mijobooks Chapter 125. The Wound
Chapter 125. The Wound
Inside the toilet cubicle, enveloped in humid air.
As Kobayashi gradually became immersed in the moment, she began to unrestrainedly utter seductive and provocative sounds that appealed to men.
Just then, someone seemed to walk into the bathroom. To prevent what was happening inside from being exposed, she gritted her teeth, and the expression she made was quite adorable in Kaoru's eyes.
"That girl named Kobayashi has absolutely no bottom line. I really want to have some fun with her in that room."
"Hey, do you think someone like that would have a boyfriend?"
"Well, who knows? If you were to become the boyfriend of that kind of woman, your life would definitely be miserable."
The two boys outside were openly discussing everything about Xiaolin, and the sound of water splashing could be heard coming from the cubicle, which was quite close.
I really want to hug her right now.
One of the boys said this.
So, Kaoru stood up and embraced Kobayashi.
"I really want to steal her lips... they look so soft."
Upon hearing this, Xun leaned closer and began to invade her soft mouth.
After that, Kaoru mechanically did as they said, and everything Kobayashi had was taken away in that instant, except for the last red line that had not yet been touched.
"If that woman puts on that seductive look in front of a man, I would do it even if it meant risking committing a crime."
"I really regret not meeting her sooner."
After the two boys left the restroom, Kobayashi finally couldn't take it anymore. Her body arched backward to an unbelievable degree, and amidst her disordered and heavy breathing, she finally collapsed into Kaoru's arms, utterly exhausted.
"Hey... Hoshino-kun..."
Let's go back together.
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As I left the private room, several boys gathered around me.
Just as one of them was about to grab her shoulder, a stronger hand restrained the outstretched hand.
"Get out of here."
Kaoru looked at him with an expression as if he were looking at a dead object.
The other person twitched their lips, clearly not intending to give up.
"What's wrong with you...? Kobayashi promised to hang out with us, and besides, a woman like her would definitely be looking forward to that kind of thing, right? Being with four men at the same time, are you her boyfriend? Aren't you being a bit too nosy?"
"That kind of thing—"
Kaoru raised her right hand, which was clenched into a fist.
Before the other person could react, it was smashed into their cheek.
"It never existed in the first place."
Seeing the boy lying unconscious on the ground, the others gathered around couldn't help but take a few steps back, looking at Kaoru with fear in their eyes.
"You...you bastard!"
One of the boys rushed forward, but he was just as easily defeated. After being hit in the same way, he collapsed to the ground, foaming at the mouth.
After that, no one ever approached her again.
"What a bunch of cowards, unlike Hoshino-kun."
Kobayashi happily took Kaoru's arm, looked up at him with a smile.
Then, Xun took a step forward, embarking on her journey home.
When I came outside, it was almost midnight. Not long ago, I could feel the drowsiness constantly flooding my mind, but after experiencing that, I felt excited and my sleepiness disappeared.
Xiaolin, who was holding hands with her, looked quite happy.
She returned to her apartment.
Xiaolin's mother was not home. In the tidy apartment, it was so quiet that they could clearly hear each other breathing.
[Rin, I won't be going back tonight. You should go to sleep.]
The moment the message was sent, Kaoru turned off her phone screen as if to escape. She was completely afraid to face Rin's reaction after learning about this, and escape seemed to be the best option at the moment.
Kaoru looked toward the bathroom where the sound of running water was coming from.
Kobayashi's Christmas outfit had been taken off and tossed aside. She was now happily taking a shower in the bathroom, as evidenced by the occasional singing coming from inside.
The effects of alcohol are gradually fading, and what's taking its place in my mind is a kind of "What did I do?" thought.
Kaoru pressed her palm to her forehead, staring at the light-colored ceiling above her, her entire weight resting on the back of the chair.
Everything before my eyes had a dreamlike quality.
Why did things develop like this...?
The issues that had been avoided at the beginning are now surfacing one by one.
The scene that unfolded in the toilet stall flashed before my eyes like a scene from a movie.
That kind of Kobayashi...
That kind of self...
And... making decisions without regard for anything else.
Reality... shouldn't have developed like this.
There were clearly better options. If he had been a little more frank back then, Xiaolin would still be the strong-willed yet innocent girl he remembered, instead of the twisted, heavy-hearted oddball he is now.
What exactly did you do... Hoshino Kaoru?
Belated regret permeated every part of my body.
[Kobayashi became like this because of me]
Such regret filled my mind.
click -
The bathroom door opened, and Kobayashi, covered in a bath towel, was drying her wet hair with a towel.
"Hoshino-kun, you seem completely listless."
Because her skin had been in contact with hot water, it was slightly red. In addition, the towel covering Kobayashi's body perfectly accentuated her beautiful figure, making her look incredibly alluring.
Xun stepped forward and embraced her soft body with both hands.
"Hoshino-kun... are you really unhappy?"
"...I really am that kind of terrible person. If I had realized it sooner, Kobayashi wouldn't be like this now. I...I really care about you."
"Hmm... that's not it. Hoshino-kun isn't a bad guy. In fact, Hoshino-kun saved me and changed my life."
Kobayashi smiled with satisfaction at being affirmed, and stood on tiptoe to reach out and touch Kaoru's head, rubbing it as if comforting a wounded animal.
"Hoshino-kun has always been excellent. It's not right for you to look so discouraged. So cheer up! I like Hoshino-kun who is confident no matter what he does. That's the coolest Hoshino-kun."
After being gently stroked by Kobayashi, all her worries miraculously disappeared. It was enough for her body to simply immerse itself in that reassuring feeling; at this moment, Kaoru had only this thought in her mind.
"Hmm... Hoshino-san, it's okay if you don't shower, but you smell strongly of alcohol. It wouldn't be good if that troublesome guy noticed. Shall we go to the bathroom to wash ourselves clean? Hmm... I'll wait patiently outside for you to come out. Also, take off any clothes you need to change into. I'll wash and dry them in the washing machine."
Kobayashi's gentle voice possesses a certain irresistible magic.
Once her body reacted, she instinctively wanted to do what she expected.
Kaoru nodded gently, her body mechanically taking off her coat and pants as if being controlled by someone else. She handed the clothes to Kobayashi, who then went into the bathroom and saw the hot water that had been prepared in the bathtub.
Submerge the entire body below the nose in water.
You can feel the buoyancy trying to keep your limbs floating on the water, and your body feels as if it is being lifted up by invisible, light hands. In the bathroom filled with steam, even your eyelids are covered with a hazy mist.
Not long after the surroundings fell silent.
The bathroom door was opened.
Xiaolin was wearing a simple yet revealing nightgown, exposing her fair and fleshy thighs. The nightgown was clearly a size too big, and the straps that should have been hanging on her shoulders were now seductively draped over her arms, giving the impression that a gentle tug would reveal everything about her.
She stopped in front of the bathtub, her captivating eyes gazing down at the shimmering water.
"Let me wash Hoshino-kun's hair and give him a body scrub."
"But, hasn't Kobayashi already taken a shower? Doing it like that will get you wet, which is a hassle."
"It doesn't matter if I get soaked by Hoshino-kun. I'd be happy if I could do something for you, so please don't refuse."
Since things have come to this point... Kaoru couldn't think of a reason to refuse.
So they tacitly accepted this situation.
"Hoshino-kun, lower your head a little, I'm going to wash your hair."
"No... I'm too lazy to do that, I'll just wash it directly."
"The shampoo will get in your eyes, and it will feel really uncomfortable."
"That kind of thing doesn't matter."
Hearing that Kaoru insisted on this way of washing his hair, Kobayashi finally sighed and gave in, pouring just the right amount of hot water onto his hair, then squeezing shampoo into his palm and gently massaging his scalp with his fingers.
Because she is a girl, she is more meticulous than a boy when it comes to washing hair. When her fingers pass through the gaps in her hair, she can clearly feel the difference. Her tense nerves are also soothed by her massage.
"It feels good, doesn't it, Hoshino-kun?"
Kobayashi carefully wiped the foam away from her eyes with a towel.
Although Kaoru didn't open her eyes at this moment, he guessed that she was smiling... with such an adorable expression.
"My mom taught me this. Proper scalp massage can protect your hair and soothe your nerves... It's super effective!"
Seeing that Kaoru didn't say anything, Kobayashi continued talking to himself until the hair washing was over.
After rinsing the foam off her hair, she pressed her hands on Kaoru's shoulders, made a "heave-ho" sound, and turned Kaoru's back to her as if unscrewing a bottle cap.
Then comes the moment when one person unilaterally enjoys the other's scrubbing and massage.
Kobayashi's soft and warm hands kept pressing on my sore shoulders and neck. The soreness disappeared with the help of those hands, and the massage was even more comfortable than I had imagined.
Although it was just one-sided, Kobayashi seemed to be having a great time, humming an unknown melody and completely immersed in happiness.
However, this moment was soon broken.
"Hoshino-kun... are you injured? Your skin here... looks strange."
They were discovered after all.
Kaoru hummed in agreement and briefly recounted how the wound had come about.
"Ah... he got injured when he was little while protecting Rin-chan. So cool... he's like a knight."
Kobayashi touched the wound as if he were drunk, mumbling things like, "I wish Hoshino-san could leave a wound like this for me too," and "I also want to leave a mark on Hoshino-san."
"I envy Rin... for being able to get Hoshino-kun to go to such lengths."
After talking to himself for a long time, Kobayashi leaned over and gently licked the wound with his tongue, like a puppy licking its own wound.
"Hey... Hoshino-kun... would you be willing to leave me with a wound that will never heal? To me, this thing is like a wedding ring... it has a very important meaning. It's infuriating to think that Rin-chan is all alone and receiving different treatment from Hoshino-kun... Hey, Hoshino-kun, I want you to create something uniquely mine for me, okay?"
Completely engrossed, Kobayashi spoke in a voice that was hard to discern as containing either joy or some other emotion.
"Yes, that's fine."
Without a second thought, his body agreed to her terms.
"Ah... I'm going to die... I'm going to die happily... Hoshino-san wanted to create memories that belong only to me... Just thinking that something like this could happen to someone around me... I feel like even dying wouldn't matter anymore... Hey... Hoshino-san... If I wanted to die with Hoshino-san... could that even happen?"
Kobayashi gently cupped Kaoru's face, and the turned features were reflected in Kaoru's pupils.
A distorted smile, imbued with some intense emotion, appeared on her face.
Kobayashi... is completely broken.
"No, this is the only thing that won't do."
"Is that so? Every human being is afraid of death, but I don't feel that way. As long as Hoshino-kun is by my side... I can do whatever I want. I can easily do things like killing, deceiving, or exploiting other people's feelings."
"Because... I really... really love Hoshino-kun, and I can't live without the current Hoshino-kun anymore."
Kaoru was absolutely certain.
Hidden beneath that smile were emotions he couldn't comprehend.
He seemed to hear the sound of something breaking.
That's collapse.