Senpai = Senior
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From the moment Natsu kicked open the guild's doors, Lucy's inner urge to make sarcastic remarks had been simmering.
What kind of person kicks open the doors of their own guild when they return?
However, Lucy reminded herself that she was new here and unfamiliar with the place. She didn't want to leave a bad impression on the guild members, so she held back her urge to make a snarky comment. After all, she still wanted to join the guild!
If she offended someone, it might ruin her chances of joining. So Miss Lucy tried very hard to restrain her desire to let loose her sarcastic streak.
But what she saw and heard next completely shattered the worldview she had held for her seventeen years as a sheltered rich girl.
It didn't just shatter her view—it smashed it to pieces!
Inside the guild, Lucy saw a streaking maniac running around half-naked, a drunk guzzling from a huge barrel, and a group of macho men flexing their muscles.
Then, out of nowhere, a brawl broke out in the hall.
Magic flashed everywhere, tables and chairs flew, splintering to pieces.
Watching this scene, Lucy immediately realized: **Fairy Tail was full of weirdos!**
The urge to comment was now blazing within her!
Finally, when someone nearby addressed her and referred to the chaos as "lively," Lucy couldn't hold back any longer. Her signature ability kicked in, and she unleashed a three-hit sarcastic combo.
The pent-up frustration disappeared, leaving her feeling a wonderful sense of relief.
But then Lucy suddenly realized that a man was standing beside her!
The shock was enough to bring her back to reality.
He must have heard her sarcastic remarks about the guild members!
Caught red-handed by a guild member while she was criticizing them, Lucy felt mortified, her toes practically digging a hole in her shoes. She instinctively raised her hand to cover her mouth, as if that could somehow make it seem like the comments hadn't come from her. She was terrified of leaving a bad impression.
But as she lifted her hand, she realized the action was pointless, so she quickly put it back down.
Acting as if nothing had happened, Lucy turned to look at the person beside her.
Her gaze landed on a broad, muscular chest. Was this some kind of headless giant?
Taking a small step back and lifting her head, exposing a bit of her fair neck, Lucy finally saw the face of the person who had been speaking to her.
There was no helping it; at 160 cm, Lucy was much shorter than Roy.
At that distance, seeing Roy's face was quite the struggle for her.
When she finally saw Roy's smiling face, a hint of amazement flashed in her eyes. Just like men admire beautiful women, women also get excited when they see a handsome guy.
And Roy was very handsome—his looks had universal appeal, capable of charming people from ages three to eighty.
It almost threw Lucy off balance. But Lucy knew to stay focused.
This wasn't the time to ogle; she was at a crucial moment to preserve her image!
Pretending that she wasn't the one who had just made those remarks, Lucy looked at Roy with a puzzled expression.
"Um… may I ask who you are?" Lucy's beginner acting skills were put to the test.
Seeing Lucy's little act, Roy almost burst out laughing. He found her adorably naive and easy to tease.
Unable to resist, Roy decided to mess with her.
"My name is Roy, and I'm a mage in this guild. Are you a new member?"
Despite knowing who Lucy was, Roy asked as if he didn't.
Hearing Roy's introduction and question, Lucy suddenly realized she had forgotten to introduce herself.
She blushed slightly, covering her mouth with a hand in embarrassment.
As someone who had received over ten years of noble education, she had never made such a basic etiquette mistake!
This was so impolite.
In that moment, she completely forgot about her earlier awkwardness and gave Roy a deep bow, looking at him with sincere eyes and speaking in a sweet voice.
"My apologies, Roy-senpai, for making you ask my name first. My name is Lucy, and ever since I was young, I've looked up to Fairy Tail. I'm here to join the guild today, and I hope I can count on your guidance."
To avoid leaving a bad impression and jeopardizing her chances of joining the guild, Lucy batted her beautiful eyes at Roy, trying to charm her way through. Rookie Lucy had gone all-in.
"Senpai, huh? I like that title!"
Ignoring Lucy's attempt at charm, Roy stroked his chin, muttering to himself and clearly enjoying the honorific.
Having a pretty, youthful junior was indeed a pleasant thing, wasn't it?
"Senpai? Roy-senpai? Is there something wrong?"
Lucy's big, beautiful eyes sparkled as she looked at him, curious about the distraction.
"Of course not. From now on, just call me Senpai! Welcome to the guild, Lucy. If you ever need anything, just come find me. Since you called me Senpai, I'll definitely help you out."
Snapping out of his thoughts, Roy accepted her title with a confident smile.
Although he had only joined the guild yesterday and just started practicing magic, there was no issue with calling himself a mage of the guild, was there?
And under these circumstances, was there anything wrong with Lucy calling him "Senpai"?
Nope, not a single issue!
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