■Four years ago■
The bubbling sound of the water, the warmth around me, and Isabelle's fingers massaging my head while I rested against her chest… it was all so relaxing.
Yet, a strange feeling crept into that peace—a feeling that made something rise beneath my black swim trunks.
The jacuzzi water wasn't deep, so the bulge was clear—not just to me, but also to Isabelle, sitting right behind me.
At first, there was an awkward silence.
I said nothing—after all, back then I didn't even know what that kind of reaction meant. After a few minutes, she broke the ice.
«Looks like my little Rennie has turned into a young man,» she said, her tone light and playful, though I could hear a trace of embarrassment.
«A young man…?» I repeated, confused.
(Of course, at thirteen—ten of those spent in an orphanage—I knew little to nothing about the things kids my age knew. Let's just say I caught up later.)
«Yes. When boys react like this, it means, well…»
