episode_0318

.

Only water.

After lightly rinsing my body—which would inevitably get dirty again several times today—with nothing but water, I picked up the plastic bag I had left by the entrance.

Inside the heavy bag were several bottles of soju, a few cans of the beer Yozora liked, and an unopened pack of condoms.

Judging by the droplets of condensation still clinging to the surface, the convenience store’s fridge must’ve been pretty cold.

No need to stick these in the freezer for a bit.

As I loosened the handles to peek inside, I rolled my stiff shoulders once and turned around.

There stood a girl dressed exactly like me.

A girl who, for some reason, was grinning up at me with a sway in her step.

“Ta-da~! Couple outfits!”

“Couple outfits? What are you talking about…?”

“Don’t play dumb~ We’re wearing the same thing right now, aren’t we?”

Well, she wasn’t wrong.

Both of us were in bathrobes.

But the one glaring difference was the state of the waist ties.

Unlike me, Yozora hadn’t bothered to tie hers at all, spinning in place as if to show off.

As if that wasn’t enough, she even swayed her hips side to side for good measure.

Because of that, though her body was fully exposed in every way,

Rather than feeling lust,

…I just found it kind of cute.

…Never thought I’d feel this way about Yozora in my life.

Watching her bright smile with a conflicted expression, I averted my gaze and stepped closer.

“I wasn’t playing dumb. I just didn’t think something like this could be called a ‘couple outfit.’”

“What’s the big deal? If it’s similar, it counts. Right?”

“Then what about the Academy uniforms…?”

“Nope-nope! Stop ruining the mood and gimme the drinks. I’ll set them on the table.”

Yozora stretched her hands toward me like a kid asking for candy.

Handing her the convenience store bag, I properly tied my robe and followed behind her.

Outside the window, the sky had already darkened to a deep indigo.

Over the city lights, each glowing in their own colors, my faint reflection overlapped on the glass.

And behind it, Yozora’s small figure crept closer, step by step.

If I let her get close, she’d either go “Boo!” or poke my cheek after tapping my shoulder.

If I didn’t turn around, she’d just reach out and poke me herself.

I’d been through every variation so many times I was sick of it.

Part of me wanted to pretend not to notice, but

I worried her bare skin might be visible from outside, so I acknowledged her first.

“Stop messing around and behave.”

“Ehehe… What’re you looking at? Our place doesn’t even have a great view~”

“Unlike you, I don’t get to see it often. It’s kinda pretty.”

I swallowed the words, “I saw plenty while carrying your drunk ass home.”

I also swallowed the thought, “Feels different from when I used to stare at you thinking, ‘What a bitch.’”

Because, more than anyone else, I didn’t want to hear Yozora ask, “Did you hit your head or something?”

“Oh? Then maybe I should take a look too…”

Instead, what reached my ears was Yozora’s voice, dragging out the end of her sentence oddly.

One step, two steps—she closed the distance without hesitation, wrapping her arms around me as she peered outside.

She could’ve just stood beside me, but because she insisted on hugging me while looking out the window, her body pressed against mine in all the wrong places.

The soft, damp swell of her chest, freshly washed with me.

Her firm thighs.

Her smooth cheeks.

Her heart, pounding fast against me.

Again and again.

When I glanced at her face a moment later, she wasn’t even looking at the view—just grinning up at me mischievously before muttering “Hentai…” and pulling away.

I think I once heard that word meant “pervert.”

Not like Yozora had any right to say it.

“Hmm~ Not bad. Wanna live here together? Then you could see this every morning… The bed’s big enough for one more, so it’s fine!”

“Too much trouble. I’d have to move all my stuff.”

“…Huh? If I move your stuff for you, will you stay?”

“Can’t you tell I’m indirectly saying no?”

“Tch… C’mon, let’s live together~… I’ll wake you up every morning with a nice, happy blowjob…”

“Hey, that tickles.”

“Like this… and like this…”

Despite muttering “pervert” and stepping away earlier, Yozora closed the distance again, leaving ticklish kisses all over me.

On my chest, the first place she reached when she clung to me.

On my lips, barely within reach if she stood on her toes.

On my collarbone.

Meeting her gaze like that,

…I eventually

…”Mmph… Chu… …”

Hastily closed the curtains behind us so the night view couldn’t see.

And drowned in the taste of shower water on her lips until we were both breathless.

Only after doing it enough to be sick of it…

…did I awkwardly change the subject.

“…Let’s just drink. Before it gets warm.”

“…Oh, right. We don’t have glasses yet…”

Her eyes had been hazy just moments ago, but now they were wide like a cat whose tail had been stepped on as she stared at me.

Before I could say anything, Yozora dashed off, her robe fluttering, and soon the clatter of dishes echoed from the kitchen.

Figuring I might as well help, I moved to follow—

“Got ‘em!”

—but Yozora was too fast, leaving no room for even a half-hearted offer.

All she did was grab glasses and some dry snacks, but her speed was impressive.

Felt a familiar vibe in the most pointless places.

“Here, a beer glass.”

“I can drink straight from the can.”

“Ehh~ Then just use a soju glass!”

“…Who pours soju into something like this?”

“We can share, right? Ehehe… Here, take this…”

“….”

Not a trickle—glug glug.

Yozora expertly twisted open the soju bottle and filled the glass in front of me.

Then poured some into her own beer glass.

Clink.

With the pleasant buzz rising in my head, I exchanged stupid small talk with Yozora, who grinned from across the table.

She even added ice—no idea when she grabbed it.

I teased her, saying on-the-rocks was for hard liquor, not this.

She just laughed and said, “It looks cool, though~”—such a Yozora answer.

Clink, clink.

The cheerful sound lingered.

“Pwah… Sweet~”

“How is this sweet? You’re making a face ‘cause it’s bitter.”

“It’s not bitter~? Guess you’re still a kid who doesn’t get it…”

“We’re only two years apart, idiot.”

“When I was a high school sophomore, you were a middle school third-year. Get it?”

“Barely a difference.”

Alcohol swirling in my head, I pictured Yozora back in high school.

Playful like now,

but fresher.

More cheerful.

Grinning in a uniform straight out of a Japanese drama.

…But compared to that,

the you in front of me right now,

smiling in nothing but a robe as you tilt your glass,

is far prettier.

I gently dropped an ice cube into my glass and took another sip.

“Pff… I wonder if you’d still say that if I’d dominated you back when you were a tiny middle schooler~”

“You were small back then too. Doubt you even hit 160.”

“And you? Were you this tall back then?”

“Probably around 180. Maybe a little less.”

“Ehh… I’ve never seen a middle schooler that tall…”

“…Think whatever you want. Imagine I grew 30cm in high school.”

I went to take another sip—

but stopped when I noticed the glass across from me inching closer.

Grabbing the rim, I lifted it.

Clink.

“…So, would I have dominated you back then?”

“If you were my type. …Maybe.”

How do I corrupt a hero to fit my tastes?

Even though I’d spent all my school years fantasizing about exactly that, I spat out a blatant lie.

“Hmm~… Back in high school, perverts on the train would grope me all the time~”

“…What, you want me to be jealous of them?”

“No, I mean… I must’ve looked really fuckable back then… Hic…”

“….”

“So maybe… I would’ve been your type…?”

…Was it possessiveness?

Hearing she’d been groped annoyed me more than I expected.

Psst—the sound of a beer can opening.

Yozora’s hiccups after just one bottle of soju.

Logically, I knew she was lying on purpose, but

I grabbed a beer can anyway.

Not clink, but—

Tap.

“…Pwah… This is good…”

“Glad it suits your taste.”

“First time trying it… Is this your favorite beer?”

“…Yeah.”

“…Then I’ll like it too, starting today. This one.”

“Sure.”

Watching Yozora chug her beer without a toast,

I picked up a snack and chewed slowly.

“…What’re you doing?”

“Hehe…”

Laughing as Yozora copied me the moment she saw me eat.

Laughing as she snatched the snack mid-bite and slipped it between her lips.

The glasses that were once full,

the beer cans that fizzed loudly—

we kept drinking.

“…Hey. Seo Jin-ssi…”

“What.”

Minutes passed with nothing but alcohol between us.

By the time the first beer can was empty and the second nearly gone, Yozora finally spoke up, her voice sweet with intoxication.

“You didn’t answer earlier…”

“Answer what?”

“Back then… if you… would’ve dominated me… I asked that…”

“….”

A half-serious thought crossed my mind.

If I’d met a girl who looked like her, would I have done something given the chance?

If it could’ve satisfied my teenage lust, would I have compromised even if she wasn’t quite my type?

More than anything, the answer Yozora wanted most was obvious…

After finishing the beer—honestly not my favorite—I answered.

“Probably. …It was peak horny age, after all.”

“…Hmm~…”

Yozora’s glass, now empty but for large ice cubes, clinked as she shook it.

I pushed my glass toward hers, and she tilted her head slightly, lightly tapping them together.

When I tipped the green bottle over her nearly empty glass,

Glug glug—

it filled to the brim once more.

Another gulp later,

Yozora’s brows furrowed as if it were bitter.

“….”

“….”

…Then, suddenly—

“Wait, hold onnn…?”

“…?”

Yozora abruptly stood and walked into the bedroom.

I wondered if I’d misspoken in my tipsiness, but nothing came to mind.

The only hint was the faint rustling from behind the closed door.

By the time I belatedly followed and stood outside her room—

“…Tadaaa… How is it…?”

“….”

Before I could knock—tap tap tap—

Yozora greeted me in a slightly different outfit.

“…What’s this?”

“Can’t you tell…? My high school uniform…”

A blazer, a skirt.

A loosely buttoned shirt,

with what looked like a droopy rabbit-ear ribbon tied around the collar.

…Just like in my imagination earlier,

Yozora stood there in an outfit straight out of a Japanese drama.

“Anyway, how is it? How is it? It’s a Japanese uniform, so it’s different, right?”

“….”

“…Pretty? Does it suit me?”

“…Yeah.”

“Ehehe… Glad it still fits… Though the chest part’s tight as always…”

Come to think of it,

I’d heard Yozora once snuck out of Japan with nothing but a single suitcase packed to the brim.

At the time, I figured she just didn’t have much to begin with.

But I guess this was in there too.

Useless thoughts swirled in my alcohol-fogged mind.

“…I’ll keep this on… ……Wanna do it like this? …Sex?”

“….”

I closed the still-open bedroom door and took another step inside.

The sweet scent of Yozora’s skin, which I hadn’t noticed last time, filled the room.

“…Wow. Scary… …Did the ‘dangerous uniform’ turn you on?”

“…Did something similar once. Not a big deal.”

“Eh, with who? …Soo-ah? Seo-yeon? Or Lee Ji-yoon?”

“…Her older sister.”

“Hmm…”

The thought—”I didn’t need to say that”—

only hit me about five seconds later.

I always thought I could hold my liquor well.

Guess I’m a little drunk.

“…So how’d you do it with her?”

“…I was the senior, she was the junior.”

“Ahh, so the opposite… The opposite…”

“….”

“Then how about this?”

“…What, this?”

“Like at the Academy… ‘Teacher,’ maybe?”

“…….”

The stupid thought—”Should I apologize now?”—

crumbled like paper.

Definitely,

I’m drunk.

“I thought about doing a ‘molested by you’ theme… …but I don’t think I could get into it…”

“….”

“Teacher~… How are babies made? …Something like that, y’know? Makes sense, right?”

“…You want me to teach you?”

“Ahah… Didn’t expect you to be so eager…”

Because of this side of you I’ve never seen before.

Because of your scent, masked by air freshener.

Because of the familiar sting of alcohol.

…That break we said we’d take?

Didn’t seem necessary anymore.