My Stepsister is My Ex-Girlfriend - Volume 7 - Chapter 2

I Want to Make You Blush

The Ex-Girlfriend Wants to Be a Femme Fatale

Yume Irido

I, Yume Irido, am in love with Mizuto Irido. That’s not exactly new; my feelings date back to when I first met him two years ago. Though some things have changed since then, namely that I’ve matured, I dated and broke up with Mizuto, and even became his stepsibling. Each day we lived alongside each other, hurling insults left and right. As such, it became difficult for me to tell him how I felt. Can you blame me?! Let’s be real—if I stopped insulting him and started fawning all over him, it would not only be super weird, it’d be humiliating!

Preferably, I wanted to steal his heart without being too obvious. I wanted him to fall hard for me—harder than when we were in middle school! I wanted him to fall for me, and if possible, I wanted him to ask me out.

I wasn’t wimping out; this was only fair. After all, I’d asked him out back in middle school. Thus, I had but one goal: I needed to become someone who made it impossible to tell how they really felt about you—someone who’d make you feel hot and bothered regardless of how you usually felt about them. I needed to become a femme fatale! Fortunately, I wasn’t short of opportunities to play this part. I just needed to take a stab whenever I saw a chance to.

“M-Mizuto!” After finding him sitting on the couch in the living room, I steeled my will and pounced on him—that is to say, I leaned onto his shoulders from behind.

Light physical contact! It’s a deadly move that forces guys to take interest in you...or at least that’s what Akatsuki-san said. In addition, I looked at Mizuto’s face from the side.

“Wh-What...are you up to?” I asked. I’m invading your personal space! Guys fall hard for touchy-feely girls...is also something that Akatsuki-san said.

Mizuto glanced at me before looking back down. “Reading. Isn’t that obvious?”

“Uh-huh... Whatcha reading?”

“It’s a cryptanalysis book in which the heroine is a personified English word.”

That’s certainly...unique. He does like weird books. But if I want to seduce him, I gotta go on the offensive! “Ooh. Cool! Lend it to me sometime.” I showed understanding and interest! Doing that while in close proximity will make any guy think that you’re into them! Or at least, that’s what Akatsuki-san told me. Now, let those cheeks burn! Be overly self-conscious! You can’t get me out of your head now, can you?!

“I borrowed it from Isana, so no,” he said, turning the page.

“O-Oh...”

Let’s take a beat to reflect on what happened. Why didn’t things work out? Actually, wait. Is...this actually any different from how we usually interact? I hadn’t gotten the sense that I’d made him any more self-conscious. If anything, I’d felt extremely self-conscious while trying to make my move. So was what I’d done any different from our usual interactions? Nope! And that’s the problem.

I had no words. I swear my plans do work out sometimes! Seriously! Like ten percent of the time I’m on my game! But ninety percent of the time, things ended like this. I’d think I could do something, but in the end, nothing worked out. This is hard... How can I pull off being a femme fatale?!

The Person You Like Isn’t Necessarily Your Type

The student council members weren’t always in the student council room at the same time. Each of us had our own things going on, so it was normal for us to be down a member or two. There were even rare times when I found myself completely alone.

After being here long enough, I’d also started to realize that there was a certain trend to attendance. For example, Asuhain-san was rarely ever absent. Haba-senpai was pretty much only present when President Kurenai was. Aso-senpai would take off on whims, but if Hoshibe-senpai was around, chances were so was she.

Today, neither President Kurenai nor Haba-senpai was here. Hoshibe-senpai was lying down on the visitor’s couch, using his phone, while Asuhain-san, Aso-senpai, and I worked at the meeting table on our laptops.

My task was to make flyers for the sports festival. Most writing-related activities fell under the jurisdiction of the secretary. Coincidentally, I felt as if my typing skills had improved since joining the student council.

“So, like, what kinda guys are you into, Yumechi?” This completely unrelated topic came from Aso-senpai, who’d also been rhythmically tapping away at her keyboard.

As vice president, she was, of course, responsible for supporting the president. But President Kurenai was already flawless to begin with and could take care of everything by herself. Even if she couldn’t, she still had Haba-senpai pretty much following her around everywhere. As a result, Aso-senpai’s main responsibilities ended up being the education and support of the first-years—me and Asuhain-san.

Apparently, she’d been the secretary last semester, which was very helpful when it came to teaching me. Before I knew it, she’d begun calling me by a nickname—Yumechi. With her lending an extra hand, my work would get done so smoothly that we had the leisure of engaging in small talk.

“It’s work time, not talk time, Senpai.” The ever-serious Asuhain-san frowned.

I’d noticed that whenever her work involved writing, she’d frequently need to stop to roll her shoulders and neck. Bigger really is inconvenient, huh? I’d started noticing I was having similar problems, so I’d begun toying with the idea of working out.

In that regard, I was surprised that Aso-senpai didn’t seem to be having any problems at all. Judging by how her clothes were puffed out, she was a decent size. Her waist was pretty thin, so maybe she had some kind of secret exercise regimen.

“Aw, s’all good,” Aso-senpai said, completely ignoring Asuhain-san’s comment. “Deepening bonds with my underclassmen’s also part of the job. So, what about you, Ranran?”

“What about me?”

“What kinda guys are you into?”

“The kind that never even enters my field of vision.”

Wow, so frank. She was staunch in her hate for romance. Also, when did Aso-senpai start calling her “Ranran”?

“Phew, that’s a relief,” Aso-senpai said, grinning for some reason. “My kid sister hates guys too.”

“You have a younger sister?” News to me.

At this point, Aso-senpai was practically beaming. “Yep! Seventh grade and suuuper cute! Anyway, she’s just like Ranran and not the biggest fan of guys. I don’t think she hates ’em as much as Ranran, but that actually puts my mind at ease. I mean, that means she has room to grow as stubborn as Ranran. Then no guy’ll ever approach her!”

“Uh... What about any of that puts your mind at ease?”

“The part where none of those animals’ll be sniffing after my adorable kid sister!” This was worrying. In fact, I really feared for her little sister, and I’d never even met her. “So yeah, what about you, Yumechi? What’s your type?”

“Do I...have to say?”

“There’s nowhere to run. Now, out with it!”

My type? Well, the only things that come to mind all have to do with a specific person. But, then again, it’ll be suspicious if I don’t say anything. I’ll have to steer clear of specifics...

“Th-The intelligent type...maybe?”

“Uh-huh... What else? What about looks?”

“I guess...on the thinner side?”

“Oh, the cool type, huh? What about personality?”

“S-Someone who’s usually cold, but has a kind side he shows on occasion...I guess?”

Oh my god, this is so embarrassing! It’s like I’m listing everything I like about Mizuto!

Aso-senpai grinned. “Mm-hmm. I see. Nice! Straight out of a fairy tale! Wouldn’t it be nice if that kinda shojo manga protagonist existed in real life?”

“Y-Yeah, I know, right?” It would be nice if a guy like that were real.

“So dumb...” Asuhain-san muttered.

Her words felt like a knife in my chest. I-It’s not like that! I cherry-picked elements of him! He walks around half naked after taking a bath, he curses after stubbing his toe against the sliding door—he has a lot of uncool sides to him! By no means did I view him as some protagonist from a shojo manga! I wasn’t some lovestruck middle schooler!

“Wh-What about you, Aso-senpai?”

“Hm? Me?” I’d intended to push the spotlight off of me, and she seemed eager to answer. “Well, I’ve been into the same type of guy forever. If I’m gonna go for a guy, he has to meet this one criteria.”

“What is it?”

“He has to be twenty or more centimeters taller than me!”

Twenty centimeters? But...you’re already pretty tall. Like, not much shorter than the average guy. My guess was that she was somewhere on the higher end of the hundred sixties.

“Wouldn’t he have to be pretty tall?”

“Yeah, exactly! Ugh, like, why did I have to grow so much?” Aso-senpai let out a heavy sigh. I guess everyone has an aspect about themselves they’re hung up over even when they’re as pretty as she is.

“So, if you’re looking for someone twenty centimeters taller than you, then...that’d be about 180 centimeters...”

Hm? Wait. My eyes fell on the third-year lying on the couch. He was close to 190 centimeters—a height very unusual for the average high schooler. Didn’t he fit her criteria for a boyfriend? I mean, who else but him...right?

After I began to trail off, Aso-senpai’s smile widened mischievously, and she stopped typing. She turned around to the couch and loudly said, “Senpai, now that I think about it, how tall are you?”

Wh-What?! Just like that?! I was stunned, but Hoshibe-senpai, unfazed, didn’t even look up from his phone.

“Huh? A hundred eighty-seven.”

Hearing that, Aso-senpai stood up from her chair. “Oh, really? Aisa’s a hundred sixty-eight centimeters.”

Huh? In the next moment, Aso-senpai quickly moved over to the couch and leaned over to look down at Hoshibe-senpai. Then, in a very teasingly seductive voice, she said, “Aw, what a shame. You’re short one centimeter.”

Hoshibe-senpai blinked in confusion for a bit before frowning and turning on his side to look away from her. “Like I care, idiot.”

She began giggling with satisfaction after seeing how her little prank had shaken him, putting him in a bad mood.

I stared with amazement. “Wow...”

“Huh?” Asuhain-san shot me a scrutinizing look in response to the word that’d just slipped out of my mouth.

I panicked and looked back at my laptop’s screen, pretending that nothing had happened. Thanks to that, Asuhain-san returned to her work, seemingly thinking that she’d just heard things.

That playful yet flirty attitude... The way she had him dancing in the palm of her hand... That’s it! That’s exactly what I want to do to Mizuto!

Learning from a Master Femme Fatale

After we finished typing up the flyers, Aso-senpai and I moved to print everything out. Since there were a lot of copies to make, we couldn’t use the printer in the student council room. Instead, we had to make a trip to the printing room to use the equipment there for a large print job. The printing room wasn’t too spacious and had nothing more than a printer and copier lined up next to one another. Not many people came here, so it was a perfect space for private talks.

As I watched the printer spit out copy after copy, I nervously began my inquiry. “U-Uh, Aso-senpai...?”

“Hm? What’s up?” she asked, slightly tilting her head and crossing her long legs as she looked up at me. She’s cute even down to her movements... She’s seriously so unbelievably girly and cute even though her body makes her seem more like a mature type.

“Well, I...I wanted to ask for your advice.”

“Oh? Sure! About what? Love?!”

She latched on a lot harder than I’d expected. Her hair bounced from side to side as she zoomed towards me. “Spill! Tell me everything! I love hearing all kinds of love talk unless it’s about who you stan.”

“You wouldn’t like that?”

“Of course not! Thinking about a guy that might get close to Ranran just makes me so...” Aso-senpai’s eyes narrowed and her fists began to shake. So she stans Asuhain-san, huh? I thought she just liked to dote on her. “Well, anyway, enough about me! What can I do ya for?”

“Well... I-It’s nothing big, but...”

“But?”

“I was just wondering... How did you do that to Hoshibe-senpai back there?”

Aso-senpai tilted her head, confused. “Back there? With senpai? What specifically?”

“The seductive ‘Aw, what a shame’ move. You were like a femme fatale.”

What if this just confuses her more? Had everything she’d done been completely innate? Had none of that been planned? Oh no, she’s gonna label me the underclassman who asks her weird questions!

I’d grown very anxious, but Aso-senpai didn’t look confused. Instead, she furrowed her brow and closed her eyes for a little.

“You really want to know?” she asked in a heavy voice, her eyes still closed. “Do you truly wish to know my secrets?”

“Huh? Y-Yes, please!” I wasn’t sure what vibe she was going for, but I figured it was best to play along.

Aso-senpai slowly opened her eyes and folded her arms across her chest as if she were trying to bolster her chest.

“Well, take a seat. There’s much I’ve to say.”

As instructed, I moved a folding chair opposite Aso-senpai and sat down. She once again folded her long legs and exhaled pretentiously.

“First, promise that you won’t breathe a word of what I say to anyone.”

“O-Okay.”

“Especially Senpai! Promise me, okay?!”

“I-I promise...” She’s exerting so much pressure. Just what is she about to reveal to me?

“My femme fatale moves are...”

“Yes...?”

“Just part of an act I put on.”

“Uh... Yes, I know that.”

“What?!” Please wipe that genuinely surprised look off your face!

Sure, there was a brief second when I wondered if it’d just been part of her personality, but then I realized that there wasn’t a girl in existence who’s naturally like that.

“Heh heh... You’re quite impressive to have seen through my disguise, Yumechi.” Aso-senpai had a dauntless smile on her face, but it was obviously just her way of skirting around what’d just happened. “Well, truth be told, I’ve been quite the otaku since my younger years.”

“I had a feeling... What kind of stuff were you into?”

“Mm... The usual stuff? Y’know, anime, manga, and games... Oh, and I guess I dabbled in cosplay...” Cosplay?! There are two people on the student council who like cosplay?! “This is also a secret, okay?! It’d be so annoying if it spread around school.”

“M-My lips are sealed.”

“And, well... Uh, so... There’s a certain something that I like to fantasize about.”

“Oh? What...is it?”

Aso-senpai fell silent for a moment, averting her gaze. “An otaku princess.”

“Oh...” I’d heard the term before, but only really vaguely knew what it meant.

Otaku communities were usually male-dominated spaces. She was probably talking about being the only girl in one of those groups.

“Well, it’s like, I wanna be fawned over, y’know? As a girl, I wanna be validated! I don’t wanna have to put in as much effort as it takes to become an idol. I think it’d just be awesome to go somewhere and instantly be treated like a princess!”

“You’re very...true to your desires.”

“But... But, okay, hear me out—otakus like smaller girls, right? They typically like big boobs too! I mean—hey, I love those kinds of characters too! But look at me! I’m tall and not that well-developed. Frilly clothes don’t look good on me!” Hm? Sure, she’s tall, but her boobs definitely are well-developed. “So that’s why...at the very least, I wanted to act like that kind of character. I wanted to become a seductress who toyed with the hearts of otaku!” And then she pretended to sob.

Wait...I thought I was supposed to be getting advice here, not trying to comfort her. “W-Well you’re definitely cute, senpai. I think your hairstyle really suits you.”

“I know, right? You really know your stuff, Yumechi!”

And like magic, she was all better again. There were really all kinds of otakus. Aso-senpai was essentially the exact opposite of Higashira-san.

“I feel like a lot of things are falling into place. It makes sense why you like Asuhain-san so much.”

“I was so pissed when I first met her, though. I was all like, ‘What the hell is my ideal body doing there?!’ And, ‘Why must I be tested like this?!’”

“So I guess in regards to your type of guy, Hoshibe-senpai works because you seem small when next to him.”

“Oh, no. Nonono. H-He’s one centimeter short of being my type.” She suddenly became flustered and looked away. Hm? She’s playing with her hair too.

“Um...do you like Hoshibe-senpai?”

“Wha— No! Of course not! I just mess with him because of, uh, the process of elimination! Suzurin would kill me if I toyed with Joe. Senpai’s the only guy I can bother, so of course I’m gonna!”

She’s...really not good at hiding it! It was like looking in a mirror. I felt a strange sense of relief. Not that I’m bad at hiding things like she is.

“Anyway, let’s get back on track! You wanted to know the secret to my seductress moves, right?!”

“Oh, yes!”

“By the way...who are you planning on using these moves on?”

Oh no, she’s giving me a suspicious look. Does she think I might be planning to hit on Hoshibe-senpai? “Well, nobody in the student council, at least. A first-year.”

“O-Oh.” She seemed to loosen up after that. Good, I reassured her. I don’t know what it is, but I can’t help but feel amused by my upperclassmen on the student council. Aso-senpai cleared her throat as if to change gears. “So anyway, allow me to pass down my teachings to you, young grasshopper.”

“Thank you!”

“There’s but one secret to tell!” She stuck up her finger before continuing. “You must simply do the things that you could only ever do to the person you like, while remaining composed.”

I took a little to digest her words, repeating them over and over in my head until I finally got it. It was like I could see for the first time. All I have to do is look composed while doing things that I could only ever do to the person I like? I see. If I did that, then he’d have no choice but to wonder what was going on in my head!

“Senpai!” I shot up from my seat and grabbed Aso-senpai’s hands. “Please... Please let me call you Master!”

Aso-senpai grinned. “Very well, my apprentice!”

The printer room was filled with sketchy laughter.

The Things I Couldn’t Do Unless I Liked You

Akatsuki Minami

“Whaddup? I’m gonna use your bath!”

I held my change of clothes in one hand while taking off my shoes before heading to the living room. Kawanami and I had an ongoing custom that we’d take turns going to each other’s places for baths when neither of our parents were gonna be home. It was more convenient and economical this way.

There was a period of time when we stopped this tradition of ours, but we’d started it up again. I was by no means—not even a tiny bit—lonely now that I had less hang time with Yume-chan due to her becoming busy with the student council. Out of our friend group, I’d become the only one who didn’t have anything to do after school. I wasn’t short of things I could do to kill time, but it kinda felt like my friends were leaving me behind.

“Maybe I should get a job...”

I’d dabbled in working for short periods of time, but my wallet wasn’t exactly hurting or anything. Though both Kawanami and I had parents who were essentially never around, they made up for that by giving us huge allowances.

I reached the living room, but was surprised to see that he wasn’t there. “Huh?” I tilted my head while surveying the room, and then I heard the sound of water in the distance. Oh, that’s the bath. He’s already taking one?

I peeked into the changing room and saw a shadowy figure behind the frosted glass door to the bath. He’s sure taking his bath early. Did he work out or something?

As I silently stared at the shadow moving behind the frosted glass, I could feel some kind of emotions stirring up within me. Is this what it means to fall victim to temptation? Was my Yume-chan deficiency paired with my boredom spurring my mind on? Maybe I’ll give him a scare.

I entered the changing room, put my change of clothes on top of the washer machine, took off all my clothes, and wrapped my naked body in the towel that was usually left out for me. Then, I nonchalantly opened the door to the bath.

“Huh...?” Kawanami was in the middle of shampooing. He opened one eye and turned to me. His jaw dropped as he saw my sexy body. “Huh?!”

“Oh, you were already inside? Didn’t notice.”

“You goddamn liar!”

I shut the door behind me. “It’s too annoying to put my clothes back on, so maybe I’ll just stay and take my bath with you. I can even wash your back for you!”

“This is the worst...” Kawanami really did look like he hated this situation. He covered his lower half with a towel as I stared at it without reservation.

“What’s the point of hiding it now?”

“I have absolutely zero obligation to show you anything. What about you? Why are you hiding anything?”

“Oh, yeah. Good point.”

“H-Hey, stop!” He squeezed his eyes shut as I went to undo my towel.

I giggled teasingly. Then I leaned against his naked back and whispered into his ear. “Hm? Don’t tell me you’re nervous. Why? You’ve seen me naked before. Or maybe there’s something about seeing my naked body that puts you in a hard position?”

“Knock it off with the dirty jokes.”

“Hm? What was dirty about what I said?”

“Oh my god, you are the worst.”

Hmph. You always talk about how unappealing my body is, but look at you now. Pathetic. But I had to toe the line, because if I went too far, I’d trigger his allergy and he’d break out in hives. I had to stop my teasing here, so I moved to pick up where he’d left off shampooing his hair.

“Any places that itch, sir?” I asked, pretending to be a barber.

“Yeah. Everywhere. Your tiny hands aren’t helping at all.”

“Oh, my deepest apologies.”

“Ow! Don’t claw me! You’re gonna make me go bald!”

After covering his head in shampoo, I rinsed it all off with the shower head, revealing his usual flirty and wavy hair tips clumped together.

“Y’know, you’d probably look better if you didn’t do anything to your hair.”

“Shaddup. It doesn’t matter if I’d look better or not. I like it this way. It’s similar to how girls get manicures that guys don’t like.”

“Uh-huh...” I think he looks cooler with straight hair though.

“All righty, let’s wash your body next.”

“Already did.”

“Liar. You’re the type of guy who starts with your hair.”

“How do you still remember that?”

Well, I do have some experience washing you from head to toe. “Don’t worry, I’ll only wash your back.”

“Okay.”

I spread some soap onto a towel and began rubbing it against his back. It looks so much bigger than usual. Maybe I really should stop. My head’s starting to get messed up. Images of my past mistakes keep flashing in my head.

Back then, I’d loved everything about him—his skin, his muscles, even every last pore on his body. I was blinded by that and began treating Ko-kun like he was my possession. I thought that going all out for him would make him happy, but I never even bothered to stop to look at him.

It’d all been the result of childish immaturity, foolishness, and hubris. And I was way too traumatized by all of it to simply label it my “embarrassing history.” Since then, I’d reflected and tried to work on myself, but I hadn’t been able to fix that part of me just yet. I got the feeling that I’d been born this way and would have a number of similar situations in the future. If that’s so, then at the very least I should take some responsibility...no matter how little...for my biggest victim.

“Hey...” I began talking into his back, feeling strangely clearheaded. “You should do it.”

“Huh? You were the one who insisted on washing my back.”

“No, I’m saying that...you should wash my back.”

“Huh...?”

Kawanami turned around to look at me, his eyes wide. I rinsed the soap off of him and then grabbed his face, forcing him to look forward again.

“Face that way for a little.” I brought another bath stool over and faced away from him. Then, I undid my towel so that only my back would show. “You can look now.”

I sensed him turn around again. He was silent for a bit before finally asking, “What’re you up to?”

“I’ve washed you a million times already. I’m tired of it, so it’s your turn.”

“You’re ‘tired of it’?”

This is for your rehabilitation. It’s time for you to get me back for all the times that I teased you. Maybe...just maybe, your wounds will heal this way. I moved my tied hair so that it draped over my shoulder, exposing the nape of my neck.

“Come on. Do it already.”

Kawanami hesitated a little, but then pressed the towel against me and deeply exhaled. “Fine...”

I felt the soaped-up towel come in contact with my back. Within the sensation of the slippery bubbles and cloth, I could feel his strong fingers.

I squirmed a little. The slowly moving towel across my back tickled a little. This wasn’t exactly the first time he’d touched my back, but for some reason, his hand movements were strangely gentle. The towel moved lower and lower. It went without saying, but like this, my butt was fully exposed. It wasn’t exactly the first time he’d seen it, so I wasn’t bothered. Just as I knew all of him, he knew all of me. That’s just how childhood friends are.

“That good enough?” Kawanami asked after washing off the soap from my back.

Already? That’s it? For some reason, I felt kinda cheated—like I hadn’t gotten anything out of him. I... “No. Not yet.” I slightly leaned back and lowered the towel covering my chest a little. “My front.” I turned around and repeated myself. “Wash my front.”

Kawanami’s eyes widened and it looked like his ears were reddening. It might’ve just been the heat of the bath raising his body temperature, but that wouldn’t have explained how confused he looked or why he was peeking at the small gap created by me slightly lowering my towel.

Kawanami’s hands began to tremble and in the next moment, hives began to break out across his arms. “Urp... S-Sorry, I’m getting out!” Kawanami rushed out of the bath in a panic, leaving me stunned until a drop of condensation fell from the ceiling, snapping me out of it.

“How did I already screw things up...?” I really can’t change who I am.

Afterwards, I washed myself while lamenting my actions, soaked in the bath, and then got out. Isn’t he a little too self-conscious? All I asked him to do was wash my body. He totally overreacted. Past me washed a much worse part of him.

He wasn’t special in my mind anymore. All I wanted to do was take responsibility for what I’d done. As the perpetrator, I wanted to make amends. I absolutely do not have a thing for him. Not in the slightest.

“Hm? A message?” I muttered in the midst of my thoughts. I stopped drying myself and checked my phone.

Hm? LINE? Oh, it’s from Yume-chan! I quickly opened it and saw the following message:

Yume: Random question, but what’s an example of something you can only do because it’s the person you like?

This really is random. I wonder what happened. That being said, this was a question from my beloved Yume-chan. I had to give this some serious and sincere thought. What I eventually came up with was this:

Akatsuki☆: Well... I guess it’s impossible to take a bath with anyone else except the person you like.

Guys Suppress Their Emotions

Mizuto Irido

“Listen to me, Irido... Guys lose the instant they give in to seduction.” I listened on the other side of the phone, my hips trembling as Kawanami continued his speech. “Some people might give you crap, saying you’re an embarrassment for spurning a woman’s advances, but a real man is one who controls himself and hides his shame. We’re in the modern age—you can just shrug it off! Real honor is gained from enduring the ‘shame’ and proudly not giving in to cheap advances, which would have otherwise lowered both your and the woman’s value. Ya feel me?”

“Hrnghh...!”

This strained voice came courtesy of Isana Higashira, who was also on the call. The three of us were all in our own rooms. Isana and I were following Kawanami’s instructions, doing our best to hold a plank.

“Hold it. You got this! As guys, we gotta work for our muscles. But girls? To a certain degree, they just get their asses and boobs without having to do anything. Don’t be swayed by those cheap pleasures that they didn’t even work for! You must have a body of steel and a mind of iron. Only then will you be able to turn the tables on them and their shallow attacks!”

In the next moment, I heard the sound of Isana exhaling and collapsing to the bed. Not too long after, my abs also reached their limit, and my face met the soft embrace of my bed sheets.

While Isana and I were practically gasping for air, Kawanami seemed perfectly fine. “A minute? Not bad, especially compared to when you first started.”

To explain why we were working out on a three-way call, well...it was Kawanami’s idea. It was all part of his plan to bulk me up because, apparently, my lanky body was too susceptible to being hit on by girls.

I couldn’t deny that I was lacking in the muscles department, but I really hated getting sweaty. For the record, I’d complained to Kawanami before, but in his words: “Irido, girls do all kinds of stretches and moisturizing for the sake of beauty. So it only makes sense that guys need to maintain the bare minimum of muscle, right?”

Kawanami had a tendency to say things that sounded like they had some truth to them. In essence, just as girls worked to keep up their looks, guys should work to keep up their physiques. His reasoning was solid enough that it had even a cynical guy like me agreeing. But even so...

“Kawanami... Your reasoning... It’s changed...” I managed to say through labored breaths.

“Hm? Has it?”

“It has!” Isana agreed. “What do you mean...breasts and rear ends are...to a certain extent...biologically determined for girls?!” she exclaimed through haggard breaths. “It is quite the difficult challenge to maintain both!”

I couldn’t help but question how much effort she’d been putting into this “difficult challenge” if she was this lacking in stamina. Oh, and the reason she had joined us today was the decree of her mother, Natora-san.

“H-Hey, chill. I only said ‘to a certain degree.’”

“No, there’s something about you today,” Isana pressed. “I sense a certain disdain towards women. Let me guess, something occurred between you and Minami-san. Am I incorrect?”

“Excuse me?! Dead wrong! What are you even basing that on, huh?!”

“See how defensive you grew? That’s undeniable proof! If nothing occurred, you would not be displaying such a strong reaction!”

I couldn’t think of anybody else but Minami-san as capable of rattling someone with as strong mental fortitude as Kawanami. Judging from his statement, she must’ve tried to seduce him in some way, and then teased him for falling for it.

“Whatever. Anyway, the important thing is that you never ever let your dirty thoughts show. If they see you as an easy mark, your cred’s gonna plunge. If that happens, there’s no way in hell you’ll ever get ’em to fall for you. Right, Higashira?!”

“Well...I would certainly prefer if Mizuto-kun were to view me with sexual desire. Personally, I already view him like that.”

“This is the exact kinda person you should avoid! Got that, Irido?!”

“Please refrain from using me as a negative example!” Isana protested.

Regardless of where all this hate was coming from, I understood what Kawanami was trying to say. Girls that appreciated a guy who was obvious about his desires were few and far between. In Isana’s case, she was only okay with it because we were so close.

“So, listen up—if Irido-san tries to go on the offensive, you gotta have an iron will and hold out. Do not react no matter what. This is your battle as a guy.”

That girl was not one to “go on the offensive.” I was pretty sure I was in the clear.

“Sorry, I gotta take a leak. Do some push-ups in the meantime, you two.”

“Don’t get lost!”

What a lame joke. Kawanami apparently had no desire to even acknowledge Isana’s comment and walked off silently.

“Phew... All right, let’s get started,” I said.

I heard Isana let out a strained noise, and I reflexively looked down at my phone. Her video had suddenly flicked on.

“Hm?”

My brain took a hot minute to process the situation, but eventually, it caught up. Isana was in her usual casual T-shirt, and she had accidentally turned on her video. Her camera was positioned near her head, meaning that it was capturing her body. Gravity worked to pull down the collar of the T-shirt she used as a nightshirt, and it also pulled down two distinct plump, white fruits.

“Let’s begin. One...”

They squished against the bed and then hung down. Then they squished again and then hung down.

“Isana...”

“Yes?”

“Are those push-ups even doing anything?”

“Huh? Aghh!” Her video turned off as she screamed.

Okay, Kawanami. I might need to suppress my emotions.

A Guy’s Battle

After our workout, we got off the call, and I went to take a bath to wash off the sweat. I entered the room with the bath and began lightly poking my abs. I think...they’re kinda harder. Or are they? It hadn’t been too long since I’d started, so I’d likely not be seeing any real change just yet.

I poured water over myself to rinse off the sweat, then I got in the bath to warm my body up. I submerged myself up to my neck and felt any muscle fatigue I had fade away. But as I did, I sensed that someone was in the dressing room outside. I guess someone’s just using the sink.

I wasn’t the type of guy who enjoyed long baths, so after two minutes of soaking, I got out to wash. I always aimed to spend the shortest amount of time possible, but it seemed like I couldn’t quite do that today. As soon as I went to get soap, the door to the bath rattled open.

“Huh?” I turned around and saw someone with only a white towel wrapped around their naked body—Yume Irido. Huh? Uh. Huh? Why? I was utterly confused. I quickly covered my lower half with a towel while successfully maintaining my composure despite this unprecedented situation. “Wha— O-Occupied,” I said to my little stepsister.

“I know.”

Then the door rattled closed as Yume shut it behind her, confirming that this hadn’t been an accident. She’d come in fully aware I was in here.

“Wh-What are you doing?!”

“Nothing much. I just thought it might be nice to wash your back for a change,” she said with a faint smile. “What’s the problem? We’re family, after all.”

Our sibling rule flashed through my head. Whoever said or did anything unbefitting of a sibling would become the younger sibling. After getting used to living together, I’d forgotten all about it. With that being said, was she really trying to make a move right now?

Then, Kawanami’s words rang in my head. “Guys lose the instant they give in to seduction.” He’d also said that I could never let any of my dirty thoughts show in my actions or words. I had to have an iron will and hold out. His words had carved into my body along with the muscle training that we’d done.

I could see the curves of her breasts and waist under her towel. Her bare arms, shoulders, and thighs glistened as if they were sparkling. I tried my best to separate my mind from what my eyes were seeing. That’s right. Do not give in. I couldn’t give in to the things she’d been born with. I could hear Isana yelling at me for thinking that, so I pushed imaginary Isana out of my mind too. And finally...

I exhaled and responded. “Yeah, I guess I don’t mind every now and then. We are family, after all.”

Maybe I imagined it, but I could’ve sworn that Yume’s cheek twitched. I’m not gonna react. Like hell I will. I will not give you the reaction you’re looking for. This is a guy’s battle.

I Want to Make You Blush

“I’m not scrubbing too hard, am I?”

“Nah, you could even go a little harder.”

“Okay.”

Yume was washing my back. Her slender fingers pressed into me, scrubbing body soap onto me with a washcloth. This felt so unreal, but the reflection in the mirror didn’t lie. There I was, a towel covering my lower half, hunched over while Yume knelt behind me, rubbing the washcloth up and down my back. That was enough to make me feel like I was going crazy, but this only seemed to encourage Yume.

“Heh heh, you’re burlier than I expected. Here I thought you were nothing but skin and bones.”

Impossible. No way my workouts are already showing results. Logically, I knew this to be true, but the almost tickling sensation on my back was stirring my heart. Calm down. Calm down! Do not react. Be cool.

“Really? I think I’m pretty bony.”

“No, you’re not. Look at your shoulder blades—” Huh?! Don’t touch them with your bare hands! “Even your waist is much meatier than a girl’s.”

“That...tickles.”

“Oh, so sorry. I couldn’t stop myself from touching you.”

Goddamn it! It’s so hard to keep a poker face! I see you looking at me in the mirror!

“Ha ha ha...”

“Heh heh heh.”

As I tried to get past this dangerous situation with a laugh and a dauntless smile, Yume at long last reached for the showerhead and began rinsing the soap off my back.

I took that opportunity to quickly say something. “I’ll do the front myself.”

“You sure? Okay, but no need to hold back on my account.”

That was a close one. It doesn’t look like she’s gonna go any further. If this were the world of manga or light novels, she might have used something other than her hands—specifically two very round parts of her body. If she had, there was no way I could’ve kept my cool.

Maybe I shouldn’t have felt so relieved so fast, because Yume immediately seized the opportunity to go on the attack once more. As soon as I took the washcloth with the body soap on it from her, she said the unexpected.

“Now I’ll wash your hair for you.” Huh? “Doesn’t it feel good to have someone else wash your hair? Come on, turn towards me.”

“No, wai—”

“Turn around already.”

She made me turn a hundred eighty degrees around. My eyes had no choice but to take in the full figure of the towel-clad Yume.

As our gazes met, Yume smiled. “Okay, close your eyes.”

“Agh—”

Water gushed over my head. After my hair was wet enough, she spoke again.

“Move over a bit. I need to grab the shampoo.” I cracked my eyes open just as Yume bent past me. “There...we go.”

As I leaned to my right to avoid her, I saw that both her back and butt were in full view. Plus, my left leg was right under Yume’s stomach—in other words, it was essentially sandwiched in between her chest and thighs. If she slipped even a little bit, her soft parts would come into contact with me.

Don’t react. Do not react. It doesn’t matter that I can tell how thin her waist is or how round her butt is through the towel. Don’t pay any mind to the hanging balls of fat near your left leg either. Just focus everything on steeling your body and riding out this disaster!

“Got it! Okay, look down.”

Yume grabbed the shampoo, returned to her initial position, had me look down, and began to scrub my hair. Usually, getting your hair washed by someone else felt good and made you feel kinda safe, but right now, I felt like I was in danger. The view I got from hanging my head was so, so much worse than when I’d been peering through the gaps of my wet bangs.

“Any places that itch, sir?”

There’s no way she doesn’t realize. She has to be doing this on purpose. If I looked just a little bit upwards, I’d be face-to-face with her cleavage, which was poking out of her towel. She’s gotta know, right?!

They’re big... Usually, I was with Isana, so my sense of what was big versus what was small might have been warped, but seeing her boobs this close made me realize that they were definitely on the larger side.

The two swellings on her chest pressed together to create distinct cleavage. More importantly, though, her towel was doing its best to keep them pinned down, but every time she moved her arms, they...jiggled. Or at least, I got the sense that they did.

They also had a very beautiful shape. Even without the support of a bra, they were perky and seemingly unaffected by gravity—wait. No bra? Really? I thought back to not too long ago when she’d come out in front of me wearing supposedly nothing but a towel, but even then, she’d been wearing underwear. Who’s to say that today wasn’t the same? If I had to guess, her goal today was to tease me, meaning that it was more than likely that she’d prepared some kind of punch line. She’d probably giggle and say something like: “Why were you so nervous when I wasn’t even naked?”

I’ve seen through your tricks. Now, I had nothing to fear. Knowing that she was wearing underwear or a swimsuit didn’t change the fact that her cleavage was right in front of me, but I had nothing to fear. I didn’t have to pretend to be calm. I could feel peace flowing throughout my body.

“How’d it feel to be washed by me?” she asked triumphantly.

I wiped the drops of water from my bangs. “Not bad. I might not mind doing this again sometime. It’s nice not having to move my arms.”

“That’s...it?”

“Yeah...? But more importantly, shouldn’t you warm up your body? Sure, we’re in the shower area, but you must be cold, dressed like that. You should take a dip.”

“Huh?”

I smirked and let out a chuckle. “Keep any fabrics you have on out of the bath, though, okay? It’s unhygienic.” Fabrics included towels, of course, but also underwear and bathing suits. “Oh, I know. It’ll be a pain to have to get dressed again, won’t it? Since you’re already here, you might as well wash yourself too.”

There’s no way she can, though. After all, she’s wearing something underneath the towel. Now that I’ve seen through your tricks, it’s only a matter of time before you resort to the only option left to you—retreat.

I glanced over at Yume, who was recoiling. Checkmate. I guess I was a step ahead. Better luck next time. Ha ha ha!

“Yeah...” In the middle of my mental victory lap, Yume began to hesitantly touch the knot that fastened the towel around her body. “It would be annoying. Maybe I will get in.”

Hm? What now? To my surprise, Yume stood up, walked over to the bathtub, put both her feet in, and sat on the edge. She’s not gonna claim that counts as getting in, is she? My guess was off. Way off. With her back turned to me, she unraveled the towel and spread it open.

Her towel blocked everything, and I couldn’t quite see from where I was sitting, but I did manage to catch a small glimpse of her red ears, peeking out from underneath her black hair.

“Don’t...look too much...” she pleaded softly.

That snapped me back to reality, and I frantically looked away. No way. No way, right? She can’t be fully nude. We can’t both be naked in this small space together, can we? I’d been so sure of myself before, but now my mind felt paralyzed by doubt.

Leaning her body against the side of the bath helped hide her from the chest down, but it wasn’t perfect. Just by standing up a little, I could see into the bathtub...meaning I’d see Yume without a single thread of clothing on her. If...if that happened— My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a towel dropping. Then there was the sound of a body submerging itself. And then...there was the sound of what sounded like a large amount of powder being poured.

“Huh?”

“Phew.” Looking over, Yume had submerged herself up to her neck in what was now white, bubbly bathwater. “Ooh, this feels good! I need to thank mom for buying this.”

B-Bath powder?! I remembered seeing it on the windowsill. She put that in the bath?! This means that as long as she’s in the bathtub, her naked body will have the protection of the bubbles. She no longer needs the protection of her towel!

“Huh? What’s the matter, Mizuto?” Yume asked with a teasing giggle as she rested her arms on the edge of the bathtub and lay her chin on top. “Is something...not living up to your expectations?”

Goddamn you! “No... I’ve just never used bath powder before, so I was curious about it.”

“Oh, really? Then...” She tilted her head. “Wanna join me?”

She’s getting so full of herself! “N-No, that’s kinda...”

“Really? What a shame. Your loss,” Yume said in a calm voice while submerging her porcelain shoulders.

Then, she stuck her feet out of the water. “Aw, you were so close. You could’ve so easily seen me naked.” She flicked the water with her feet like a kid. “Well, if you really want to...you’ll just have to step up and do it yourself.”

That’s definitely a line she prepared beforehand... What the hell do you mean “step up and do it yourself”?! Do you want me to strip you or something?! You’re really looking down on me! Yume giggled and continued kicking the water, in a good mood.

“Well, I guess you are at that age. You must be suuuper curious about a girl’s naked body. But I guess you know now that it’s not so easy to see one in real life. Oh, isn’t that nice? You learned something.”

Goddamn it! I’d thought this had been a last-ditch ploy, but it’d been a part of her plan all along! Her level of preparation had been the deciding factor in this competition. As much as I hated to admit it, I had no choice but to admit my loss.

“Let me just say, though, I’m not as unguarded as Higashira-san. Today’s special. I normally wouldn’t even give you a glimpse of my underwear.” Then I heard a sound, like something being uncorked. Hm? Did something just get...pulled out? “Anyway, you look calm on the surface, but I had no idea you were actually such a lecher. You act like you have no interest in girls, but when you’re actually in a situation...”

Yume was in such a good mood, prattling on, that she hadn’t noticed. Even if she wasn’t aware of what was going on yet, there was no doubt that it was well underway. The bubbles covering her body are getting lower!

“H-Hey, the water!” I frantically pointed out as the water level dropped low enough that it just barely covered the top half of her chest. Sh-She really isn’t wearing anything...

“Huh? Huh?! Wh-Why? Ah— The stopper!”

Just as the peaks of her mounds were about to be visible, she frantically covered them with her arm while using the other one to grope around for the stopper. My guess was that when she was kicking the water, either her foot or hand had snagged the stopper and pulled it out. As long as she was able to stick it back in the drain, she’d be okay, but...

“I-I can’t see anything. Where... Where’s the stopper?!”

Thanks to the bubbles, she couldn’t see anything. While she continued to search for it, the water level continued to drop. Now, her slender waist and small belly button were visible. If this continued, her lower half—her crotch and butt—would become visible. It was only a matter of time.

Thinking about this rationally, it’d be best for me to leave right now. If I weren’t here, then it wouldn’t be a problem if all the water vanished and her full naked body was exposed. But I was freaking out. My head had boiled over. It was almost like the feeling you get from staying in the bath for too long.

“Stupid! Pull it back by the chain!” Maybe that’s why I jumped up without thinking and reached into the bathtub to grab the dangling chain. I leaned over, forgetting to even cover myself with a towel.

“Wha?” Yume’s eyes widened.

At the same time, I felt a breeze on my lower half. And then, time stopped. A silence fell between us, only interrupted by the gurgling of the bubbly water going down the drain. Yume’s chest was hidden by her arm and hand. The area around her exposed waist was mostly covered by her tightly closed thighs, providing a strong defense for her most sensitive area. In contrast though, the area around my waist was...

Perhaps unable to look away, Yume stared straight at it, her face becoming redder and redder, like a boiled crab. I, however, was becoming as pale as a ghost. There was only one option at this point. I picked up my towel off the ground, covered my crotch and...quickly ran out of the room, hunched over, shutting the door behind me, leaving Yume completely naked in the now empty bathtub.

I stiffly dried myself off while vacantly staring up at the ceiling fan. Yume was the only thing on my mind. I could see her slender fingers digging into her soft skin, the gap of flesh on her arm as she tried to press it against her boobs. And then, I remembered the dark area in between her tightly shut thighs. I tried examining every last bit of those memories. I tried really hard and finally came to the conclusion that...I hadn’t seen anything. On the other hand, she’d seen everything.

“Isn’t this backwards...tropewise?”

It was then that I learned how hard it was to scream like they did in manga.

All Humans Are Perverts

Yume Irido

“I...saw it...”

I’d left the bath, changed into my pajamas in the dressing room, and then returned to my room. I threw myself onto the bed and clutched my pillow against my chest while replaying the scene over and over again. The image of it had been burned into my eyes. When his towel fell, I’d seen Mizuto’s...

“Ohgodohgodohgod!!! I so saw it, I saw it, I saw it, I saw it, I saw it!”

I saw it. I saw Mizuto’s... Despite his cute face, despite his quiet personality, despite his calm demeanor... Down there, he was...he was so... I rolled back and forth across my bed, kicking my legs. It... It was amazing. I felt as if my world had changed. After all, up until recently, I’d been living with just my mom. I had no memory of ever taking a bath with my dad, so this was my first time seeing one of those. The first one I had ever seen...was Mizuto’s.

“Heh... Heh heh heh...”

No, Yume. Yume, stop! You’re being considerably gross. Don’t be like Higashira-san. But, hm, so that’s what Mizuto’s looks like down there. Like, really? Am I gonna be okay? When we get to that stage, am I gonna be able to do it all right? H-Huh? Now that I think about it, when we were dating, we were extremely close to doing it... Was he planning on using that to do it to middle school me? Oh god, that’s scary! So scary!

I let out a long, hot exhale. I needed to calm myself down. Akatsuki-san was a huge pervert, and, of course, so was Higashira-san. But surprisingly...I was pretty perverted too. Most people might not know this, but guys aren’t the only perverted ones. Girls are too. They have their own perverted daydreams, and they get really worked up when they see perverted things too. All humans are perverts. Someone like Asuhain-san might not have understood that, though.

“Mizuto, you pervert—lecher,” I whispered into my pillow while grinning and giggling. I’m the same, though. No matter how calm you play it from now on, it won’t bother me one bit. Got it?

Being a Year Older Doesn’t Make You Better

“Thank you very much, Senpai!” The next day, I happily reported my victory to Aso-senpai with a huge grin on my face.

“Oh, it went well?! Congrats, Yumechi!”

“Thank you! It’s really all thanks to you!”

I’d found the perfect time to have this conversation with Aso-senpai since we were now in the student council room by ourselves.

She folded her arms and proudly nodded. “Your results were guaranteed the instant I passed on my teachings! By the way, though, how’d you do it? I’m sure you didn’t go as far as I did, but one of my good points is how I proactively learn from my students. I’d love to hear more about what happened in as much detail as possible!”

“Well, uh...” I couldn’t help but giggle, embarrassed. Out of respect for her since she helped give me accurate advice, I should give her the full report. “So...I barged in on him taking a bath...”

“A...bath?”

“Oh, of course, I went in with a towel on. At first, he looked so calm, but just like you told me, he started to show cracks in his facade. That was so cute, and admittedly, I got a little ahead of myself and messed up a bit, but in the end, I got the reaction I wanted, so it was all good!”

I wasn’t sure if I even took a breath. I spilled everything that had happened. After all, this was the first time I’d done something that actually worked out! Usually, I’d mess up in some way and end up in a worse position, but not this time!

“Oh. Wow... That’s. So. Cool... Good. For. You...”

H-Huh? “S-Senpai? Is something wrong?” Her speech is so mechanical and robotic.

“Nothing. At. All...”

“You’re acting weird, like you’ve been turned into a robot!”

Did I say too much? Did I talk too fast and excitedly, like an otaku? But more importantly, why does it look like her eyes have lost all light?!

While I freaked out, Aso-senpai began muttering in a depressed voice. “By the way...”

“Yes?”

“Do you have...experience being in a relationship, Yumechi?”

“Oh. Sorry I never told you.” That was vital information for her to give me love advice. I needed to be honest. “I had a boyfriend in middle—”

“Impure!!!” Aso-senpai suddenly screamed out before running out of the room.

“Huh?!”

“Kids these days are too impure!!!” Her voice gradually got fainter as she disappeared into the distance.

I-Is it that unusual to have had a boyfriend in middle school? I think Akatsuki-san had a boyfriend too, so I don’t think it’s that big a deal. After some time, President Kurenai returned to the room from the direction that Aso-senpai had run off in.

“Did something happen? Aisa ran off crying.”

“Well... I was just asking her for some advice.”

“Ha ha... Let me guess—romantic advice?”

Even Haba-senpai, who’d trailed in behind her, shrugged his shoulders as if to say “good grief.”

“She reaps what she sows, after trying to do something beyond her ability. She’s chased after Hoshibe-senpai for almost an entire year without any real progress.”

“Huh? An...entire year?”

“Well, of course. We’ve been friends since we joined the student council, and I tried pushing her to make a move on Hoshibe-senpai before he stepped down as president, but she kept dragging her feet. Now I’m trying to get her to do something before he graduates.”

“Um, by the way... Has Aso-senpai had a boyfriend before?”

“From what I hear, she hasn’t had any luck in that regard. Up until now, she’s only had interest in anime and games.”

Wait... How many people have I gone to for love advice who haven’t actually had any success at it themselves?

“Good grief. I bet she was running away out of frustration that her underclassman one-upped her. I’m sorry she’s so childish. Out of curiosity, what did you say to her?”

“I said that I had a boyfriend in middle sc—”

“Impure.”

“Why?!”

There are too many innocent people on this student council! Save me, Akatsuki-san!