Mentioned Characters: Flandre

The Moon shone brightly, casting a pale glow across the night sky. It was quiet. All that could be heard was someone's breathing. My breathing, to be precise. Over and over again, I wheezed. It didn't hurt so much anymore. If anything, the pain was proof I'd found somewhere I belonged. But still, I wished I could breathe easily. Just for one night. After all, a party was being thrown―the first one in quite some time. With that thought in my mind, I got out of bed.

I figured some fresh air would clear my head. The breeze smelled of the sea, and I started to feel more alert. I let out a quiet sigh. Recently, I'd been trying to imitate my younger sister and was finally starting to feel more relaxed around the mansion. I say "imitate," but that doesn't include the way she talks to me. It's the way she treats others that I admire. That's what charisma's supposed to be about. But me? I'm childish. Weak. Unsure of myself. Flandre is none of those things. Maybe that's why I idolize her so much.

I stepped out of my room and made my way toward the party hall. There was just one problem... I'd forgotten where it was. I opened door after door but couldn't find it. I was lost in my own mansion. Every room I checked was pitch black. I couldn't find a single party decoration. Of all days to be forgetful. Usually, if I stepped into the hallway, someone was there to guide me. But on that night, there was no one in sight. I put my thinking cap on and tried to... well, think.

There's a rule for when you get lost in the mountains: Always go back to where you started. So that's what I did―I headed back to my room. There was just one problem... I'd forgotten where it was. Why did the mansion have to be so big? We could've cut it in half, and it still would've been spacious enough. That was when I heard something nearby. Clang clang. I followed the noise into another pitch-black room. After wandering around for so long, I figured I'd take a short rest. But then... Tiny specks of light appeared in the darkness. Candles! Their glow illuminated a table covered with colorful dishes. Then came a sharp pop. Then another. There was no mistaking it. Someone was letting off party poppers!

It turns out, it was the butler, the mage, and my little sister. The mage looked at me with exasperation before giving me an earful. Apparently, they'd been waiting in this room, hoping to surprise me, but I never showed up. In the end, they had no choice but to tap their cutlery on the glasses to lure me there. "I can't believe you got lost," said Flandre. "You're literally the guest of honor." That's when I realized that I'd never asked what the party was for. According to my sister, it'd been arranged to celebrate me. The butler calmly pointed out that making the room pitch black for dramatic effect had probably made me think the venue was somewhere else. I decided to nod in agreement. Clearly, none of this was my fault. Charisma is never wrong. Charisma conquers all. Right then, my stomach growled. I looked again at the delightful spread of food. I'd done so much walking that night, so it was only natural that I was excited. A smile crinkled my eyes. Charisma was hungry. It was time to start the party. There, together with everyone.