Amidst the clinking of glasses, the room was filled with lively chatter and laughter, with voices mingling under the dim lights. The slightly tipsy people had flushed faces and hazy, dreamy eyes, looking relaxed and at ease.
Kaguya hadn't felt this relaxed in a long time; the weight on her shoulders was lifted, giving her a sense of being in another world. Once, she was just an ordinary university student waiting for her first job, never expecting to have such an adventure and meet so many lovely people, leaving her full of emotion.
Although sake enters the mouth with a light and elegant fragrance, it is actually quite potent, no less than other types of alcohol. Most of the women present hadn't drunk much before, so they didn't take this seemingly mild beverage seriously, mistaking it for a soft drink. As a result, halfway through the drinks, they were already quite drunk.
Kaguya also felt a little dizzy at the moment, her vision blurry and her body swaying slightly, but probably due to her physique, she wasn't drunk, just a little tipsy.
She walked to the window, opened the wooden window, and a breeze blew in, causing her silver hair to sway and dance. In the moonlight, she seemed like a moonlit elf.
"Can't sleep?" A soft, charming voice came from behind her.
"Yeah, I haven't been this relaxed in a long time, so it feels a bit unfamiliar," Kaguya replied without turning around, knowing it was Mei Terumi, as only she had such a charming voice.
A pair of white, delicate hands rested on Kaguya's shoulders, and she felt the smoothness as Mei pressed her cheek against her.
"Where have you been all this time?" Mei's voice whispered in Kaguya's ear, tickling her.
"Stop, it tickles."
Kaguya hurriedly pushed away the warm, soft body beside her with her hand. Only a few knew her secret: her ears were incredibly sensitive, and any sound or breath near them made her extremely ticklish, like a current passing through, which was unbearably uncomfortable.
"What's this? Trying to take advantage of me?" Mei looked at Kaguya with playful eyes, smiling slyly.
Only then did Kaguya realize that her hand had somehow ended up on Mei's chest, probably accidentally during the pushing. However, the feel was quite good, smooth like the finest silk, and soft.
Clearing her throat, Kaguya withdrew her hand inconspicuously, feeling a bit unnatural. Inside, she lamented, wishing for the day she could return to her original self and openly pursue girls. Just looking and not being able to touch was a torturous ordeal.
"What's wrong? Are you shy?" Mei leaned over, blinking her eyes with a smile.
"No," Kaguya replied offhandedly, cursing the system internally. It had promised she could return to her original form upon completing the mission, but now she needed to gather 1000 points, which felt like blatant deception.
"You're definitely hiding something from me," Mei said, lifting Kaguya's chin with her delicate fingers, speaking coquettishly, "Tell me, and there will be a reward."
Perhaps emboldened by the alcohol, Mei grew bolder, her eyes dreamy as she looked at Kaguya, her slightly flushed face appearing even more tender.
"I won't say," Kaguya flatly refused. If Mei knew, who knew what she might think—she might consider Kaguya a monster. Even if not a monster, she might be despised, so this was something she couldn't share with anyone.
"Come on, tell me." Mei feigned anger, "Will you say it or not?"
"I won't say it," Kaguya insisted.
"Then don't blame me," Mei said with a mischievous expression. In a flash, she reached out and tickled Kaguya's side.
Kaguya, lost in thought, hadn't been prepared for Mei's surprise attack and was caught off guard, leaving her side vulnerable.
"Hahaha, no, stop—"
Kaguya was most afraid of someone blowing in her ear, and second to that was being tickled; it was worse than being killed.
"Stop, stop it!"
"Will you tell me or not?"
"I won't. Let go."
"I won't unless you tell me what you're hiding."
"Don't blame me if I don't."
"You're asking for it. Ah!"
Kaguya used a bit of strength, and a gentle force flowed from her, causing Mei Terumi to lose her balance and fall backward.
A look of triumph spread across Kaguya's face. This was the advantage of having greater strength. Previously, Kaguya was at Mei's mercy and had to plead and compromise to escape her teasing. But now, with a simple exertion, she could easily break free.
However, Kaguya's smug expression only lasted a few seconds before it was replaced by surprise.
Mei's watery eyes flashed with a mischievous smile as she reached out to grab Kaguya's hand, attempting to pull her down to the ground and use the momentum to get up. Yet, before she succeeded, her smile froze.
Although she caught Kaguya's hand, her knee hit the table. In an effort to avoid toppling it, she twisted her body, losing her balance.
With a dull thud, the two fell to the floor.
Both Kaguya and Mei were stunned, staring wide-eyed at each other, not knowing what to do.
They had both fallen to the ground, Kaguya atop Mei, with her hand inadvertently resting on something soft and white. Even more alarming, their lips were pressed together.
Kaguya had taken advantage of Mei before but never kissed her like this. Both were momentarily frozen.
Finally, Mei reacted first, turning her head to break the kiss and gently pushed Kaguya away, scolding, "Are you planning to stay on top of me forever? Do you want to crush me?"
Kaguya coughed a few times to hide her embarrassment and scrambled to get up. Due to the cramped space filled with tables and chairs, she inevitably touched some places she shouldn't have during her efforts to stand.
So soft.
That was Kaguya's first thought, followed by the realization that they were larger than before.
"Your nerve is growing; you dare to take advantage of me," Mei said, feigning anger while her clear, autumn-water eyes regarded Kaguya with amusement. "Admit it, you did it on purpose, didn't you?"
As the beauty before her looked at her with a smiling gaze, Kaguya suddenly felt a surge of impulse, growing ever stronger. Finally, Kaguya gritted her teeth, stepped forward, and pulled the surprised Mei into her arms.