Alice appeared while I was in the middle of my bath, wrapped in nothing but a single towel.
She had entered with a face as red as a beet, claiming she would wash my back as a reward for my victory in our match earlier today.
"A-Alice... a reward? You mean, um..."
"I-It’s a reward! S-S-So, just hurry up and come over here! Sit down!"
"I-I mean, sure, but... uh..."
The sight of her in just a towel was incredibly provocative. Now that I’d started seeing Alice as a girl, my heart wouldn't stop racing. Even the bathwater felt lukewarm, perhaps because my own body temperature was spiking from the sheer tension.
I took the towel she had brought, wrapped it around my waist while still submerged, and then stepped out of the tub. I sat on a small wooden stool and waited, listening to her footsteps—which sounded unnaturally loud in the quiet room—until Alice slowly touched my back.
"...N-Now then, I’ll s-start washing."
"A-Ah, okay."
I felt the sensation of the sponge against my skin. She began to scrub with a soft, gentle touch.
"...Alice. Why so suddenly?"
"...Ugh, that’s..."
She had said it was a reward for my win, but Alice was naturally shy. I wondered why she’d even proposed such a match in the first place. When I asked, the hand scrubbing my back stilled, and a small voice reached my ears.
"...I’ve always longed for this."
"Longed for it?"
"Y-Yes... You see, I’ve spent a very long time trying to figure out how to experience romance."
"I see."
Alice continued, her voice soft.
"For me, finding love was my best friend’s final wish... but it was also the goal I was chasing just so I’d have a reason to keep living until I could die."
"..."
"But even so... sometimes, I’d think about it. If I were to fall in love, if I ever had a lover... what kind of things would we do?"
"...Alice."
Her voice sounded calm and nostalgic, as if she were reminiscing about a distant memory. She spoke slowly, as if trying to convey the weight of all those long, long years she had spent wondering and wishing.
"Going shopping together, gambling side-by-side... sharing a meal at a fancy restaurant... taking a bath together, washing his broad back, being wrapped in soft warmth, falling asleep in each other's arms..."
"..."
"I thought it was all just a fairytale... but then I met you, Kaito-san. We became lovers..."
Alice trailed off. Then, she gently reached around from behind and hugged me.
The softness of her body pressed directly against me, making my heart hammer so hard I thought it might burst.
W-Wait. Amidst all that softness, I felt something a bit firmer... or rather, I was feeling the direct sensation of her skin. What happened to the towel?!
"...I’m selfish. So, I decided I was going to make every single one of those dreams come true..."
"I-I-I see... Y-Yeah. I’ll help however I can... but... A-Alice?"
"Yes?"
"...Where’s the towel?"
"...Eh? Ah..."
I glanced over my shoulder and confirmed my fears. Alice was hugging me without a stitch of clothing on. I could see the discarded towel in a heap on the floor below us.
Judging by her reaction, it hadn't been intentional. It had simply slipped off.
Fortunately—if you could call it that—Alice was still clinging to me, so the most "dangerous" parts were hidden from view. But this was a critical situation. My self-control was hanging by a thread.
Now that I knew she was naked, the sensation of her breasts against my back felt terrifyingly vivid.
Alice seemed to realize the situation at the same time. Her skin turned a deep, boiling red.
"A-Ah... wa... awa... t-this isn't..."
"Wait! Alice! Don't let go until I face forward—ack!"
"...Eh? Ah, hyaaaahhhh!?"
In her sheer panic, she let go and scrambled away. That was a fatal mistake.
Because I was already half-turned to check on her, her pulling away meant... well, it was inevitable.
I snapped my head back to face forward immediately, but in that split-second of chaos, my reaction was just a moment too late. I saw it.
I saw the pink tips atop those small, delicate swells.
"Awa, hyawa, aaahh... I-I didn't... I-I'm not..."
"A-Alice, calm down! I didn't see! I didn't see anything! Just stay calm and take a deep breath..."
Since I was facing the wall, I couldn't see what she was doing, but I could hear her frantic movements. I told a desperate lie, trying to get her to settle down—but a moment later, I felt a sudden weightless sensation as my world tilted.
"Eh? Whoa!"
"...Hyah!?"
Apparently, in her flailing panic, Alice’s foot had struck the wooden stool I was sitting on. Normally, that wouldn't do much, but this was a kick backed by Alice's physical strength. Like a block being struck in a game of Daruma Otoshi, the stool was blasted out from under me, and gravity took over.
I fell backward.
The stool had slid away with such force that I avoided getting a nasty scrape, but the outcome was much worse. I was flat on my back. Alice was standing there, naked and hyperventilating, having failed to even pick up her towel.
From my position on the floor, looking up... it was painfully clear what I was seeing.
One second, two seconds, three seconds passed. Alice’s eyes began to spin in circles.
"..."
"Ah... aaahhh... KYAAAAHHHHHH!"
"—!?"
With a silk-rending scream, Alice bolted out of the bathroom.
I stayed there, sprawled on the floor, the image I’d just seen burned into my retinas. I was completely dazed.
Alice is... hairless... No, no, calm down! Forget it! Delete the memory!
Once I managed to "reboot," I doused myself in water—cold water—before sinking into the tub. I shook my head violently, trying to scour the image from my mind... but instead of fading, the memory only became more vivid the more I tried to suppress it. I felt the blood rushing to my lower half.
I stayed in the bath until I was lightheaded. Eventually, I changed and walked into the living room, feeling an unbearable awkwardness. Alice was already there, dressed and sitting in a chair, her head bowed and her face still a brilliant shade of crimson.
"...Ah, um..."
"...Ident."
"Eh?"
"That just now was an accident! A total accident! So, please... just forget it!"
"Y-Yes, ma'am!"
I nodded instantly as Alice screamed, her face as red as a boiled octopus and tears pricking her eyes. Forgetting was going to be an uphill battle, but I promised myself I would try.
"...T-Then, I... I’m going to go take my bath now."
"U-Uh-huh. A bath..."
"Bath..."
"..."
"..."
What was this? This was so incredibly embarrassing. Just the word "bath" felt like it was making my brain boil.
Alice seemed to be in the same boat. Her mouth worked soundlessly for a moment before she turned and sprinted back toward the bathroom without another word.
Dear Mother, Father—They say mishaps are part of life, but this one was really... really bad. If Alice hadn't run away when she did, I have no doubt—my composure would have utterly crumbled.