What filled his view was Aiba Asagi's smooth, fair back—and a white strap.
Her back looked slender yet straight, shoulder blades clear, a shallow line tracing her spine, skin like jade with a faint translucence. Uneven blushes dusted here and there—pale with hints of rose, soft as pudding—quietly enticing.
"Asagi, what's this?" Shichen asked, studying the scene and sounding puzzled.
"S-Sensei… I think I fastened the hooks wrong and can't fix it. C-could you help…?" Asagi's voice trembled, as if she'd mustered all her courage.
"Hooks?"
Only then did he notice: three hooks on the strap—two were caught, and both in the wrong places, crossed and misaligned.
"The hooks are definitely wrong… but can't you do it yourself? It should be easy, right?" he asked.
Even with a back-closure, lingerie is something one can put on or take off alone. No assistant required. She was grown; he hardly thought she'd always needed her mother's help.
"I… twisted my waist just now, so it's a little hard to reach…" Asagi murmured so softly he couldn't tell whether it was shyness or fear of being overheard. If not for the flush across her skin and reddened ears, he might have said the latter.
"I see. Then I'll help," Shichen said, already lifting his hands.
"Mm…"
His fingertips touched the small of her back; the warmth against her skin made Asagi straighten and let out a tiny nasal sound—half shy, half flustered.
The backs of his fingers brushed her back—and he found her skin even smoother and finer than he'd imagined. He'd assessed many people's skin before, yet Asagi still made his heart stir. If he wanted to feel softness, he could always find Avrora and the others; but this was Asagi—someone he'd never touched. The feeling of finally touching her outweighed the sensation itself.
While the backs of his fingers idly traced the smooth line of her back, he refastened the hooks properly. In moments, her back grew warmer under his hands. From his angle he could see her face, red as a drop of blood; over her shoulder, the upper curves showed pale and round—owing to the cut of the garment, not just her figure.
"All set," he said—but his hands hadn't left the strap; the backs of his fingers were still resting lightly on her back.
"Mm." Asagi answered in a whisper, cheeks scarlet to the tips of her ears. She didn't know how she'd found the nerve to call him in—just a rush of impulse, a feeling that she had to do something. Now that the impulse was gone, only embarrassment remained.
It was quiet in the fitting room. Shichen didn't hurry out; she had pulled him in, after all, and no curious customers had come to check.
He slid his hands to her sleek, delicate shoulders and gently turned her to face him. Asagi didn't resist; head lowered, all she could see were her toes.
What is Sensei going to do…?
Thump… thump…
Her heartbeat sounded loud in her ears.
"Asagi," Shichen said.
"Sensei…"
"Why did you call me to help?" He let one hand lift her chin, coaxing her to meet his eyes.
Her face was flushed, eyes shimmering with moisture.
"I… I acted on impulse," she answered, voice quivering and eyes squeezed shut.
"But Avrora and the others are here, aren't they?" he teased, smiling at her expression.
"I… I'm not that close with them…"
"But I'm a man."
"T-that's fine… if it's you, Sensei…"
"Yeah? Open your eyes."
"Mm…"
Nervous, she obeyed, opening her dewy gaze to his.
He released her chin and stroked her left cheek, voice soft. "Asagi, you're very pretty."
"Sensei…" She held her breath.
"Look at you—you've grown up without my noticing. A real beauty now."
"Sensei…"
"Asagi, do you realize you're tempting me?" he asked suddenly.
"I…"
"I'm a perfectly normal man. I can't resist this you."
"Sensei…" Joy flickered in her eyes.
"Asagi—two adults in a tiny fitting room. Ever think about safety?"
"Eh?" She blinked.
"What if I am tempted?" he murmured, slowly lowering his head toward her.
"Sensei…"
Her heart leapt. She reined it in, closed her eyes, lashes trembling with expectation.
His gaze fell to her glossy lips—small, tinted a strawberry-pink. Without pausing, he pressed his lips to hers.
Even that alone sent her heart into her throat. Flustered, she stepped closer on instinct and wrapped her arms around him, body leaning into his.
He slipped one arm around her waist and the other across her back, going no further, letting her feel the moment.
Though it was only lips on lips, Asagi felt a shiver that reached her core; her body quivered lightly in his hold. Not only because she'd never experienced a kiss before—but because it was with him. Something she'd longed for, dreamed of—now real, satisfying both heart and body.
The quiet didn't last. Soon Shichen stopped holding back and deepened the kiss. Even without experience, Asagi understood and parted her lips to welcome him.
"Mm…"
Her eyes flew open at the heightened sensation—so much more intense than before. She didn't know what to do and simply let him lead—and didn't mind in the least. She enjoyed it.
He had experience; he wouldn't stop there. After a moment, the hand at her back grew restless and—
Click.
A soft sound in the fitting room. Asagi felt the tension at her back loosen.
Sensei is…!
While she hesitated over whether to let him "check her heartbeat," his palm settled over the center of her chest—feeling the hard thrum beneath.
"Mm…" Her heart clenched; a small sound escaped her. The sensation—like her heart caught in a gentle hold—sent another jolt through her. Heat pooled under her skin; her pulse raced. Hands and legs went weak; thoughts blurred. She could only lean on him, overwhelmed.
It was almost addictive.
But he didn't tease her for long. Shichen soon stepped out, leaving Asagi to calm herself. Wrong place, wrong time. There'd be chances later. First steps taken—things would be easier from here.
"Shichen, I'm done trying." Two or three seconds after he exited, Avrora stepped out of her fitting room.
"Yeah? How's it feel?" he asked casually.
"Pretty okay… just not used to it," she said. She'd never worn any before; snug as it was, there was a sense of being constrained.
"Then don't buy it. You don't really need it."
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Avrora glared.
She knew exactly what he was implying. She'd been in school long enough to grasp a girl's sensitive worries—especially after seeing so many peers who were… more endowed. It wasn't the end of the world, but she knew he liked that part of a girl's body; he touched hers often enough. Even if he never said it, bigger had to be "better"… right?
"I didn't mean anything," Shichen said.
"I don't believe you! You think I'm too small, don't you?"
"Of course not. That's not what I care about," he said with a small laugh.
"Who are you fooling." She pouted.
"I'm serious…"
"I can vouch for him."
Yukina suddenly pushed open her fitting-room door and stepped out, face tinged pink, something hidden behind her back.
"For Sensei, smaller might actually be better," she said.