V2: Chapter 10: It's Not That I Can't Swim, But...? (Part 2)

Chapter 10: It's Not That I Can't Swim, But...? (Part 2)

The girls around us were taking off their clothes and changing into their school-issued swimsuits. We had come to the changing room to change for swimming? No, perhaps it's not really a change of clothes. And to prepare for it... we had to be the last to leave.

"I know I said it myself, but... are you really going to do it?"

"Uh, yeah. It's for the class...♡"

It's because of the Lust Mark, it's unavoidable because it's for the class. I made excuses to no one in particular, as I took off my uniform. Chloe, who had already finished changing, slowly made a translucent ice mirror appear in the the room.

"Reflect all things───[Ice Mirror: String Mirror]"

After all the adjustments were finished, we slowly checked the outside and left the changing room. The sun was dazzlingly bright, but I was too nervous and my heart was pounding to notice.

From the outside, it probably looked like an ordinary school swimsuit. Even to my eyes, at first glance, it looked that way.

"To project a specific image onto a moving object... It's really require quite a bit of concentration."

"I'll trust the Ice Mirror, I'll trust Chloe...♡"

That's what it looked like from the outside, of course. She was just projecting a school swimsuit onto my body, wearing a swimsuit that looked like body paint.

Yes, I was heading towards the poolside completely naked.

If I got caught, it wouldn't just be expulsion; my life would truly be over.

So...

"...Ahhh♡"

Even indirectly, this was enough to satisfy my desires. It was truly killing two birds with one stone. If I were caught strolling around school with my Master... what would become of me?

If my classmates saw me, scorned me, and reported me... they'd contact my family, and I might even be exposed on social media. I'm sure my Master would have no choice but to confine me to the house, I would be unable to live socially anymore. I'd end my life in a dimly lit world, isolated from the outside world.

I'd end my life as my Master's dog. 

That's... that's...♡

"Come on, let's go... Shizuku?"

"Yes, Maste–...Umphh!"

She covered my mouth with her soft, white, slender fingers. She didn't mean I should lick them... Surely even I have that much common sense.

"No, you promised that when I'm not transformed, I'm Chloe, Shizuku."

A seemingly meaningless rule I made to avoid crossing the line.

But with Gracia, who became my Master to alleviate the cost of transforming into a Magical Girl... we haven't engaged in any intimate activities outside of my transformation.

That was the minimum rule necessary to respect Chloe's views on love and to maintain the boundary of our friendship.

"Sorry... let's go, Chloe."

"Move as slowly as you can, okay?"

★

"I'm so sorry we're late."

"No.... It's fine... "

All eyes are on us as we arrive late. It can't be helped. Have they really not noticed?

Have they actually noticed something strange? 

Ah, please don't look. Don't look at me like this...

"What's wrong, Hoshino? Your face is red..."

"I-I'm fine, Sensei! The sunlight's just a little strong..."

"Really? If it's too much, tell Sensei right away, okay?"

I desperately try to suppress the trembling in my voice from nervousness.  The summer sun and strong wind caress my body. Everyone else is wearing a swimsuit that clings to their body, but I'm wearing nothing.

It's not that my body is flat, but if I had something as voluptuous as Chloe's, it might have been easier to spot.

"Now, form pairs—make sure you do your warm-up exercises properly."

That's right, I need to do my warm-up exercises. Oh, I need to find a partner... Just as I was about to start walking, someone grabbed my shoulder.

"Where are you trying to go? That's not a good idea, you know?"

"I... I know... I know, really?"

"Even at a time like this, you still maintain that good-girl facade..."

That's right, there's no need to force myself to find someone else. I can just ask Chloe, who knows the situation, to help me.

It's not like I... I'm doing this because I want to...!

This is because of the Lust Mark, it can't be helped.

It can't be helped...

I slowly raise both arms, clasp them behind my head, and stretch to loosen my elbows and shoulders.

It's a perfectly ordinary stretch, but... my outfit makes it seem like I'm showing off my body.

Of course, the pair of me, who's cute and popular, and the beautiful Chloe, inevitably attract attention.

Boys and girls alike are looking at us, and I make eye contact with one of them. They quickly looks away, embarrassed, even though I'm the one doing something embarrassing...♡

I sit on the hot ground with my knees extended, only a thin layer of clothing covering me... why does just the touch of the ground against my skin make me feel this way?

Chloe pushes my back, and I stretch my arms towards my toes.

"The way you're touching me... it's kind of..."

"What's wrong? It should be fine through your swimsuit, right?"

The way she pushes my back is strangely ticklish; she's so good at being mean, I can't help but wonder if she has that kind of fetish. 

Her breath hit my back, sending shivers down my spine.

We clasped our arms back-to-back and did a backbend. It was an effective stretch for lengthening the whole body, but... it exposed my body to the sun. The dazzling sunlight beat down on my body. It felt like I was being crucified...

No, that's not it. I don't have that kind of exhibitionist fetish.

"P-Put me down...!"

"Oh, you'd better stretch properly, or you'll get a cramp in the water, won't you?"

She's being mean!

Chloe should know better than anyone what situation I'm in.

Right now, my social dignity is in her hands. I'm realizing that now. I know, Chloe wouldn't do that.

She shouldn't, but... what if?

What if?

What if, in this embarrassing position, the ice mirror was suddenly shattered? Grabbed by the arm, unable to escape or hide, my naked body exposed to the public.

Ah, no. Just thinking about it... just thinking about it...

"Shizuku? Sorry, I went a little too far."

"Ah, no... it was really good?"

"But what about that...?"

I was finally let down, but my knees were shaking so much I couldn't stand up.

How am I going to get through class like this? I don't know, but there's no turning back now. There's nowhere to go but forward.

The fact that Chloe could reflect her's swimsuit onto my body, a godlike feat in her non-transformed state... it was a difficult magic to handle, called the Ice Mirror, and she had the undeniable skill to hold the second-highest rank in this vast world of Magical Girls.

She must have been in very poor health when the second Demon King appeared. Honestly, normally she had enough strength to be trusted. But even she seemed to be having trouble maintaining this kind of feat.

"...Ah!"

The moment I touched the cool, shimmering surface of the water to enter the pool... the navy blue of my body shook.

The adjustment due to the difference in refractive index between water and air must have gone wrong. If this continues, I...

But that thought lasted only a moment. The texture was immediately pressed down as if nothing had happened, and I felt a sense of relief... no, just a sense of relief. There was nothing else.

The cold water felt good on a hot summer day, and it would be a little harder to be noticed in the water than on land. Even so, the distance between people is much closer than on land. If someone touched me, they would definitely notice something was wrong, so in that sense, it was much riskier than on land.

Even in swimming lessons, once I was in the water, there were no problems for 'me'. After somehow getting through it, Chloe called out to me a little early.

"Well, I've reached my limit... I'll change first."

"Oh, right."

There was no way she could maintain this magic in her non-transformed state after moving around for an hour. She must have been incredibly tired, and I'm truly grateful to her for understanding my request.

"Sensei, I'm not feeling very well, so I'll excuse myself now."

"Ah, sorry, Hoshino... could you accompany her?"

"Yes, sensei. I understand!"

I led her to the changing room. It was while she was taking a cold, disinfecting shower away from the poolside that this happened.

"I'll conserve energy a little."

"What do you mean by conserve energy... ahh♡"

Suddenly, my 'navy blue swimsuit' skin tone changed to a healthy skin complexion. If someone saw me naked like this... there would be no way to explain it. 

The changing room was 50 meters away; all I could do was pray that no one... no one would come.

"If someone... If someone comes...♡"

"It'll be alright, I'll take responsibility if that happens."

"Ah, okay...♡"

Nothing is okay!

But I couldn't force Chloe, who looked so distressed, to keep doing it.

Each step, each subsequent step, felt incredibly long. Chloe and I walked across the ground, which was slowly heating up. The urge to look behind me, as if someone were watching us, reared their head... but if someone were watching, it would be the end of the line anyway.

And just as we was about to reach for the changing room door—that's when it happened.

"I thought it wouldn't be right to let the students go alone when they're sick..."

"...Ah..."

It's over!

The voice I heard from behind... there's no way I could have mistaken it. It was unmistakably... the teacher's voice.

There's no way to hide it now.

Ah, it seems that when you're in a hopeless situation, your thoughts become surprisingly calm. All sorts of things flashed through my mind like a kaleidoscope.

"Ah...♡"

I collapsed onto the ground. Normally, I wouldn't make such a spectacle of myself... but since I wasn't wearing anything, it was too late.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm sorry ♡

"What happened to Hoshino? Isn't she with you?"

"Huh?"

"She's already gone into the changing room. You don't need to accompany us... Sensei, please return to class?"

"Ah, okay... If you start feeling unwell, call someone around you."

Why?

It's as if the teacher couldn't see me? 

My confused mind couldn't think straight. I continued to stare at the teacher's back as she walked away.

"W-why...?"

"It's much easier to make someone disappear than to put a school swimsuit on them."

"Ah... ah..."

Hearing her say that, I finally understood the situation.

Teacher must have literally not seen me.

A mix of emotions swirled within me, making it difficult to organize my thoughts. It seems my life, which I thought was finally over, isn't over yet.

"There is no way I would ever show Shizuku's body to anyone else, would I?"

"Y-yes..."

Chloe's voice whispering in my ear reassured me, and tears flowed uncontrollably.

I didn't know what emotion was causing these tears. But the fact that I couldn't stop them was proof that I had exceeded my emotional capacity.

"Come on, can you stand?"

"My... my heart... it's slipped out...I can't stand..."

"...It can't be helped."

Supported by her, we finally reached the changing room. It felt like an incredibly long journey to get here. I was so relieved that I didn't feel like doing anything. Even moving my body felt incredibly difficult; I couldn't put any strength into my fingertips or feet.

This was probably the first time in my life I'd felt so cornered.

And so, with a soft, fragrant towel... I let her dry my body.

I knew I couldn't get dressed while soaking wet, but being wiped by a classmate, almost like being cared for, gave me an indescribable feeling.

And with my heightened senses... I could even feel each individual fiber of the towel caressing my skin.　

"Hey, wipe me a little more gently... I'm sensitive!"

"Like this...?"

This time, her touch was so gentle it was almost imperceptible, caressing my sensitive body. The feeling of being teased made my brain feel like it was going to explode.　

"Ah, too gentle ♡ It's like a caress ♡"

"What do you want me to do...?"　

Finally, she settled into a comfortable pressure. With hands that touched me in a vague, almost hesitant way, I surrendered my body to her care, letting her do as she pleased... like a puppy after a shower, being dried off.

"Ah, ahh... ahh..."

"Hehe, what a cute expression... Shizuku."

And so, I somehow managed to get through swimming class... but needless to say, I became very sensitive to people's stares for a while. I could feel my body being trained little by little, but surely.

The Lust Mark, the collar, the habit of losing... and now this incident.

I somehow felt that I was walking down a path of no return.

I'm sure I can't turn back now, and I was starting to think that it was okay.