Chapter 12: Secret Friend

18th day since enrollment.

After school.

It’s a bit random, but right now, steam was rising from the top of my head.

My head was full of confusion, and I was trembling all over, holding my mouth shut with both hands to make sure my inner screams of “Wha-wha-wha-what is thissssss!?” wouldn’t escape.

Why was I being so dramatic, you ask…?

“Ruby…”

“Wa-wait a sec—!”

Of course I’d be dramatic! Two girls were tangled up in each other!

Our class’s Ruby and the next class’s Citri! Since when were you two like that!? I had no idea! None at all!

More importantly—was yuri real…?

It’s nice to call it yuri, but this was real life. Same-s*x love. Not the norm.

In a society that pressures you to be “normal,” it’s something you only get criticized for.

Girls who grow up being loved “normally” wouldn’t do something like this. Unless it was just a phase.

So I didn’t expect anything.

No, I definitely hoped, but I’d long since given up.

For someone like me, who scraped by on private fantasies, the scene unfolding before me was practically a miracle.

Shut up, shut up, shut up. Don’t waste this moment with sappy thoughts. Just savor it while it lasts.

Ahhh, god, hyuk… I love this so much. I could die happy…!

Those kissy noises on the cheek—way too erotic.

Even I felt embarrassed just watching.

They were so careful, so tender with each other—it was adorable. Haaahh, heeekkk…

Even seeing a mythical creature in real life wouldn’t make me this happy.

Ruby made a soft moaning sound—“Mmm…”—like it tickled, and it was driving me crazy.

Citri saw Ruby’s reaction and smiled so satisfied—

“Huh—ha—haahhh…!”

I might die from hyperventilation.

A high-pitched beep rang in my ears.

I slipped out into the hallway to breathe.

I didn’t care if I died, but if they caught me panting like this, that’d be a disaster.

I didn’t want to ruin their moment like some clueless idiot.

“What are you doing here?”

“Hrrrk—huh—ah, it’s so good…”

“Lily. What are you doing here?”

“Isn’t that way too defenseless…? Not that I’m complaining. It’s actually great…”

“Lily.”

“Hehehehehe… uhuhuhu, uhiihiiii…”

“Lily!”

“HEEYYYACK?!”

Do modern girls come with a built-in jump-scare feature or something?

Since the semester started, I’d already swallowed back my screams so many times.

After Dana and Alicia,

The one who almost gave me a heart attack this time was Serena.

“Oh. Uh. Serena. Huh? Why? School’s over, right?”

“I left something in the classroom. I’ll just grab it real quick—wait here, okay?”

I didn’t even have time to stop her.

No, I did stop her. Barely.

Right before she yanked the classroom door open.

I practically yanked her tiny frame away and kept her from going in.

Covered her mouth too—just in case she screamed.

It looked just like a kidnapping.

No time to explain.

I dashed up the stairs before she could ask anything.

I practically fled to a blind spot—somewhere they wouldn’t see us even if they noticed something.

I pushed her gently into a corner, and she stood there blinking, still not grasping what just happened.

“Lily…?”

“Sorry!”

“What’s going on? Why?”

“Well, um, it’s just…”

How was I supposed to explain this?

No way I could say, “Two classmates are making out, so let’s not disturb them.”

While I was trying to force my brain to work,

Serena, with a faint blush, looked away and mumbled,

“Um… can you step back a little…?”

“HUH!?”

I didn’t realize how close we were—

One more step and our chests would have touched.

I flinched back immediately.

“Uh—no—it’s not like I did it on purpose—I’m sorry!”

“On purpose? Oh. You don’t have to apologize…”

You’re blushing like someone just got groped on the train, and you’re not mad?

Just please don’t call the cops.

Please forgive me. I’ll repent a thousand times.

Save this pathetic yuri-loving soul…!

I think we both ended up just rambling nonsense.

Sorry. No, not sorry. Still, sorry.

You don’t need to apologize. But I feel bad anyway.

It was hot.

I fanned myself until I could finally calm down.

Exhaled a long breath like a sigh.

Then Serena said,

“So?”

“Huh?”

“Why’d you bring me here?”

Right. That was the problem.

I scrambled for a reply and blurted out anything.

“Well, uh, I just wanted to talk… suddenly felt like getting closer to you, maybe?”

“Really?”

“…Of course. Yeah. Totally.”

“I’m happy.”

“Wh-what part?”

Serena hesitated, twisting the ends of her hair around her finger.

She looked unsure, maybe hesitant to speak—

But then she said something that really caught me off guard.

“I thought you didn’t like me.”

“Wha—how could I not like you?”

I’m the type who’s weak to cute girls.

And Serena totally passed my picky aesthetic standards.

I mean, seriously, who wouldn’t like a sweet, kind, big-boobed, gorgeous girl?

“Then why did you avoid me?”

“I wasn’t avoiding you….”

Liar.

She was right.

Ever since the whole hand massage thing two weeks ago, I’d been dodging her gaze like crazy.

But it wasn’t because I hated her—it’s because I didn’t want to be a bother.

To a genuinely nice girl like her.

“It’s already been two weeks.
Every time I tried to talk to you, you slipped away.
I wondered if maybe I was making you uncomfortable… I waited so long for you to say something first…”

Her brown eyes sparkled with a hint of tears.

I panicked.

Was I garbage? Like, toxic waste level of garbage?

“And you’re still saying you weren’t avoiding me?”

“I… I was avoiding you…”

“Why?”

“…….”

Scary.

Not in the Dana way—just scary in a different sense.

She’s on the verge of tears.

What do I do?

How did it come to this?

“You said we could keep it secret from the others, but…

Sometimes, I just want to talk like this, you know?”

“H-huh?”

“We’re secret friends, right?”

The way she smiled with slightly damp eyes—

God, she’s a pro.

Any half-decent yuri heroine would’ve fallen for that smile and married her on the spot.

“Honestly, I want to talk to you more often.

I get lonely a lot…”

“Ughuhuhuh…”

I think I am trash.

This was clearly the moment to comfort her,

But my brain was already filled with lewd thoughts.

Sorry, Serena.

No, this is your fault.

You can’t just tell another girl you’re lonely!

That means “hug me”!

All I can imagine now is you cuddling with some hot girl and saying you’re not lonely anymore…!

“You saw it too, right?”

“Hehehe… saw what?”

“Ruby and Citri.”

“…I saw.”

Serena scratched her cheek awkwardly.

All my efforts had gone to waste.

No—actually, I guess I was just too slow.

Huh.

Why is the mood getting all melancholy now?

“I was surprised. Didn’t expect them to be like that.”

“Y-yeah. Same. It was… shocking.”

“I mean, maybe this is rude to say, but…”

Gulp.

Serena started tapping her lower lip with her finger.

Her gaze dropped, and she hesitated, like she was debating whether or not to speak.

But in the end, she said it.

“Lily… do you think stuff like that is weird?”

“It’s NOT weird! Not at all! Not even a little!

Anyone who says it’s weird is the weird one!!”

“Whoa, that startled me.”

“Uwahh—sorry!”

That was my berserk button.

I overreacted.

What’s wrong with yuri?

It’s the people who can’t handle it who are wrong.

Let cute girls kiss!

Let them have se—make babies if they want!

“Really?”

“Of course. I mean it.”

“…That’s a relief. I’m glad.”

Serena relaxed and smiled—like gentle rainfall.

I hadn’t known her long, but she usually smiled in a soft, mature way—like she was comforting a child.

But this time, it was different.

She smiled like a girl her age—pure and sincerely happy.

I turned my head away.

I just… didn’t trust myself to keep staring.

And I thought—this girl is too kind.

I had a hunch what she meant.

Since she hangs out with Ruby a lot…

She probably didn’t want people judging them.

Even if people didn’t fully understand, she didn’t want them to be cruel.

That thought made my chest ache a little.

Where do such kind girls even come from…?

…

When we got back to the classroom, Ruby and Citri were gone.

The thing Serena had left behind was hand cream.

The one she’d put on my hands two weeks ago.

As I stared at it with mixed feelings,

Serena asked, “Want me to put it on again?” and smiled.

I shook my head wildly.

Don’t give me that disappointed look! That’s public indecency!

On the way home.

“Oh, you live in the dorms, right Lily?”

“Yeah.”

“Guess we’ll split up here. Too bad.”

“We’ll see each other again anyway…”

“As long as you stop running away.”

“…….”

Can’t argue when I’m guilty.

She drove the final nail in.

“Next time I’ll just talk to you whenever I want, so don’t think about running, okay?”

“Uh. Wait.”

“See you tomorrow, Lily!”

Hey!

You don’t get to say all that and then run away!

You cowardly little rascal!!