"..."
It was a summer vacation day, and the time was 2 PM.
Shinohara Aika pressed the intercom button with mixed feelings.
Someone answered.
The door was already unlocked.
How careless, she thought, but she passed through the familiar entranceway—out of caution, she locked the door behind her—and headed toward the living room where she was being waited for.
"Excuse me for disturbing... Huh?"
Aika froze.
A voice called out from across the room.
"S-Shinohara-san...?"
"...Kirizaki-san."
Shito Marin and Kirizaki Kirie.
The unexpected pairing left Aika rooted to the spot.
*****
Aika had come to the Shito residence because Marin had invited her.
She felt a bit pathetic for being summoned so easily by a younger girl, but since it was Marin, she figured she had no choice.
What she hadn't been told was that Kirie would also be there. This was completely unexpected.
Aika sat on a cushion in front of the sofa, next to Marin.
Seeing them both there, so naturally, stirred complicated feelings in me.
By the way, Ryosuke was out at a friend's house this evening. A guy friend, specifically. He seemed to be discussing plans for an overnight trip in three days.
Aika's "boyfriend" was probably there, too.
Thinking about Kouno Kazuki made me feel even more awkward.
Aika had witnessed Kirie being dumped by Kazuki. Or, to be more precise, she'd been involved in it.
The two of them had barely interacted before, but ever since then, even seeing each other at school had become awkward. I'd heard Kirie was coming on this trip, too. Just the thought of how to act around her was giving me a headache.
And now, of all places, we'd run into each other here.
"Huh? You two don't seem to be very close?"
Whether Marin knew Aika's feelings or not—or rather, whether she was fully aware of them—she asked in a deliberately naive tone:
"You're in different classes, aren't you? Well, that must be it. Then let me bring you two together. This is Shinohara Aika-san. She's a distant relative of mine."
"Huh?"
Aika gasped involuntarily at the blatant lie, but Kirie reacted with equal surprise, drowning out Aika's exclamation.
"When I was little, she took care of me. I only found out recently that she went to the same school as my brother. And this is Kirizaki Kirie-san. She's my brother's girlfriend."
"—!"
"W-wait a minute! Marin-chan?!"
"Hmm? Was that supposed to be a secret? I'm sorry, Aika-san. Let's pretend I never said that."
"U-um... okay..."
Though she nodded, the awkwardness between Aika and Kirie only deepened.
Ryosuke's girlfriend...
Hearing that didn't come as a huge surprise.
It was shocking, but...
I knew it...
That thought dominated my mind.
Aika had heard Ryosuke's declaration before.
He'd said he was going to make Kirie his girlfriend.
At the time, she'd thought he was just joking during sex—
But afterward, she'd seen him walking with Kirie several times, and the opportunities he spent with her had dwindled sharply.
If I were to...
What would happen if Aika exposed her relationship with Ryosuke?
As she gazed down at Kirie's face, this dark thought crossed her mind.
If she were to spill everything Ryosuke had done for her, how would Kirie react? Would she laugh it off as a joke, sneer, fly into a rage, or break down completely?
But at the same time...
Thinking about how Ryosuke loved Kirie, another possibility arose.
What must Ryosuke think of her? Does he spoil her and love her tenderly? Or does he harshly criticize her, just like he does with Aika?
(—!!)
A shudder ran deep in her core, nearly making her gasp aloud.
No.
I need to regain my composure.
...Or at least...
The option of revealing her relationship with Ryosuke had vanished from Aika's mind. A nagging certainty told her that if she exposed their connection, Ryosuke would never touch her again.
"Kirizaki-san, you and Marin-chan—"
"Huh? Oh, right. Actually..."
Kirie then briefly recounted how she first met Marin.
It was quite a sensational story, but it fit perfectly with what she knew about Marin, so she accepted it without hesitation.
"Heh heh, Kirie-san, you were like a prince back then. That's when I decided I'd follow you for a lifetime."
"Uh, well..." Kirie stammered, flustered.
Marin wrapped her arms around Kirie's arm.
"Ah. Aika-san, are you jealous of Kirie-san?"
"Huh? What...?" Aika's composure cracked under the unexpected question.
"You love me so much, don't you, Aika-san? You're just jealous that Kirie-san might take me away from you, aren't you?"
"M-Marin-chan, stop teasing..." Aika protested.
As Aika tried to keep up with Marin's playful banter, her tension began to ease ever so slightly.
"So... what brought you here today? You even invited Kirizaki-san."
"Oh, nothing important. I just thought it'd be nice to get to know everyone better. I'm planning to transfer to your school, after all. This is just a girls' gathering—a social mixer."
"S-so... what is it?"
As she asked, Kirie's cheek twitched.
"?"
"It's a viewing party," Marin answered.
"Aika-san, let's watch it together. Please sit next to Kirie-san."
"A viewing party..."
Suddenly, Aika's gaze followed the direction the two were facing—to the TV in the living room.
Marin announced cheerfully, "Today's feature is 'World's Most Fascinating Parasites'!"
"Ugh—!"
*****
The next hour was utterly shocking for Aika.
The images on the big screen were so vivid they completely erased any awkwardness with Kirie.
Marin had arranged juice and snacks on the table, but Aika couldn't bring herself to touch a single bite.
Finally freed from the images, she glanced at Kirie beside her. Her face was pale.
Only Marin seemed satisfied, sighing contentedly. "Ah, that was wonderful. I can't believe anything could move like that!"
"Y-yeah..."
"Right..."
Both of them nodded in agreement, their voices subdued.
"The instincts of living creatures are truly amazing, aren't they? The way they adapt, evolve, and fight so desperately to survive—it's just too adorable!"
"M-Marin-chan, you might be suited for a career as a scholar someday," Kirie continued, her voice trembling slightly.
"Oh no, not me. This is just a hobby."
"Do you like all animals?"
"I enjoy observing them. Some people find it gross, but I don't mind at all. They're so brave, so cute... Isn't that wonderful? They inspire me to be stronger, too. Though if I were to keep a pet, I'd probably just get a regular cat."
Marin had called this gathering a "fellowship meeting," but in that single moment of sharing this indescribable emotion, she felt the distance between herself and Kirie had indeed grown closer.
From then on, we engaged in some idle chatter for a while.
Marin mostly led the conversation, Kirie elaborated on the topics, and Aika chimed in with occasional nods.
It wasn't exactly fun, but the time passed more peacefully than I'd initially imagined.
Eventually, Marin suggested, "Oh, if you two don't mind, would you like to have dinner together? My brother should be home soon."
Her words brought tension back to Aika.
But Kirie replied, "Huh? But Shito said he was eating with friends."
"Really? ...Well, Nii-san, you didn't tell me that! But that's just like her, isn't it?"
"Ugh, stop saying things like that! I'll get in trouble if I don't eat dinner at home... I'm sorry, both of you."
With that, Kirie hurriedly began preparing to leave.
She stood up and straightened her posture, facing Aika.
"Um, Shinohara-san..."
She paused before continuing.
"...I hope we have a good time on the trip."
Looking at Aika again, Kirie thought:
What a cute girl.
She was different from Aika. A little stubborn, perhaps, but when she laughed freely, she seemed even more endearing. At first, she had been wary, but now that she had relaxed, she radiated a warm, affectionate aura.
Aika found Kirie's intensity somewhat overwhelming. She averted her gaze slightly and managed to reply:
"...Yeah. Likewise..."
After Kirie left, Kirizaki-san confronted Marin in the living room, now empty except for the two of them.
"What were you thinking, Marin-chan?"
But of course, that was hardly enough to intimidate her.
"What do you mean, 'how'? Didn't I already say it? To become friends. It was fun, wasn't it?"
"..."
"Heh heh, don't look at me like that. Would you like some tea? The juice has gone warm. Please sit on the sofa."
Marin's unyielding insistence left Aika no choice but to comply.
As Marin headed toward the kitchen, Aika called out to her retreating back:
"...Did you show me Kirizaki-san to hurt me? Does it give you pleasure to see me suffer?"
There was no reply.
Aika lowered her head, clutching her skirt.
"Kirizaki-san is a good person... but I... I endured so much—"
"Liar."
Aika startled.
Without her noticing, Marin had moved to stand right behind the sofa and was now clinging to her neck with her slender arms.
"W-what are you doing?"
"Aika-san, you're a liar. Did you endure it? Was it painful? ...Heh, you're just making it up, aren't you?"
"What makes you think you understand, Marin-chan?"
"I do understand. I've been watching you for a long time."
The girl's whisper in her ear sends a shiver deep into Aika's core. But it's not unpleasant—rather, it's...
"Aika-san, you were aroused. Being with Kirie-san..."
"W-What do you mean?"
"Even now, you look like that—"
Marin unlocks her smartphone with one hand and opens the camera app. The lens activates, and Aika and Marin's faces appear on the screen.
"You're flushed with arousal. Just like when you come out of Nii-san's room, right? Like this?"
"N-no!"
"Ah, sorry. That was a lie. At those times, you look even more... indecent."
"Ugh..."
In stark contrast to Aika's flustered state, Marin smiled seductively on the screen.
"Aika-san likes partners who can see her ugly side, don't you? That's why you love me too."
"S-Stop saying such presumptuous things!"
"Didn't you get aroused imagining Kirie-san and Nii-san having sex? They're already doing it in his room right now... I bet it's much more loving and enduring than anything you've shared with Aika-san."
"S-Stop it—!"
I didn't scream because my chest hurt.
No, it was because—
"Does it ache? Does desire make your body tremble? It's okay in front of me. Be as honest as you are with Nii-san."
"N-no...!"
Aika felt the moisture between her thighs.
"Aika-san is so cute... Not just physically, though. I mean how utterly honest you are with your desires. You're secretly the most lewd person I know, but you try so hard to hide it. But I see through you. Here—"
Even when Aika tried to avoid it, Marin held up her smartphone.
Her face was even redder than before. Her eyes were glistening, not from embarrassment, but from joy.
And Marin, watching her with burning intensity.
"Ah... ah..."
"It gets you excited, doesn't it? Should I record this?"
"N-no!"
"I want it... Wait, what? Am I really feeling something? Stop pressing there!"
"Huh—?"
It was unconscious.
Aika's hand was pressing against her lower abdomen through her skirt—strangely enough, writhing in an attempt to seek pleasure.
"So, it really is... Hey, Aika-san."
Beep.
"M-Marin-chan—"
"Recording has started. I'll capture all your pathetic moments."
"N-no! No!"
"It's okay. I won't show this to anyone, or use it to blackmail you. That wouldn't be any fun. I won't show it to Nii-san either—though maybe I should share it? What do you think?"
"A-ah...!"
I can't believe it... I feel so good, it's almost unbelievable.
The screen shows my flushed face, gasping. It's terribly humiliating, utterly mortifying.
"You're quite skilled at masturbation, Aika-san. Do you do it often? Do you think about your boyfriend while you're at it?"
"I-I don't... I've never... thought about Kazuki-kun while... doing it..."
"Then someone else? Your brother, right? When do you do it? At night? In your room? Or in the bath?"
"Ugh... Ugh...!"
"Surely... you haven't done it while you're with your boyfriend, have you?"
"!!"
My hips jerk upward involuntarily.
My face grows even more pathetic. Tears well in my eyes, my lips tremble—distorted by the bittersweet pleasure, overwhelmed by the ecstasy.
"Liar... Could it be that you're masturbating even when you're on a date with him? A proper date, mind you! And while thinking about another man—can't you hold out until you get home? You can't, can you? You're doing it right here, right now, aren't you? Letting them capture your lewd expressions, recording your filthy moans—making your dirty places all wet and sticky."
"N-no, no!—ah, ah, aah!"
His finger found the swollen clitoris beneath her panties and rubbed it roughly. A jolt of electrifying, sinful pleasure shot through her hips, making her head swim with sparks.
"Are you going to come? Go ahead... I'll keep filming. I'll watch it all. Look at the camera, Aika-san. Look! Yes... just like that. Stare at the camera and show us all your ugly, lewd parts."
"Ugh... Ah, oh—!"
I'd never climaxed in front of anyone except Ryosuke. I thought that would always be the case—
"Aika-san, you want us to see everything, don't you? Not just your superficial cuteness, but all of it—the ugly parts too. You can't stand not being noticed, can't you? You ache for someone to blame, don't you?"
I shook my head, No, but the fingers probing my erogenous zones showed no sign of stopping.
"It's okay. Nii-san and I are watching. We'll see every dirty little thing. So be honest, Aika-san. Be honest—"
"Ah, ha... ha... I... I..."
Finally, I hiked up my skirt myself, inserting a finger between the gaps of my underwear. As I teased my slick folds, I...
"I'm... imagining Ryosuke-kun and Kirizaki-san having sex at Ryosuke-kun's house, getting excited, and masturbating! Ahh, and having Marin-chan tease me, filming my embarrassing moments—ah! Oh, I'm... I'm gonna come! I'm coming! Nuuuuu... Oh, ohh!... Haaah, nnnngh...!"
Arching back dramatically on the sofa, Aika surrendered to the peak of ecstasy and climaxed.
"...Wow. Aika-san, you're so intense when you come. Such lewd noises."
"Ngh... Oh, haaah... Ugh..."
"Heh heh. I like you even more now. I hope you find happiness too... though I think that's enough, right?"
"Ah, haa... Nngh, eh...? Ah, ah..."
On the screen, now marked with a recording icon, Aika smiled blissfully, tears and drool streaming down her face.