I'm Being Threatened by My Sister's Ex-girlfriend. (GL) - Chapter 17
After swimming for a while, I got out and removed my swim cap and goggles. I wrapped myself in a bath towel and wiped off the droplets that could have been water or sweat.
As I relaxed on the bench, Todo came over. Her neatly dyed brown hair was sticking to her forehead.
“Good job!”
She plopped her round, soft butt onto the bench. The muscles of her thighs spread slightly. Water droplets from her one-piece swimsuit trickled down her taut skin.
Todo smiled at me, as if to check on how I was doing.
“Swimming is tiring, huh? Sorry, would you have preferred the love hotel girls’ night instead?”
“No, I’m short on cash too.”
“I see. I was just worried it wasn’t fun.”
It wasn’t that I wasn’t enjoying myself. It had been a while since I exercised, and surprisingly, it felt good. My shoulders, stiff from unhealthy habits, felt a little more relaxed.
“Honestly, though, I think I’d have preferred the board games.”
“You’re being honest.”
“It’s not that it wasn’t fun, but it’s tiring. Water goes up your nose, and it stings.”
“What about you, Todo?”
“Yeah?”
“You were in the swim team, right? Do you actually enjoy swimming?”
“Yeah.”
Todo smiled widely. It was the perfect smile.
“It’s fun. And it’s good for your health.”
Health. For a girl who’d spent her youth in the pool, her answer felt kind of detached and casual.
“By the way, how was your date with the underclassman? Did you watch the movie?”
While I debated whether to say more, Todo leaned forward. Her large eyes sparkled with curiosity, just a breath away. I leaned back as I answered.
“Yeah, we watched a love story.”
“Oh, you went with that one? A full-on romance movie.”
“Well, it was a bit of a curveball.”
“What kind of movie was it?”
“Uhh… if you’re planning on watching it, maybe you don’t want to know.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. You know, I’m not interested in romance movies at all.”
She laughed loudly. It was surprising. I would’ve thought she’d be the type to cry over a movie where the heroine dies.
Well, if that’s the case, I guess it’s fine.
I briefly summarized the plot. A high school boy and a college girl. The heroine’s death and resurrection. The love she feels for a decaying lover.
Todo nodded along as I spoke, but in the end, her face twisted like she’d just tasted something sour.
“It’s a zombie movie.”
“It was a zombie movie, huh?”
“Also, it was the kind of movie I don’t really like.”
She said it with a carefree tone, as if it was nothing. Despite her soft and gentle appearance, this was exactly the kind of decisiveness that Todo Akari had.
“Well, it wasn’t extremely interesting, but… what exactly did you dislike about it?”
“Hmm…”
She raised her finger.
“Here’s what I think. The main guy probably only accepted her because her appearance as a zombie was still within his ‘acceptable range,’ right?”
“…I see.”
“The idol who played the heroine, I like her too. She’s pretty. But I bet even after turning into a zombie, she probably still looked cute, didn’t she?”
“Well, yeah, that’s true.”
Todo’s guess was spot on.
The heroine, who got infected with the zombie virus early in the film, appeared later with special makeup and CGI effects, but these were all carefully designed to preserve her looks and image. Ugly scars were hidden behind her bangs and bandages, and her beauty was never compromised.
It made sense, I thought. That idol was the face of the movie, and a good portion of the audience probably came to the theater just to see her. There was no way they’d give her truly ugly makeup.
“Even though the whole point was supposed to be that looks aren’t everything, in the end, the heroine was still pretty. Doesn’t that just defeat the purpose?”
“That’s true.”
“Anyway, there’s no way love doesn’t have anything to do with looks. And…”
“And what?”
“Love isn’t as pretty as it’s made out to be.”
Her voice had a sharp edge to it. I couldn’t help but look at Todo’s face again.
She was wearing an expression I had never seen before. Her full, pouty lips formed a smile that was almost like a cold sneer. I thought to myself, even angels could look like that.
I felt a little overwhelmed, but I spoke up.
“Todo, you’ve probably had a lot of love experiences, huh?”
“Heh, maybe. I might be the type who’s still holding onto my first love, though.”
“That’s cute in its own way. First love is really special, isn’t it?”
“Oh? Tsuguno-chan hasn’t experienced it yet?”
She lowered her wet lashes.
I took a deep breath.
With a voice that was somehow both sultry and chilling, Todo said:
“You have to properly get over it, or you’ll be cursed forever. That’s what first love is, I think.”
I followed Todo as she dove back into the lane. The warm water brushed against my skin. I dove in with a splash, pushing off the wall. Using my hands, legs, and every muscle in my body, I propelled myself forward.
The more I swam, the more thoughts kept floating in my mind. Todo’s words stuck with me, echoing in my ears.
A curse.
That seemed right. Hakobe was cursed by love. To move forward, someone would need to break the curse.
Am I the only one thinking such meddlesome thoughts?
In the shopping mall, the attitude and words of her sister—Serina—flashed through my mind.
After swimming 25 meters, I emerged from the water.
I watched Hayasegawa’s smooth back as she spoke with Ninomiya.
After swimming for a while, we returned to the locker room. I couldn’t help but check my smartphone first thing. I thought to myself that I must be addicted to it.
There was a message. It was from Hakobe.
“Send me a selfie in your swimsuit.”
“You’re wearing a bikini, right?”
“Are you even looking? You haven’t read my message.”
“Swimsuit.”
“Incoming message.”
“That’s creepy.”
The obsession was intense. I could feel an invisible pressure.
A selfie, huh? I glanced around. To my left and right, Toudou and Hayasegawa were drying themselves off with towels. It didn’t feel right to snap a picture here and let the camera’s shutter sound echo.
So, I quickly dried off, then ducked into the attached bathroom in the changing room. I positioned myself at a 45-degree angle and took a shot of myself in the swimsuit.
Click.
“Ugh.”
I groaned as I checked the picture.
It looked pretty suggestive, honestly. The smooth, water-drenched body with the white toilet seat in the background. The fact that it was so obviously a selfie didn’t help either.
It just felt really wrong. But—
I shook off the thoughts and hit the send button. I was too scared of seeing “read” appear, so I quickly ran out of the bathroom, almost like I was escaping.
On the way back, the train was only half full. There were two empty seats. I sat next to Hayasegawa, by the window.
Suddenly, my body complained about how tired I was. I felt sluggish all over. A big yawn slipped out. Hayasegawa chuckled and whispered in my ear. Her breath brushed against my earlobe.
“You can lean on me.”
Without hesitation, I leaned my shoulder against hers. The tips of her light knit sweater brushed my cheek.
“I’m tired.”
“Massage your calves in the bath, so you don’t get sore muscles.”
“Too much trouble…”
“Want me to massage them for you?”
“Ahhh~”
Even my fake scream lacked energy. I was so relaxed that my eyelids were about to close.
My phone vibrated in my pocket.
“Why the bathroom?”
Annoyed, I quickly replied, then closed my eyes.
The soft rocking of the train and Hayasegawa’s steady heartbeat made drowsiness quickly creep in.