“Let’s get this over with quickly!” Liang Sheng, lying on the bed with a face mask matching the color of her hair, squeezed these words out through it.
Akino Kazuko asked, “How do you plan to do it?”
Liang Sheng patted her cheeks. “Guess.”
“Don’t beat around the bush. Spit it out or—”
“Shut your mouth, you foul-mouthed woman!” Liang Sheng tore off the face mask and dashed to the mirror. She leaned in close, inspecting her beautiful face.
Suddenly, she spun around, propped herself against the mirror, and struck a seductive pose for her personal system. “Hello~ my sweet Qiuqiu He-chan~ Am I~” Liang Sheng tossed her hair in an exaggeratedly sultry way, “~beautiful?”
Akino Kazuko shivered, goosebumps rising all over her skin. “What’s wrong with you? Do you have a fever? Or did something scramble your brain?”
“Tch~” Liang Sheng rolled her eyes and turned back to the mirror to admire her gorgeous features. “Tsk tsk, I’m so pretty, Liang Sheng.”
“And then? You planning to use the beauty trap?” Akino Kazuko asked, half-sarcastic, half-joking.
To her surprise, Liang Sheng clapped a hand over her mouth in mock shock. “Oh my god! My adorable system, when did you get so smart?”
Akino Kazuko was dumbfounded. Ignoring the teasing remark, she pressed on. “Wait, you’re not serious, are you? You actually want to seduce those women?”
Liang Sheng ran her fingers through her hair. “Something like that. There are still a few girls whose favorability hasn’t hit two hundred yet, but they’re close. I need to step it up before Su Ze pulls some stunt.”
Smack! Akino Kazuko covered her face. “Even so, you don’t have to go that far and lose your virginity…”
“Who said anything about selling my body?” Liang Sheng burst out laughing and set down her comb. “Just some kissing, hugging, and picking them up for fun. Besides, even if we ended up in bed, I could still guarantee my first time would be intact. After all, us girls don’t have that thing.”
“How do you know they won’t use, use…” Akino Kazuko trailed off, her own face turning red.
“Hahaha, Kazuko, you’re such a perv~ Where’d you learn that?”
“From your phone browser bookmarks.”
Liang Sheng: “…?”
“You bitch, aren’t you supposed to be unable to touch anything!?” Liang Sheng flew into a rage, grabbing Akino Kazuko by the collar as her mood turned aggressively heated.
Akino Kazuko had let it slip. She averted her eyes guiltily. “I-I can touch things that you frequently handle.”
“No wonder! No wonder every time I rewatch those videos, the progress bar is always at the end. It was you all along!” Liang Sheng’s face twisted in fury.
Akino Kazuko started to sweat. “Stop, stop, stop! Shouldn’t we be focusing on your seduction plan right now? How did we veer off into this improper territory!”
“You knew that much!” Liang Sheng released her collar, huffed in annoyance, snatched up her phone, and changed the password.
“I just didn’t expect a lesbian like you to be watching straight stuff.” Akino Kazuko couldn’t resist poking the bear one more time.
Liang Sheng sneered. “Someone like me, immune to all poisons? I’d watch gay porn too! Nothing’s off-limits for me!”
“Not bad at all!” Akino Kazuko gave her a thumbs-up.
“So, care to explain your plan now?”
Liang Sheng fiddled idly with her nails. “No real plan. Just get close to them, go on some dates. Women understand women best, after all. I can figure out exactly what they want, what they crave, what sweet nothings they need to hear.”
“That sounds pretty Sea King of you…” Akino Kazuko muttered under her breath.
“Even if I turn into a Sea King, it’s all your fault for pushing me!” Liang Sheng griped as she unlocked her phone and started scrolling. “Let’s see, which cutie hasn’t reached two hundred yet? Who should I ask out~”
Her finger paused. Liang Sheng’s gaze locked on the two words “An Hua.” Of them all, the easiest to conquer was the masochist An Hua, who craved both physical and verbal thrills.
“Mm! Her it is!” Liang Sheng flopped back onto the bed and began typing out a message.
“Senior Sister An Hua, the holiday wasn’t enough fun. How about we hang out together tomorrow?”
Meanwhile, An Hua, who had been diligently working on her homework, heard the special message tone she’d set for someone important. She snatched up her phone at once.
Her lips curved into a smile at the sight of the text, the numbness fading from her face. But then her mouth drooped again, and she glanced slowly toward the door.
Would her father let her go out again? An Hua’s heart pounded anxiously. Her grip tightened unconsciously on the phone.
Better to refuse. She didn’t want to get scolded… An Hua pursed her lips, furrowed her brow, and tapped on Liang Sheng’s profile picture. It showed a cute cartoon little pig. She backed out, then glanced once more at the invitation.
Mm! An Hua took a deep breath, her heart thumping wildly. Moving awkwardly as if her limbs weren’t cooperating, she left her room and approached her father’s door.
Her hand rose slowly, hesitated for a moment. Finally, An Hua squeezed her eyes shut.
Knock knock knock! After that sound, An Hua felt a wave of relief wash over her.
“Come in.”
Just that one cold word.
An Hua steeled herself and stepped inside. There sat her father, facing the computer as he reviewed some documents.
“Dad…” An Hua hesitated, her back slightly bowed in a posture of deep humility.
He didn’t even look up, his fingers flying across the keyboard. “What is it? Speak.”
An Hua drew in another deep breath. “Dad, I’ve mentioned Liang Sheng to you before, right? She’s invited me to her place to study last year’s math competition problems together. Can I go?”
For the first time, An Hua—who had always been too afraid to defy her father, silently enduring every unreasonable demand he made—chose to lie.
Her father paused noticeably this time. After a few seconds, he replied, “Go ahead. Liang Sheng’s a good kid. Study hard with her.”
Yes!
An Hua fought to keep her joy in check, maintaining a calm and composed expression as she turned, closed her father’s door behind her.
The instant it clicked shut, An Hua broke into a radiant smile unlike any she’d shown before. She nearly jumped for joy right there.
Yes! Yes! The usually stern and aloof An Hua spun in circles as she walked, bouncing and skipping back to her room before flopping onto the bed. She hugged her blanket and giggled foolishly.
“Sure, Liang Sheng. Can I come over to your place?” An Hua replied to the message.
Over on Liang Sheng’s end, she waited and waited for a response that never came. She was starting to think An Hua would turn her down.
Ding dong~
“Ah!” Liang Sheng grabbed her phone.
“Yes! Kazuko, Senior Sister An Hua says she’s coming to my place!” Liang Sheng leaped to her feet and looked around the room. “Hmm, no atmosphere here. Maybe I should…”
