Chapter 14 – Darkness is Dangerous
“…What?”

It wasn’t that I was afraid of the dark, but the suddenness of it made my voice come out small, like some startled little girl.

Yarai-san’s hand rested lightly on my shoulder. A quiet “don’t worry” kind of gesture. With my sight gone, that touch felt all the sharper.

“Probably just the breaker tripped.”

She said matter-of-factly. Judging by her tone, this wasn’t anything unusual.

“So how do we fix it?”
“There’s a switch by the front door. You just flip it back. Mom will probably take care of it.”
“I see. Then it’s fine, I guess.”

Or so I said.

But no matter how long we waited, the lights didn’t return.

In the silence, the only sounds were our two breaths.

“…Still nothing.”
“Hmm, weird. Maybe Mom fell asleep—she was drinking, after all.”

Her apologetic little laugh echoed faintly in the dark.

“Well, our eyes are adjusting. Might as well just finish up like this?”
“If you’re fine with it, then I don’t mind.”
“Okay then, I’m going to keep washing you.”

A soft hand pressed against my stomach. Without light, I couldn’t see where she’d touch me next. It was almost the same as shutting my eyes—but the fact that it wasn’t my own fingers tracing along my skin made every little movement that much sharper.

She was blind in this darkness too. I could tell she was feeling her way forward.

Maybe that was why—her hand brushed straight across the tip of my chest, a little firmer than before.

“…!”
“Ah—sorry! Did that hurt?”
“N-no, I’m fine.”

A sharp tingle raced through me, enough to draw out a sound before I realized it.

No, that was only because it caught me off guard. It wasn’t like it felt good or anything.

I’d never had anyone touch me there before. Being startled was only natural.

But claiming I was fine… had been a mistake.

Because now Yarai-san’s hand moved with no hesitation at all. Almost as if—she was doing it on purpose.

“Yah—! W-wait, Yarai-san…!”
“Yes, that’s me.”

…Seriously? I was on the verge of panic and that was her cheerful reply?

“Enough already! That’s fine—wash somewhere else.”
“…Wait, where exactly was I washing just now?”
“Excuse me?”
“Well, you reacted so cute I wasn’t even aware of it myself…”
“…Whatever it was! Just pick a different spot!”
“Okaaay.”

She answered somewhat discontently and moved her hands from my breasts.

At least she could listen when told.

I let out a breath of relief, but only for a second before bracing myself again. With it being dark, I had no idea where her hands would wander next. I tried to clear my mind, preparing not to make any strange noises.

“Nyowaah!”

So much for that. Despite my guard, something embarrassing slipped right out of my mouth.

But it wasn’t my fault—because, because…!

“Wh-where are you touching?!”
“Between your legs.”
“Not what I meant!!”

This girl—without a moment’s hesitation—just reached right between my thighs.

Even for someone like Yarai-san, who lived life without restraint, I hadn’t imagined she’d go this far without the slightest pause. Who in their right mind wants to touch someone there? Not me, that’s for sure…

“If you don’t like it, just say so earlier.”

She pulled her hand back immediately, laughing as if nothing was wrong. That almost made it worse—because it meant she really had no ulterior motives. Which was somehow more terrifying. If she’d admitted to being driven by lust, at least it would’ve made some kind of sense.

“I honestly can’t tell what’s going on in your head…”
“There’s nothing going on.”
“…Don’t say that yourself.”

So this is what people mean when they say “my headache hurts.”

How was I supposed to deal with her from now on? Was there even a right answer?

From now on…?

Wait, no. There wasn’t going to be a “from now on.” After all, the only reason I’d come here today was to protest that kiss. It wasn’t like I came to hang out. Starting tomorrow, we’d go back to being just classmates.

…So then why was there this tight, restless feeling in my chest?

“All done! Okay, now it’s my turn to be washed.”

Before I realized it, she’d rinsed the foam from my body.

We swapped places. In the dark, she gently took my hand to guide me so I wouldn’t slip. That must have been her intention, though it was funny—she was the one who tripped earlier over absolutely nothing.

“Okay… I’ll start with your hair.”
“Bring it on!”

I poured warm water over Yarai-san’s head, running my fingers through her hair, then worked shampoo into it until it foamed.

“…Your hair really is beautiful.”

Even without sight, the silky smoothness was obvious to the touch.

“I get it from my mom. She’s always nagging me to thank her for it.”
“If it were me, I’d thank her without complaint.”
“You’re cute too, Kaidou-san. That means your mom must be pretty as well, right?”
“…No, I take after my dad more. My little sister’s the one who resembles my mom.”
“Oh, you have a little sister? I bet she’s adorable. I wanna see her.”

…Was that her way of hinting she wanted to come over to my house?

“I’ll show you a picture later.”

I steered the topic aside while rinsing the foam from her hair, carefully making sure no residue was left. I was being way more thorough with her than I ever was with my own hair.

“Now then…”

Taking a deep breath, I picked up the foaming net.

For Yarai-san, it was nothing to touch me so casually—but I was just a normal high school girl. Washing someone else’s body was a different matter entirely. Naturally, I was nervous.

I decided to start with her back. Her skin was unbelievably smooth. With hair that long, you’d expect at least a few blemishes, but her back was flawless.

“Um… I’ll wash the front now.”
“You don’t have to ask permission every time, you know?”

That might be true for her, but not for me.

I placed my hand on her stomach. From what I’d seen in the light earlier, her waistline had a distinct curve, but now I could feel how soft and feminine it was as well. Thinner than mine, yet somehow softer—how was that even fair? Total cheat code.

Carefully, nervously, I washed her body, and then it was finally time to get to that part.

As I worked my way up from her stomach, my hands touched them.

Heavy. Before being soft, the first thing that registered was the sheer weight of it.

“Kaidou-san? Your hands stopped moving.”
“Ah, sorry…”

It was like a first encounter with the unknown—my whole body had frozen up.

Yarai-san’s chest—or rather, “boobs” felt like the only fitting word—was in a league of its own.

My hands trembled at the touch—I was panicking like a virgin boy at this point.

I nervously traced around the curve, my fingers sinking in with the slightest pressure. A dangerous urge to squeeze bubbled up.

So this is what the word temptress referred to.

“Kaidou-san, that tickles. Can you do it harder?”

I’d been moving my fingers too lightly out of sheer nerves, and she complained.

So I did as asked, pressing a little more firmly over her chest. Even though I had no intention of it, it felt less like washing and more like kneading. The soft weight shifted and molded itself freely in my hand, almost as if it belonged there.

*Ah… this is bad. I’m going to turn into a terrible person.*

I told myself that, yet I couldn’t stop my hand.

“…Hah… mm…”

It took me far too long to notice the way Yarai-san’s breathing had grown ragged.

Her husky breaths echoed through the silent bathroom, carrying a heat that sounded unmistakably sensual.

This made it seem like I was the pervert here. No, who was I kidding? I really was the guilty one here.

“S-sorry, Yarai-san…”

Awkwardness crashing over me, I pulled my hand away.

“Fwah…? Sorry for what?”
“Um, because. I—I touched you too roughly.”
“Hmm? It’s fine. It felt good.”

Why? Why did that not make me feel relieved?

Instead, my chest was throbbing with a nameless, smoldering heat.

*What is this…?* I glanced down at my hand, the one that had just been clutching her breast.

Of course, with the lights off, there should have been nothing to see.

But a faint buzzing sound preceded the sudden flare of brightness. My vision snapped into clarity, forcing me to squint against the light.

The suddenness left me stunned, frozen.

“Ah, looks like my mom finally got up.”

Her voice broke the spell, and I managed to move again. I lifted my gaze from the floor to face her.

Lit by the restored light, Yarai-san’s face came into view—her eyes damp with tears, her cheeks flushed red.

Her gaze, shaded with melancholy and undeniable sensuality, locked onto me.

And I realized: I was the one who had made her look like that.

“…S-sorry. I’m getting out first.”

I couldn’t bear to stay in front of her like that.

I fled the bathroom, as though running away.

But the heat inside me didn’t fade. It only grew larger, burning against my chest.