The moment I was pulled into the fitting room by Miss Mei, I instinctively squeezed my eyes shut and leaned away from her.
"Miss Mei! You can't do this. Don't you think you should value your... modesty a bit more?"
"Pfft... Touya-kun. What on earth are you imagining? Open your eyes."
I had been gritting my teeth, determined not to see anything I shouldn't, but her laughter forced me to sneak a peek through narrowed eyes. To my surprise—and immense relief—Mei Mei was perfectly covered in an off-the-shoulder mini dress, holding the fabric against her chest with her arms to keep it from slipping.
"Phew... You really startled me. Please, stop playing such jokes."
"Oh? I never explicitly said I was naked, did I? Didn't you just let your imagination run wild?"
A haughty sneer curled one side of her lips as she mocked me. Finding no retort for her logic, I remained silent. She slowly turned her back to me, her voice dropping to a silkier tone.
"Could you take a look here? The zipper is in the back, and it's quite hard to reach. I realized I'd need someone's help to get into it. That's why I called you in, Touya-kun."
"Oh, so that was it? I can certainly help with that. Just... one second..."
As I stepped closer to pull up the zipper, I felt a lump form in my throat. Her back was a vast, elegant expanse of porcelain skin, completely exposed and shimmering under the fitting room lights.
This... isn't this a bit too provocative? And how is her skin this fair?
When the zipper didn't move immediately, Mei Mei turned her head, her gaze locking onto mine with a sharp, perceptive glint. She flashed a knowing grin, sensing my internal turmoil. She leaned back, pressing herself against me as she looked up into my eyes.
"My, my. I wonder what Touya-kun is thinking right now? I haven't the slightest clue."
"No, it's just..."
My eyes flickered downward, catching a glimpse of her cleavage where the dress had dipped. My head spun, and I frantically shook off the intrusive thoughts.
"Just turn around. I'll do the zipper."
I placed my hands on her shoulders, guiding her to face away from me. Only once the zipper reached the top and shielded her bare skin did the oppressive tension in my chest ease slightly.
"There. Are we done?"
Mei Mei turned back toward the mirror, adjusting the fit of the dress before speaking.
"Yes. What do you think? Does it suit me?"
"Yes, it's beautiful. But why would you pick out a dress you can't even put on by yourself? You should have asked a clerk for assistance."
"Hmm? I didn't know. I had no idea it would be such a difficult garment to manage alone."
She spoke with such nonchalant grace that I almost nodded and let it go, but a nagging suspicion took hold.
There is no way a woman as meticulous as Mei Mei wouldn't notice a back zipper before taking it into a fitting room.
I lifted my gaze to hers, only to find her watching me with a suppressed smile.
She's lying. She picked this dress specifically to toy with me, didn't she?
The realization drew a heavy sigh from my lips. I looked her straight in the eye.
"Ha... Do you enjoy teasing me this much? It's not a crime, I suppose, but do you really find my reactions that entertaining?"
She maintained her innocent facade, her expression serene.
"I'm not sure what you mean. What kind of teasing would I possibly be doing?"
I stared into her eyes, unblinking, until her composure finally cracked and a giggle escaped her.
"Pfft... Touya-kun, you're simply too much fun. Do you have any idea how cute you looked earlier? You really are a novice when it comes to women, aren't you? So kind and composed normally, yet so utterly helpless in a situation like this."
Her words stung my pride. I averted my eyes, feigning a pout.
"Well, forgive me. I've never been in a situation like this before, so naturally, I wouldn't know how to handle it."
"Mm. You're adorable. I'd love it if you only showed that side to me. Are you pouting?"
I refused to meet her playful gaze.
"Yes. Because you keep making a fool of me. You should realize that even I have limits. I'm a man, Miss Mei, and your games are becoming hard to endure."
She seemed to weigh my words for a moment, then a sly smile crossed her face as she stepped into my personal space. As our proximity vanished, I was forced to look at her. She tilted her head, her captivating face inches from mine, and whispered into my ear.
"Oh... Hard to endure? And what happens... if you stop enduring?"
She leaned her weight into my chest, looking up at me through her lashes. Realizing I was being led into yet another trap, I pushed back and made for the door of the fitting room.
"If you're finished, Miss Mei, then come out. Or change back so we can leave."
Her voice reached me from behind, a low, melodic taunt.
"Hmm... I thought you'd give me a more interesting response than that. Are you scared, Touya-kun?"
"Scared? Don't be ridiculous. It's just that these sorts of things should be shared with someone you love—"
I turned around to finish my sentence, but the words died in my throat. Mei Mei was leaning forward, tugging at the neckline of the dress, deliberately exposing her cleavage to my line of sight.
"Hehe... Are you really going to walk out now? You don't have to endure anything on my account..."
At those words, something inside me finally snapped.
To hell with this. She's treating me like a plaything. Fine.
I closed the distance in two strides. Her eyes widened in genuine surprise as I pinned her against the wall, my arm snaking around her waist to pull her flush against me.
"If that's what you want, Miss Mei, then I'll be happy to show you exactly what I've been enduring."
My hand slid up the fabric of her dress, the sensation of the soft material mingling with the warmth of the skin beneath. I felt her breath hitch. I traced the line of her ribs up to her side, watching as her face flushed deep crimson and her breathing turned shallow and ragged.
God, I really am at my limit.
As my thumb brushed the underside of her breast through the cloth, she let out a sharp, muffled gasp.
"Ah...!"
She isn't saying no. Then I'm not stopping.
Lost in the fever of the moment, I abandoned all logic. I leaned in to claim her lips, my hand tightening its grip, but—
"Excuse me, guests? Is everything alright? You've been in there quite a while..."
The clerk's voice from outside acted like a bucket of ice water. The spell shattered. I stepped back instantly, my heart hammering against my ribs.
"...Like I said. Stop with the jokes."
Mei Mei leaned against the wall, her chest heaving as she caught her breath. She gave a small, uncharacteristically subdued nod.
"Tou... Touya-kun. Why don't you wait outside? I'll be out in a moment."
I nodded and exited the fitting room. The clerk was standing there, looking visibly anxious.
"Ah, I apologize. My companion needed help with a zipper she couldn't reach. She'll be out shortly."
The clerk nodded understandingly and went back to her station. As I waited for Mei Mei, I tried to process what had just happened.
What the hell was I doing? No matter how much she provoked me... even if she didn't reject me, don't I have feelings for Shoko?
I was plagued by a growing sense of guilt. Being surrounded by such captivating women at Jujutsu High without any clear boundaries was starting to wear down the moral lines I had drawn for myself. Eventually, Mei Mei emerged, having changed back into her original clothes. The atmosphere between us was suffocatingly awkward as we paid for the items and left the store.
"Um... Miss Mei. It's getting late. Should we grab dinner before heading back?"
Mei Mei flinched slightly before answering.
"Oh? Ah... yes. Let's do that. My assistant manager mentioned a good place nearby; we can eat there."
As we walked toward the restaurant, the physical distance between us was noticeably larger than before, and the conversation was non-existent. Even when we arrived at a lavish Italian restaurant, I couldn't bring myself to appreciate the decor. I ordered something at random and tried to break the silence while we waited.
"Look... I'm sorry about earlier. I lost control of myself..."
Mei Mei's eyes widened at the mention of the incident.
"Mm... no. I was at fault too. And besides... it wasn't exactly... unpleasant."
Her voice trailed off into a whisper at the end, and since I couldn't catch the last bit, I simply gave a stiff nod.
"I'm glad to hear that. Let's just consider it forgotten."
As the pasta and salad arrived, I set her place with a napkin and cutlery. Though we had agreed to move on, the memory of what happened less than an hour ago kept replaying in my mind.
I barely tasted the food. After dinner, we caught a taxi and walked the rest of the way up the mountain toward Jujutsu High. At the gate, I turned to her.
"What happened today stays between us. The others can't know."
Mei Mei let out a small, soft laugh.
"Of course. It would be a disaster if they found out. Let's go in."
We reported back to Masamichi Yaga and headed toward the dormitories.
"Thank you for today. It was... interesting."
"Yes. It was certainly a unique experience. I saw a very different side of you, Touya-kun. Go get some rest."
"Miss Mei, we agreed not to talk about that. Goodnight."
As I made for my room, I ran into Satoru, who was wandering the halls aimlessly.
"Oh! Touya! I heard you went out with Miss Mei. You're finally back. What did you do? Was it fun?"
I gave a quick, non-committal nod.
"Yeah. Just did some shopping in the city and had dinner."
Satoru grabbed my arm, swinging it back and forth with envy.
"That sounds like a blast! You have to take me next time~ Suguru too."
"Haha, sure. We'll go when our schedules are clear. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to change."
Satoru let go and waved as she skipped away. The moment I entered my room, I collapsed onto the floor.
Why am I so exhausted? Was it that confrontation? Sigh... I promised to go with Utahime-sister too. I have to be more careful next time.
I changed, washed up, and buried myself in bed.
"I'm going to sleep early tonight. I don't know how I walked so much that I feel this drained. Since when was shopping this difficult?"
The lights went out much earlier than usual and remained dark until the following morning.
-----------
desert while Touya was sleeping, Mei Mei was currently being cornered by Utahime Iori.
"Miss Mei! Tell me everything! What happened? What did you guys do?"
Mei Mei tried to maintain her cool as she calmed Utahime down.
"We just went to Shinjuku for some shopping and dinner. Touya-kun bought me quite a few things. You should tell him if you need anything, Utahime. He'll likely buy everything for you too."
"And? What else? Was there anything... you know? Anything suggestive?"
Utahime's breath was practically puffing out in excitement. Mei Mei's poker face was perfect as she dismissed the notion.
"Mm... nothing in particular. We just hung out."
However, Utahime had known Mei Mei for far too long. She could tell when her senior was withholding the truth.
"Liar! Something definitely happened! Tell me! Out with it!"
Utahime grabbed Mei Mei by the collar and began shaking her violently. Mei Mei simply swayed back and forth like a ragdoll, offering no resistance but also no information.
Meanwhile, Shoko was sitting at a table, chewing on an unlit cigarette as she recalled seeing them return.
"They were practically attached at the hip when they left, but they kept a weird distance when they came back. Did something happen? Hmph, whatever. It doesn't matter. No matter what... the way Touya looks at me is different."
Shoko let out a knowing smirk as she leaned her head on the table, quietly planning her next moves.