"Alright, all done!" Eris chirps, pulling back after one last gentle swipe across my back. "Thanks for letting me scrub your back! It was fun!"
"Wait! It's over already? Noooo!" I wail, pouting in disappointment. I still wanted more of her scrubbing—it felt way too good to end already!
Eris tilts her head, a playful smile tugging at her lips. "Hmm… your back is already spotless," she says, pausing for a moment before adding with a mischievous glint in her eyes, "Or… do you want me to clean the front too?"
"Hmmph! No thanks!" I huff, grabbing the towel from her hands, my face flushing. My heart skips a beat at her teasing, but I quickly brush it off. "It's my turn now!" I announce.
Eris giggles, and before I know it, I've already moved behind her, guiding her onto the stool.
"Yay!" Eris cheers, settling down eagerly. She stretches her arms and back like she's warming up for a workout or something, her excitement making me smile.
"Alright, are you ready? I'm going to give you the best hair wash ever!" I declare, though my heart races—not just from excitement, but from nerves too.
After all, in my previous life as a guy, I've never washed a girl's hair.
What if she realizes I'm a total amateur who doesn't even know how to wash hair properly…?
Aaaah!!! I'll be so embarrassed!
But… it's just washing hair, right? How hard can it be?
I mentally run through the steps again. Wet the hair, apply shampoo, massage gently (not too rough, don't mess this up!), clean her ears, rinse the shampoo, apply conditioner, then rinse again… and finish with a nice back scrub.
Yeah! That should do it.
I've got this!
"Hihi, I can't wait!" Eris giggles softly, clearly looking forward to it, completely unaware of my internal panic.
I reach out hesitantly, my shaking fingers brushing her long, midnight-black hair. It cascades down her back in soft waves, though it's a bit tangled and slightly oily from the day's adventures. Maintaining hair like this must be a challenge, I think to myself.
But then… as I gently move her hair aside, revealing her back underneath, I freeze.
The playful mood vanishes in an instant, replaced by a sudden wave of shock and horror. My heart clenches tightly, like it's being squeezed by an unseen force.
"E-Eris…" I stammer, my voice trembling as my hand hovers uncertainly above her back. "These… these are…"
As I say that, I feel her body tense beneath my gaze.
Slowly, Eris turns her head just enough to catch a glimpse of my face, her playful demeanor fading into something far more serious.
"Oh…" she murmurs, her voice almost pained. "I'm sorry… Did I scare you?"
Her words are so quiet, as if she's bracing herself for my reaction.
There are scars…
Big, long, jagged scars, cutting deep into her skin.
"No, not at all," I whisper, my heart tightening. I gently turn her back around. Then, slowly, almost fearfully, I let my trembling fingers trace the lines of the scars, feeling the rough, uneven texture beneath my touch.
My heart twists in my chest. These scars… they're terrifying, like marks left by a beast, a monster with claws too massive to comprehend. A bear? No… not even a bear's claws could do this.
Just… what kind of horrifying creature did this to her?
"Was it… from the dungeon?" I ask, my voice barely steady, trembling with the weight of the question.
"Yeah," she replies softly. "I was a little careless… and, well, the beast got me."
My fingers move over the ridges of her scars again, and I feel the tears gathering in my eyes. The pain she must have endured… it's unimaginable.
Suddenly, Eris speaks, her voice brittle and tinged with bitterness. "It's ugly, isn't it?"
Her gaze meets mine briefly before darting away, as if she's too ashamed to face me.
The question stabs at my heart.
"No… it's not ugly!" I blurt out, my voice nearly cracking as the emotion wells up inside me.
My hand presses against my chest, trying to ease the ache. Damn… it hurts. My heart is breaking for her, for the pain she tries to hide behind her carefree demeanor. I want to wrap my arms around her, hold her tight, but with both of us are naked right now, I hesitate.
Instead, I place my palm gently against her back, where the scars lie.
"Even with these… you're still beautiful. You're the most beautiful person I've ever seen," I murmur, my voice trembling.
Eris's breath catches, her lips parting slightly before a soft smile blooms on her face. "Felicia…" she whispers.
But I can't let it go. I need to know. "But… was it… painful?" I ask, my voice cracking, tears clouding my vision.
Eris pauses for a moment, her lips parting as if she wants to say something, but then she closes them again. After a few seconds of silence, she shrugs lightly. "Nah… I passed out when it happened. Didn't feel a thing."
But from her tone—and the hesitation just now—I know she's not telling the whole truth.
"No, you're lying," I murmur, my voice trembling. My tears threaten to spill over, but I blink them back, holding them in.
"Hey, it doesn't matter, does it?" she says with a faint smile. "I'm still alive, right? That's what counts."
Her words catch me off guard, widening my eyes.
Yeah…
She's right.
At the end of the day, Eris's still here, alive—and that's what truly matters.
I decide not to ask about the scar anymore, to let it fade into the background as though it never existed.
"Alright, now turn around and lower your head!" I command, trying to shift the mood. "I'm going to wash your hair!"
"Yay!" Eris chirps, turning around obediently.
I scoop some shampoo into my hands and start working it through her hair, my fingers moving gently, careful not to tug. As I massage her scalp, despite telling myself not to think about it, my mind drifts back to those scars.
I wonder if it's intentional or not, but now I realize… her hair is just long enough to hide the scars completely, as if she doesn't want anyone to see them. As if she's self-conscious.
Nah… maybe I'm just overthinking it.
I shake my head and refocus on the task at hand, continuing to wash her hair while she sits quietly.
For the first time today, we stop talking for a few minutes.