"I... I'm finished."
The sound of the shower finally died down.
The bathroom door opened, and both Rin and Taki turned to look. A cloud of warm steam billowed out, but Tomori remained hidden inside.
They didn't rush her. A few minutes later, Tomori emerged in a bathrobe, her head down as she took tiny, hesitant steps toward them. Even without looking at the way her fingers clutched the fabric, the raw shame and tension radiating from her were obvious.
"I... I'm done."
"Then... I'll go."
Taki, unable to look Tomori in the eye, stood up and bolted for the bathroom. Tomori watched her go, wanting to say something... If I'm the one being filled, why is she taking a shower?
"Have a seat."
The sound of Rin patting the sofa snapped Tomori out of it. She sat beside him, the scent of floral soap mixing with her natural scent to tease Rin's instincts.
From her flushed cheeks to her slender, elegant neck, down to the ten tiny, water-beaded toes peeking from under the robe like grains of white rice—every inch of her was a provocation.
"It's not too late to back out."
Rin asked one more time. If it were Taki, he wouldn't bother with the questions; he'd just take her. But Tomori... her mind was fragile. Even if Taki hadn't warned him, he would have been gentle.
"It... it's okay." Tomori paused, her words coming out in a slow trickle. "I saw... news about bands online... it seems many bands... do these things... Nijika-san and Hitori-san too... so... it's okay. Mr. Rin... is gentle and reliable, so... it's fine."
Tomori had only known Rin for a week, but in that time, he had been the embodiment of maturity and stability.
He had comforted and encouraged her, helping her move past the trauma of Crychic. While it wasn't love yet, she held a deep sense of trust and affection for him.
As for what Ryo said—what he did with the others... wasn't that just normal?
Before the band, she hadn't known. But after searching for band info, the algorithms had pushed all sorts of content to her.
Even in the "clean" world, it wasn't rare. In the "underground" world, it was expected.
To Tomori, it seemed like a standard band activity. And... wouldn't doing this make them a "lifetime band"?
Beyond her trust, there was another reason... she could count her true friends on one hand. She didn't have anyone else to turn to.
"I see... then I won't hold back."
"Mmm... it's fine. Please... fill me up!"
Tomori squeezed her eyes shut. Her pink lips were trembling with nerves, but she didn't pull away, waiting for Rin to claim them.
Seeing her resolve, Rin didn't say another word. He wrapped an arm around her petite shoulders and captured her lips.
He didn't invade her mouth aggressively. He just pressed his lips against hers... This little penguin is so cute, she's even afraid to breathe.
With their lips joined, Rin could feel her holding her breath. He didn't pull away; instead, he wickedly kept the kiss going, curious to see how long she could last.
One... two... three... Rin counted in his head. Perhaps due to the oxygen demand from her racing heart, Tomori hit her limit in less than twenty seconds. She instinctively pushed him back, gasping for air.
"Hah... hah... hah..."
"Pfft..."
Rin burst out laughing.
"What... what's so funny..." Tomori muttered.
"Don't be so tense. You're allowed to breathe while kissing... you'll get used to it after a few more tries."
With that, Rin kissed her again. This time it was deeper. He let the tip of his tongue trace her lips.
They were soft and hydrated, like fresh jelly. Rin teased her, alternately sweeping across her lips and gently nipping her lower lip.
The "now you feel it, now you don't" sensation sent shivers down Tomori's spine. Forgetting to breathe again, she pushed him away once more.
Rin wasn't annoyed. He waited for her to catch her breath and went in for a third time.
Kiss after kiss, each one deepening.
Rin lost track of the count. He went from simple lip contact to prying her teeth apart to claim the sweet nectar of her mouth.
By the time Taki emerged from the bathroom, Rin was already sucking Tomori's tongue into his own mouth.
"AH... AH... WHAT... WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?!?" Taki charged across the room.
"!!!!"
Hearing Taki, Tomori yanked her tongue back and buried her face in her chest like a child caught stealing candy, neglecting even to wipe the saliva from the corner of her mouth.
"YOU BASTARD!!!!" Taki grabbed Rin by the collar. "You snuck a move while I was in the shower!? I told you to wait for me!?"
Rin looked at the jealous, fuming Taki and wanted to laugh.
"It was just a kiss. We haven't actually 'started' yet... are you jealous, Taki?"
"HAH? I'm not— MMPH!!!"
Rin pulled Taki in and captured her lips. He wasn't gentle this time. While she was stunned, his tongue forced her teeth apart to find her delicate, virgin tongue.
"GUH-MMMPH!!!!"
Bastard! That was my first kiss! You were supposed to say something romantic first!
Taki instinctively tried to push him away. As a drummer, her arm strength was impressive for a girl, but she was no match for Rin.
She couldn't move him.
Bite him... Taki really wanted to sink her teeth in, but she was afraid. What if she injured him and he couldn't "fill" Tomori?
She felt a wave of self-pity... I can't even bite the bastard because I need him to fill my friend!
Left with no choice, she surrendered to his mouth... Since he's going to do much worse things later, a kiss doesn't really matter.
With that thought, she relaxed. Her lips parted further for him.
As she adjusted, she noticed Tomori watching them with wide eyes.
Their gazes met, and Taki's shame hit critical mass. She wanted to run, but she was pinned. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to pretend Tomori wasn't there.
Rin wasn't satisfied with just her mouth. He slowly coaxed Taki's shy tongue out and, just as he had with Tomori, sucked it into his own mouth to savor it.
Taki had just brushed her teeth; her first kiss tasted like minty toothpaste.
A long while later, a satisfied Rin released Taki's tongue. She immediately pushed him away, pulling her tongue back as a string of saliva stretched between them.
"Hiss... you sucked so hard my tongue actually hurts!"
She swallowed and shifted her tongue around to soothe the ache. Truthfully, the initial buzz of the kiss had been quite intoxicating.
"Hurts?" Rin shot a teasing look at her wet lips. "You looked like you were enjoying it... right, Tomori?"
"Eh... Mmm." Tomori blushed and gave a small nod. She gave Taki an apologetic wink. "Taki-chan... looked like she was having fun."
"I-I... I wasn't!" Taki couldn't even form a coherent argument. Her already pink face turned a deep, hot crimson. "Hmph... w-why are you so practiced at that!? How many girls have you kissed!?"
Unable to defend herself, she tried to flip the script. Seeing Tomori's curious look, Taki felt a small victory. Diversion successful!
"That...?" Rin nodded, pretending to be in deep thought. "Mmm... do you remember how many slices of bread you've eaten in your life?"
"Hah? Of course not." Taki smirked, thinking she had him. "Don't try to change the subject!"
"I'm not changing the subject," Rin smiled innocently. "Just as you don't remember every piece of bread, I don't remember the exact number of lips I've tasted."
"????"