The silence stretched, thick and heavy. Then, casually, I broke it.
"Yuko…" I tilted my head slightly, studying her. "Are you a lesbian?"
Her entire body went rigid. "What the hell are you talking about?" she snapped, whirling toward me, her dark eyes flashing with indignation. "When did I become a lesbian? Where did you even get that stupid idea?"
I kept my tone light, almost amused. "I don't know. You hate me touching you. I just figured—"
"You figured wrong," she cut in, her voice sharp enough to draw blood. "I'm not a lesbian."
"Then what is it?" I pressed, undeterred. "Androphobia? Fear of men?"
I probed her mind with Telepathy, catching the storm behind Yuko's eyes before her expression twisted—lips curling in raw disgust. "Hmph," she scoffed, her voice dripping with venom. [I've killed hundreds of men. You think I'm afraid of them?] Her eyes burned into mine, fierce and unyielding. "I just find the idea of them touching me repulsive."
