I'm Being Threatened by My Sister's Ex-girlfriend. (GL) - Chapter 23

We faced each other, holding sparklers that glowed in rainbow colors. I struck the flint of a cheap lighter, starting a blue flame.

We both lit our sparklers at the same time. The smell of burning paper and gunpowder filled the air, that sharp, burnt scent.

The sparkler tips hissed, and tiny, teardrop-shaped balls glowed in a deep orange, like little embers.

We held our breath, waiting for the sparks to fly.

In the end, I lost the bet.

“My win,” she said, grinning.

“…Yeah, well, I guess you did,” I replied.

The orange sparkles that had fallen onto the balcony floor crackled, sending out tiny sparks. I couldn’t help but curse my own clumsiness.

Hakobe, sitting with her bare knees exposed, stood up, brushing them off.

“Ah.”

Her gaze shifted upwards, drawn to a part of the night sky. A golden firework bloomed in the dark indigo sky, and a beat later, the sound of the explosion reached us. The fireworks had started.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” she said softly.

“Yeah? I think it’s a bit lacking in impact since they’re small, though.”

“Beautiful things are still beautiful, even from far away.”

Hakobe reached for the sparkler left on the outdoor unit.

“Shall we continue? We still have some left.”

“Best of three.”

“That’s not gonna work.”

Her refusal was blunt.

For a while, we kept playing with the sparklers, chatting about pointless things. We talked about how fireworks can burn underwater, or what flavor soda really is, and all kinds of trivial stuff that wouldn’t matter tomorrow.

We watched the fireworks, the sparklers, and each other’s faces. I wondered which of them was the most beautiful… though maybe that was just me.

It didn’t take long to burn through all the sparklers.

The charred, rainbow-colored remains were stuck into the washbasin. Come to think of it, we hadn’t bothered to clean up yet. The leftover bits would go in the burnable trash, but what about the water mixed with ash and soot? Would flushing it down the toilet work?

Before I realized it, the fireworks had ended, too.

“Shall we take a shower?” she asked.

“…Wait, seriously?”

“Seriously.”

Hakobe grabbed my wrist, pulling me inside. I was dragged into the tiny bathroom.

The washing machine was set up on the balcony. The bathroom was tiny—barely the size of a tatami mat. It had a yellowed sink, a mirror, a basket for towels and clothes, and not much else.

“It’s cramped,” she said, sounding surprised.

“Yeah, it’s a cheap apartment. Even the shower room is tiny. So, well…”

Before I could back out, Hakobe’s first button popped open. The blouse began to unbutton, fabric rustling. I could see the white camisole underneath.

We were close enough that I could hear her breathing. Even though I wasn’t particularly good at seeing, I could make out the lace details on her camisole.

“…Tsuguno, you should take yours off too,” she said with a piercing stare.

I crossed my arms, feeling self-conscious. Then, I grabbed the hem of my shirt. Since it was just a T-shirt, I decided to take it all off in one go.

Whatever, I thought.

With a rush of courage, I stripped off both my top and bottom. By the time I even remembered my embarrassment, I was completely naked.

Her gaze felt heavy, like it had weight. It pricked at my skin, sharp as a needle. The snake-like gaze slid down from my neck, over my collarbone, and down to my chest.

Hakobe murmured softly.

“So, that’s what you’re like…”

How does it feel?

Hakobe unhooked the skirt. The stiff checkered fabric fell away with a soft rustling sound. The skin on her slender thighs reflected the fluorescent light.

From under the lifted camisole, her smooth belly and modest navel peeked out.

I felt like I was going to lose it.

“I’m gonna shower first!”

She rushed into the shower room, almost running. I washed my hair faster than I ever had before, breaking my personal speed record. Conditioner? Didn’t care. I quickly squeezed out body soap and slathered it all over myself. The most important thing was to look like I was washing my body. Just get it done fast, get out fast.

The door clicked open. I ignored it and kept scrubbing myself, bubbles foaming everywhere.

I felt someone’s breath close behind me.

I didn’t turn around. It felt like if I did, everything would be over.

A bare arm reached out from under my armpit, pushing down on the bottle of body wash on the stainless-steel corner rack. A milky liquid dripped out.

Just as the nozzle was pressed, something brushed my back. I couldn’t tell exactly where it was—maybe my nose? I wasn’t sure.

I heard her rubbing her hair, the sound of shampooing.

“Can I use the shower?” she asked.

“…Uh-huh.”

I grabbed the nozzle and handed it to her over my shoulder. The sound of the water running mixed with the bubbles running down the tile floor.

“Wah!”

Suddenly, water splashed on my back.

“I’ll rinse you off,” she said.

“Y-You don’t have to…”

She ignored me completely, and the bubbles started coming off my skin.

“Oh, your back’s so clean,” she said.

Her fingers traced my spine, running from my shoulder blades down to just above my butt. A chill ran through me, like a shiver.

I couldn’t help it—I turned around.

In an instant, Hakobe filled my entire world.

I thought I might stop breathing. Her wet hair, the droplets on her cheeks, her pale neck, the collarbones sticking out, the soft curve of her chest—everything was etched into my mind in a split second.

She was that beautiful.

I couldn’t help thinking, “Like a doll”—and I wasn’t even exaggerating. There was no one else in the world who could make me think that.

My heart pounded loudly in my chest. My breathing was almost completely out of control.

Even then, I couldn’t look away.

How long had I been staring?

Hakobe lowered her wet lashes. With a slow motion, she raised her arm to cover her chest.

Her face, turned away, was so obviously red, it looked almost too cute.

“…Tsuguno-san. You’re staring too much,” she said, puffing her lips in a pout, either scolding me or sulking.

“Pervert.”

“W-What did you say?”

She had invited me into the shower in the first place! She had stared at my back and butt endlessly! And now, she was looking at me out of the corner of her eye. It was okay for her to look, but when I looked, it was “embarrassing”? Who was being shameless here? Was I using that phrase, right?

I didn’t know.

My head was spinning.

After that, I didn’t remember much.

The next thing I knew, I was lying in bed. Hakobe was gone.

Apparently, she had left after getting home. She told me that since it was summer festival time and there were a lot of people on the street, I didn’t need to see her off. I think that’s what she said.

Everything felt fuzzy, but I just jumped into bed.