Chapter 15: Immoral RPG

♠♠♠

Tachibana-san is soaking in the bathtub right now. In my house’s bath, of all places.

How did this happen?

After Tachibana-san slapped me, my mom came home. Seeing Tachibana-san, she said:

“Why don’t you stay for dinner?”

Then my sister chimed in:

“Tachibana-san, spend the night! Let’s hang out!”

Surprisingly, Tachibana-san nodded and quickly called home. Even with a curfew, staying at a friend’s house is fine—a common loophole. Naturally, I was positioned as a “girl friend.”

And so, Tachibana-san ended up staying over at the Kirishima household, now using our bath.

It’s a strange situation. Downright surreal.

To think Tachibana-san is under the same roof—

I’m in the living room, tucked into the kotatsu. Late autumn in a kotatsu has its own charm.

“We’re gonna stay up all night talking and playing!”

My sister says this while setting up the console.

Mom’s humming cheerfully in the kitchen.

Dinner was made with Mom teaching Tachibana-san how to cook.

“I’ve always wanted to do this with my son’s girlfriend. My dream’s come true—thanks!”

Next to her, Tachibana-san was peeling taro, looking a bit shy.

“Next time, let’s go shopping together.”

“Sure……”

Tachibana-san’s response seemed a little complicated. She feels guilty about being a temporary girlfriend. But she looked like she wanted to go.

“We’ve gotta do something about Shirou’s clothes. You can’t look cool on dates with him dressed like that, right?”

“True. He could stand to be a bit more polished.”

“He’s got no sense of style, none!”

“Shirou-kun’s the type who thinks not being fashionable is fashionable—a contrarian.”

They had a blast talking, using me as the punching bag.

Mom doesn’t know about Hayasaka-san, so she’s carefree.

My sister, though, has met both and fully grasps the situation.

“Sis.”

I call out to her as she busily sets up the game.

“What do you think of Tachibana-san and Hayasaka-san?”

“They’re both too good for you, Onii-chan.”

“Any preference for which one you’d want as my girlfriend?”

“Ugh, you can’t choose, so you’re trying to make your sister pick? Scum! The worst kind of guy!”

Still, being the caring sister she is, she hums and thinks it over.

“I can’t choose. If anything, I want both as my big sisters-in-law.”

“Greedy. And you’re definitely my sister.”

As we talk, a freshly bathed, dewy Tachibana-san returns to the room.

She’s wearing my tracksuit. Her long limbs didn’t fit Mom’s or my sister’s clothes.

“Tachibana-san, let’s play!”

“Okay.”

She glances at me briefly but quickly looks away. She hasn’t spoken to me since the slap. She’s seriously mad.

“Onii-chan, you’re in the way. Move, move!”

At her words, I relinquish the kotatsu and retreat to my room.

Lying on my bed, I read an unfinished foreign mystery novel. It’s turned into a typical night. Even with Tachibana-san under the same roof, Mom and my sister have completely stolen her. Well, considering what I was doing earlier, I can’t complain.

Flipping pages, I get sleepy. Dozing off, I’m woken by a knock on the door.

“Come in.”

It’s Tachibana-san.

“Weren’t you playing with my sister?”

“She’s in the bath now.”

She stands there, looking like she wants to say something but also a bit sulky.

“What’s up?”

“Nothing……”

She says, bringing her shoulder to her nose and inhaling softly.

“No, my tracksuit doesn’t smell like me. Just fabric softener.”

“You’re as boring as ever, Shirou-kun.”

Saying that, she reaches for the brown paper bag on the table.

The condoms Hayasaka-san left behind.

“How do you use these?”

She starts searching on her phone—how to use them, what they’re for. Naturally, she begins looking up the act itself. Another step up the adult ladder for this love rookie.

She must’ve tried to watch a video to see what it’s like.

A woman’s moans leak from her phone.

For a while, Tachibana-san stares at the screen, transfixed.

“Tachibana-san, your nose is bleeding.”

“……Yeah.”

She ends up watching the whole thing, start to finish.

Steaming, she says:

“I knew there was stuff beyond kissing, but……”

“Even intense shoujo manga has those kinds of scenes.”

“I only read cute ones!”

Her face red, she raises her voice, a rare occurrence.

“Unbelievable…… you were about to do this with Hayasaka-san……”

“Well.”

“Hayasaka-san bragged to me once. About doing intimate stuff with you.”

“We didn’t go all the way…… today or ever……”

Tachibana-san keeps watching sketchy videos. Standing, she flicks through them, eyes spinning, feet fidgeting.

“Th-The other day, during that advanced game when we hugged, and I lifted my hips…… it w-wasn’t because I was thinking of this! It just happened!”

“That’s, well, as far as I’m concerned—”

Before I finish, she hurls her phone at me.

Better not dwell on that topic.

“Th-This…… it’s for adults, right?”

She’s visibly shaken.

“I love you, Shirou-kun, but this…… I’m not ready for it yet……”

“That’s fine.”

“It’s not fine. I’m too embarrassed to do it, but you’re planning to with Hayasaka-san, right? That makes me…… sorry, I can’t explain this feeling.”

She furrows her brow, deep in thought.

“I don’t want to admit I have these kinds of feelings.”

She puts the condoms back in the bag. After a deep breath—

“Hey, Shirou-kun, you know what?”

“What?”

“Let’s enter the Best Couple Contest at the festival’s closing ceremony.”

“Where’d that come from?”

That was settled with a game from the love notebook before.

Sorry. she says.

“I want a memory of us properly dating.”

“Tachibana-san……”

“I want to be selfish.”

“But no matter how you slice it, us entering the couple contest is a bad idea.”

“It’s fine if it’s a prize for the escape game. It’s part of the event, I’ll be in a ghost costume, and it’ll just be a laugh.”

Will it, though?

Even if it’s a festival, won’t Yanagi-senpai and Hayasaka-san feel something?

“Just once, I want to openly be your girlfriend. On the festival stage, acting as your lover would be amazing. With that memory, I feel like I could handle you doing…… that indecent stuff with Hayasaka-san.”

“Still……”

It’s decided. she says.

“I’ll be the prize. If you don’t come, I’ll enter with some random guy. You okay with that?”

“No, but……”

I get her wanting a proper couple memory, even just once.

The festival stage would be memorable. But it’d break Hayasaka-san, and even Yanagi-senpai wouldn’t be able to brush it off.

“Alright, Tachibana-san. If you’re that set on it—”

I pull a notebook from my desk drawer.

The forbidden love notebook, packed with games to bring couples closer.

“Let’s settle it with a game again. If I win, you give up on the contest. If you win, I’ll enter with you.”

Hearing this, she puts a hand to her chin, thinks, then says, “Fine.”

“If I win, you’re absolutely standing on that stage with me.”

“Got it.”

“So, what game?”

I flip through the pages, picking one.

“How about this? Immoral RPG.”

Naturally, it’s not the RPG most people think of.

Tachibana-san scans the notebook and says, “This works.”

“Direct stuff is…… embarrassing, but if it’s a game, I can use it as an excuse……”

Isn’t this less a competition and more just an excuse to flirt?

Either way—

“Shall we give it a try?”

“Let’s do it.”

Immoral Role-Playing Game.

That’s how it went.

♠♠♠

RPG stands for Role-Playing Game—acting out roles for fun.

The RPGs most people think of involve controlling a hero in a fantasy world, which is why they’re called that. Now—

The “Immoral RPG” in the love notebook is, as the name suggests, a game where two people play roles. Essentially, it’s pretend play.

Butler and lady, maid and master are options, but the key is that the more immoral the roles, the more exciting it gets, according to the notebook.

“If you get embarrassed and break character, you lose.”

“Snapping out of it during pretend play kills the vibe.”

If I’m the butler and Tachibana-san’s the lady, but I call her “Tachibana-san” instead of “Ojou-sama,” I’m out.

“So, what roles?”

Butler or maid would be easy since they’re familiar, but that might not settle the contest.

“Immoral roles are better, right?”

“Yeah, but—”

We toss around ideas: CEO and secretary, boy and older sister, coach and athlete, queen and spy……

None feel quite right. What to do? Then—

Tachibana-san’s gaze lands on the desk. There’s a dog collar, bought for when our Shiba Inu, Hikari, got bigger, for walks.

“Tachibana-san, no way……”

“It’s decided.”

Let’s do it, she says.

“Dog and owner.”

I swallow hard.

Tachibana-san’s a genius. This is gonna be wild—I can feel it.

“So…… who’s the dog?”

“Me.”

“No, that’s too much, I’d feel bad.”

“Last time, I made you lick my feet, Shirou-kun. This time, I’ll be the dog.”

Saying the tracksuit doesn’t set the mood, she leaves the room.

When she returns, Tachibana-san’s in her school uniform.

What kind of mood? Well, it’s that kind of thing.

Tachibana-san puts on the collar herself, and I attach the leash.

A high school girl with a collar, led by a leash—an outrageous scene takes shape.

“Shall we try it lightly to start?”

“Yeah, let’s keep it easy.”

Hesitantly, I tug the leash and walk around the room. Tachibana-san crawls on all fours, following like a dog. I feel like I’m awakening to something.

Her slightly shy expression is pretty great too.

Next, I sit on the bed and say:

“Sit.”

But Tachibana-san, still on all fours, snorts and turns away.

“Tachibana-san?”

Without responding, she pounces from that position. As I fall back onto the bed, she straddles me, pressing my cheeks with her curled-up hands like dog paws.

“H-Hey!”

“I’m a naughty puppy.”

She keeps pushing. It’s like a kid crying, overwhelmed by a big dog’s affection.

“Behave!”

“No way.”

Saying that, she bites my neck.

Right where Hayasaka-san left her hickey.

“Owowowowow!”

It’s not a playful nip. It’s serious—blood seeps, and teeth marks stay.

“You’re a bad puppy!”

That’s right, she says.

“I’m a naughty puppy, so you need to spank me, scold me, train me. Then I’ll be an obedient puppy who listens to everything her master says.”

Her eyes are somehow wistful, expectant.

I get it. We’re on the line now—the line where our relationship becomes a real master and dog.

“If you don’t train me soon, I’ll turn into a spoiled, bitey puppy.”

She goes for my neck again.

So, reluctantly, unavoidably—I finally cross that line.

“Hey!”

I spank her. Her body trembles faintly.

“Wan!”

She lets out a sultry bark.

Still sniffing at my neck, aiming to bite, I spank her again.

“Wan!”

She barks again, her cheeks flushing.

“Hikari-dog wants to erase Hayasaka-dog’s scent, huh?”

“Wan! Wan!”

“I get how you feel, but you can’t hurt your master.”

To train her properly, I spank her again. She barks seductively. Her voice makes me feel weird, so I spank her once more. She barks again, her voice tinged with delight.

Tachibana-san’s no longer a high school girl. She’s a naughty puppy.

So I spank her repeatedly. Each time, her cheeks redden, her breathing grows heavier. Her “wan” barks start sounding like “ah” or “aahn,” sweet sighs—must be my imagination.

And then—

“Kyun.”

The trained Tachibana-san starts licking the spot on my neck she bit.

“You also slapped your master’s cheek, didn’t you? That’s a no-no too.”

“Kyun, kyun.”

As if apologizing, she licks the cut on my lip from her slap.

“Sorry for spanking you so much.”

I hug her and say:

“Don’t be naughty anymore.”

“Wan! Wan!”

In my arms, she trembles with joy, like wagging her tail.

Quite the adorable puppy, isn’t she?

“Good girl, you’re behaving now.”

I pat her head. She barks happily, “Wan, wan!” She’s really getting into the role. And, I know it’s wrong, but—it feels so good.

“Alright, shall we get serious now?”

“Wan!”

“Whoever breaks character loses.”

“Wan!”

And so begins the Immoral RPG of dog and master.

♠♠♠

We circle the room again. Hikari-dog follows obediently on all fours.

Sitting on a chair, I say:

“Sit.”

This time, Hikari-dog sits properly. She’s been trained well.

“Paw.”

She offers her curled right hand.

“Other paw.”

She offers her curled left hand.

“Roll over!”

Tachibana-san flops onto the floor, showing her belly. “Good, good, good!” I rub her belly and ruffle her hair. She barks happily.

“Wan wan!”

Sitting up, she licks my face. I lick her mouth back. Some animal lover got bitten doing this with a lion, but Hikari-dog’s no dumb lion. She’s an obedient, cute puppy who needs lots of love.

After licking and playing, I think:

“Hikari-dog, are you thirsty?”

“Wan!”

“Hang on.”

I go to the kitchen, ignoring Mom’s puzzled look, and pick a shallow dish for Hikari-dog to drink from, filling it with milk. Back in the room, Hikari-dog’s waiting in the same position.

“You stayed put because I said wait?”

“Wan!”

“Hikari-dog’s such a good puppy!”

“Wan wan!”

I set the dish down, and she starts lapping it up. I stroke her back. Her sleek limbs, glossy fur—Hikari-dog’s truly beautiful. I’m seized by an urge to make her even more mine.

She’s already so attached, yet I want her more.

I hug her.

“You’ve got milk all over your mouth.”

I lick it off. She happily licks me back. Driven by the urge to train her, I engage in full-body play, roughhousing. Occasionally, she lets out wistful barks.

But I can’t just pour my affection into her. Hikari-dog must have things she wants to do as a dog. So I say:

“Wanna go for a walk?”

“Wan!”

“Outside.”

She blushes, fidgets, then barks softly, “Wan.”

“I’m heading to the convenience store.”

I call out to Mom in the kitchen and sneak Hikari-dog outside. She walks on two legs now, but the collar and leash stay on.

“There’s a big park nearby. Shall we go?”

As we start, Hikari-dog sniffs and tries to go the opposite way. I tug the leash, but she keeps pulling.

“Acting naughty again, huh?”

I spank her. She becomes obedient, walking close beside me.

Her slight delight at being spanked must be my imagination.

“Good girl.”

I ruffle her neck, and she narrows her eyes, content.

A cute puppy in a school uniform, collared and leashed.

We walk along the main road at night.

It’s late, so there’s hardly anyone around. Cars pass occasionally.

No way I’d worry about being seen. I’m 100% a master, and Hikari-dog’s 100% a puppy. We’re just walking—a natural act. Nothing to be ashamed of.

Hikari-dog’s a bit quiet. She’s lively at home but shy outside. A homebody puppy.

Passing a drunk, she hides behind me.

“Such a cute thing.”

I pat her head, and she narrows her eyes happily, nudging for more. I pet her until she’s satisfied.

We reach the sports park.

It’s bustling with gyms and baseball fields during the day, but it’s empty at night. Just one runner jogs by.

We walk a wooded path to a grassy field, where I let her off the leash to crawl again.

“Wanna play fetch?”

“Wan!”

I toss a ball we brought from home underhand. Hikari-dog chases it as it rolls. But when she tries to pick it up, she tilts her head.

Hikari-dog, the burger-flattening type, has a small mouth. After hesitating, she nudges it back with her nose. Smart girl.

“Good, good, good!”

“Wan! Wan! Wan! Wan!”

I pet her all over, rewarding her with a baby chocolate. She deftly licks it off my palm.

I throw the ball, she brings it back. We repeat. It’s strange—Hikari-dog’s just a dog, but crawling and wagging her tail, she looks oddly alluring.

Thinking this, I throw the ball too far.

“Let’s go get it together.”

“Wan!”

We walk across the grass, deeper into the park. Finding the ball, I pick it up when voices reach us. A young couple is embracing on a bench. Noticing us, they awkwardly fix their tousled clothes.

Seeing us again, they gasp.

“Wait, is that pet play!?”

“It is! A collar…… and a school uniform……”

“Making a girl crawl like that, probably having her lick all sorts of places.”

“A friend of mine tried it—said it’s insanely thrilling. The urge to dominate and be dominated goes wild. The master wants to pour in affection, the dog craves submission. Gets intense.”

“You know a lot. You sure you haven’t done it?”

“No way! But…… wanna try?”

Saying that, the couple hurries off.

Pet play? Ugh, typical sleazy night-park couples.

I’m just walking my dog as a devoted owner, showering her with love. The timeless, beautiful bond between human and dog—not some crude “pet play.”

My relationship with Hikari-dog is pure master and puppy.

“What were those two going on about? And what were they doing here?”

“Wan wan!”

If this looks like a collared schoolgirl doing indecent things, that’s just the viewer’s dirty mind. Still—

“Hikari-dog, do you have any urge to be dominated?”

I ask. Just in case. If she has even a hint of that desire, like that couple mentioned, I’d have to fulfill it. That’s what a master does.

“…………Wan.”

She affirms, shyly.

“You want to be spanked, scolded, trained?”

“Wan.”

“You want to be completely at your master’s mercy?”

“Wan!”

“Can I do anything to you? Love you to bits?”

“Wan! Wan! Wan!”

“Roll over!”

Hikari-dog, cheeks flushed, rolls over, baring her belly. Her eyes are filled with some kind of expectation. She’s really at my mercy—you, you—

“You lewd dog!”

Overcome with that feeling, I pin Tachibana-san down, straddling her.

My head’s gone stupid. Is it a cute puppy utterly obedient to her master beneath me, or Tachibana-san with a collar? I can’t tell. The line’s blurry.

Driven by impulse, I pin Hikari-dog’s hands and slide my thigh between her legs.

She whimpers anxiously, but it’s just a pose—her racing heartbeat, pressed against me, betrays her excitement. Her eyes are unfocused; she’s lost to it too.

I start by roughly licking inside her mouth—teeth, deep inside. She writhes, breathless, but her expression is ecstatic, moaning as she breathes.

“Gotta train you properly.”

I repay what Hikari-dog’s done to me. Tongue in her ear, hickeys on her neck—all a bit rough. She resists slightly each time, but beneath her anguished expression, I can tell she’s delighted.

I want to do whatever I want with her, and she wants to be mine to do with. But I want her more mine, and she wants to be more mine.

Feeling that, I put a bit more pressure into the thigh between her legs and firmly hold her face.

“I’m gonna love you to pieces.”

“W-Wannnnn……”

“Dogs don’t wear clothes, do they?”

I undo her ribbon tie. Her breathing grows ragged. I unbutton her blouse. Her skin’s exposed, and I lick her pale, perfect collarbone. She barks wistfully, “Wan.” I keep unbuttoning, hiking up her skirt. Her white thighs show, and she twists shyly. But with my leg between hers, she can’t escape.

No camisole tonight—her light blue underwear and messed up state are stunning.

“Wan, wan.”

To hide her embarrassment or out of canine instinct, she starts licking me. Her tongue enters my mouth, passionately entwining with mine, sucking before moving to my neck. Remembering, she bites the hickey spot. She really doesn’t like Hayasaka-dog’s scent lingering. She growls low. So I—

“Be a good girl!”

She’s on her back, so I spank her hip. Instantly, her hips lift.

Because of that, her hips press against my leg between her thighs.

“W…… ah, aahn!”

She lets out an impossibly sweet moan.

“This is what happens if you’re not good.”

I spank her again.

“Ah, aahn!”

She presses her hips against my leg again, moaning sweetly, eyes unfocused.

She’s completely lost her reason.

Tachibana-san’s highly sensitive. Not just her heart or observation skills—her skin and senses are sharp too. A little spank makes her feel things most wouldn’t.

“Kyun, kyun.”

Even after I stop, she nibbles my neck, as if begging for more—

“Want more training?”

“……Wan.”

Shyly affirming, I spank her again. She lifts her hips, rubbing against my leg, moaning sweetly. Again and again, she rubs and moans, over and over.

Her uniform grows more disordered, her sweet barks turning into outright moans.

“Wan, wan…… N-No, Shirou-kun…… I’m feeling weird…… W-Wan, no……”

Her hips jolt.

What would happen if I directly touched that spot on this hypersensitive, ridiculously responsive Tachibana-san? Driven to see her like that, I reach for her underwear.

“Ah…… no…… don’t, Shirou-kun, that’s……”

Unable to bear it, she grabs my hand.

But her hips keep rhythmically pressing against my leg, like the spanking’s motion became a habit.

“Huh? No…… it’s not…… I don’t want to do stuff like in those videos, my body’s just…… moving on its own…… no…… why? Yah, ahh……”

I’ve stopped spanking, but her hips keep moving.

The intervals of her presses grow shorter. And then—

“No…… something’s coming…… Shirou-kun, don’t look, it’s embarrassing, no, I love you, Shirou-kun!”

With a piercing cry, she arches her back, trembling repeatedly.

Even in the dim light, I see her underwear darken with wetness.

It’s an overwhelmingly sensual sight. A disheveled, dog-like lady.

Out of breath, she collapses, limp.

“Shirou-kun, no more…… I can’t…… I’ll go crazy…… not yet……”

She says faintly, still gripping my hand.

“No, it’s not that…… I really want to be your obedient dog, loved to pieces, but this is still too embarrassing…… I’m not ready like Hayasaka-san…… I need to study more……”

“Your loss.”

“Huh?”

“You’ve been talking this whole time. You’re not acting like a dog.”

Breaking character means defeat. I win the Immoral RPG.

“………………Shirou-kun, that’s sneaky.”

Blushing, she pouts and looks away. Right, this was all just the Immoral RPG. We got a bit stupid, but none of it was serious. Really. Treating a girl like a dog and spanking her? Insane.

I try to cool off and return to normal. But—

“The game’s over, but……”

Still a bit sulky, Tachibana-san says:

“We can’t do anything too intense, but…… maybe we could kiss and hug a bit more? Nothing naughty.”

We’re still kids, only able to play in shallow waters.

But—

“It’s okay if you…… spank me a little.”

“Really?”

“……………………Wan.”

♠♠♠

Late at night, in bed, I think.

About “doing it” with a girl.

Some say do it before twenty, only with someone you love, that virgins are lame, or that sleeping around is immoral. Lots of perspectives.

Most see it as special, and I’m one of them.

Maybe as an adult, I’ll think lighter of it, but as a teen, it feels hugely significant.

It’s like the ultimate expression of love, or proof of being a couple.

When Hayasaka-san and I agreed to date as each other’s “second,” we set a kissing-only rule.

I think it’s because we both saw that act as deeply meaningful. But now, Hayasaka-san wants it—enough to skip school and buy condoms.

What would happen if I did it with her?

It feels like it’d bring massive changes to my emotions and relationships.

A huge shift. That scares me a bit.

What about doing it with Tachibana-san?

She’s the girl I love most. But my ties with Hayasaka-san and Yanagi-senpai complicate things, and the emotional changes afterward scare me too.

Thinking this, about to sleep, there’s a soft knock.

“Asleep?”

“No.”

Tachibana-san enters.

After the park, she’d been sleeping in my sister’s room but slipped out.

“Can I get in?”

“Sure.”

“Face the other way, Shirou-kun.”

She slips into bed, lying back-to-back with me.

“……Let’s not do games like that for a while.”

“We lose our heads too easily.”

“I don’t want to be that version of myself again. Forget tonight.”

Done with dog and master, we’re pretty reflective.

“I might’ve been competing with Hayasaka-san.”

She says.

“More than I expected, out of character.”

“That’s rare. You don’t usually care about others.”

“Because I saw that from the closet.”

“……Sorry.”

I realized, she says.

“I’m always second. Holding hands, kissing—Hayasaka-san did it all first.”

“That’s……”

“I wanted a first with you, Shirou-kun. That’s why I tried something extreme. But I’m still a kid. I couldn’t cross that final line.”

But, she adds:

“At this rate, even that first will go to Hayasaka-san.”

She doesn’t know.

That my relationship with Hayasaka-san is built around her. That she’s my number one. What would she do if she knew the truth?

But with relationships so delicate now, I can’t tell her.

And she’s stressed about this.

That Tachibana-san is feeling stressed.

“I want to go around the festival with you, Shirou-kun.”

“That’s tough with Yanagi-senpai around.”

“Hey, Shirou-kun.”

“What?”

“I want to slap you.”

Silence fills the room. Given her feelings, it’s understandable.

“So, you’ll go with Hayasaka-san instead?”

“We haven’t talked about it.”

“It’ll end up that way.”

You’re too kind, Shirou-kun. she says.

“Fine, just stick with Hayasaka-san forever.”

She gets out of bed.

“I’m going to be the escape game prize. If you don’t come, I’ll enter the couple contest with whoever escapes first and win.”

“We agreed if you lost, you wouldn’t.”

“I don’t care. I’m done with this.”

I get out of bed, facing her.

“What should I do?”

“Go to the festival with me, enter the couple contest. I want memories. That’s all. I won’t ask for more. I’ll be good.”

“I told you, that’s…… impossible.”

“Then do something with me you haven’t done with Hayasaka-san. Even…… naughty stuff.”

“You’re the one who said you’re too embarrassed.”

“But I don’t want to lose to her. So force me. I might resist out of embarrassment, but I don’t dislike it. I kind of…… like being pushed.”

Tachibana-san’s unusually rattled. Probably her first time feeling competitive, plus the dog game’s lingering effects.

“No, forcing you…… and stuff like that needs thought.”

“Right. You’d say that. When I said stop because I was embarrassed, you looked relieved.”

Coward, she says.

“I’m okay with you being sneaky, but if you’d just step up with courage sometimes, I could stay good and not get mad like this—”

And, in the end, she slaps me.

Hiding her sadness under a sullen expression, she returns to my sister’s room.