't tell her that he's the boy she met that summer because he's afraid to hear that she forgot – or that she's still angry or dismayed at him for leaving without a word. Besides, she didn't seem to recognize him. It's reasonable, considering that the way he looks has kind of changed. He himself didn't recognize her right away either. 

Lady became so beautiful that Weiss didn't.

In addition, one of the reasons why he decided to transfer to this school was to have a restart. He wanted all encounters and interactions he'd make in this place to be fresh - without anyone recognizing his true identity. So, it's crucial for him to lie low and not stand out. 

With all those thoughts in mind, Weiss finally opened up.

"What if liking her is wrong, Mama…?" he asked her sadly. 

"What if it's unacceptable to like a girl right after you've talked to her? I think of her smile and her laugh and her gaze. It feels so wrong!"

"Listen, Weiss…" she began, pulling his hands away from his face and making him look at her straight in the eye. 

"It's not wrong to like a girl. It's normal." 

"Really?"

"Trust me! In fact, every boy your age has a crush!"

"I doubt that."

"It's true! And it's wonderful that you've found someone to like!" 

"How so?"

"Well, it's very nice to see… especially after everything that you've been through all these years. You deserve to experience such things. Then again, you're still a child." 

Her voice has turned a little bitter. He notices this but doesn't press further. It's a topic he didn't want to talk about. So, he just gives her a small, consoling smile. She sighs, her eyes softening, before she pinches his cheeks again. 

"So, tell me already. What's her name?"

Weiss is tired of blushing too many times in one day.

He can no longer escape this one, though. He has to say it. 

"Lady."

His mother practically squeals. 

She didn't seem to realize that it's the same girl he's been yearning to meet – not yet at least. For now, she's happy about something else. 

One at a time, Weiss thought. One at a time. 

"Oh, Lady is such a nice girl…!" she gushed, taking him aback.

"She's here every now and then, but it's really her cousin who comes all the time. She has blonde hair and purple eyes, right? Very pretty?"

His blush intensifies.

Rather than at her comment, though, he is more surprised by the fact that she actually knows who Lady is – without ever realizing that she and Weiss have already met. Perhaps, his memory got it all wrong. He must have not told her who she was back then and what she looked like. 

"Well, how did you two become friends?" his mother pressed. 

---

It's about halfway through lunch when Lady finds Weiss in the school library. 

He's seated behind the librarian's desk, holding his cellphone and typing on it. When he looks up and sees her enter, he gives her a smile in greeting.

"Found you! So, this is where you've been!" Lady chirped with a grin on her face, skipping over to Weiss as he put his cellphone away.

"Yeah. Just hanging around here."

"Hanging around? At the library?"

She hopped towards the desk and sat on top of it. Slightly appalled, he ignored her question and scolded her, "There are many chairs here for you to sit on, Lady."

"I can sit wherever I like. Besides, no one else's around," she said, swinging her legs and shrugging away his comment. 

Weiss makes a show of being exasperated. Lady just grins wider.

"Why were you here and not in class?" she inquired.

He leaned back into his chair, wondering how he should respond to that. As if he could just tell her that he went there to ask his mother who's disguised as the school librarian for some love advice – one that apparently had something to do with her. 

"Well, I had to talk with Ms. Valentina about something," Weiss said instead.

"Huh. Where is she?" Lady asked, looking around.

"She just left. She's retiring, you know."

"Yeah, I've heard." 

She kept quiet for a moment. Her eyes then bulged wide in surprise at the realization that suddenly hit her. She whipped her head back to him and peered at him intently. 

"Wait, are you the new librarian now? Is that why you had to talk to her? Why are you sitting behind her desk? Is this your first day?" Lady rambled.

"Of course not. That'd be weird," Weiss laughed.

"Oh, alright. Just asking."

"Do you think being a librarian would suit me?"

Humming, she brings a hand up to her chin as if in serious thought. She mimes the 'Thinker' statue, exaggerating her act. He watches her with an amused face.

"Well, I think the desk suits you. The library doesn't. So, maybe a CEO fits more?" Lady eventually blurted out.

"Right now, the library doesn't suit you either," Weiss replied with a chuckle.

"Yeah. I agree." 

"Isn't it lunchtime? You should go to the cafeteria to eat – not stay here."

"Oh, I don't eat there. I always have lunch with my friends at the school field. That way, it'll feel more like we're on a picnic. Besides, I've been looking for you."

"Really? Don't you have your friends waiting for you, though?"

"Yep. But I already told one of them that I probably won't be there. Then, I went to look for you right away."

"Why would you do that?"

"Weiss, you said you'd meet them, and I'm holding you to that."

Seeing her frown, Weiss has the decency to look guilty. Lady was actually serious when she told him that. 

He knew he shouldn't, yet he really couldn't help but think that she just said all of that to make him feel welcome and comfortable. Now, though, learning that she genuinely wants to introduce him to her friends erases such doubts. 

"I'm sorry, Lady. I forgot-"

"Don't be sorry! Just come with me now, okay?" she assured him quickly. 

"Ummm, well… I was actually thinking of just staying here."

Lady slumps, disappointed. Weiss offers an apologetic look. 

"That's fine, I guess. You can always meet them some other time. Aren't you going to eat lunch, though?" she questioned.

"Oh, I'm not really hungry," he replied, which earned a disapproving expression from her.

"No way! You're going to eat, Weiss! It's not healthy to skip meals!"

"Lady, I'm alright. Really-"

"You have to eat something!"

"Lady-"

"No buts!"

"I said Lady, though?"

Ignoring his quip, she takes his hand and drags him out of the library. He fumbles in his footsteps while she's resolute in hers.

"Your concern is appreciated, Lady, but I'm really not hungry!" he tried to talk her out of it.

He pulls his hand from her grip, causing her to stop in her tracks. She turns to look at him, her tone shockingly serious when she calls his name, "Weiss."

"Uhhh… Yes?" he voiced out. 

"You're eating," she insisted.

"Ermmm-"

"You're not going to spend lunch without eating in the library."

Weiss purses his lips. Lady glares at him, not backing down.

He sighs.

'This girl is really something.'

He doesn't understand why she seems to care so much. He also doesn't understand why he likes her so much. He's ignorant – painfully so. But maybe he can try to learn.

Eventually, he makes up his mind to give in and offers his hand to her. She happily takes it with a big smile on her face. With that, she begins to drag him down the hall, leaping as she does so.

For all Weiss knows, Lady can be the death of him someday.