Servant x Service – 08

My Tipsy Co-Worker Can’t Be This Cute!

It’s been a busy week at the office for me, but nothing like it is on Servant x Service. This week delves into the love triangle of Lucy, Hasebe, and Tanaka. What? Tanaka too?

Hasebe Beats Around the Bush

Hasebe works the “You should practice drinking!” gambit

Lucy is just not quick on the uptake. We know this. But she just can’t fathom anything about the interest Hasebe has in her. But he really wants to spend more time with her. Even to take her out, his treat. He even gets her a little tipsy, but even then she won’t date him. And everything always goes back to her name. She’s just got a huge block about it: she won’t date anyone with it, she hates talking to people because of it, and she always decides she’s inferior because of it. If anyone needed some self-confidence it’s Lucy.

Probably felt good for Hasebe to punch him

And everyone’s asking her out! Although it’s more correct to say that Tanaka-san ‘abducts’ her to dinner, and even says she should go out with him to get back at Hasebe. The fact that he does this in view of Miyoshi is a double whammy, who contacts Hasebe to come save Lucy, and deliver a message: “Taking a woman somewhere against her will? You’re the worst.” Hasebe even gets some licks in: one for asking Lucy out, another for saying that his whole plan was asking her out, and a third for trying to get her text number.

Hasebe does get a chance to walk home with Lucy, tho, and they talk about Tanaka and his disappointment in Hasebe that he doesn’t live up to his potential (boy have I heard THAT a lot in my life. I’m with you, Hasebe). But Lucy has a different view of it. She thinks that if you are enjoying what you’re doing, that’s more wonderful than anything. And this just causes Hasebe to fall even MORE in love with her, to the extent that he walks home, 10 rail stations worth!

Cracking Under the Pressure

Lucy’s obliviousness to Hasebe’s love for her finally does push him over an edge, to where he just doesn’t care about work. He even openly slacks off in Momoi’s office, and Taishi mentions that he’s actually messing up in his work, as opposed to usually, when he doesn’t ever mess anything up, just slacks off after getting his work done. But he finally gets a chance to use his saved points, and tells Lucy that she has to go on a date.

She thought she was saved

Well, he actually gave her a choice: Wear a skirt he picks to work, or wear a skirt on a date. I’m guessing eventually we’ll find out what Lucy’s big problem with a skirt is. You’d think it’s something about being unprofessional, but I’m sure that isn’t all of it, given Lucy’s penchant for linking weird neuroses with ordinary things. And she’s completely resistant to it, but feels a sense of duty to pay him back. And she’s almost saved by Megumi, who we know has an aversion to Lucy ending up with Hasebe… because she wants Lucy for her own nefarious purposes in cosplay. But Hasebe even defangs Megumi with including her in his date plan, so she gets to dress Lucy for the date. And he’s even so interested in Lucy that he’s willing to get on her schedule for this date: two months away.

This picture included for pure WTFery

I’m really starting to want Lucy to figure it out about Hasebe. It’s not only that she’s too down on herself to realize that he is sincerely interested in her, but it also seems like she’s constructed an image of him that emphasizes his bad points, minimizes his good points, and even has some straight up misunderstandings. But I think some of the blame has to be on Hasebe, too. Couldn’t he sit her down and seriously tell her that he’s interested in her, even that he’s fallen completely in love with her? Lucy just doesn’t understand implications. When everyone has said “Hasebe never hits on girls” she can’t believe it because he’s always asked girls for their email addresses, even though he says he doesn’t do anything with them. When he says he’s in love with her, she’s too worried about making him upset. So both of them are at fault for having issues in their relationship, but I really want them to get together.

So we’ll find out next week if we’re skipping 2 months to get to the date, or if we’ve gotta wait for it. But even then, Hasebe could try to get past her formidable ‘obliviousity’ and make the right impression. While I kind of like Megumi and Taishi’s relationship better for story, I’m really interested to see if Hasebe can actually get Lucy to understand.