Chapter 14: An Angel in Lingerie is Irresistible

His eyes were as sharp as ever, yet they faintly shimmered with anticipation.

…So this is the kind of thing Murakumo-kun likes, huh.

Lately, I’d started to understand his emotions a little. Even if it was only in moments like this, it was a strange mix—happy, yet kind of sad.

Well, I guess it can’t be helped. I’ll wear it.

He did buy it for me, after all. And if something like this makes him happy, then… yeah, I guess I kind of want to do it for him.

“I’m gonna change, so wait outside.”

I stood up as I said that, but Murakumo-kun didn’t move.

“Don’t mind me.”

No, I do mind. …Oh right, he’s that kind of guy.

Changing into lingerie means getting naked, you know?

Not that it’s the first time he’s seen me naked, but still—it’s not about that. There’s such a thing as shame.

When I glanced at Murakumo-kun, his sharp gaze and expressionless face were as usual at first glance.

But somehow, I could see it—like he was oddly excited, looking forward to this. I could feel it.

I let out a big sigh of resignation, took a deep breath, and steeled myself.

First, I quickly stripped down to just my underwear.

Murakumo-kun kept his eyes locked on me, not even trying to look away.

…Geez, ogling me like that. If it weren’t me, this would’ve turned into a scene.

Before taking off my underwear, I put on the garter belt.

I sat on the floor and was about to put on the transparent white thigh-high tights when he spoke up.

“Sit on a chair to put those on.”

The heck? What kind of specific instruction is that?

But when I pictured it, I got what he meant.

I’d already gotten on this ride, so I might as well give him the full service. I sat in the chair and slid my legs into the tights.

“…Hoo…”

So that’s what they mean by a sigh slipping out on its own. Murakumo-kun was clearly mesmerized as I put on the tights, letting out that sound—or rather, that tone.

If it’s that good, then even I wanna see. A beautiful woman who isn’t me.

After sliding both legs into the thigh-high tights, I stood up—when Murakumo-kun spoke again.

“The panties go over the garter.”

…Huh?

Wait, the usual order is: take off panties, put on panties, fasten garter over them, right?

So you’re saying: take off panties, fasten the garter to the tights, then put the panties on top?

Wait, what…?

I was planning to do a quick swap, fast off and fast on, but now this feels like dangling food in front of a wild animal. Isn’t this, like, super risky?

“I know you know this, but—”

“I’ll be fine.”

He cut me off with a firm answer.

Well… as long as he does know. I guess.

I slid my fingers under the waistband of my panties and gave Murakumo-kun a quick glance.

He was staring. Like, really staring.

That’s the part where you're supposed to feel embarrassed and look away, isn’t it?

…Well, not that I expected that from him.

Hooking my fingers under the edge, I carefully pulled the panties down, making sure they didn’t snag on the tights.

I was exposing my lower half to Murakumo-kun.

He’d seen it many times before, but the fact that I was undressing myself made it feel more humiliating than ever.

And not just humiliating—something else stirred in me. Like something hot welling up alongside the embarrassment.

My heart beat faster. My body felt like it was burning. A new emotion was starting to take shape.

I quickly fastened the garter to the tights, needing to get the panties on as soon as possible.

Then I picked up the new sheer white silk panties and slid them up my legs.

“…You’re beautiful.”

I heard Murakumo-kun murmur.

My heart skipped a beat.

I heard that! I totally heard that! Don’t just say stuff like that!!

I had no idea words said so plainly could hit so hard—until now.

It was obvious that it had slipped from his mouth, straight from the heart.

And hearing those words made that unclear, burning feeling inside me flare up, eclipsing my embarrassment. My cheeks flushed deeper, and my heart pounded like an alarm bell, each thump echoing loudly through my head.

After that, I changed bras as well, finishing the whole underwear swap.

My head was still spinning, heart pounding nonstop, and I probably looked like a boiled octopus right now.

As for Murakumo-kun, he just kept showering me with compliments like “you’re beautiful” and “you’re perfect,” toying with my heart like it was some kind of plaything.

I don’t think he means to—he’s probably just being honest—but still, it’s hard not to feel like I was being pampered a bit too easily.

Right now, I’m like a fish on a cutting board. It wouldn’t be strange if Murakumo-kun made a move at any moment, even if we had promised to keep things in check.

Besides… if he did do something now, I probably wouldn’t even resist with words. No, I might not resist at all… I’d probably just silently accept it.

That’s why, with a half-half feeling—I won’t say which half—I decided to ask.

“So, I changed like you asked. What now?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll behave.”

—Behave, huh.

That means, what, not going too far? Keeping things in moderation?

That’s not really something you say after making someone change into lingerie in front of you.

The heat cooled off quickly. Yeah, I think I can put up some resistance now.

Well, if that’s how it is, I’d like to get dressed already. Standing around in just underwear is embarrassing.

But just as I reached for my clothes to put them on, he said:

“Stay like that while we’re in the room.”

—Behave, huh?

No, seriously, this outfit is basically see-through in all the worst ways.

What if he ends up getting turned on and jumps me? What if my mom walks in?

No way I can agree to that. I ignored his words and reached for my clothes again—but he grabbed my arm.

“Please. Haru, you look unbelievably beautiful right now. I just want to keep looking at you.”

That’s not how you ask for something. And complimenting me isn’t gonna get you anything.

Sigh… Well, but… if you’re going that far…

…Geez.

I mean… if something like this makes him happy… I’m such a sucker, aren’t I?

Still, if I say “okay” too easily, he might get cocky about it.

“…Fine. But just this once. And only while we’re in the room.”

I made sure to stress that.

Hearing it, Murakumo-kun smiled happily.

“Thanks.”

—That smile should be illegal. It’s cheating.

That gap between his usual cold demeanor and this smile just makes him way too charming.

And so, still in just my underwear, I went back to sorting through my clothes.

At first, I was super embarrassed, but I gradually got used to it, and the discomfort started to fade.

Well, I still couldn’t sit cross-legged like I would as a guy—no way. So I sat in seiza and moved more carefully than usual.

Even if I was getting used to it, it’d be a lie to say I wasn’t aware of Murakumo-kun’s gaze.

“Your hands stopped moving. You’re staring too much!”

If I didn’t call him out from time to time, he’d just keep staring and forget to move his hands—no, maybe he was just totally entranced by me?

No, no—don’t get the wrong idea, me. Any guy would act like that if a girl in lingerie were right in front of him. It doesn’t matter who she is.

As I continued sorting, I noticed some clothes mixed in that I didn’t remember picking.

Sure enough, when I asked, Murakumo-kun said he’d chosen them—and that he was looking forward to seeing me in them.

I gave him a reluctant reaction, saying, maybe if I’m in the mood, and left it at that.

Maybe I’ll wear one next time we go out somewhere.

“All right, that’s the last of it.”

I put the last piece of clothing into the dresser.

In the end, Murakumo-kun didn’t make a single move the whole time it took to put everything away in the closet and drawers.

Not that I’m saying I wanted him to do something, or that I felt lonely or anything… I mean, I’m not, but—well, I guess disappointed might be the right word for how I feel. Something like that.

When I turned to look at him, Murakumo-kun was holding a dress and waiting for me to face him.

“That was a feast for the eyes. Thanks.”

He handed me the dress as he said it.

I took it and slipped it over my head in one motion. Finally—finally—I was able to put something on over my underwear.

“Well then, I’ll head home.”

“Oh, yeah. Right… Thanks.”

So he’s leaving already? He could’ve stayed a little longer.

Thinking that to myself, I walked with him out of the room and to the front door.

“See you tomorrow.”

“Yeah, see you.”

“Oh? Heading out already? You could’ve stayed a bit longer.”

Mom appeared.

“No, I’ll be off for today. Thank you for having me.”

“Not at all, you’re welcome anytime.”

And like that, the two of us—mother and daughter—saw Murakumo-kun off.

I waved at the entrance. Murakumo-kun raised his hand once in return, then walked away with a confident stride.

After we sent him off, Mom looked me up and down, her eyes inspecting my appearance closely.

“By the way~. Why’d you change clothes, hmm~?”

“Eh!? No, uh—this is just! I was switching out the new stuff we bought yesterday with the old clothes and… just kinda ended up changing while I was at it!”

What a terrible excuse. Who changes clothes just because they’re sorting them?

“Oh~? So you went out of your way to put on that outfit, huh~?”

“We didn’t do anything!!”

“It’s fine, really. I already know you two are at that stage, so no need to hide it. Though, sorry about earlier—coming at such a bad time, right before lunch.”

Before lunch…?

Ah!! She means when she walked in on us kissing!

“Didn’t think you two would get that far in just a week. Murakumo-kun’s pretty smooth, huh. And you too, Haru-chan—you’ve really become a proper young lady.”

She hugged me tightly.

She never used to do stuff like this back when I was a guy, but now that I’ve turned into a girl, I feel like the distance between me and Mom has shrunk a lot.

“…I still feel like a guy, though.”

That may be true, but even just today, I think something inside me shifted. My thoughts about Murakumo-kun—my feelings—changed quite a bit.

If there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that I’m surprisingly easy to sway. Normally I’m not like that at all, but once the mood picks up, it’s like the girl in me starts to override the guy.

While I was in the shower, I found myself thinking back on what Mom had said earlier.

After dinner that evening, we’d had a conversation that went something like this:

“Hey, Haru-chan. Murakumo-kun’s first name is Kiriya, right? Wasn’t he your friend Kiriya-kun from middle school?”

“No, they’ve got different family names. Murakumo and Kurekumo. Plus, I think their looks, personalities, even voices are totally different.”

“Really? I mean, yeah, I guess they’re different in a lot of ways—Murakumo-kun’s hair is a little longer and his face is slimmer, so the vibe’s different—but he still feels similar somehow. Talking to him just reminds me of Kurekumo-kun. I still think they’re the same person.”

“No way. If he was, he would’ve said something. Besides, my best friend Kiri isn’t like that guy at all. They’re completely different.”

“‘That guy,’ huh? You shouldn’t call your boyfriend something like that. If you do, one day you might really start to believe it.”

“…Yeah, yeah.”

“Just one ‘yeah’ is enough.”

That’s how the conversation went.

Honestly, Mom says the most ridiculous things.

There’s no way Murakumo-kun is Kiri. For one, their surnames aren’t even close. And their faces are different… I think.

Their personalities definitely aren’t the same. Kiri was brighter, kinder—just a good guy all around. My best friend, after all.

Even their voices don’t match. Murakumo-kun has this quiet, low tone, while Kiri used to speak clearly and confidently.

Yeah, they’re completely different.

And besides… Kiri would never force himself on me. He’s my friend.

He’d never say something like “You’re mine.”

If he were Kiri, he would’ve said something back when we ended up in the same class.

Yeah. No doubt about it. Murakumo-kun isn’t my best friend Kiri.

Kiri is my friend.

And Murakumo-kun is…

…Well, yeah.

I have to admit it.

I’ve started to fall for him—Murakumo-kun.

Looking back, our first encounter was awful. I do appreciate that he helped me, but everything after that was a mess.

I never imagined he’d force himself on me like that…

But at the time, I still didn’t fully grasp that I was a girl, so I didn’t even realize how serious that was.

…No, actually, if that hadn’t happened, I probably still wouldn’t think of myself as a girl even now.

Well, putting that aside—despite how it started, and even though he’s been pushy in a lot of ways since then—I can tell that most of what he does is for my sake. Thanks to him, school’s even started to feel fun again.

I mean, sure, not everything is selfless—like how he basically made me wear that lingerie today—but even that feels acceptable now.

I guess what I’m trying to say is, I think this girl’s body of mine is affecting not just my appearance, but my emotions too.

Because I’ve been held by Murakumo-kun, because he’s made me aware of myself as a woman—I’m starting to change, but only when it comes to him. That’s how I want to think about it.

When I imagine being with other guys, I feel nothing but revulsion.

Even with Nozomu-kun, it’s the same.

So that must mean my body feels like Murakumo-kun is special.

This is bad… At this rate, I might really end up belonging to him.

It’s still too soon. My feelings aren’t solid enough yet. Yeah.

Ugh… This is a problem. A real problem.

Ah—right.

I need to start learning how to make hamburg steak from Mom starting tomorrow.

…And with that, I rolled around in bed, caught up in my own whirlwind of thoughts.