You think I don't dare? I'll show you exactly how bold I can be.
In this kind of game, whoever gets embarrassed first loses.
The girl's laughter stopped abruptly. She froze in place, never expecting me to go along with her words, much less that I would actually start taking off my clothes.
"Miss Kusanagi wants to see me do a striptease? That's easy." I leaned down and whispered into her fair ear, "I can take them off for you right now."
A second later, I watched with satisfaction as the girl's soft, white ears turned a deep shade of red.
"It's hot in the summer, so I'm only wearing two layers. There's only underwear underneath." I untied the hair tie, and my medium-length hair slid down my cheeks like a waterfall as I gently began to undress.
I was wearing a light-colored short-sleeved shirt today. If I folded it upward, it would reveal my fair, flat belly; if I pulled it up further, it would reveal my dark-colored bra and the curves that were ready to burst forth.
Naturally, I wouldn't go that far. If the girl didn't call for a stop when I pulled it further up, I would stop on my own.
My eyelashes were lowered, and my voice was calm: "Should I take off the shirt first, or the bra?"
"..." Kusanagi was completely stunned. She was momentarily speechless, staring blankly at my movements.
It was the first time I'd seen her like this, her eyelashes trembling as if they were about to fly away. We're both women; I have what you have. Surely you haven't grown up without ever seeing another woman's body?
Committing to the act, I slowly lifted the hem, crossing my slender arms to pull it up. The thin summer shirt was easy to remove, and in a moment, I had pulled it up almost to just below my chest.
The nature of the medical profession requires me to stand for long periods, and with irregular eating habits, I often suffer from back pain. I've had the habit of doing sit-ups since school, so my waist is a bit more flexible than most, with faint, firm athletic lines.
She suddenly stood up and grabbed my hand, her cool voice laced with panic: "I was joking!"
"If you make a bet, you have to accept the loss. I can take it off." I looked down at her, continuing to make a move as if to undress.
Kusanagi really panicked. She incoherently covered her own eyes: "...I was joking! Stop... stop undressing..."
Fearing I would pull it up further, she covered the upper half of her face with her long, slender hands, shielding her eyes tightly, her lips pursed with a nervous bitterness.
"You're the one who told me not to take it off; don't regret it later."
I nearly laughed out loud in triumph. She's just a kid after all; talking big is one thing, but actual action is another. One second she was high and mighty, and the next she was defeated. I was amused by her act of covering her eyes—it was a classic case of 'the lady doth protest too much.'
"Miss Nozawa, are you dressed?" The girl took a deep breath, trying to soothe her tension.
"Yes, you can look now with peace of mind." I straightened my messy top and sat back in my seat with a straight face.
"Are you really dressed?" The girl asked, still shaken.
"Really. Am I that unattractive?" I asked in a flippant tone; only magic can defeat magic.
"Yeah, you're hideous. You actually have abs; you really are a man," the girl countered, refusing to be outdone, though the crimson on her ears betrayed her.
Hideous? Then why the blushing? It seems I need to work more on my feminine curves—squats for the glutes, keeping my chest out, and so on. I didn't think I lacked feminine charm, so why did she think I was like a man?
The moonlight was hazy, and the deep blue night sky was dotted with stars only seen in summer.
In the distance, Tokyo Tower shimmered with blurry, ethereal colors. The ambiguity of the night permeated the air, weaving a soft net that enveloped everyone together.
Time unknowingly slipped away into the late hours of the night.
"It's getting late, how about I teach you more tomorrow?" I couldn't help but yawn. After all that commotion, it was already 11 PM, and I had to wake up early for class tomorrow.
"Mhm," Kusanagi responded gloomily; it looked like she was sleepy too.
"By the way, I want to take the interpretation certification exam. Can we outline the scope of the material tomorrow?"
"Japanese needs to be spoken often to practice; there is no'scope.' Also, I'm taking you somewhere in a few days, so try to come back as early as possible."
"Okay, is before 7 PM alright?"
"Mhm, I'll wait for you at home."
Where was she going to take me? Sleepiness had already washed over me, so I could only rub my eyes, bid her goodnight, and head to the bathroom to wash up for bed.
Kusanagi also returned to her room. The lights in both rooms went out, and darkness reclaimed the space.
In the silence of the deep night, imperceptible emotions were surging.
In the privacy of the pitch-black room, the girl covered her face and curled up on the bed.
The woman's body, glimpsed for a fleeting moment, had been captured by her eyes by chance—the well-proportioned, beautiful waistline, the mermaid lines faintly extending downward, and the skin that was a warm white, looking delicate and smooth.
It wasn't that she had never seen another woman's body; she swam with friends in the summer and changed clothes together, but she had never felt like this before.
The girl tentatively placed her hand over her heart, feeling the rapid, heavy thumping through her palm. She checked again to be sure.
It was real, not her imagination. What was happening?
The food she cooked was delicious, she didn't get angry when teased, and she always had that soft, pretty face, just smiling like an idiot.
The girl tossed and turned restlessly, constantly changing her sleeping position, but she couldn't shake the stifling feeling in her heart. She could only blame everything on that person.
Damn it, it's all her fault for taking off her clothes!
I slept very well last night; I even naturally woke up before my alarm for once. I stretched, roughly planned out today's study schedule, and went to the kitchen to make breakfast omelets.
It must be because I successfully teased the demon last night that I slept so soundly. Just thinking about it made me feel refreshed.
I felt like I had mastered a formidable secret for fighting back. No matter how bad she was, she was only sixteen after all. As a twenty-three-year-old adult, there was no way I could keep losing to her.
I fried the omelets in two flavors, sweet and salty. I squeezed ketchup onto the sweet one and sprinkled some green onions and pepper on the salty one. I also heated two glasses of pure milk and set them on the dining table right on time.
The booklet mentioned Kusanagi's usual breakfast types. She liked light and tasty food, and omelets were a perfect choice—nutritious and flavorful.
The clock pointed to 7:30 AM, and heavy footsteps came from upstairs.
Kusanagi came down wearing her high school uniform, her face dark with a scowl.
"You're up. Eat breakfast before you head out." I felt the warmed milk glass; the temperature was just right as I carried it toward her.
Kusanagi ignored me and went straight for her black school bag at the entrance.
Her skin was very pale, and there were faint blue traces of staying up late under her eyes. She looked exhausted and out of sorts, her face written over with displeasure.
"Miss Kusanagi, did you not sleep well?"
Seeing her listless face, I spoke up in surprise: "Did you stay up too late last night? Drink some milk to soothe your nerves and help you sleep; it's good for your health."
Thinking of last night, Kusanagi's expression worsened. She pushed me away with a dark look, "I don't want to drink it."
"The milk is already warm, and there are omelets. Are you not going to eat those either?"
"No!" The girl had put on her leather shoes. She pushed the door open forcefully, her amber-glossed short hair swinging back angrily as the apartment door slammed shut with a loud bang!
The young lady refused to eat breakfast and left, slamming the door with a dark face. Skipping breakfast won't do; the stomach can't take it.
So why was she angry again? Could her reflex arc be so long that she only just remembered to be angry about last night?
I looked at the breakfast for two on the table, opened the Line chat, and sent a message to Momozawa. I only headed out after receiving a reply from her.
On the other side, Momozawa arrived at Kusanagi's classroom carrying two bags of sandwiches.
Kusanagi had her forehead against the desk, sleeping with her eyes closed. Next to her was Inohara, whose face was turned toward Kusanagi, also leaning her head to the side.
Momozawa placed the bags on Kusanagi's desk. "Do you want a sandwich? I bought too many for breakfast and can't finish them. Inohara, do you want one?"
"I won't eat, thanks." Seeing Momozawa come over, Inohara immediately sat up straight. "Why are you here?" They weren't in the same class; Momozawa and Kyoko were in one class, while Inohara and Kusanagi were in another.
"I just bought a few too many sandwiches and wanted to see if you guys wanted any."
"Thanks, Momo." Kusanagi stayed slumped on the desk. Her voice was weak and powerless, perhaps from a headache. "You're a lifesaver; I'm sleepy and hungry right now."
"Sister Nozawa really is as sharp as they say."
"What?"
"Nothing," Momozawa muttered under her breath. "Why didn't you eat breakfast?"
"I didn't want to eat the food that person made." Kusanagi bit into the sandwich with a vicious tone, as if she weren't eating a sandwich, but that woman instead.
"Do you hate Miss Nozawa?" Inohara said. "She's just an international student staying at your house. If you don't like her, just have her move out. Also, if you were hungry, why didn't you say so earlier? I have some food too."
"That's not necessary." Kusanagi's soft, white cheeks were full of sandwich. "I just, well, I don't know how to put it. It's not that I hate her."
Not hate her? Inohara couldn't help but ask, "But isn't it inconvenient to have a stranger suddenly living in your home?"
"No, that woman is quite interesting. Even though she's highly educated, she's a bit of an idiot and very easy to tease." Kusanagi finished the sandwich. At the mention of teasing, she rubbed her ear.
Momozawa rolled the candy in her mouth, narrowing her eyes meaningfully. Had she changed her tune? One should know that the 'ice beauty' was best at crushing sarcasm; for her to say she didn't hate someone meant the other person had successfully infiltrated her inner circle.
It seemed being beautiful really was an advantage, especially as a medical ace.
"Don't be too reckless; be careful she doesn't get fed up and retaliate against you. You think everyone is like us?" Inohara said with a hint of reproach.
Retaliate? That person's fair, smooth waist, the two sexy, firm mermaid lines extending downward, the silhouette of an adult woman...
"I can take them off for you right now."
...The girl was choked by her water and suddenly began to cough violently. Her fair face turned bright red as she covered her mouth and shut her eyes.
"How did you suddenly choke?" Momozawa pulled a pack of tissues from her pocket and handed them to Kusanagi.
Inohara also took out some paper, her gaze somewhat puzzled.
"Cough, cough!" Tears were forced out of Kusanagi's eyes from the choking. "No, I'm fine... Class is about to start! Momozawa, go back to your room!"
It was retaliation, pure and simple retaliation!