"You two, let go of me first—!"
In the depths of a karaoke room that no scanning device could possibly locate (?)—the very place where Kikukawa Kyo was being ganged up on by a pink-haired retriever and a penguin…
Kyo was currently resisting with all her might, contorting herself into a rather undignified position as she tried to counter Anon and Tomori's attempts to drag her out. Even using her full body weight to press downward, she was still no match for two against one.
"I don't really know why Tomori wants to take Kyo to the aquarium, but as long as Kyo refuses to join the band, I'm not letting go!"
If Anon was mostly playing around, treating this as a fun little scuffle, then Tomori was going all in—fighting with every ounce of strength she had, her face flushed red with effort. Even though there was no guarantee that dragging Kyo to the aquarium would result in the answer she wanted, she was still giving it her all.
It was clear now that words alone wouldn't work. Tomori was already completely in the zone, her single-threaded CPU brain probably unable to register anything Kyo was saying at this point.
"Tch!" No point in talking! You two brought this upon yourselves!
Anon and Tomori were still each gripping one of Kyo's hands, stubbornly pulling. But suddenly, Kyo yanked back hard with an unexpected burst of force, sending both of them stumbling forward.
At that moment, their positions were as follows: Kyo lying back on the sofa, while Anon and Tomori stood on either side of her, just in front of it. As Kyo pulled, both girls lost their balance—their legs knocking against the sofa cushions behind them—before they tumbled forward with startled cries.
Landing directly in Kyo's arms, one on each side.
"Ow, ow, ow… huh? Actually, that didn't hurt much?"
"That's because I cushioned the fall for you."
Having absorbed two full-impact gravitational takedowns, Kyo felt an overwhelming urge to vomit. That would be a real disaster… She fought back the nausea with everything she had.
Why does it feel like everything I've done today has come back to smack me in the face? First, Tomori immediately threw my own words right back at me, and now even all the drinks I had earlier are turning against me…
"Kyo!"
Tomori, now flustered, squirmed slightly in Kyo's arms to adjust her position so she could see Kyo's face and upper body better. Then, she immediately started fumbling around, as if trying to check for injuries.
But the moment Tomori's hand made contact, she felt it—her fingers were instantly damp.
Anon, who had also landed on Kyo, noticed something was off as well. At first, she'd assumed she had just brushed against the part of Kyo's shirt that had gotten wet earlier from the spilled drinks. But those had been absorbed through a layer of her vest—could there really be this much moisture?
Looking down, Anon's eyes widened. Kyo's entire upper body looked as if it was soaked, the damp patches spreading out like she was literally leaking water. Anon had never seen anything like it before, and a flicker of panic set in.
"Kyo, what's going on?"
"It's just sweat. I sweat really easily, and after messing around with you two for so long, it'd be weirder if I didn't sweat."
Pinned down by their weight, Kyo lightly patted their backs.
"Alright, alright, time to get up. Aren't you grossed out by how sweaty I am?"
From the moment Tomori had been yanked down, the whole aquarium idea had been temporarily pushed aside. And now, her single-threaded brain had been completely overtaken by concern for Kyo.
The two of them stood up, looking down at the girl sprawled on the sofa—her body damp, as if she had just emerged from water.
Seeing Kyo in such a state, Anon was suddenly reminded of the legendary sirens said to lure sailors into the sea. Except, Kyo wasn't using her voice—her weapon was the ethereal, almost unreal beauty of someone who seemed to have just stepped out of a dream.
After struggling against each other for so long, the tension in their bodies abruptly melted away, leaving behind an irresistible wave of exhaustion. The urge to simply let go, to sink into relaxation like softened clay, was overwhelming.
Kyo's slender waist twisted slightly, like a water snake adjusting itself, shifting from her awkward, defensive posture into one that was much more natural and comfortable. This, in turn, made her relax even further—her slow, steady breaths moving her chest in a gentle rise and fall. Though not particularly large, the soft curves of her figure stood out clearly beneath the soaked fabric of her shirt, each subtle motion made even more visible by the damp material clinging to her skin.
And then, there was the most troublesome part—her lower half. Unlike her usual preference for pants, Kyo was wearing her school uniform today, which meant a skirt. The length of the uniform skirt was perfectly appropriate under normal circumstances, but with the way she was nearly lying down, the hem had ridden up slightly, exposing more of her thighs than intended. Tiny droplets of sweat traced their way down her smooth skin, glistening under the light as they slid from beneath the folds of her skirt…
Looking at Kyo now, so vulnerable and delicate, Anon found it impossible to reconcile this image with the same Kyo who had just moments ago pulled both her and Tomori down with such force. Instead, what she felt was a strong, inexplicable urge…
"I should probably change into something dry," Kyo murmured after lazing around for a bit. Slowly, she sat up, casting a helpless glance at her completely ruined shirt and skirt.
She reached for her bag and pulled out a neatly packed set of clothes along with a towel. Just as she was about to unbutton her shirt, she suddenly recalled something Chuka had told her a long time ago, and her hands paused mid-action.
"…Anon, Tomori, do you mind if I change here? If it makes you uncomfortable, I'll go to the restroom."
"N-No, it's fine! You can change here, Kyo! I'll turn around and definitely won't look!"
Anon spun around almost instantly. Tomori, on the other hand, was still staring in a daze at Kyo's water-kissed figure. It took her two or three more seconds before she let out a small "Ah—" and hurriedly turned around to face the other way with Anon.
This feels so weird…
Anon couldn't help but wonder if the first day of school was supposed to be this intense. First, she had run into Tomori, Kyo, and Sakiko—all girls with incredibly strong personalities—one after another. Then, Tomori had suddenly asked if she wanted to start a lifetime band. And now, here she was, standing in the same room as an almost siren-like beauty, changing her clothes right behind her…
Even without looking, Anon could hear everything—the damp sound of soaked fabric peeling away from skin, the faint squelch of moisture clinging to bare flesh, the soft thud of the wet clothes being tossed onto the table. Every little noise served as a reminder that right behind her, there was now a girl who was likely standing there in just her underwear.
Unconsciously, Anon tilted her head slightly to the side. I swear, I'm not trying to peek at Kyo changing…
I just wanted to check Tomori's face… to see if she's feeling as hot and flustered as I am right now…