That's what I needed...
Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2026 2:39 pm
“Comment tout en est-il arrivé là?" Charlotte muttered aloud.
This day was definitely beyond what Charlotte was used to. Today she woke up and for the first time in a long time did not feel the strength to get out of bed. It was as if all the juices had been squeezed out of her, and this time she succumbed to this weakness. Instead of another intense workout, she spent the whole day at home in her bed.
She spent most of the day thinking about recent events, but it didn't get her anywhere. Too much shit had happened lately, and so far the Frenchwoman had no idea how to deal with it. First the title match, then that bitch Ami, then the meeting with Hana... there were bad periods in Charlotte's life, but for the first time it directly affected not only her career, but also her aspirations in general.
Unable to find answers to her questions, the pink-haired woman waited until the sun sank below the horizon, after which she forced herself to get out of bed. After tidying herself up a bit, she decided to take a walk in the hope that some fresh air would help her. So she left her apartment and began to wander aimlessly through the evening streets of Tokyo.
“Maybe...”
Charlotte took out her phone. Her contact list was very short and in fact only three names there were important. Astrid. Nerissa. Victoria. The Frenchwoman stopped and stared at the screen for a few moments. Perhaps it would be fair to say that she had no closer people than these three. But was she ready to talk to them? Tell them something she can't even admit to herself...
Not daring to dial anyone's number, the martial arts master shoved the phone back into her pocket and continued her aimless journey. Her friends knew a lot more about her than the others, but she wasn't ready to tell them why her defeat in the title match had literally robbed her of any hope for the future.
She was sure that if she won, she wouldn't have to look over her shoulder anymore. She wanted to escape from her past so far that it would no longer be able to haunt her. But now it was as if she could feel the breath of it on the back of her neck. It was as if she was one step away from turning back into the monster she once was.
“Stop thinking about it...” she muttered to herself. “You need to get distracted by something...”
Quite by accident Charlotte turned her head to the left and then stopped. Her left eyebrow rose slightly. A bar. The most ordinary and unremarkable bar of which there are hundreds all over Tokyo. Charlotte didn't believe in coincidences, much less fate, but this time it looked exactly like it.
“No, Charlotte, this is a very bad idea...” the Frenchwoman shook her head, turned her head away from the bar and continued walking forward.
It was definitely a bad idea, at least for the simple reason that Charlotte can't drink. Yes, she can afford a glass of good wine from time to time for the sake of taste, but if she doesn't stop there, it can turn into a real disaster. About people like her they usually say that three beers and then karaoke. Therefore, no. This is definitely a bad idea and she should just keep walking and then go home and just go to bed.
After taking two steps forward, Charlotte slowed down, and after the third step, she stopped altogether. She stood like a statue in the middle of the street for a few seconds, and then the Frenchwoman sighed heavily, closing her eyes.
“Okay, fuck it...”
Charlotte put aside all thoughts, turned around and entered the bar. If the universe tells her that she should get drunk like an animal today, then so be it. She has devoted the last seven years of her life to self-control and self-development, what has it led her to? So today she was ready to tell it all to go to hell.…
Glancing around the bar, Charlotte was convinced that it really was just a classic bar, nothing special. There were a lot of visitors here, but there was still more than enough free space. Without pausing at the entrance, the Frenchwoman headed to the far end of the bar counter, where she put her butt on a chair.
“Konbanwa...” she said slightly dryly to the bartender who approached her.
“I speak English if you prefer,” the young man said with a slight smile.
“Great,” Charlotte ran both hands over her face, and then sighed heavily. “Then one Spritz to start with, and then ten minutes later one Blue Lagoon, and then another ten minutes later one Long Island ice tea, and then if I'm still alive, we'll see...”
“Great plan, miss, one moment!”
Indeed, a few minutes later, Charlotte found a large glass with a red-orange liquid in front of herself. The last time she tried to numb her emotions with alcohol was around the time her family kicked her out. Well, it seems the time has come to repeat. Charlotte took a deep breath and then sipped her cocktail. Her mouth was filled with bitterness, which was surprisingly pleasant this time. The Frenchwoman smiled slightly and began her lonely evening of drinking.
This day was definitely beyond what Charlotte was used to. Today she woke up and for the first time in a long time did not feel the strength to get out of bed. It was as if all the juices had been squeezed out of her, and this time she succumbed to this weakness. Instead of another intense workout, she spent the whole day at home in her bed.
She spent most of the day thinking about recent events, but it didn't get her anywhere. Too much shit had happened lately, and so far the Frenchwoman had no idea how to deal with it. First the title match, then that bitch Ami, then the meeting with Hana... there were bad periods in Charlotte's life, but for the first time it directly affected not only her career, but also her aspirations in general.
Charlotte Ravel'
Unable to find answers to her questions, the pink-haired woman waited until the sun sank below the horizon, after which she forced herself to get out of bed. After tidying herself up a bit, she decided to take a walk in the hope that some fresh air would help her. So she left her apartment and began to wander aimlessly through the evening streets of Tokyo.
“Maybe...”
Charlotte took out her phone. Her contact list was very short and in fact only three names there were important. Astrid. Nerissa. Victoria. The Frenchwoman stopped and stared at the screen for a few moments. Perhaps it would be fair to say that she had no closer people than these three. But was she ready to talk to them? Tell them something she can't even admit to herself...
Not daring to dial anyone's number, the martial arts master shoved the phone back into her pocket and continued her aimless journey. Her friends knew a lot more about her than the others, but she wasn't ready to tell them why her defeat in the title match had literally robbed her of any hope for the future.
She was sure that if she won, she wouldn't have to look over her shoulder anymore. She wanted to escape from her past so far that it would no longer be able to haunt her. But now it was as if she could feel the breath of it on the back of her neck. It was as if she was one step away from turning back into the monster she once was.
“Stop thinking about it...” she muttered to herself. “You need to get distracted by something...”
Quite by accident Charlotte turned her head to the left and then stopped. Her left eyebrow rose slightly. A bar. The most ordinary and unremarkable bar of which there are hundreds all over Tokyo. Charlotte didn't believe in coincidences, much less fate, but this time it looked exactly like it.
“No, Charlotte, this is a very bad idea...” the Frenchwoman shook her head, turned her head away from the bar and continued walking forward.
It was definitely a bad idea, at least for the simple reason that Charlotte can't drink. Yes, she can afford a glass of good wine from time to time for the sake of taste, but if she doesn't stop there, it can turn into a real disaster. About people like her they usually say that three beers and then karaoke. Therefore, no. This is definitely a bad idea and she should just keep walking and then go home and just go to bed.
After taking two steps forward, Charlotte slowed down, and after the third step, she stopped altogether. She stood like a statue in the middle of the street for a few seconds, and then the Frenchwoman sighed heavily, closing her eyes.
“Okay, fuck it...”
Charlotte put aside all thoughts, turned around and entered the bar. If the universe tells her that she should get drunk like an animal today, then so be it. She has devoted the last seven years of her life to self-control and self-development, what has it led her to? So today she was ready to tell it all to go to hell.…
Glancing around the bar, Charlotte was convinced that it really was just a classic bar, nothing special. There were a lot of visitors here, but there was still more than enough free space. Without pausing at the entrance, the Frenchwoman headed to the far end of the bar counter, where she put her butt on a chair.
“Konbanwa...” she said slightly dryly to the bartender who approached her.
“I speak English if you prefer,” the young man said with a slight smile.
“Great,” Charlotte ran both hands over her face, and then sighed heavily. “Then one Spritz to start with, and then ten minutes later one Blue Lagoon, and then another ten minutes later one Long Island ice tea, and then if I'm still alive, we'll see...”
“Great plan, miss, one moment!”
Indeed, a few minutes later, Charlotte found a large glass with a red-orange liquid in front of herself. The last time she tried to numb her emotions with alcohol was around the time her family kicked her out. Well, it seems the time has come to repeat. Charlotte took a deep breath and then sipped her cocktail. Her mouth was filled with bitterness, which was surprisingly pleasant this time. The Frenchwoman smiled slightly and began her lonely evening of drinking.