“Right then, Mashiro, hold out your hand.”

Whispered to me right beside me by Amamiya Tōru, I held out my left hand to her as instructed.
As she took my hand, I imagined what happened in the classroom.
Would her tongue violate my fingers again?
If asked whether I wanted to feel that lukewarm, shiver-inducing sensation once more…
I found myself thinking it might be all right.
Or perhaps…

　Could I feel the shape of her breasts again?
In the classroom, I could only touch them lightly; I couldn’t move my fingers and knead them like Amamiya Tōru had done to me.
If she’d let me touch them again, even through her clothes, this time I was prepared to knead her breasts.
I was quite looking forward to seeing the expression on her face when I did.

Two thousand yen in return.

　This time, I’ll give her two thousand yen.
The price.

What can you buy with two thousand yen?

For me, I read a lot of books.
Novels, manga, magazines.
With two thousand yen, I can buy at least two of those.
I can buy one tankōbon volume.
That’s two thousand yen.

But buying someone’s time.
Buying someone’s body.

　When I think of that, two thousand yen is utterly insufficient.
So, surely today, I couldn’t do more than what I experienced in the classroom. I wouldn’t be allowed to.
That’s what I thought.
Rather, for all those experiences in the classroom, I should really be paying her more money. She doesn’t demand it.
I’m sure it’s the same as when she seduces former night workers – that’s what they call the “first-time service”, I reckon.

The right to be taken for a ride?
　The right to touch her breasts?

The two choices I’d considered, however, seemed neither right nor wrong.
Amamiya Tōru’s reply left me blank.

“With these hands, from now on, Mashiro can do as she pleases with me.”

“……Eh?”

Amamiya Tōru smiled faintly.
She’d said she didn’t need to show me any calculated expressions.
　But she’d developed a habit of moving herself like this, trying to charm people, to ensnare them.

“However, there are three conditions.”
“Three…”

“First.”

Saying this, Amamiya Tōru released my hand she’d been holding, pointing in turn at the light blue ribbon tied at the neckline of her own uniform, then at her skirt.

“I cannot permit any actions that involve removing my uniform.”
“…Well, that’s only fair.”
“Not yet, anyway.”
“Huh!?”

“And second. Obviously, I don’t want any trouble at school, so causing me injury is also out of the question.”
“That goes without saying.”

“Finally, the third point. If I say ‘no’ during the exchange, you must stop immediately.”
“Understood.”

These were the conditions Amamiya Tōru had imposed on me. No, surely conditions she had imposed on all the former Knights before me.
While there were parts that gave me pause, there was nothing I could particularly object to.

Amamiya Tōru grasped my left hand once more.

“Any questions?”
“As long as it doesn’t hurt, I can touch anywhere, right?”
“Yes. Though depending on the location, the third condition might come into effect.”
“Understood. Then—”

Amamiya Tōru released my left hand.
I extended that freed hand towards her.
　She remained expressionless.
She felt not a shred of fear about surrendering herself to someone. Merely a passive state, accepting whatever was done to her with a straight face. Once again, I felt I glimpsed Amamiya Tōru’s outlook on life.

She, too, was staring at me.
Observing my expression. Just as I was observing her, she too watched the proceedings without once averting her eyes from mine.

What should I do?

　My outstretched hand moved slowly. As carefully as if touching a glass figurine.
Yet without purpose. So my mind raced desperately, trying to decide what to do.

I resolved to draw out Amamiya Tohru’s true colour.
Not that forced, transparent colour I liked.
Her genuine colour, her true emotion.

I believed this was the first opportunity.

　Just to touch her with this left hand.
Even that small action, just to glimpse a little of her colour.

That’s what I was thinking.
But in my head, desires tangled together, and in the end, without any purpose, my hand touched her cheek.
Touched her cheek, stroked that soft cheek, unexpectedly warm to the touch.
My hand reached upwards.

Truthfully, there were many other places I wanted to touch.

　Yet my hand, moving without thought, found its way to Amamiya Tōru’s head.
All I could do was gaze.
Only when I drew near did I realise the subtle sweetness and clean, fresh scent she carried.

I ran my fingers through her silky hair.

Then stroked it gently.

“You know, you can vent your troubles to me, you know.”

Amamiya Tōru’s eyes widened.