The two of them and I stared at each other. Sensing the cringe-worthy awkwardness radiating from Li Shijia, I quickly hijacked the conversation and blurted out, "Um, if the King draws their own hidden card, do they have to drink?"
"Besides the penalty drink, they also have to answer a Truth question asked by the person who was penalized." Little angel Momozawa picked up where I left off, giving the two parties involved a way to save face.
"A bet is a bet." Mori Reiko didn't even blink as she downed the drink in front of her. She had already had a few drinks before the game started, and her face was flushed with a faint rosy hue. Under the lights, her facial contours looked soft and charming; she was an undeniably beautiful woman.
I couldn't help but think of what Mori Reiko had told me that night.
She was clearly so feminine and beautiful, and she admitted it so openly. Wouldn't she feel awkward having her private affairs known by a student? After all, this kind of thing isn't something everyone can accept. Should I attribute it to her long time abroad making her not care, or is she just naturally that free-spirited?
Being able to be so frank actually seems quite nice, unlike myself.
Li Shijia was still stunned. She never dreamed this would happen. She absolutely loathed this professor—not only was she beautiful enough to overshadow her, but she also subtly ignored her in front of Alex and had specifically blocked her spot. They were practically mortal enemies.
My thoughts had wandered into strange territory. Also, why was this person not reacting at all! Shouldn't she be flustered after being kissed? Was her charm really not worth mentioning when it came to the same sex?
Did Mori Reiko not like girls? Yes, when narcissism reaches a certain point, one becomes like Li Shijia, starting to care about their own attractiveness to the same sex.
"What are you spacing out for? Just ask a random question and end this round." I shook Li Shijia, signaling her to stop zoning out. Had she been kissed into stupidity?
Li Shijia was silent for a few seconds. She took a few deep breaths and quickly dropped a bombshell: "Do you like men or women?"
"..." I really hadn't expected Li Shijia to be this brave; I was absolutely awestruck. How was this girl's brain wired? Who asks the person directly to verify gossip!!
Li Shijia was nervous too, but words once spoken are like spilled water. At this moment, she was extremely anxious and uneasy. Seeing the other person expressionless and not answering, she had already started calculating how to escape from this apartment.
Mori Reiko, however, nodded calmly. "I like women."
Li Shijia breathed a sigh of relief. "Ah, that's great. I knew you weren't—wait, what did you just say?!"
Someone's shriek pierced through the silence of Christmas Eve.
That's how it all went down.
Our university professor had nonchalantly dropped an explosive piece of news: she likes women. Although I had known about this for a long time, I was still shocked by this act of coming out in public. Clearly, I wasn't the only one who was shocked.
Li Shijia stammered, "Holy crap... You actually like women! You!"
"I never said I didn't like women." Mori Reiko shrugged. Her relaxed and natural attitude was very cool. Teachers in Japan are different from those back home; they don't seem to have that intense sense of duty and mission. They are more easygoing and relaxed. Stripped of the title of "teacher," she was just a very pure and simple person.
"Sister Shijia, liking girls isn't really a big deal. You seem like an old fogey."
This teasing remark came from Momozawa. Being called an "old fogey" by an underage girl hit Li Shijia's self-esteem like a thunderbolt.
Had she really overreacted to this? Recalling her tone just now, it was more than just overreacting; it was explosive. You could say anything about her, but you absolutely could not call her old!
"Y-you're right! What's the big deal? I'm not some old fogey from the Showa era (the 80s)!" She was panicked because of the kissing incident. Kissing a woman who likes the same sex—how was that any different from kissing a man?
"Sister Shijia is surprisingly conservative~" The "conservative" here from Momozawa still referred to that "old fogey" level.
Li Shijia fell completely silent this time, sinking into self-doubt with a whimper.
The girl's giggling tone suddenly reminded me that for rebellious girls like them, liking the same sex didn't seem like a big deal. Kids in puberty would want to try even more rebellious things.
I naturally thought of Inohara, and recalling the various interactions between Kusanagi and her before, my heart stirred slightly. At the same time, I noticed that Kusanagi, who usually spoke very little, had sat down next to Mori Reiko. She was whispering something and tapping on her phone.
What could it be that she had to sit over there to talk about it, looking so serious?
"What are you two doing?"
The indifferent girl sat back down beside me. I couldn't help but want to know what they had been chatting about.
Kusanagi glanced at me and suddenly curled the corners of her lips. "Are you curious?"
I was dazzled by her smile for a moment. I steadied myself and said, "Hurry up and tell me. You've even learned how to keep people in suspense now."
"Asked for her phone number, added her on LINE."
"Mori Reiko's number? Why do you want her number?"
"I feel like the senior has a wealth of experience, and there's a lot I can ask her about." The girl played with my hair absentmindedly. "Senior Mori said I could ask her about anything. She's so mature and I find her very reliable, so I added her."
I was stunned listening to this.
Wealth of experience? Reliable? It turns out not a single one of these words was used to describe me. After taking such careful care of her for so long, to be so easily led astray by a woman she'd met less than 24 hours ago—the feeling was truly complex and bittersweet.
The girl finished playing with my hair and then moved down to play with my fingers. She toyed with my index finger, gently pinched my fingertips, and rubbed my knuckles. I was completely immersed in what she had just said, feeling melancholy and sullen, and didn't notice these ambiguous little actions of hers at all.
"I just happen to have some questions I want to consult the senior about."
"...What kind of questions?" I squeezed these words out through gritted teeth. What kind of questions couldn't she ask me, instead going out of her way to ask a senior who was practically a stranger?
"Guess?" The girl lazily curved her black crescent-shaped eyes, her gaze sweeping over my face inch by inch, watching me almost unscrupulously. Her direct gaze made my heart flutter slightly. Feeling uncomfortable under her stare, I didn't intend to press further, but annoyed, I flicked her on the forehead.
It was a small punishment for her "having an affair." That phrase didn't seem quite appropriate. Maybe "complicating things"? Or perhaps "being a fickle fence-sitter"? I couldn't quite describe it, but in any case, she made me feel subtly betrayed, and this punishment was deserved.
Kusanagi winced in pain and covered her slightly red forehead, but she seemed to be doing it on purpose. Seeing my thinly veiled jealousy, the smile on her lips was very flamboyant.
Realizing I had lost my composure, I felt even more embarrassed and pulled my hand back, saying nothing.
"You two, please end your flirting. Are we playing or not?" Li Shijia separated me and Kusanagi with a sour face. She was completely speechless now and had no choice but to take her frustration out on drinking.
"Watch your language." I said helplessly.
"I just want to drink right now, drink!" She shouted as she flipped over a card. Her eyes lit up. "Hahaha, finally, I'm the King!" Sure enough, she commanded, "I want to drink with the 5 of Hearts, 3 cups each!"
"3 cups is too much." I was the first to object. "1 cup is about enough."
"3 cups is a bit much," Mori Reiko also said.
"Do you want to disobey the King's orders?" Li Shijia snorted coldly. "A bet is a bet. 5 of Hearts, come out and drink with me." Nothing but alcohol could soothe her inner gloom!
"I'm a 2." Momozawa quite wanted to drink, but three big cups were indeed a bit excessive. She had escaped a disaster.
"I'm not it either." I revealed my card: 3 of Hearts.
Seeing this, Mori Reiko also waved her hand. The card in front of her was the 4 of Hearts; it wasn't her either.
Only one person was left. Seeing everyone else reveal their cards, Kusanagi used her slender fingers to neatly flip hers over. It was indeed the 5 of Hearts. She said calmly, "It's me."
My heart skipped a beat; she had been hit after all.
I watched helplessly as Li Shijia took out a six-pack of beer and placed the drinks in front of Kusanagi.
"A bet is a bet. Do you choose to drink a cup, or answer a question?" It seemed she still knew Kusanagi was a minor and gave her a relatively easier option. I breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Kusanagi raised an eyebrow, her fair, smooth fingertips tapping on the glass, and she let out a disdainful snort.
"I'll drink."
"Good! That's gutsy!"
Li Shijia stood up and clinked glasses with her, as if competing, neither willing to yield to the other, and the two of them finished their drinks in no time.
No matter how good one's tolerance is, you shouldn't gulp it all down at once; it's easy to get drunk. After the alcohol hit her stomach, Li Shijia clearly started to get dizzy. She cast a glance at Mori Reiko, surely pondering how to recoup her losses from the previous round as she shuffled the cards with ulterior motives.
Beside me, the one with the poor constitution was currently lowering her eyelashes, looking like she was perfectly fine.
But my sharp eyes still observed the difference in her. The delicate, fair girl pursed her lips, her dark, glistening, soft eyelashes drooping down like a tiny brush, continuously resting against her smooth, alabaster face.
She still wore an unyielding expression, her jet-black, soft short hair swaying behind her ears, her whole being radiating an aura of "I can still drink more." The area from her earlobes to the hollow behind them felt a bit hot.
Perhaps she was a bit hot, as she loosened her collar, revealing a stretch of neck like a popsicle, the lines extending downwards outlining a slender contour.
I withdrew my gaze, feeling my own sight growing hot, and could only silently pour a glass of water and place it by her side, as a gesture of concern.
We played a few more rounds, and the God of Luck was paying extra attention to Kusanagi at this moment. She drew the drinking card alone several times, and in no time, she had finished several large glasses of red wine. I glanced nervously at the alcohol content of the red wine: 38 percent.
"Alright, from now on, no matter what card you draw, you cannot drink."
In my eyes, Kusanagi had already reached her limit. Her skin, which was so white it was almost transparent, had flushed a deep red, and her shoulder slumped against mine; she was definitely already dazed.
"Someone is being way too obviously protective, aren't they? If nothing else, I'll drink with her!"
"Shut up."
That Li Shijia creature wasn't much far off from being drunk either; I certainly didn't want to take care of a drunkard.
Of everyone present, only Momozawa hadn't drunk any alcohol; her luck was very good, but every time she flipped a card, she quickly showed it to Kusanagi. The two of them kept sitting very close, and seeing Kusanagi drink so much, she didn't panic either, but instead whispered with a grin: "Seize the opportunity."
I judged this from the shape of her mouth. Opportunity? What opportunity? The opportunity to be the King and punish others?
Kusanagi pondered in silence, her jade-white jawline nodding slightly, her cheeks slightly flushed, "Mm."
Momozawa continued to be responsible for the new round of shuffling, her soft, apricot-colored hair swaying triumphantly, "My luck is exploding tonight, oh! You've all lost miserably."
"Indeed, you've been the King the whole time and haven't drunk any alcohol either."
Mori Reiko smiled; beside her, Li Shijia was passed out on the table, her slightly curly long hair spread out, as thick as seaweed.
"Hehe, I should buy a lottery ticket." Momozawa finished speaking and started dealing the cards, "Come, come, let's continue!"
Li Shijia raised her hand without even lifting her head: "Continue!"
I reached out to flip a card, but accidentally did it too quickly. A Heart 2 snapped over, and the card was thus unexpectedly revealed in front of everyone.
"Uh, does this count as digging my own grave?" Everyone knew the rule that revealing a card meant an increased penalty, and I was between laughter and tears: "King, have mercy, make it quick."
"Nozawa-sister, I'm the King again~" Momozawa had been the King many times before, but this time she was excited as if she had finally caught someone in the act. She excitedly reached into the cardboard box, fumbled for a long time, pulled out a piece of paper, and began to read mysteriously.
"Two people hide in the smallest closet for three minutes."
This kind of penalty was already very kind compared to Li Shijia's bizarre and chaotic ones, much easier than I had imagined, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
Momozawa continued without hesitation: "This penalty is to be completed by Heart 2 and 3."
"Who is Heart 3?" Mori Reiko said, flipping over the card for Li Shijia, raising an eyebrow: "It's not her."
"It's me." Kusanagi, who was beside me, silently flipped over her card. She took a deep breath, her eyelashes blinking incessantly. For her, this penalty was relatively easy; after all, she had a small frame and was petite, so she should be able to get into the closet easily. Compared to me, it was quite cruel.
"Then please find the smallest closet, crawl in, and stay for a full 3 minutes, oh."
Looking around, my room didn't have such a small closet, but Momozawa slapped her forehead: "Right! Kusanagi, doesn't your room have that closet for ties? I remember that size is just right for two people to fit in."
"Mm." Kusanagi tucked her black hair back; I didn't know if it was the alcohol kicking in or what, but her small ears looked hot and red.
This person actually has a decent alcohol tolerance. Or is she… faking it?
I couldn't guess.
Several of us went to Kusanagi's room, and after a brief moment of surprise at the luxury of the room, we quickly found a suitable target.
"This closet seems okay, go in and try."
It was a black closet, roughly a meter or so, almost empty inside, hanging only a few school uniform red ties. After a simple tidying up, a large section was cleared out.
Under Momozawa's instigation and pushing, I stiffly stepped forward and slowly squatted inside.
"L-like this?" I constrained my limbs awkwardly. This closet was too small. After I, being over 1.7 meters tall, got in, there was very little space left. It was barely enough for one person, let alone two.
"Don't squat, sit down."
"Sit down?" I asked in surprise.
"Mm, just sit." Kusanagi said softly, coordinating with my movements, and even took off her jacket that was in the way.
After signaling for me to sit down, her slender ankles slipped between my legs. The young girl leaned down, bending over, occupying the space above in the closet, in a posture that was almost like lying prone right in front of me. The faint, cool fragrance on her body suddenly became very clear. What was even more fatal was that her face was too close.
I didn't expect her to face me in this position and immediately intended to get up and leave: "No, we can't sit here, let's change to another place..."
"Isn't this just right~ Move in a bit more, I'm going to close the door and start the timer." Momozawa laughed mischievously and gave Kusanagi a hard push. The young girl on top of me lost her balance for a moment, her supporting hand slipped, and she clutched tightly onto my shoulders.
I held her weight, my head feeling soft as if stuffed with cotton. This distance couldn't even be described as close anymore; it was practically without any gap.
Was Momozawa doing this on purpose, choosing such a small place?
"I'm closing the closet now~ By the way, if you come out early, you need to add 5 minutes~"
"What?" I raised my voice helplessly, "That's way too long!"
The young girl right in front of me stared at me, expressionless.
"It, it's actually okay..." My spine stiffened; I felt the young lady had suddenly become unhappy, her gaze like a knife.
Mori Reiko watched the show with arms crossed; she seemed to find Kusanagi's reaction very interesting and was lost in thought.
The young girl's hand on my shoulder changed direction and silently pinched my face. "You've been wronged, staying here with me for three minutes."
"I didn't mean it like that..."
"Alright, you two, I'm closing the closet." Momozawa's tone of satisfaction made me feel a bit flustered. The next second, the closet beside me slammed shut with a "Bang!", and darkness immediately filled the narrow space.
I could feel Momozawa and Mori Reiko walking away; they had returned to my room.
So the closet blocks light this well... I couldn't see anything, only the breathing of the person on me and the slight thumping of a pulse at my neck. According to the rules, neither of us could check the time; we could only wait for the King to announce the end of the penalty.
Have three minutes passed? Or has it actually only been ten seconds or so?
Her body's curves were pressed completely against my stomach, and our inner thighs were also slightly rubbing against each other due to the awkward position. Her breathing was also very close, right in front of me. Sweat had already started to break out on my forehead. This was simply terrible. I thought it would be a breeze, but I didn't expect it to be the most difficult kind of penalty. Kusanagi's presence undoubtedly made this penalty even harder, and three minutes felt as long as three hours.
In the darkness, my senses were infinitely magnified. I felt my body starting to heat up, my throat parched, and I swallowed more and more frequently.
I remained silent, and Kusanagi didn't speak either; time ticked by second by second.
However, soon enough, her hands were too weak to support the weight of her upper body, and she began to switch hands frequently, her breathing also deepening.
This position was very strenuous; I was afraid she couldn't even last a minute.
Just as I was debating whether to let her lean on me, the young girl suddenly relaxed her strength, giving me almost no time to hesitate, and her whole body went soft against my shoulder and neck.