For some reason, I felt like the Commander’s behavior had been off lately.
Specifically, it had started after the operation ended.
Something just seemed strange.
“Linda? Here.”
“Thank you…?”
“Is there anything else you need?”
“Not really…”
For some reason, the Commander handed me some bread to go with my coffee.
I wasn’t sure what was going on, but I accepted it… I was genuinely confused about all this sudden generosity.
Just that morning, he had gotten up earlier than usual for some odd reason… It felt really awkward.
Of course, he’d only woken up after I had called him.
“Is the work for today just what you gave me in the morning?”
“That’s the plan…?”
“I see. How about we finish up quickly, and then go grab dinner after work?”
“If you’re suggesting it… I suppose I could go…”
But seriously, why was he acting like this? The Commander usually never made invites like this; it was super awkward.
He was usually pretty quiet and preferred to keep to himself, so why the sudden urge to socialize…?
“…….”
Did he eat something weird?
I was worried because he had been overworked a few days ago, and now I was worried again.
“Why do you keep staring at me?”
I only just realized the Commander had been looking at me the whole time.
I had no idea why he was staring… But it was a really intense gaze, and I was a bit startled.
Was I doing something strange…?
“I was just looking.”
“…Why suddenly?”
“You also gaze at me sometimes. Is it a problem?”
“I… have never done that.”
We’re not even a couple; why would I keep looking at my superior?
I absolutely never did that.
No way.
Maybe he mistook me for someone else.
I honestly think I’ve never purposefully looked at the Commander at all.
“Let’s go with that.”
“I really didn’t…”
“By the way, what about the upcoming party… How are we handling that?”
“Excuse me?”
The conversation felt like it switched abruptly, and I momentarily reacted strangely.
Of course, that didn’t mean I didn’t hear him.
It just surprised me that the topic came up out of nowhere.
“So, um… do I really have to wear a dress?”
“Well, it is a party. I think it’s only proper to wear formal attire or something similar. The invitation was very clear about it.”
Hearing the Commander’s words gave me a glimmer of hope.
At least it didn’t sound like he was saying I must wear a dress.
He was just indicating that I should wear something neat and tidy.
Well, even so, forcing me into a dress was kind of a no-go…
“So it’s not absolutely necessary to wear one…”
“Though I imagine the other ladies attending will probably be in dresses. That’s how I see it.”
“………”
“It might be better for you to wear one too so you don’t stand out…”
“…?”
The Commander suddenly paused his explanation, staring intently at my face.
It was quite a shock for him to stop mid-sentence and focus on me like that.
Why was he acting like this…? It was all very sudden.
“What’s wrong…? Is something the matter?”
“No, it’s just… nothing at all. Anyway, I think you’ll need to get a dress.”
“……..”
“It can’t be helped. Most of the women at the party will be wearing dresses. You’re essentially going as my ‘partner’, after all.”
“Ah.”
That’s right…?
After thinking it over based on the Commander’s words… I wasn’t just going as a guest.
Unlike the Commander, I was going to be there as his ‘partner’.
So of course…
“…Hah.”
“It’s just how it is.”
“That aside, well…”
I still felt embarrassed about the whole dress situation.
I hadn’t even worn that dress I bought last time out of embarrassment.
And even aside from that, I hadn’t worn any of the women’s clothes I’d purchased.
It’s not like I had any reason to wear casual clothes.
“Hah…”
“Is it really that embarrassing?”
“…Yes.”
“Hmm… If it’s that embarrassing… then I feel a bit sorry.”
“……..”
Feeling sorry for me wasn’t exactly a big deal.
It was just my own shyness preventing me from wanting to wear it.
Or rather, it wasn’t entirely about feeling embarrassed; it was about the fact that those clothes would make me confront my current situation.
I was still being perceived as a man but had grown more accustomed to feminine clothing.
From women’s underwear to revealing outfits… That’s why I was hesitant about wearing them.
“Is there going to be a disadvantage for you, Commander, if I don’t wear a dress?”
“I don’t think so. It’s not a grand event; it’s just a party tied to a founding celebration, so I doubt it’ll have many strict rules.”
“Then…”
“Still, personally, I think you’d look great in one.”
“……..”
Why was he putting so much pressure on me?
I had no intention of wearing one, and suddenly he brings up how I might look good in a dress. It felt impossible.
“I’m not going to wear one.”
“Okay then. Honestly, you’d look good in anything you wear.”
“…Yes.”
Even receiving such vague praise wouldn’t change my mind; I absolutely would not wear it.
Other clothes? Maybe. But a dress? How could I wear that?
I was a man, and no matter how much I might identify otherwise now… wearing a dress felt like a whole different level of challenge.
To wear one in front of so many unknown faces at such an event?
I’d rather just go in training clothes.
“Honestly, if you just go in a suit, it should be fine…”
“Definitely?”
“…I had some unpleasant thoughts.”
“…Yes?”
I wasn’t sure what he was thinking, but the Commander was making a face like he really disliked something.
What on earth was he imagining?
…
“I can’t believe we’re actually doing this.”
“Me neither…”
After a pretty busy week, the weekend finally rolled around.
On a typical weekend, I’d probably be sleeping or just lounging in bed right now.
That was my usual weekend routine, and if I felt bored, I’d just pop into the Commander’s room… Which I had been doing normally until not long ago.
Of course, that all changed after the recent incident.
It wasn’t that I didn’t trust the Commander; I just felt so weird that I couldn’t help it.
“Today, I finally get to work out in the training gym.”
“…Who came up with that name? It used to just be the gym.”
“Oh, that was Midori.”
“…….”
Midori, what on earth is this name?
Finally, after talking with the Commander for a while about it, we got to start exercising in the gym.
Honestly, I didn’t expect we’d start suddenly this week, but here we were.
The idea was originally brought up not by me or the Commander but by Dolores first, which made it all the more sudden.
“Anyway! Today, we’re just going to test our stamina a bit. You, Commander, and you, Linda, don’t necessarily work out regularly.”
“That’s true.”
“Right.”
“So today, we’ll just take it easy…”
As Dolores said that, she turned slightly, and her gaze landed on an empty treadmill.
The very same machine I had run on before.
It had given me muscle soreness the next day, but it worked out well enough.
“Let’s start with the treadmill; how about running for a bit?”
“…Okay.”
“…Alright then.”
Dolores came behind us, started slowly pushing our backs as we stood by the treadmills… and honestly, it was a bit scary.
I mean, typically quiet Dolores suddenly grinning while pushing us to our doom wasn’t reassuring at all.
“…Let’s survive this.”
“…Agreed.”
Rather than the odd feelings I’d been having earlier in the week, all I could think about was how much I didn’t want to workout.
Which was understandable since the last time I had run on the treadmill, my muscles were sore as heck.
Of course, I was a beginner then, but now enough time had passed that it wouldn’t have felt much different.
– Beep!
Dolores came over to our treadmill and pressed the button.
And the treadmill began running.
As the machine whirred to life, I started moving my feet.
Fortunately, the initial speed was manageable.
“Hah…”
“Hah…”
To note, no one was in the gym.
Unlike the agents, we both had pretty average physical capabilities, so the place being deserted was understandable.
Of course, even without that, if the agents filled the place and the Commander walked in… chaos would ensue.
“Hah… Hah…”
Anyway, without saying anything else.
We just moved forward, our feet shuffling along.
Though we weren’t actually moving anywhere, since we were on the treadmill.
“How’s it going? Are you good?”
“…For now.”
“I guess it’s not too hard…”
Not sure what level we were on, but it felt pretty easy.
To be honest, it was easy.
“Hah… Hah…”
“Hah…”
Anyway, I was diligently running in my leggings and a sports bra.
Of course, this time I was wearing a windbreaker over the bra top, so I wasn’t having any issues.
The way my bust swayed was inevitable, but it was better than letting my underwear show.
“Hah… Hah…”
“……..”
“Commander, are you… not getting tired…?”
“For now.”
“I see…?”
The speeds of the treadmills that the Commander and I were on weren’t drastically different.
We could have swapped places without much trouble.
“Hah… Hah…”
“Okay, let’s gradually increase the speed?”
“What?!”
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