No. 47 Kissing the Petal
The full moon quietly climbed the night sky.
On the messy balcony, Huang Yingdie, wearing cute bunny slippers, leaned against the smooth wooden railing, her face pale and drawn as she gazed at the bustling city below.
“Dad told me they had a son before me, but he died during childbirth. It was the same when I was born, but this time, Mom didn’t make it. I miraculously survived.”
“I guess you could say I was a miracle baby. When I was little, Dad wouldn’t let me play with other kids. He enrolled me in countless extracurricular classes, including Taekwondo. The more strangers I met, the more withdrawn I became. I spent most of my elementary school holidays in cram schools.”
“But now that I think about it, most parents in this complex are the same. They don’t let their kids play outside.”
“My grandmother passed away shortly after I started middle school. I already hated talking to strangers, and it only got worse. I started skipping class, going to internet cafes, getting into fights. That’s how I met Huang Qinghao and his gang. They tried to rob me of my internet cafe fees, but I beat them all up. They became my followers, and Huang Qinghao called me ‘sister.’”
“I grew to enjoy that lifestyle. But somehow, the more ‘friends’ I had, the emptier I felt. I was so naive back then. I believed everything they said. I thought he could truly make me happy.”
Aren’t you still naive now?
“Yi Yao, don’t you have anything to say after hearing all this?”
“Say what?”
I smiled faintly. “I’m curious. Why do you believe I can protect you?”
“I… I don’t know…”
She turned her head away, her gaze fixed on the moonlit city. “But I just feel like you can. You always seem so indifferent, so unfazed by everything. You’re only a few months older than me. How can you be so strong? I envy you.”
“You envy me?”
I walked over to her, my tone unchanged. “My family isn’t as peaceful as you imagine.”
“My clan is deeply patriarchal. Your father encourages you to study and improve yourself. My father wants me to drop out of school and get a job to support the family because I’m a girl. Since middle school, my allowance hasn’t been enough to cover my expenses. I’ve had to work at the Taekwondo gym every night to make ends meet. Did you know any of this?”
She turned to me, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Patriarchal? People still think like that?”
I nodded. “It’s more common than you think. At least in Upper Capital City.”
It wasn’t just patriarchy. These outdated customs and superstitions were prevalent throughout the country.
Like forcing a daughter-in-law to delay childbirth to choose an auspicious date, resulting in the death of both mother and child.
Like trusting a quack doctor instead of seeking proper medical treatment, performing “exorcisms” on a sick person, and causing permanent disability.
“I always thought…”
“You always thought the mayor’s daughter was a kind, cheerful, and beautiful girl.” I finished her sentence. “Like a princess from a fairy tale.”
“Don’t be mean.”
She pouted and walked back into the apartment. Seeing that I wasn’t following her, she stopped by the sofa. “Yi Yao, are you sure this is okay? Don’t you have things to do at night?”
“It’s fine.”
I followed her into the living room and hugged her from behind, enjoying the softness of her body. “My family doesn’t care where I go. Besides, I’m happy to spend time with such a beautiful and adorable girl.”
I meant it. Humans were visual creatures, and Xiaodie wasn’t a bad person, despite her flaws.
“You…” Perhaps my warm breath against her ear was a bit too intimate. She shivered. “Do other girls do this?”
“Hmm? Do what?”
“Hold hands, hug… I read online that it’s normal in our country. In other places, girls holding hands is considered lesbianism.”
“What do you think it is?”
“I don’t know, that’s why I’m asking you. The other girls in my class hate me. They say I’m arrogant and stuck-up. No one wants to talk to me. You’re my first female friend, Yi Yao.”
You’ve asked the wrong person. I have no idea about girl stuff.
Yi Yao was a girl, but I wasn’t. How could I possibly know?
“Really…” I leaned closer to her face. “You can imagine our relationship however you like. I don’t mind.”
They said most girls were bisexual, especially those who had been hurt by men.
I didn’t know where that saying came from, but I could sense that Xiaodie had those tendencies.
“Hmph, fine, keep your secrets.” She pushed me away, pretending to be angry, and walked towards the stairs. “I’m going to take a shower. You can read some manga in my room if you’re bored. The password for my computer is 20160502.”
Wasn’t 0502 Misaka Mikoto’s birthday?
I followed her upstairs. Despite the mess downstairs, her room was still as clean and tidy as I remembered. She grabbed a nightgown, a shower cap, and a towel, then entered the bathroom, closing the door behind her. I could hear the shower running. The frosted glass door offered a blurry glimpse of her silhouette.
She really had no sense of modesty around me, just because I was a girl.
“A Certain Scientific Railgun,” “Is the Order a Rabbit?,” “Puella Magi Madoka Magica,” “Riddle Story of Devil”…
Her bookshelf was filled with manga. To my surprise, there were even a few yuri manga, mostly ones without any male characters.
During my previous visit, I had been too preoccupied with my injury to pay attention to her room. I only knew she was a bit of a shut-in and an anime fan.
Now, it seemed she was more than just a casual fan.
I turned on her computer, browsed the Heavenly Fire Forum, answered a few unanswered questions, then shut it down. Just then, Xiaodie emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in a pale yellow towel.
Her skin was as white as snow, her long hair cascading down her back, her face flushed from the hot shower. The towel barely covered her, revealing her budding breasts and her long, slender legs. She didn’t seem to be wearing anything underneath.
Despite being a girl now, I couldn’t help but feel a stir of arousal.
“This nightgown is new. I washed it, but I haven’t worn it yet.”
She pulled out a cute light blue nightgown from her closet and handed it to me, along with the towel. “You can use anything in the bathroom. Make yourself at home. We’ll be moving out soon anyway.”
So, you were expecting me to stay over?
“Thank you.”
I took the clothes and entered the steamy bathroom.
The en suite bathroom was practically a separate room, unlike the shared bathroom in my apartment. I noticed a lot of feminine products.
“What will my future be like?”
I stripped down and stared at my reflection in the mirror. My face was handsome, but my body was undeniably feminine. I was both familiar and a stranger to myself.
That girl had entrusted everything to me, a stranger.
Her life, her memories, her future.
I touched my chest, the soft sensation beneath my fingertips and the tingling sensitivity reminding me that this was my body now.
Yi Yao’s memories were simple: a carefree childhood, a rebellious adolescence, a school that failed her, a family that berated her. In the end, she had chosen to give up, unable to bear the weight of her own despair.
She was so innocent, she didn’t even have any sexual memories.
…Well, neither did I.
“Let’s focus on the present.”
I finished showering, my heart heavy with emotions. As I was getting dressed, I realized I didn’t have any spare underwear. The ones I had taken off were soaked. I had no choice but to leave the bathroom in just my nightgown.
Xiaodie was lying on her bed, reading manga, her feet swinging back and forth.
“Um… do you have any spare underwear…”
I walked over to her, my face burning, acutely aware of my bareness beneath the thin nightgown.
“I don’t have any new ones. But we’re going to sleep anyway. Does it matter? Do you usually wear underwear to bed, Yi Yao?”
She turned to me, her eyes wide with surprise, and pulled her nightgown up slightly. “I read that it’s better for breast development to sleep without a bra. So, I’ve always done that.”
What kind of books are you reading?
Well, if the owner of the house didn’t mind, neither did I.
“Do you always sleep alone?”
I asked as I picked up the hairdryer from her vanity table.
“Yes.”
Her voice was barely audible.
Moonlight streamed through the window, casting silvery patterns on the floor.
…
I had a feeling I wouldn’t be getting much sleep tonight.
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