"Tell me what really happened! Right now!" Eliss screams, tears streaming down her face as she trembles with rage and frustration.

The moment Aoshi staggered back through the front door, Eliss immediately called a doctor. After examining him, the doctor diagnosed multiple fractures and internal bleeding — though thankfully nothing serious enough to require hospitalization.

"I already told you... I got hit by a car on my way home. How many times do I have to repeat it?" Aoshi snaps from his futon.

"The doctor said those aren’t injuries from a car accident... they’re from a beating! Tell me who did this to you right now!"

"Ugh... why do you keep insisting? If I told you it wasn’t anyone, then it wasn’t anyone! That doctor probably got the diagnosis wrong or something! If somebody had beaten me up, why would I hide it from you? I’d just tell you, wouldn’t I?"

The truth is, I have a thousand reasons not to tell her.

First of all, I don’t want Eliss making things worse by getting involved and causing even more trouble. If she did something that pissed Renji off, I’d be the one paying for it, and the last thing I want is to live in fear of even stepping foot on campus.

Second... it’d be too humiliating to admit in front of a girl that I almost got beaten half to death. I think it takes real courage to open up about something like that... and I just don’t have it.

"If that’s what you say, then I’ll believe you..." Eliss murmurs, though it’s obvious she isn’t fully convinced. "Still, I’ll let Mr. Tobita know I won’t be going to work for a while."

"No! He’s already going to be stressed and worried because I can’t come in for a while — if you stop showing up too, his golden goose disappearing at the same time will drive him insane. They’re already short-staffed, and I don’t want my coworkers forced to work twice as hard to cover for both of us. The doctor said it’s nothing serious — I don’t need someone watching over me twenty-four hours a day. And I think I’m old enough to stay home alone for a few hours."

"You’re seriously hopeless, Aoshi... Even now, you worry more about everyone else than yourself..."

So Eliss crouches at the foot of the futon, armed with cotton pads and disinfectant, while Aoshi stares at her with the classic what the hell are you doing now? expression.

"The doctor said your wounds need to be cleaned regularly, so be good and let me take care of you!"

"But he literally cleaned them an hour ago! He said two or three times a day, not two or three times an hour!"

"The more you clean them, the faster they heal!" she insists, bringing the disinfectant-soaked cotton closer. "You’re only making a fuss because you cried like a baby while the doctor was treating you, but I know how to do it without making you scream from the sting!"

"I-I was not crying!"

But Eliss completely ignores him and keeps crawling gracefully across the futon until—

"E-Eliss... I-I can’t breathe like this!" Aoshi gasps, his face smothered by Eliss’s ample chest while she tries to dab the wounds on the back of his head.

"Honestly, Aoshi, you’re such a crybaby! Calm down and let me work in peace, otherwise I can’t concentrate!"

Yeah, easy for her to say! The stinging hurts like hell — but it’s nothing compared to... her breasts! So soft, so warm... pressed right against my mouth! Every breath, every tiny movement makes my lips brush against her skin through the fabric of her tank top! And underneath... she isn’t even wearing a bra! My face is practically buried in her tits!

It’s so damn arousing!

"A-Aoshi... it seems like my little distraction to ease the pain... is working a little too well..." Eliss murmurs, her cheeks flushed and her eyes half-lidded.

Kneeling over him, she can clearly feel something pressing beneath his pants between her thighs.

"I-In a situation like this... it’d honestly be stranger if nothing happened..." Aoshi mutters in a low, uncertain voice. With every word and every breath, his lips and tongue lightly brush against Eliss’s skin, leaving faint traces of moisture against her breats.

That sensation — the warmth of Aoshi’s breath and the damp touch of his saliva — sends Eliss’s mind into even more chaos than his own. Shivers race through her body, from the tip of her nose all the way down to her toes, every time his lips move or that warm breath brushes against her skin.

H-How the hell did we even end up like this?! Raelor is definitely watching us from outside, but damn it — he’s a man too, right? He should understand that when your face is buried in the chest of an unbelievably sexy girl like Eliss, staying calm is impossible...

Aoshi squeezes his eyes shut and slowly parts his lips. His tongue slips out cautiously, like a timid little creature emerging from its burrow. It moves forward little by little, closer and closer to those soft, generous curves before him, until...

"Aaaah..."

A soft moan escapes Eliss’s lips the instant she feels the tip of Aoshi’s tongue deliberately brush against her skin.

D-Damn it... I was hoping she wouldn’t notice — that I could pass it off as an involuntary movement — but it’s obvious I got carried away. I just hope I didn’t turn her on too much, or stopping her will become impossible... and stopping myself even harder!

"S-So... this is what you want, Aoshi...? You like... my breasts...?"

Then she takes his hand, intertwines her fingers with his, and slowly guides it toward her chest, forcing him to squeeze it gently.

Aoshi freezes completely, his arm stiff, his hand pressed against Eliss’s chest through the thin fabric of her tank top — so light it almost feels like touching her bare skin directly.

His heart pounds wildly, hard enough to feel like it might explode... and not just his heart.

"Aoshi..." she whispers, her voice soft and alluring.

Her hands slide to the hem of her tank top, slowly lifting it upward.

"If it’s my breasts you want... then take them. They’re all yours."

Then, with one sudden motion, she slips the tank top off and lets it fall to the floor beside the futon.

T-This isn’t a dream... those are really Eliss’s boobs! They’re so beautiful, so perfect! They’re so incredible I can barely stop myself from crying!

This... this is my chance! I just hope things don’t spiral to the point where Raelor bursts through the door, furious and ready to use his deadly magic to blow my head off... or something else!

Eliss places her hands behind Aoshi’s neck and gently guides his head toward her chest, pressing his lips against her hardened nipple.

"Lick me, Aoshi... bite me, suck me... I want you to do with me everything you desire," Eliss whispers, her voice so irresistibly seductive that it completely shatters Aoshi’s final restraint.

He parts his lips just enough to take her nipple into his mouth before eagerly closing them around it, nibbling softly and timidly, almost afraid of hurting her — while his hands instinctively move over her breasts, squeezing and kneading them with growing hunger.

"Aaaah... y-yes, Aoshi... like that... aaah... it feels so good...!"

The more Eliss moans and begs him to continue, the more her words fuel the fire raging inside him. What had been a mere spark moments before now burns like an uncontrollable inferno.

Thick trails of saliva run along the generous curves of her breasts before slipping down across her smooth thighs, barely covered by her tiny shorts.

Driven by pure instinct, Aoshi opens his mouth wider like a starving predator, trying to take in as much of that soft, irresistible flesh as possible, sucking greedily while Eliss continues pulling him closer.

If someone had told me a month ago that I’d end up touching and kissing the breasts of the most beautiful girl in the world — and that she’d be the one begging me to do it — I would’ve thought they were insane.

A month... isn’t very long, and yet it feels like I’ve known her forever. Like we’ve spent our entire lives together... and when she leaves... yeah, it won’t be easy watching her walk away forever beside Raelor, waving goodbye.

But who am I trying to fool? Once the spell fades, she probably won’t even look me in the face anymore.

That night by the river she said she wouldn’t get angry... but I seriously doubt that. Besides, it’s not like she gave me much choice — she practically rubbed herself against me half naked! It’s only natural to react like this...

Raelor still hasn’t stopped us, even after we crossed every possible line. Maybe he understands the situation... maybe he trusts me enough to let me have this moment. I hope so.

"A-Aoshi... I love it when you touch me like this... when you do these things to me... I never want to be separated from you again! I want to stay like this forever... with your lips and your hands on me. I love you, Aoshi... I love you so much!"

"I-I love you too, Eliss... I—"

But right before finishing the sentence, Aoshi suddenly freezes — as though struck by lightning.

No... no... no... this can’t be happening. I was really about to say it... damn it! I knew it... I knew this was how it would end! No, it must’ve been the moment... her words... all of this... She said she loves me, and instinctively I... No. This isn’t good. Not at all. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"M-My love... did something happen?" Eliss whispers anxiously. "Why did you suddenly stop like that? Did I do something wrong? Please talk to me... you’re scaring me..."

"You’re not the problem, Eliss. I am..."

He slowly pulls away from her chest and lies back down on the futon.

"And besides... don’t make promises you already know you can’t keep."

"Promises...?" she murmurs in confusion, lying down beside him. She gently strokes his cheek and softly kisses him.

"That’s exactly the point. When you hear certain words every single day... eventually, you start believing them for real..."

A determined look settles into his eyes.

"Eliss... I was wrong to let things go this far. I know it’s because of that spell that you say and do these things... so I’ll be the one to stop before it goes any further."

"I understand..." she whispers, remembering the promise they made that night by the river.

"I’m not sure you really do," Aoshi replies quietly. "Maybe it was just the moment... but if we keep going like this, we’ll end up reaching something I want to avoid."

Aoshi rolls over beneath the futon, turning his back to her.

I need to do something before these feelings truly grow out of control. But what can I do?

Then suddenly, an idea flashes through his mind.

Of course. Maybe the only way to stop myself from falling in love with her... is to fall in love with someone else first.

God, what a mess...