"Student Ito, is your leg cramping? Don't move for a moment."
Rinka saw Natsuhi's face covered in sweat, looking like she was in great pain.
Combined with the way she kept clutching her thigh, Rinka already knew what was happening.
As an all-around star athlete, she was all too familiar with this situation.
Before Natsuhi could even answer, Rinka took a step forward and supported Natsuhi's arm with a crisp, decisive movement.
"Eh, eh—?!"
"Don't move around yet. Come with me."
A steady voice rang in her ear. Natsuhi was a bit dazed by the sudden embrace and subconsciously asked,
"Where are you taking me?"
"To the fitting room. You need a place to rest, and I'll help you with a recovery massage."
Ma... massage?
A beautiful girl was suddenly offering to give her a massage?
Is this really something I can enjoy for free?
This is so embarrassing... hehehe~
~(￣￢￣*) *Slurp*.
Unhealthy thoughts slowly bubbled up in her mind.
"Won't it be a bother? This might not be right..."
While her brain was fantasizing wildly, polite pleasantries slipped out of her mouth by habit. The moment she said it, Natsuhi wanted to slap herself.
[Oh no, damn it, what am I saying?! Such a great chance to get close to a beautiful girl. Student Nikaido, I was just being polite, please don't take it seriously!]
Natsuhi desperately prayed in her heart for Rinka to insist, and the other's response did not disappoint.
"Just be a good girl and listen!"
"Understood..."
"By the way, aren't we leaning a bit too close? That part is touching."
Only now did Natsuhi realize that the distance between them was a bit too ambiguous.
No, rather than ambiguous, it was intimate. For two people meeting for the first time, this distance was incredibly aggressive.
Rinka held her in a half-embrace, fitting together almost seamlessly, supporting most of her weight.
Through two thin layers of school uniform fabric, certain soft and elastic parts were inevitably pressed tightly together, transmitting clear outlines and pressure with every small movement.
The pleasant fragrance on Rinka's body was magnified infinitely at this moment, forcefully invading all of Natsuhi's senses and constantly teasing her fragile nerves.
What made her even more at a loss was Rinka's hand, which was steadily supporting her waist.
The warmth of her palm passed through the uniform fabric without any barrier, sticking to her skin.
The sensation was exceptionally clear, carrying an undeniable smoothness and firmness.
Mm, she was holding her very tight, sinking in deep; one could feel how much she was looking out for Natsuhi.
[Wait, I clearly remember that the waist isn't a sensitive spot.]
Maybe it was because of the eroge world, but let alone the waist, this body was unexpectedly sensitive to all physical contact.
It really wasn't that she was pathetic (I'm not exactly a man who's never seen a woman!), it's just that this body was too honest!
An indescribable heat and pleasure surged from her waist, rushing straight to the top of her head.
Her cheeks quickly flushed crimson, and even the tips of her ears weren't spared.
Natsuhi opened her mouth to say something, but her tongue felt like it was tied in knots. Her mind was in a mess, and she could only let out a few embarrassing syllables.
Her already low-performance brain CPU had completely smoked over due to Rinka's intimate contact.
[Eh? What was I going to say?]
[Calm down, I need to calm down!]
A frantic roar echoed in her heart as she tried her best to force down the churning excitement.
[Don't let your imagination run wild. Student Nikaido just wants to help you deal with that area, that's all... She's just being kind, don't get ahead of yourself... It'll be over soon.]
"That area?"
Rinka obviously didn't understand what Natsuhi meant, nor did she notice the emotional turmoil the person in her arms was experiencing. After all, in her eyes, she was just supporting a classmate.
"Oh, the thigh, right? Don't move that for now. It's fine to use me as a crutch."
Great, she misunderstood and held her even tighter, for fear she might fall.
Uwaaa~ Student Nikaido, you're such a good person.
Over a distance of just a few meters, Natsuhi felt like she was losing her life—heavy breathing, a frantic heartbeat, and cheeks flushed deep red.
Rinka only took these as signs that she was enduring pain, and a bit more worry appeared in her gaze.
"It hurts, doesn't it? Just hold on a bit longer, we're almost there."
With a "swish," the curtain was pulled shut, blocking out the last sliver of light.
In the small, dim space, only the sound of their light breathing remained, along with the sexy saxophone melody echoing in the store—it seemed to be "Blue Water."
[Such a familiar scene, it feels just like when I used to take a bath...]
With her head full of unhealthy trash, Natsuhi's thoughts drifted further and further away.
"Alright, sit with your back against the wall and straighten that leg."
Rinka's tone brooked no argument, but it didn't cause any resentment because Natsuhi knew she was being cared for.
After saying that, she crouched down in front of Natsuhi.
[It looks even more like it now, I'm familiar with this!]
System: [Can you not be so degenerate? What kind of pervert did I find...]
——————
Meanwhile, outside the fitting room, two high school girls who were browsing stopped in their tracks.
"Eh? Did you hear some strange sounds?"
The short-haired girl nudged her companion with her elbow.
"It seems to be coming from that fitting room."
The two held their breath and crept over to the side of the fitting room. Sure enough, intermittent sounds were coming from behind the curtain.
First was a somewhat panicked voice, faintly carrying a hint of a sob and a plea:
"Wait... wait a second... Student Nikaido... don't."
Following that was a slightly androgynous voice that sounded like it was seriously doing something, responding with a bit of force:
"Don't move around, endure it for a bit. If I don't use force, it won't be effective."
Use... use force? What on earth were the people inside doing?
The two girls leaned closer with curiosity.
"Ugh, but... ah, your strength is a bit too much."
"It's because you're too stiff here. I'm just helping you loosen up. Don't fight my strength, just relax completely. Yes, like that." (She's talking about the leg muscles being too stiff, don't let your minds wander!)
"Mm-hmm~ Ah-ha~"
"Shh, keep it down. If you don't restrain yourself, do you want to be discovered?"
"But Student Nikaido's technique is just too good, I can't quite take it..." (She's praising the massage technique, nothing else.)
The initial voice carried a kind of lack of self-control, like a trill on the verge of collapse.
The two girls outside widened their eyes, their cheeks turning red at a visible speed. They glanced at each other, both seeing shock and shyness in the other's eyes.
"My god..."
The short-haired girl covered her mouth in disbelief and whispered, "That's too bold! This is a public place, aren't they—aren't they even going to hide?!"
"Maybe it's because it's a public place that it's more exciting. And it sounds really intense in there."
The other girl showed an expression of realization and nodded. The short-haired girl thought her companion's expression looked anything but normal.
"Phew~"
The massage was finished, and the heavenly music came to a regrettable end. Looking at Rinka who had just stood up, Natsuhi was still a bit reluctant to let go. The sensation of the other's hands moving freely over her body just now left her with an endless aftertaste.
[No choice, the happy time is over. Next, it's time to get down to business.]
Reluctance was useless. Natsuhi was about to get up, but because she had been sitting too long, her leg was numb. She lost her balance and stumbled, subconsciously grabbing Rinka's clothes. The two embraced again and fell to the floor.
A loud clattering sound came from inside the fitting room.
Looking at Natsuhi pinned on top of her, Rinka dotingly stroked her head.
"Oh my, it seems Student Ito is a bit reluctant to let me go. Do I need to stay with you a bit longer?"
[Please do!]
Though she really wanted to say that, there was still business to handle with Saki.
"Sorry, I sat for too long just now, and my leg went numb..."
"It's fine. It's my fault for forgetting to remind you of that. It's okay."
Saying that, she stood up and pulled Natsuhi up from the floor.
"Oh no, they're coming out. Hurry, let's go."
The curtain was pulled open with a swish by Rinka. She walked out leading the red-faced Natsuhi, happening to meet the dumbfounded and blushing gazes of the two girls not far away, even though they were trying their best to pretend to pick clothes as a cover.
Rinka only frowned slightly and adjusted her necktie with a calm expression, seemingly understanding something.
Peeking at their disheveled clothes (which was actually caused by the fall just now), the two eavesdropping girls misunderstood even further:
"!!!"
(Confirmed! It's absolutely confirmed!)
"Thank you so much for today, Student Nikaido."
"It's nothing. It's normal for classmates to help each other. If you run into trouble again in the future, you can come find me."
"Mm, thank you so much. I have something to do, so I'll head off first."
Saying that, Natsuhi waved to Rinka and walked toward the entrance.
Just then, Natsuhi's eyes caught a figure outside the door. Scared, she quickly crouched down by the window.
"What's wrong?"
Noticing Ito Natsuhi's panicked behavior and thinking she had run into trouble again, Rinka immediately walked toward her position.
"Student... Wada?"
Indeed, the figure outside the window was none other than Wada Saki, who had just walked out of the alley.