Chapter 74: Pajama party (2)

Inside the bathroom, the hot water cascaded over me, the steam filling the small space. While not as disorienting as it had been when I first realized I was in a female body, it still felt… strange, unfamiliar.

I could hear Aya and Mizuki talking outside, their voices muffled by the rushing water.

The shower washed away the day’s exhaustion, the lingering heat and humidity of Kyoto’s summer, my tense muscles relaxing, and as the tension eased, a flurry of thoughts, anxieties, and anticipations, swirled in my mind.

“Haa…” I sighed, stepping out of the shower, toweling myself dry, combing my damp hair, and pulling on my pajamas. I opened the door, feeling refreshed and… slightly nervous, then stopped, seeing Aya and Mizuki sitting together on one of the beds.

Two of Takamari’s Four Beauties.

Two girls whose grace and elegance captivated everyone.

And I was here, sharing a room with them, wearing matching pajamas…

Was this real? It felt surreal, a strange mix of belonging and not belonging. I’d always considered this world, this world of beautiful girls and elegant settings… a fantasy, a fictional construct. But I was here, their friend, a part of this world. The realization, both comforting and unsettling, filled me with a quiet sense of wonder.

“Aya, can I borrow the hairdryer?”

“Here.” She handed it to me, and I started drying my hair, the whirring of the motor a comforting drone. My short hair dried quickly, but I still needed to brush it. Aya’s gaze lingered on me, which I tried to ignore, but her attention… it made me feel warm and happy. Mizuki, beaming, was rummaging through her bag.

“Come join us, Rina-chin~”, she said, patting the bed.

“Rina-chin~ now?”

“Or do you prefer Rina-tan?” she teased, then moved to the other bed, a small table between us.

“Sleepover time~!” She grinned, pulling out snacks. “It’s a long night~! I came prepared~! And…” she reached into her bag, her eyes sparkling mischievously. “…Board games!” She placed a Jenga set and a Penguin Trap game on the table before either Aya or I could react. “Board games?”

“Of course! Board games are essential for a sleepover!” Aya looked at Mizuki, a slightly weary expression on her face, but she didn’t object. She was used to Mizuki’s antics.

“Hee hee~ and! To make things more interesting! The two losers of each game have to… kiss!”

“Wha—?!”
“What…?！” I blurted out, and even Aya, usually so composed, blinked in surprise. Mizuki, pleased with our reactions, grinned. “Hee hee~ fun, right?”

“W-Wait! Why that penalty?!” I exclaimed, waving my hands frantically.

Mizuki grinned. “Because~ board games are boring without a little thrill~? What, you want to do, like, truth or dare~? We’ve done that to death~”

“But… why kissing?!”

“How about a flick on the forehead, then?”

“…” I considered it. Both Aya and Mizuki were incredibly athletic, among the best in the prefecture. While I doubted Aya would flick me hard, if Mizuki got serious…

‘…Maybe kissing is better…’

I glanced at Aya, who seemed lost in thought. “So, which one do you prefer~?”

Mizuki pressed, a playful glint in her eyes. I inwardly panicked. ‘Aya, please, say something…!’

Aya tapped her chin thoughtfully, then said, her voice quiet, “If Rina doesn’t like it, we shouldn’t do it.”

Aya… you’re the best…! My heart melted at her words. Mizuki, however, puffed out her cheeks in mock disappointment.

“Aw~ that’s no fun! Okay, how about this: flicking is too harsh, so how about… kisses?”

“Fine… as long as we win.” Aya’s competitive spirit flared, and I realized what Mizuki was doing. She was goading Aya into playing, then she’d probably intentionally lose. But… I had a feeling I would be the one ending up in last place. Could I kiss myself? Should I practice in the mirror?

As I was pondering this ridiculous scenario, Mizuki announced, “Okay, let’s get started!” She set up the Jenga tower, the neat stack of wooden blocks a silent challenge, her eyes gleaming with competitive fire. The tension between Aya and Mizuki crackled in the air, and I felt like a small shrimp caught between two whales.

‘Wait… it wouldn’t be so bad if I won, would it?’ But even a shrimp could fight back! Watching two of Takamari’s Four Beauties kiss… that wasn’t a bad prize. A spark of competitive spirit ignited within me.

The game started smoothly enough, Mizuki confidently pulling out blocks, her movements fluid and effortless. “This tower is never going to fall, hee hee~” Aya, as always, was quiet and focused, her movements precise and careful, steadily removing blocks without a word.

“Ooh~ impressive, Aya-ring~”

“Your turn, Rina.”

Ah, right. My turn. I carefully removed a few blocks, but as the tower grew taller, more precarious, my hand started to shake.

And then… “…Oops!” The block I’d nudged wobbled, the entire Jenga tower tilting slowly, like in slow motion, a scene from an old movie, and then… Crash!

“Aaaaagh!!” I groaned, sinking to the floor as the tower collapsed, and Mizuki clapped her hands gleefully.

“Rina-tan loses! Hee hee~”

I stared at the Jenga block in my hand, defeated. So… I had to kiss either Aya or Mizuki…?

“Hmm~ Rina’s out. Aya-ring, are you good at Penguin Trap?”

“Of course I am.” Still reeling from my devastating Jenga loss, I watched as Mizuki and Aya prepared for the next game.

“Okay, let’s play Penguin Trap without Rina,” Mizuki said, and I thought, ‘So, I’ll be kissing myself…? Wait!’ My face suddenly burned at the implications.

Mizuki grinned, and Aya nodded, accepting the challenge. Mizuki set up the Penguin Trap game, assembling the hexagonal ice blocks on the table, the small, cute penguin figurine perched precariously in the center.

“The rules are simple! Knock out the ice blocks one by one without letting the penguin fall!” She picked up a small mallet.

“Aya-ring, you ready?”

“Yes.” Aya, without a word, calmly picked up her mallet. They stared at each other, their competitive spirits clashing, a silent battle of wills. Mizuki went first. Tap— A clean removal.

She grinned smugly at Aya. “Your turn, Aya-ring~”

Aya carefully surveyed the game board, then, with a single, precise tap, removed three blocks. I watched, nervously, my hands clasped together.

‘Who’s going to lose? Aya or Mizuki?’ Whoever it was, I was the one who had to kiss them.

The game continued, the ice floe growing increasingly unstable, the penguin balanced precariously on a single block. If Aya removed it, she won. If the penguin fell while she was trying to remove it, Mizuki won.

“Aya-ring~” Mizuki said softly, and Aya’s eyes narrowed.

“If you win, I get to kiss Rina.”

“…!” Mizuki’s words made Aya’s hand tremble slightly, and my own heart skipped a beat.

“W-Wait, Mizuki, what are you…!”

But Mizuki just twirled her mallet, a playful smile on her face. “What~? Those are the rules~”

Aya, her expression unchanging, stared at Mizuki. But there was a flicker of… hesitation in her eyes.

Mizuki pressed her advantage. “It’s your choice, Aya.”

“If you win, I get to kiss Rina…” Mizuki paused, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “…and if you lose, you get to kiss Rina.”

What?! Mizuki, you’re playing dirty! Giving Aya that kind of ultimatum… But Aya’s expression remained impassive as she raised her mallet.

And then, quickly, decisively…

Crack—! She struck the ice block, and the entire structure, unable to withstand the force, collapsed, the penguin figurine spinning through the air before landing on the table.

“…” I froze. Had Aya… lost on purpose?

Mizuki’s reaction was delayed, then she clapped her hands together, grinning. “Hee hee~ I win~! Okay, you two, kiss~!”

“—!!” I jumped up. “Mizuki!! Do we really have to do this?!”

She shrugged. “Of course~ it’s the penalty~”

But… this… Mizuki had set this up! She grinned, her eyes twinkling mischievously. “Go on, go on~! Don’t be shy~!”

And then, I saw it.

Aya, looking at me, her face flushed crimson, her usual composure completely gone.

My breath caught in my throat.

Aya, who so rarely showed her emotions…

Her face was bright red, and my heart… it skipped a beat, then another, and another, a frantic rhythm echoing the sudden rush of blood to my cheeks.

I… was this really happening? I took a deep breath, then slowly walked towards Aya, who was also standing now, her gaze slightly averted, then she bent down, her head level with mine. She was so much taller than me… and she was… accommodating my height.

It was just a penalty. That’s all it was. But… why was my heart pounding like this? My entire body felt warm, flushed.

And as I reached her, our faces inches apart… I closed my eyes.

A soft, fleeting touch, a gentle brush of lips against lips.