The girl's body trembled suddenly when she was pinched, and she slowly drew up her legs, curling into my arms and remaining still.
"They don't just look like sisters, they're practically real sisters." Li Shijia seized the opportunity to continue the conversation. "Look at how they're hugging each other. My younger sister and I are just like that; the younger one is always clingier to the older one."
"You have a younger sister?" Mori Reiko lifted her teacup and took a sip.
Ugh, wasn't the plan to keep everything under wraps? How did I unconsciously end up striking up a conversation with such a dangerous person!
"Uh, yes. I have a younger sister who is eight years younger than me." After saying this, Li Shijia immediately shut her mouth and ate, trying to end the topic.
"Then your sister must be very sad that you came to Japan to study."
How did Mori Reiko know! Her younger sister was always clinging to her. When she first found out she was going to study abroad in Japan, she cried, made a scene, and threatened to hang herself—nothing worked no matter how she tried to coax her.
"She was indeed very sad; she cried for almost a whole day and night at the time."
I couldn't help but smile. "I heard you mention having a younger sister before; she sounds really cute."
"She is cute, sure, but it feels completely different from Kusanagi and Momozawa." Li Shijia wore an inscrutable expression. "Kids, you know, they have so much energy. Every day she's pestering you to eat or play, wanting this one minute and that the next. Aside from taking care of her daily life, I also have to teach her with her studies. I'm basically half a mother to her."
That was indeed different; there was a huge distinction. Would Kusanagi ever be coquettish or clingy? I thought about it silently for a moment, but I couldn't imagine it at all. Was this considered being clingy now?
It didn't seem like it. The beautiful, cold girl was usually icy, only occasionally forgetting to retract her claws.
"It seems you're also half a teacher." Mori Reiko rested her face on one hand, gazing at her. "Do your sister's grades get good? She shouldn't be failing courses or skipping classes, right?"
"How could she fail courses? And skipping classes is even less—" Li Shijia's words came to an abrupt halt.
Skipping classes. Skipping... classes... Her head drooped lower and lower, completely losing the confident air she had just a moment ago, like a wilted petal.
"Why did you stop talking?" Mori Reiko's lips curled upward.
"...She doesn't skip classes."
"Do middle and high school students in China need to earn credits?"
"...No, they don't."
"That sounds quite relaxed. After all, once you enter university, credits and such are very important."
"You're right..." She shouldn't have taken the bait from this woman. Christmas Eve was anything but peaceful! It was all that damn Nozawa's fault; why did she invite this old woman! She could only drink her red wine in indignation, not daring to speak.
I actually wanted to laugh a little too, but hindered by Li Shijia's burning glares, I had to hold it in. Kusanagi and Momozawa didn't know the ins and outs, and they couldn't interject into the seniors' conversation, so the two of them focused on eating.
The girl in my arms straightened her waist slightly and handed over a few cups of yogurt. "Sister Shijia, Senior Mori, I heard that drinking yogurt before drinking alcohol is good for the stomach."
Her hip accidentally brushed against my inner thigh. My heart tightened, and I quickly shifted backward to avoid brushing against her again.
"Thank you." Li Shijia took it. "How thoughtful, did you buy the yogurt specially?"
"Mhm, prepared specially for you sisters."
Calling herself a sister, with that cold expression on her pretty little face—oh my, it was just too cute.
"Thank you." Mori Reiko also took the yogurt and smiled gently.
Hmm? How come they all have yogurt, but I don't?
Just as I was thinking that, the girl in my arms didn't pay any attention at all and continued eating on her own.
Why wasn't there a portion for me? I was drinking alcohol too. Kusanagi had never called me sister. When she called Li Shijia, there was a faint lilt at the end of her voice, and her cold, crisp tone sounded exceptionally soft. She called others so naturally, so why wouldn't she call me sister?
"Where's mine?" I leaned close to her ear and whispered.
The girl's jade-white jawline moved. "Miss Nozawa can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk; you shouldn't need to drink yogurt."
What kind of ridiculous excuse is that? I definitely can't drink a thousand cups without getting drunk. Treating people differently isn't allowed. Seeing me continue to ask for it, she curled backward, shrugging her shoulders to lean into my neck, her tone lazy. "You can just drink more; we'll talk once you're drunk."
Not only did she refuse to give me any, but she was also goading me to drink more. What kind of trick was she playing now? "Fine, forget it if you're not giving me any." I huffed. The rich, mellow taste of the red wine had a hint of bitterness; with yogurt, it probably would have turned into a palatable sweetness.
Kusanagi noticed me shifting backward and, feeling uncomfortable with the gap, suddenly shifted all her weight into my arms. There was a wall behind me, so there was nowhere left to retreat.
"You miser, if you crowd me any more, I won't have any space left." I helplessly cradled her.
Kusanagi turned a blind eye to my pushing her away, even showing a tendency to turn around and face me. From the side, I could see her fair, smooth nose tip.
"You're the miser. You won't even sleep with me for a bit."
I froze, thinking I had misheard. Wh-what? Sleep... sleep with you?!
"What? Sleep with who?" Li Shijia asked with sharp ears.
Mori Reiko was curious too. "You two even sleep together..."
Momozawa gave a strange, twisted thumbs-up, her face flushed red as she trembled all over.
I felt dizzy. This scene was so familiar; it was also in a situation with so many people, and these tiger-and-wolf words just came out of nowhere!
"...I don't know why this child is spouting nonsense again. That's not what happened at all..."
Li Shijia began to undermine me: "Kusanagi spouting nonsense? You can't be a lead singer if your speech isn't clear."
Mori Reiko became even more interested. "No wonder I thought this child had such a lovely voice."
The looks in their eyes shifted from confusion to teasing amusement in just a few seconds. Especially Mori Reiko—this woman was gay herself; how was I supposed to explain this to her now?
"..." Forget it. Explaining is just covering up. Let it be.
I covered my face and sighed deeply. Children's words are unintentional, children's words are unintentional.
After the meal, the false alarm passed, and everyone didn't mention what had happened just now, which finally allowed me to set my heart at ease.
Why did she always pull such a shocking stunt when there were so many people? It was impossible to guard against, leaving me there blushing and red-faced while she stood aloof and uninvolved.
She was rotten to the core. I rubbed my earlobe; there was still a scalding warmth on it.
The girl's frame was so slender that when she leaned back in my arms, she almost seemed to sink into the sofa, and without paying attention, I had gathered her entirely into my embrace. Was my frame that wide? It felt like twice, no, three times hers. The softness of the girl's torso and limbs was like cool, clear petals, and the milky white skin exposed at her wrists held the green, unripened youthfulness of someone who hadn't yet fully grown.
Hindered by the crowd, I didn't dare admit my daze, only feeling that her slender shoulders were nice to touch, though the bony sensation of her spine was a bit jarring. Her waist was also incredibly narrow and delicate; she seemed very ticklish. A light pinch could make her whole body tremble, which counted as one of her weaknesses.
As for the act of hugging, Kusanagi was getting more and more comfortable with it. Should I tactfully remind her?
"No, no, no, King's Game is better!"
"Truth or Dare is really fun, don't you want to try it?" In the room, Li Shijia's tone was bewitching and tempting. "This game of Truth or Dare allows you to make a designated person choose to answer a question or perform any action. Don't you think it's exciting?"
"Oh, oh! That sounds pretty good!"
Li Shijia's intent was too obvious. One listen and you knew she wanted to take the opportunity to get revenge on Mori Reiko or pry out some shameful secret.
Mori Reiko was older after all; to her, this kind of game was either something she could handle with ease or something she had already lost interest in. "You guys play; I won't participate."
"Professor, how can you not participate?" Li Shijia now transformed into a pure, white little rabbit, wearing that foxy face of hers while looking innocent and romantic. "Professor, you really must participate; otherwise, it'll be so boring. And it's not safe to go home alone so late."
The woman smiled bitterly on the side. "I'm already in my thirties; can you please let me off?"
Momozawa also joined in the teasing. "Senior Mori, come join us too! The more people in the game, the more fun it is!"
The cold, pale girl on the side lifted her eyes, wearing an expression that said, "They're right."
"Professor." Li Shijia blinked her big eyes. "We won't let you lose too badly. Come on, play with us."
Mori Reiko raised an eyebrow. Playing games with the kids was fine, but why did she feel like the other party had the intention of making her lose on purpose?
"Playing games?" I carried in a few plates of unfinished watermelon. "Playing King's Game?"
"Truth or Dare and King's Game, combined into one. The rules are very simple."
I sat down and felt the floor was a bit cold, so I turned on the room's floor heating. "I've never played before. What are the rules?"
Li Shijia was full of interest. She noticed me turning on the floor heating. "Hey, the room is quite warm already; why turn on the floor heating?"
I explained, "We have to sit on the floor to play the game, and people with a cold constitution get chilled easily."
"Oh~ so it was turned on specifically for the person with a cold constitution. There seems to be only one such person here. How thoughtful." Momozawa teased with a grin.
Being said by Momozawa like that, there was a strange, romantic flavor to it. I subconsciously glanced at Kusanagi, who was also looking at me, her clear, amber-black eyes shimmering.
She was always like this, not saying a word, staring at me silently, making one feel that there was a whirlpool inside, containing something very turbulent.
It was just something I did while I was at it; it was no big deal, and it wasn't specifically for her. Others would be cold too, right? I rubbed the tip of my nose and avoided the girl's gaze.
"Start!"
The five people sat down, with a deck of playing cards placed in front of them. It seemed Kusanagi and Momozawa had played often before; the cards were already a bit worn.
"Whoever loses the game has to drink. How can we play without alcohol?"
"There is alcohol." Kusanagi silently brought out a few packs of beer and wine, placing them neatly on the floor.
Hmm? When did she secretly take out my stored alcohol?
Mori Reiko and I actually spoke in unison: "Children are not allowed to drink."
Li Shijia's craving for alcohol flared up, and she ignored everything, starting to incite the girls to drink. "Oh, it's Christmas Eve today, and they're almost 17 years old. It's fine to drink a little~"
Momozawa "popped" open a bottle of fresh beer. "Don't be so strict; it's fine if we drink a little."
"I think so too." Kusanagi nodded as well. She chose the red wine with a higher alcohol content and coolly poured herself a full glass.
The rebellious girls had reached a consensus... I had forgotten about these bad guys' vices of smoking and drinking; it seemed they hadn't changed at all!!
"This is the last time." I glanced at Kusanagi. A little indulgence on Christmas Eve, just this once.
The girl looked back defiantly, already having the urge to down the red wine in one gulp.
Mori Reiko was the older senior after all, so she didn't forget to advise them: "Drink slowly, otherwise you'll get drunk easily."
"Alright, alright, let the game begin!" Li Shijia had already shuffled the cards and dealt one to each person in front of them, placing the remaining cards to the side.
"The rules are very simple. Since we don't have enough people, we've made some changes. There are 5 of us in total. I've just drawn Hearts 2 through 5; everyone has a random card in their hand, which is a hidden card. The Ace of Hearts is the Joker, which is the 'King'."
"The King can assign any task to the numbers 2 through 6 of Hearts, and the two designated people must obey." Li Shijia tapped her fingertips lightly against the playing cards. "But take note, if the King calls out their own hidden card, the King must also obey the order and do the thing they just assigned."
Momozawa asked eagerly: "This is the standard King Game rule, so what's the change?"
Kusanagi pondered for a moment and said: "The punishment method has changed, right."
"Spot on, you're so smart." Li Shijia snapped her fingers and tossed her long, wavy hair with great flair. "Besides that, everyone writes down a few Truths they want to know or Dares. The King can draw one at random, but can only assign it to one person. The person who gets penalized must obey unconditionally and drink a penalty shot."
I thought for a moment and asked: "So is the punishment for drawing cards heavier?"
Li Shijia scribbled on slips of paper quickly. "You could say that. The content of the drawn cards is something one of the people present wants to know, so the stakes are higher, and you have to drink if you draw your own card."
"Also!" Momozawa looked eager and ready to go, rubbing her hands together. "There's only one Ace of Hearts. If the King draws a card and penalizes themselves, they have to drink two glasses and take the punishment too~"
"Understood. Let's begin." Mori Reiko took a sip of milk, seemingly preparing for the drinking.
It seems being the King isn't necessarily a good thing. This kind of thing is just a matter of probability, depending on luck.
I glanced at Kusanagi. She was being pestered by Momozawa to write slips of paper. Usually, she would have a helpless, dark-lined expression or push Momozawa away, but now she was keeping her head down, talking to her very earnestly and carefully, as if they were discussing something.
The two girls whispered and chattered, occasionally having moments of realization, occasionally frowning in deep thought, as if they were plotting something incredible. When they got deep into their conversation, Kusanagi's dark eyes widened slightly, her face full of an expression that said, "So that's how it works!" She nodded immediately and then scribbled furiously on the slips of paper. She finally had some age-appropriate behavior; it was quite cute.
Mori Reiko had finished writing early. As the elder, she went easy; judging by the papers, she only wrote one sentence. Noticing my gaze, she raised an eyebrow at me. She wasn't worried at all that I might spill her secrets, looking completely composed.
Do I look that much like a child who can keep a secret?
Li Shijia, that wretch, took the longest to write. She wrote a full dozen slips. I accidentally caught a glimpse of one item, written in black and white: Lick toes.
...I looked at her blankly. Is this the meaning I think it is? Is it that kind of licking I understand?
Li Shijia blinked those butterfly-like eyes of hers, as if this vicious punishment didn't come from her hand.
My eyelid twitched. Where did she get so many devious ideas? Always coming up with such terrible ones? I crumpled that slip of paper right in front of her, adding a warning that there were minors present—two of them! No writing this kind of weird stuff!
Li Shijia clicked her tongue and dumped all the slips into the container, laughing with a wicked, unbridled charm. I was careless. Who knows what shocking content the other slips might have? I held my forehead in a headache. Isn't she afraid of drawing them herself!
"The game officially begins."
I had never felt Li Shijia's smile was so evil; I shuddered.
To set the mood, two of the room's lights were turned off, leaving only one dim, eerie light overhead, swaying across everyone's faces. There's really no one else who could turn a game into a haunted house experience.
"Deal the cards." According to the rules, everyone gets one hidden card, then we draw another. I carefully flipped over the other card, and my heart skipped a beat. Talk about peak luck—I drew the Ace of Hearts on the very first round.
"Who is the King?" Everyone had checked their cards, all wearing expressions of tacit understanding.
"It's me." I nervously revealed my card. I had wanted to watch them test the game first, but I didn't expect to draw the King myself. I'm not good at giving orders, either.
"Oh my~ Our little King is here to dish out the punishment~" Li Shijia wriggled, looking like a vixen. "Hurry up and draw a slip; there are so many ways to punish in there~"
Is that a punishment? That's a perverted form of torture. She just wants to use my hand to do bad things; I won't let her have her way.
Seeing my expression, which looked like I'd just eaten something foul, Momozawa laughed so hard she clutched her stomach, and Kusanagi turned her head to look at me, her eyes filled with curiosity.
I paused. "Then, let the 2 and 3 of Hearts give each other a hug."
"That's it?!"
"Just like that?" Li Shijia rolled her eyes. This is too childish. Is this really a punishment method an adult could come up with?
Momozawa was also shocked by this punishment, but quickly expressed understanding: "Miss Nozawa, you're too innocent. When you draw the King, you should increase the intensity of the punishment. Make it as chaotic as possible; that's what makes the game exciting."
"If you know she's innocent, don't ask her for ideas." Kusanagi replied indifferently. "So, who are the 2 and 3?"
"Me, the 2 of Hearts." Mori Reiko, who had been silent all along, revealed her card.
"I'm the 3." Momozawa stuck out her tongue, moved self-consciously next to Mori Reiko, and reached out to give her a hug.
Mori Reiko also smiled very affectionately and patted Momozawa's head.
"Miss Mori, you smell so good." At this rate, she wasn't planning on leaving.
"You little brat." The woman laughed helplessly, giving off a sense of motherly love and filial piety.
Seeing this scene, Li Shijia leaned into my ear, gritting her teeth: "Look, you wasted a chance to mess with her. Such a boring punishment is clearly going easy on them."
"You're full of bad intentions." I squinted and glared at her.
Li Shijia spoke sharply: "Oh? How do you know all the bad ideas were written by me? Your little friend might have written something even worse than mine; you just don't know it."
"..." When she said that, I realized she was right. Yes, if anyone is the worst, it has to be Kusanagi. What did she write?
What bad ideas did she discuss with Momozawa? I was suddenly a bit curious.
I looked at Kusanagi. She was shuffling the cards. Her slender, fair fingertips were agile and versatile, and the cards bloomed in her hands like soft flowers.
She split the deck in half, crossed them slowly, then arched them, blending them quickly. All the cards were obedient in her palms. The cards looked small in her hands, enveloped by her broad, long knuckles. Very few girls have hand shapes like hers. In a daze, I actually felt like she wasn't shuffling cards, but caressing and touching them intimately.
The girl sensed my gaze and looked back. I quickly turned my head away, feeling ashamed and surprised by my own thoughts just now.
"Come on, let's continue." I drew a card, suppressed the stirrings in my heart, and shifted my attention back to the game.
"I am the King." This round fell to Mori Reiko. She held up the Ace of Hearts and shook it slightly. "I'll just draw a slip directly."
Everyone was looking forward to seeing what she would draw. Mori Reiko was also curious. She randomly pulled out a crumpled piece of paper, opened it, and read word for word: "Kiss for one minute with a playing card in between."
"This is exciting!" Momozawa shouted, urging: "Miss Mori, you haven't said which numbers yet, hurry, hurry!"
Mori Reiko rubbed her chin. "Then... 6 and 4."
I subconsciously pressed down on my card and slowly flipped it over: 2 of Hearts. I breathed a long sigh of relief; it wasn't me.
"What's your number?" I whispered to the girl beside me.
Kusanagi quickly pulled back her card, as if afraid I would see her number.
I hadn't seen her hidden card, but I was curious why she was so nervous, so I leaned in closer. "Are you 6 or 4?"
Kusanagi's dark lashes fluttered slightly. She turned her body slightly, hiding the card in her palm. The action carried a bit of sly, little-girl mischievousness.
"I won't tell you."
If it was her, she would have to kiss someone else for a minute with a card in between. I just wanted to confirm if she had drawn it. With a card in between, was there really a risk of kissing? Seeing Kusanagi refuse to show me her card, this suspicion in my heart became more and more certain.
Does this have to be followed? Oh right, you could also drink as a penalty.
"I'm 4..." While I was racking my brain, Li Shijia threw down her card with a mournful face. I looked closely, and the 6 was actually the King herself.
Mori Reiko hadn't expected this either. She froze for a moment. "It seems my luck is very good tonight; both rounds have penalized me."
"..." Li Shijia was speechless, but at the thought that the content of the slip was written by herself, her ears turned red against her will.
Why did it have to be her and Mori Reiko! Luck really is metaphysics!
So Kusanagi didn't draw it. I eased up, feeling inexplicably confused about my own inner turmoil.
It's just a game. There are only five people in total. Rotating back and forth, it's bound to be Kusanagi eventually; what's there to care about?
"Miss Mori and Miss Li, come on, here's a heart card, begin." Momozawa was naturally relishing the chaos. She sneakily handed over a playing card, the corner of her mouth curling up almost to the back of her head.
Mori Reiko took it. Her face remained expressionless. Her beautiful red lips pressed against one side of the playing card, her warm jawline smooth and flowing.
Either way, it's death, so let the storm come harder! Li Shijia closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths, and decisively lunged forward. But with that lunge, Mori Reiko was bumped by her shoulder, her eyes widened slightly, and the playing card fell from her lips.
"Wait..." Before Mori Reiko could call for a stop, Li Shijia's lips happened to meet hers with pinpoint accuracy, and the two kissed firmly.
Everyone witnessed this moment, too stunned to say a word. The room fell into absolute silence.
This... accident scene... is too tragic...
Kusanagi's surprise was the greatest; she stared blankly, not even blinking once.
Li Shijia only reacted a few seconds later. There was no expected hard touch of the playing card; instead, on her lips was a soft fragrance she had never felt before—the scent unique to a mature woman.
There was also a hint of sweetness, and the smell of alcohol. Looking at the woman in front of her with smeared lipstick, she was completely dumbfounded, slowly backing away and covering her mouth. It was the first time I saw Li Shijia's face flush red at a speed visible to the naked eye, red enough to drip blood.
"...Professor, I'm sorry." Li Shijia didn't even look up.
Mori Reiko wasn't so calm as to be indifferent after being kissed by a girl. She replied in a hoarse voice, "It's okay."