It’s not like I’m some kind of defeatist. Every time I face off against Komaki, I fully intend to win, and when I lose, it stings.
This time, especially, my midterm results were the best they’d ever been. Victory felt like a sure thing. That’s what made the disappointment so crushing.
At the same time, I was itching to deliver a solid smack to my past self for ever agreeing to wager something as utterly non-negotiable as my dignity.
“…Umezono.”
My hand hovered over the buttons of my pajamas, frozen in place.
Komaki was sprawled on my bed like she owned the place, watching me with amusement. In her eyes, I saw not just curiosity and a hint of cruelty, but something else I couldn’t quite decipher.
Incomprehensible, I suppose. But more than that, shame and resentment were bubbling up inside me. As always, being around Komaki filled my heart with nothing but anger. However, ever since losing that midterm, a layer of humiliation had been added to the mix.
“Hurry up and get dressed. Breakfast will get cold, you know.”
The way she said “breakfast” was almost cute. But her smirking expression was anything but, bordering on infuriating. Objectively, her face was undeniably beautiful, yet it just rubbed me the wrong way. The human heart is a strange thing, I swear.
“I’ll get dressed when Umezono leaves the room.”
I called Komaki by her last name. It was a small act of defiance, a manifestation of my hostility towards her.
“I’m not leaving. …Just so you understand your current position, you have no right to refuse me, and frankly, no human rights at all right now.”
My eyes widened at her statement, which seemed to disregard the very concept of a constitutional state. Maybe she should take a look at the articles of the constitution? But then again, the laws that governed Komaki probably superseded something as trivial as that.
“If you don’t like it, hurry up and challenge me. If you don’t, things will stay this way.”
In the end, three days had passed since that kiss, and I still hadn’t been able to challenge her to another contest.
It wasn’t that I’d given up. But she was a superhuman being, perfect in every way except her personality, so any poorly thought-out challenge would undoubtedly end in my defeat.
However, if I kept postponing, my dignity would continue to be chipped away at, bit by excruciating bit, just like this morning. It wasn’t like being seen changing by another girl was inherently shameful. But when that girl was Komaki, it was a whole different story.
Her gaze was unsettling. Not in a sexual way, but just… unsettling. Receiving a look that seemed to ooze malice made my skin crawl and left me restless.
Besides, being stared at intently without so much as a blink would make anyone uncomfortable, Komaki or not. My body wasn’t some museum piece; it wasn’t exactly a thrilling sight, so I wished she’d just cut it out.
“Haaah…”
I let out a small sigh and resumed getting dressed. The more I thought about how much I hated it, the more I did. These kinds of things were best dealt with by ignoring your surroundings and maintaining a calm demeanor, allowing your heart to naturally find its equilibrium.
I started unbuttoning my pajamas, humming a tuneless melody.
“Off-key.”
“Shut up.”
Even as I turned away to change, Komaki’s breathing and voice still invaded my ears. It made me self-conscious, amplifying my embarrassment.
Keep calm, keep calm.
“You’re so small.”
What in the actual heck? I felt the urge to lash out, but I knew that reacting here would be a loss, so I continued getting dressed.
“Your height hasn’t changed since middle school… And neither has this.”
Her lukewarm hand touched my back. No, not my back, but the clasp of my bra. I felt the distinct sensation of her hand reaching around to the front, and I leaped away.
What was that? What in the world? Between demanding a kiss the other day and this, what exactly did Komaki want from me? What was she trying to do?
I glared at her as I quickly threw on my uniform, retreating towards the door.
“If you keep giving me such a sassy attitude, I might have to start thinking of some countermeasures, you know.”
What countermeasures? I didn’t dare ask. Whatever she was thinking, it definitely wouldn’t be anything good.
I hated Komaki, and Komaki hated me. But because we had this ridiculously long history, I could usually figure out what she was plotting. Especially the nasty stuff.
“I’ve decided on the next challenge.”
“Hmm?”
Komaki, who had been slowly inching closer, tilted her head. She was so much taller than me, it was genuinely intimidating.
Model-like, you could say. Not just tall, but with long, slender limbs that looked like they could easily imprison someone my size. So, to keep her at bay, I proposed a challenge I wasn’t even sure I could win.
“Singing! A karaoke scoring contest. Whoever gets the higher score wins! What do you say?!”
I puffed out my chest with forced confidence. Komaki’s gaze flickered towards my chest for a split second before she snorted with laughter.
Hey! What was that supposed to mean?!
“Fine by me. But you haven’t forgotten our agreement, have you? …Every time you lose, Wakaba, you have to give me one of your precious things.”
If I didn’t challenge her, she might just take everything precious from me, not just one thing at a time. But if I lost the challenge, I’d still be losing my precious things bit by bit.
And if I tried to run away from her, my place in the narrow world of our school would disappear.
No matter how I looked at it, I was a rat in a trap. Maybe I was already in checkmate. But still.
I couldn’t afford to be weak. Everyone had their flaws. I was betting on Komaki being tone-deaf when I issued this challenge.
“You haven’t forgotten either, have you? If I win, you’re giving me back my dignity!”
“Of course. If you win.”
Not to brag, but I was a good singer. Komaki always called me terrible, but when I went to karaoke with my friends, I could easily score over 90. So, I should be able to beat Komaki.
