The silence hung heavy, broken only by Alain's question. "Sound? What sound? I didn't hear anything."
Mita, the girl across from him, seed genuinely oblivious to the rhythmic "thump, thump" that had caught Alain's attention. Her denial was utterly convincing.
But Alain had heard it. Clearly.
"I'm going to check it out," he declared.
As he spoke, a subtle chill seed to emanate from the room, or perhaps from Mita herself. He caught it in his peripheral vision – her gaze dropping, the earlier smile replaced by a wintry coldness. She seed lost in thought, her head bowed.
He moved slowly towards the wardrobe. As he'd suspected, the closer he got, the more distinct the "thump, thump" beca. It sounded almost playful, like a child hiding and trying to get his attention.
"What... is behind there?" he muttered, more to himself than to Mita.
He reached for the wardrobe handle, his fingers brushing the cool tal, ready to pull it open. But a hand – Mita's – shot out, stopping him.
"What are you doing?!"
She stood protectively in front of the wardrobe, her dark blue hair swaying, her face a mask of panic. Her expression was so distraught, she looked as if she might burst into tears at any mont.
Alain frowned, his voice hardening. "What's inside?"
"Inside... are my undergarnts."
"I want to see."
Mita avoided his direct gaze, her eyes flitting nervously to the side. Alain's blunt demand, however, left her speechless.
"...Huh?" She lifted her head, confusion clouding her features, as if she couldn't have possibly heard him correctly. She stared into his clear, black and white eyes.
Alain's gaze was unwavering, almost impossible to refuse. Ignoring the content of his words, he projected the aura of a seasoned warrior, accustod to command.
"You... what did you just say?"
"...I want to see."
The words had slipped out before Alain could even process them. He imdiately regretted it. His "occupational disease," as he thought of it – that ingrained need to investigate, to uncover the truth – had kicked in at the worst possible mont. This wasn't a life-or-death situation, was it?
But the words were out. Spilled milk. No taking them back. And, if he was honest with himself, a part of him did want to see.
"No, no, no way..." Mita's voice was softer now, almost pleading. The rigid stance she'd taken in front of the wardrobe seed to crumble, leaving her looking vulnerable.
The internal safety indicator he ntally tracked ticked upward: [25% → 30%]. Another small victory against... whatever it was he was fighting. He used this small internal triumph to soothe his rising guilt.
"I want to see," he repeated, forcing himself to follow through.
He pressed closer, his hand reaching for the wardrobe again. Mita's pink lips trembled. She seed to be wrestling with so internal dilemma. He imagined she was regretting her choice of "underwear" – sothing so ripe with potential implications – as her excuse.
"...I understand."
His hand, inches from the wardrobe, froze. He looked at Mita, a question in his eyes. Was she really going to let him look?
"But—"
Her tone shifted abruptly. She grabbed his arm, pulling him, almost dragging him, towards the nearby dressing table.
"But... the underwear inside, um... they're all quite childish, really nothing special..."
Was this a delaying tactic? Alain wondered. But then, her next words startled him.
"So..." Mita's cheeks blood with a delicate blush. Her hands, trembling slightly, moved to the hem of her clothes.
"Um... I, I... I, I'm... what's it called... confident in this one I'm wearing!" She squeezed her eyes shut, as if she couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth. "Very confident!"
Alain felt a wave of disorientation. He was, after all, in a young woman's private room. And this young woman was, in a sowhat unconventional way, soone he could consider a long-term partner.
Legally, even.
And this girl had just announced she was going to show him sothing incredibly personal?
Normally, Alain would have refused such an offer. He prided himself on being a gentleman. But his usually lightning-fast reflexes seed to have slowed to a crawl. His gaze was locked on Mita's hands.
The girl at the center of his vision, her slender arms trembling, her breathing soft and shallow, and then—
Whoosh
She lifted her clothes with a sudden, swift motion, then just as quickly, pulled them back down. A sigh of relief escaped her lips.
"Phew... is that okay now?"
Mita wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead. One look at Alain's blank, almost deadpan expression, his eyelids slightly drooping, told her the answer.
"Not... okay?"
"No. Well, in a way, it is." Alain sighed, choosing not to push the issue, and also silently berating himself for his youthful impulsiveness.
He had seen sothing, however fleetingly. And that brief glimpse was already seared into his mory. A pure white flower, its petals embracing a hidden center, the delicate curve hinting at the fullness beneath.
Mita, he realized, was the type who appeared slender when clothed.
He reached for the wardrobe again.
"Wait a minute!"
The girl, her face still flushed, once again blocked his path. But this ti, the blush wasn't from embarrassnt, but from indignation at his perceived betrayal.
"D-didn't I just show you? Why are you looking again?!"
"...I said I wanted to see the underwear inside."
As adorable as Mita's actions were, and as flawless as her appearance might be, Alain hadn't forgotten that she was, in his estimation, dangerous. A woman who seemingly wanted to trap him, in so bizarre way.
It always paid to be thorough.
And Mita's patience finally snapped. Her eyes turned dark, and a shadow seed to pass over her smooth, almost porcelain skin.
"Why do you have to see? Can't you trust ? Or... did I do sothing to make you doubt ?"
Alain knew he'd struck a nerve. But he didn't panic. He'd learned one crucial lesson from past relationships, particularly during a rather turbulent period with an ex-girlfriend:
Never let the woman control the narrative.
"Mita. You said you liked , right?"
"?" The sudden shift in topic caught her off guard. She blinked, then nodded.
"Yes."
"Is it true?"
"It's true..." Her voice was weaker now, sensing the storm brewing in Alain's eyes.
"Then, what's inside?"
"I already told you, underwear..."
"Is it really underwear?"
"...Huh?"
Alain took a step forward, reaching for the wardrobe. As expected, Mita blocked him. But this ti, his expression was one of utter disillusionnt.
"What exactly are you hiding that you can't show ?"
"I just want to be with you. Always, always... forever."
"Heh." Alain let out a cynical laugh, eting Mita's eyes with a look of wounded betrayal.
"Is there soone else hidden inside?"
Mita's face darkened. Her hand lifted slightly, as if she were about to snap her fingers, though to what end, Alain couldn't guess.
"Is it an affair?"
_____
Hey there! I'm Wallnut-chan! 🌸 I'm translating this fanfic and restoring so 18 scenes that were cut from the original work—since explicit content isn't allowed in China. I went through everything carefully and reinserted the scenes while staying true to the story! Hope you enjoy it!
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I put a lot of love into these translations and plan to add even more over ti! Let's aim for the top of the site! Who knows... maybe I'll go crazy and drop even more chapters! 🚀🔥
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