CHAPTER 118: FALLING, DEEPER AND DEEPER

Mika sat back with that casual smile of his, one that seemed to dance between teasing and absolute confidence.

"Well, since you want to know so much." He said, tone smooth. "I don’t mind indulging you. After all, we’ve already been bold enough to air out half the truth...might as well tell the rest of it."

Yelena’s heart skipped. Her palms were hot where they rested on his shoulders. He’s really going to say it. ’He’s actually going to go there...’

Then Mika chuckled, shaking his head like the whole thing amused him. "And you know what? This is actually good for us."

She blinked at him, confused. "H-huh?"

"Think about it." Mika went on, his grin widening. "We’re supposed to fulfill the condition for the artifact, right? We need to speak the truth, no matter how embarrassing. Well—"

He gestured between them

"...what better way than this? You asked me what I thought of your figure. It won’t be awkward if I answer, since it’s what you wanted to know. Perfect opportunity, don’t you think?"

Yelena’s face lit up, but she quickly nodded, latching onto the excuse like a lifeline.

"Yes, yes, exactly! That’s what I was also thinking, Mika. Me too. That’s why I...asked."

She stumbled over her words, smiling in fluster, trying to sound convincing even though her chest was tight.

’Yes, this way it doesn’t sound like I’m desperate to know. This way it sounds like it’s just for the artifact. Just for the artifact.’

Mika tilted his head knowingly, but let her cling to the excuse.

"Good. Since we’re on the same page..." His eyes darkened as he leaned closer. "...let’s talk about what I really saw in you back then. Or rather, what part of you in that bikini truly got my blood pumping."

Her throat went dry. Her pulse hammered. As his gaze slid slowly down her, from her flushed face to the gentle swell of her chest, the curve of her waist, down lower still, Yelena suddenly panicked.

She crossed her arms over her bra and tugged her thighs closer, covering herself.

Seeing this, Mika exhaled with obvious dismay.

"Oh, come on, Yelena. Really?" He raised an eyebrow, tone halfway between chastising and amused. "I’m trying to jog my memory here, remember what I saw that day that shook me so hard, and you’re hiding yourself? That’s not fair."

She turned her head away, cheeks burning. "W-Well, it’s only natural I’d feel timid right now, isn’t it? You can’t just—"

"Yes, I can." He cut her off bluntly. His eyes gleamed with something possessive. "Stop covering yourself. Show me." His voice dropped lower, firmer. "I want to see every inch of you. No hiding. That’s the only way you’ll know the truth of what I saw."

Yelena’s body trembled. The weight of his stare pinned her in place, dark and unrelenting.

’Why...Why does he look at me like that? As if...as if he’s devouring me with just his eyes...’

Her chest fluttered violently, her muscles coiling tight. She wanted to resist. She wanted to tell him no.

But the way he looked at her, firm, commanding, almost as if he wouldn’t allow refusal, left her breathless.

Her arms slowly fell from her chest, her thighs loosened, and little by little, she revealed herself to him. Her plump breasts pressed heavily against the cups of her bra, the fabric straining against her curves. Her panties clung to her hips, and for reasons she didn’t want to admit to herself, the fabric there had grown uncomfortably warm.

Mika’s eyes trailed over her leisurely, making her skin prickle everywhere he looked. Then, to her mortification, he shook his head.

"Not enough." He said flatly.

Her eyes snapped up to him, wide. "E-Eh?! Not enough? What do you mean, not enough?"

"You’re cowering." Mika said, pointing at her posture. "Timid. Shy. You look scared right now. And that’s not the Yelena I know." He leaned forward, his finger briefly pointing to her chest. "The Yelena I know never hid herself."

"For the longest time, when you walked into a room, it wasn’t even your head people noticed first, it was your chest...You always pushed it forward, walked proud, made everyone else feel small with just the way you carried yourself."

"That’s the woman I remember. Not this timid, slouching version...So stand tall. Arch your back. Push yourself out the way you always did. Show me the real Yelena."

Her breath caught. ’He...He noticed that? He noticed the way I walked?’ She wanted to argue, wanted to tell him that this was ridiculous. And yet...a strange part of her wanted to obey.

"Is...is that really necessary, Mika?" She whispered, voice trembling. "This whole situation is already so embarrassing..."

He shook his head. "Yes. It’s necessary. I don’t remember a timid Yelena. I remember the proud one. The one who carried herself like a queen. Show me that again."

Her lips quivered, but she knew in that moment she couldn’t resist him. Her body moved before her mind fully allowed it.

Slowly, hesitantly, she straightened her back, arched her hips just slightly, and thrust her chest forward. The motion tightened the straps of her bra, pressing her breasts up higher, fuller, until every rise and fall of her breathing made them strain against the cups.

Mika’s lips curled into a satisfied smile. He leaned back, eyes lingering. "Yes. That’s it. That’s the Yelena I remembered that day."

Her face went hot, but her chest also filled with a strange, unexpected pride.

"That day..." Mika’s voice softened, growing nostalgic. "...even though your swimsuit was...skimpy, almost indecent, it wasn’t the fabric that caught me.. It was your posture."

"The way you wore it. Even half-naked, you looked at every woman there as though you ruled over them...That confidence, that power, was what pulled me in first, even before I noticed the rest."

Yelena’s breath hitched. Her fingers curled against her thighs. ’So...it wasn’t just my body. It was me. My presence. My confidence.’

A warmth bloomed in her chest. For once, it didn’t feel humiliating to be remembered that way. For once, she felt grateful that all those years of carrying herself tall had meant something.

But she couldn’t hold back her question. Her lips parted, and in a smaller voice, she asked.

"Wait...Mika. Was I really wearing something so skimpy back then? I-I don’t remember that. I’ve worn bold outfits before, yes. To tease, to show off, sometimes just to annoy other women."

"But never in public...not something that revealing. Are you sure?"

"No, not in public, not like that." Mika chuckled. "That day wasn’t at some crowded pool. It was a party, remember? You and the others invited other moms from the school. Just moms. No men. That’s why you wore something so risky."

Yelena let out a shaky sigh of relief. "Oh, heavens...for a second I thought I was insane enough to walk into a public pool in that. Thank God."

But Mika only tilted his head, smirking.

"Even if it were public, would it really be so hard for you? You were already so confident in your body back then...I mean, didn’t you just say earlier you could walk anywhere, even live on television, and not be ashamed?"

She flustered immediately, waving her hands.

"T-That’s different! Sure, if I wanted to, I could. I could walk out on live TV right now and show my body, it’s not that big of a deal. But..." She hesitated, then lowered her gaze, cheeks burning. "...but I don’t want to. Not because I’m ashamed."

"But because...because I don’t want to show my body to just any man. Something that private, that vulnerable...I don’t want strangers seeing it." Her voice softened, her chest tightening as she admitted the truth. "...Only you can see me like this, Mika. Only you. No other man."

Mika’s brows arched, his smirk widening with mischief.

"Oh? The way you say it, it almost sounds like you only want to show your body to the one man in your life. Like a wife showing herself only to her husband. Or a girlfriend to her lover. Almost like...you’re treating me as if I’m your man."

Her whole body jolted. Heat rushed to her face, so fast it almost made her dizzy.

"W-What are you talking about, Mika? Don’t be ridiculous!" She gave a nervous chuckle, patting his shoulder, trying to brush it off. "You, the man in my life? What a joke."

"...You’re the boy in my life. My dear boy. That’s all. I trust you because I raised you. That’s the only reason. Nothing else."

To reinforce her point, she hugged him again tightly, pushing his face against her breasts. Mika let himself sink into it, smirking faintly against her skin.

But as she held him there, her smile began to falter. Her chest rose and fell faster, her thoughts turning into chaos.

’But...is it really just because I raised him? Is that really the only reason I trust him so much?’

Mika’s words echoed in her ears, and for the first time...she couldn’t completely deny them.