CHAPTER 38: THE BITE OF THE SNAKE

The daring cowgirl outfit from the night before is nothing compared to what Miori is wearing now. A white, semi-transparent blouse held together by a single button, short enough to show her midriff, with the red lace of her bra clearly visible underneath. Below that, an extremely short black miniskirt and a pair of heeled ankle boots matching its color.

But that’s not the only thing driving Aoshi out of his mind.

From the moment she stepped inside his house, she hasn’t been crouching beside the futon the way she usually does. Instead, she’s sitting on the floor in front of it, her knees drawn almost to her chest — a position that, combined with that miniskirt, gives Aoshi a perfect view of the lower part of her underwear as well: a red thong matching her bra.

Any attempt Aoshi makes to keep his eyes from drifting between her thighs is completely useless. And yet, Miori acts as if she doesn’t even notice — or at least, that’s what Aoshi believes.

But Miori never leaves anything to chance; every outfit she chooses, every gesture, every word is calculated with absolute precision, along with the exact effect they’ll have on Aoshi — and the reaction she predicted is unfolding exactly as planned.

«H-How are things with Renji? Has that bastard hurt you again?» Aoshi asks, flustered.

«Thankfully not, but... to be honest, I haven’t seen or heard from him in three days. It’s really strange...» Miori murmurs, thoughtful, even though she already has a pretty good idea of what might have happened to him.

Only two possibilities exist: either that loser actually managed to get Eliss into bed and embarrassed himself so badly he’s now hiding in his house or ran out of Ueda altogether... or, more likely, he failed and offed himself out of despair after being dumped by me for good.

Ah... it would be so exciting if it were the last one — exactly the kind of ending a pathetic man like him deserves. And most importantly, I wouldn’t have to worry about him getting in my way again or ruining the exquisite work I’m doing with Aoshi.

«Well... that’s a good thing, right? I mean, that Renji hasn’t shown up again, right?» Aoshi asks.

«Y-Yeah, I suppose so... These three days without him felt like being reborn... or maybe it’s because I’ve been spending them with you that I feel this way? Either way, thank you again for the beautiful words you told me last night. They really moved me — for the first time in my life, I didn’t feel alone anymore.»

«Y-You don’t need to thank me, they were just words...» Aoshi mutters — his face as red as Miori’s underwear, unable to tear his eyes away from it — and no, this time he definitely can’t use the excuse of checking her bruises.

«Whether they were just words or not, they still helped me a lot, so... I want to help you now.»Miori reaches into her purse and pulls out a small tube of lotion — a pain-relief gel from a brand Aoshi has never even heard of. It’s definitely not something you’d find in the cheap little shops his budget forces him to rely on.

«As you know, I go to the gym, and whenever Renji pushes me into training sessions far beyond my limits, I sometimes end up with muscle strains. And this gel works miracles — even on bruises, I swear. So... you won’t be good as new overnight, but I’m sure that even one application will make you feel much, much better. Come on, Aoshi, show me where it hurts.»

«W-Well, uh... mostly my sides and my back — those were the areas Renji targeted the most. Still, thank you so much — just leave it on the table, I’ll ask Eliss to rub it on me as soon as she gets home from work.»

Even though I have no idea what excuse I’m supposed to come up with this time... I just hope Eliss and Ayane buy the story that Takuma gave me something to help me "play better" at his erotic visual novels again...

«No, Aoshi,» Miori interrupts him firmly. «You’ve done so much for me, and you’re still doing so much, so I want to repay you the best I can! And I already told you I’m an expert at treating injuries like these. Someone who doesn’t know the proper way to massage and apply the gel could make your condition even worse — you shouldn’t play around with your health!»

«I-I get that, but... w-wouldn’t it bother you to give me a massage? When we were together, you hardly even let me hold your hand...» Aoshi murmurs.

«I already told you, didn’t I? If Renji had seen us holding hands, or worse, hugging, he would’ve exploded, and I don’t even know what could’ve happened. But now...»

Miori’s voice lowers — softer, warmer, almost hypnotic. «...but now we’re alone, Aoshi. Now no one can interrupt us. Let me spoil you... let me take care of you, of your body...»

«A-Alright, Miori... okay...» Aoshi stammers, shaken by the unexpectedly sensual tone in her voice. With a bit of effort, he turns over and lies on his stomach.

He swallows nervously, squeezing his eyes shut the moment he feels Miori’s slender fingers grip the hem of his shirt.

And then... a sudden shiver spreads through his whole body as he feels his shirt slowly sliding up, Miori’s nails brushing lightly against his skin as she pulls it off — revealing a slim torso with barely any muscle to speak of. Goosebumps rise on his back when he feels the cold gel dripping onto his skin.

And finally... a deep, intense wave of pleasure runs through him as soon as he feels Miori above him — straddling him, her pubic bone pressing lightly against his buttocks — and her fingertips begin to massage him with gentle, steady movements. Each movement is smooth and assured — the kind of touch that comes from someone who knows exactly what she’s doing.

She wasn’t lying about her experience treating bruises — ever since she was young, forced by her family into martial arts training, she’s been used to taking hard blows to her torso and legs and it didn’t take her long to learn how to treat them on her own.

«Do you like it, Aoshi? Do you like the way I’m touching you...?» Miori whispers — her voice a sensual caress against Aoshi’s ears.

«Y-Yeah... you’re really amazing, Miori...» he answers through clenched teeth — not only because of the natural sting that comes with massaging a sore area, but mostly because he’s fighting hard to suppress the instinctive reactions of his body, reactions he desperately wants to avoid. Thank god he’s lying on his stomach.

Miori’s skilled hands move down from his shoulder blades along his spine, reaching his sides without ever stopping the steady motion of spreading that miraculous lotion — at least until now.

Aoshi jolts the moment Miori’s fingers tighten around his hips, then slip under his abdomen. And then even lower, until her fingertips slide past the waistband of his pants — sending him completely into overload.

H-How... how the hell did we even end up like this?! Four days ago I hated her, and now she’s about to slip her hand into my underwear?!

Shit... I’m hard as a rock right now. None of this makes any damn sense. I mean, I guess any other guy in the world would react the same way, but... not even when I sucked Eliss’s breasts was I this hard. And sure, they’re both impossibly sexy, but Eliss definitely has the edge over Miori. So why the hell am I way more turned on now than I was that night with Eliss?

M-Maybe... maybe it’s not just physical. Maybe I feel something stronger for Miori than I do for Eliss. Could this be some kind of blessing from the God of Light? Maybe my prayers were actually answered — someone finally showed up in my life who will keep me from falling hopelessly in love with Eliss.

Then why... why do I feel this weight in my stomach? Why these damn feelings of guilt, like I’m actually about to cheat on Eliss, even though what we have is nothing but an act? Why does my head have to be so damn messed up?

«M-Miori, listen, I don’t think this is a good idea—»

But before Aoshi can even finish the sentence, Miori leans forward — her chest pressing lightly against his back. It’s a soft touch, almost a brush, yet more than enough for Aoshi to realize she’s no longer wearing her bra — he can clearly feel the firm tips of her nipples grazing his skin.

N-No, I can’t... I can’t do this to Eliss — not after everything she’s done for me. I know her love isn’t real, that it’s just the result of a spell that went wrong, but that doesn’t mean she wouldn’t be hurt if she found out what’s happening right now. I... I have to wait until she returns to her world, or at least talk things out with her. But whatever the reason, I can’t stab her in the back like this!

Aoshi’s fragile resolve wavers even more when Miori’s hands slip into his underwear, closing around his erection — harder and more swollen than ever.

Miori grins in quiet satisfaction.

Wow... I pretty much took it for granted that his cock would be bigger than that loser Renji’s, but he actually exceeded my expectations! I don’t think I’ve ever had one this big in my hands — who would’ve expected that from a guy like him?Well, well... I’m definitely going to have a lot of fun with him. I wonder how sexy he’ll become once I fix him up properly — buying him real clothes, forcing him to hit the gym a bit... And who knows, maybe I’ll even keep him instead of throwing him away the moment I finish university.There’s still an hour before that little bitch shows up... perfect. Come on, Aoshi — my orgasm is your golden ticket out of this dump and into a life of luxury with me... at least until I find someone better, obviously.

Miori leans forward even more — she brings her lips to the base of his neck, her tongue gliding over his skin, tracing along its curve with an almost teasing slowness, sending a prolonged shiver of pleasure through Aoshi’s whole body, while her hands stroke up and down his throbbing erection.

But right in that moment—

SLAM!

The apartment door swings wide open.

Eliss.