Transition and Restart

Book three: Chapter two, 2016, school festival, madness beginning

"Security patrol. Anyone not showering evacuate now!" After delivering that lie Urufu beckoned for Yukio to follow him inside.

Yukio didn't see how he could avoid the inevitable, and in the end he meekly obeyed.

***

Leaving Yukio like that made her unhappy, but after a second serving of Kuri-chan's dark stare Kyoko didn't dare anything more than returning his wave before she sneaked inside the locker room.

"Ko-chan, where did you go yesterday evening?" Kuri-chan's voice was all sugary and Kyoko didn't believe one iota of it.

Kyoko sat down on a bench and rested her back against a locker door. Slowly she began to undress. A fresh pair of stockings and panties wouldn't hurt, and that shower looked more and more like a splendid idea now when she had dragged her tired body here.

"Ko-chan?"

"Shower first, chit chat later." Kyoko answered. She was surprised how irritated her own voice sounded. It did the job though, and with a towel over her shoulder she went for the closest shower stand. Kuri-chan stayed silent.

While a morning shower at school just couldn't compare to home Kyoko still enjoyed it. Stiff limbs softened and she purred with satisfaction at the luxury of shampoo in her hair.

One of her peculiarities she guessed, but she just couldn't help it. Lathing herself with shampoo had always been a time of bliss for her. Maybe because she could pretend to be both blind and deaf without her parents yelling at her for it.

This time it was Kuri-chan who couldn't yell at her, because that was what was waiting, even though Kyoko really couldn't understand why she was going to be yelled at.

Dragging out the shower turned out to be possible for so long and no more, and reluctantly Kyoko turned the shower off and towelled herself down.

In the early morning hours the locker room quickly cooled down despite a cloud of steam promising lingering heat, and she soon found herself putting on her clothes scrutinised by Kuri-chan.

"Where were you last night?" Kuri-chan asked when Kyoko had donned panties and bra and was zipping up her skirt.

Kyoko waited until she started buttoning up her blouse before answering. "Rooftop," she admitted, "with Yukio." Because that was the real question, wasn't it?

Kuri-chan stayed silent, dug through her school bag and handed over a few plastic packages. "It's time you started thinking about these," she said. "I hope it's not too late."

Kyoko blushed red. She felt the rubbery contents through the plastic cover. "We didn't." She met Kuri-chan's gaze. "We didn't do it."

Her friend let out a long sigh. Of anger or relief Kyoko didn't know. Then she felt the hands of her friend on her shoulders.

"Be more careful next time. He's a guy, with the needs of a guy. Sooner or later you'll share your bodies with each other, or you'll break up."

Break up? Does he hate me?

Those blue eyes met hers. "He's interested, but he'll respect you for some time more, but eventually those needs will become too great." Kuri-chan took a deep breath before she continued. "Maybe your needs will be stronger than his, but sooner or later you'll have to trust each other enough. OK?"

Fear still dominated Kyoko's thoughts. "Do you think he dislikes me now?" she finally asked when she was done pulling her stockings to her knees.

The look she got in return was one of utter contempt. "Do you really see Ulf's best friend as that shallow?" For a moment anger flared to life in Kuri-chan's eyes. "Do you think the man I love would chose his friends so easily?"