I felt a chill.

     I enjoyed having Sorahashi-san as my pet. It felt so good to bare my true self, to let out these feelings that I couldn’t show anyone else. And right now, even though things were completely opposite from usual, I felt that same sort of elation fill my heart.

     Why was even this…?

     While lost in wonder at my feelings, Sorahashi-san tugged on the leash. My breath caught, and my brows furrowed.

     She giggled.

     「Bad puppies need to be disciplined. Right, Kurumi?」

     Saying that, Sorahashi-san crouched down and looked me in the eye. Perhaps because she had the leash wrapped taut around her wrist, I continued to have trouble breathing. As I gasped for air, she brought her face even closer to mine.

     I felt something wet part and enter my lips.

     My eyes involuntarily widened, and I couldn’t fight back because she was still pulling on the leash. In that instant, the whole world became silent. It made way for the reverberating noise of water, as if it was bursting out. I knew she was kissing me, but I didn’t know why she was doing this now.

     She gently sucked on my tongue, drawing out the kiss.

     Her form of discipline was much different from mine.

     This wasn’t discipline at all. But even so, I couldn’t resist.

     「Ahaha, such a naughty expression. This is supposed to be a punishment, but that’s how you look?」

     「Mas…」

     「Don’t you mean, “woof”? You’re a puppy, so speak properly.」

     「…Woof.」

     「…Ah, right.」

     Sorahashi-san pulled on the leash. My body was naturally brought closer to hers — so close that I could feel her breath on me. I averted my gaze because I thought she was going to kiss me again, but then, I felt a sharp pain run through my neck.

     I knew this pain.

     Mizuki had done the same thing to me just the other day, so my body still remembered it — the pain of being bitten on the neck.

     「…Ngh.」

     「…Aha. Say, have you realized the sort of face you’re making? You’re melting.」

     「W-woof.」

     I wasn’t sure if that was the truth. The only thing I was sure of was that the spot she had bitten throbbed with heat and pain, and it made my stomach tighten up. It seemed that human desire never burst upon itself, continuing to expand without limit.

     Once again, an unknown side of me had risen to the surface. An unfamiliar desire filled my chest. My breath became labored, and I no longer cared about anything. I just wanted her to punish me more. I wanted to show her even more of my desire and have hers shown to me. Feeling this way, my heart began to race.

     「Did you make this face to Mizuki, too?」

     She traced her fingers over where she had bitten me, and my legs went weak. As if she had noticed, she pulled down at my uniform and bit again right below the original spot. My body jumped in surprise, falling to the floor.

     「Ahaha, what an incredible reaction. It feels good to be bitten, doesn’t it?」

     It felt different than from when Mizuki had bitten me.

     I wondered why she had done that back then. It was the first time she had ever done anything like that to me, and since we hadn’t been able to have a proper conversation ever since, I still had no clue what she meant by it. Would we just continue to drift apart, even though we were family?

     「Don’t look away.」

     Sorahashi-san said. Holding tightly onto the leash, she got onto a desk. Then, she nudged my shoulder with her foot. Her beautifully polished loafers were very befitting of her. I curled my shoulders, shrinking my presence.

     「Hmm… Kurumi, you make me lick your hands quite often. It’d be boring if I kept it the same, wouldn’t it?」

     She said with a smile. I somehow managed to support myself up on my trembling legs.

     「My legs don’t seem they would be any fun either. …How about here?」

     Sorahashi unbuttoned her blazer and untucked her blouse from her skirt. Then, beginning from the bottom, she started to unbutton that as well, one by one. This wasn’t the first time I’d seen her belly, but perhaps because of the current circumstances, it made my heart pound awfully fast.

     「Lick, Kurumi. Do it right, so that I can tell how sorry you are.」

     「Woof.」

     I gently looped my arms around her waist. I didn’t think dogs licked peoples’ bellies. But right now, I wasn’t a dog. I was her puppy.

     Running my fingers over her pale belly, I could feel its temperature and texture much more distinctly than with just a simple touch. It tasted a little salty, with a scent that aroused my instincts and pained my chest. I knew it was insane to be doing something like this at school. But even so, I couldn’t stop.

     More. More. We should just break even more.

     I should. She should. And everything else——.

     At that very that moment, I heard a loud crash by the door. I jumped in surprise, turning my gaze over. Hearing the sound of footsteps fading further and further away, I stood up.

     It couldn’t have been. Well, maybe, but…

     I opened the door and looked around the hallway, but it was completely empty.

     Were we seen? Or maybe, was it just my imagination? But what if we were?

     My thoughts were spinning. Even though it was becoming harder and harder to keep my emotions under control, the tiny sliver of rational thought that remained told me that this wasn’t good. If word spread about the relationship we had — if the teachers found out — it would all be over.

     My heart was racing.

     What should we do? What on earth should I…

     「Kurumi.」

     「Sorahashi-san. Someone saw…!」

     「That’s okay.」

     How could she declare that so confidently? How could she say it was okay, even without any proof? I tried to run toward the direction in which the footsteps had faded away, but before I could, Sorahashi-san pulled back on the leash.

     「It’ll be fine. Things won’t turn out the way you think.」

     「How can you say that?」

     「…Hehe. How, indeed?」

     「But it’ll all be over if anyone else finds out.」

     「Maybe. But Kurumi… you look like you’re enjoying yourself, you know?」

     She smiled.

     「…Huh?」

     「So you haven’t noticed after all. Hmm. Maybe this will clear it up?」

     She turned her phone at me, using it as a mirror. Reflected on that screen was myself, looking absolutely enchanted.

     …Why?

     Why was I making this face? I could be expelled. It could disappoint my friends. Even my own family might denounce me.

     A shiver ran down my spine.

     Seeing my own expression, I began to understand the emotions hiding deep inside me. If people saw me for all I was and everything went south, then perhaps I wouldn’t have to pretend to be anything anymore. The guilt I held at not being able to smile at home, the feeling of being unable to survive without fussing over someone, and what happened with Mizuki — if all that were to be destroyed…

     But, that was…

     「Kurumi, you’re quite insensitive to your own feelings. But I don’t dislike that about you either.」

     She said as she removed the collar.

     This was the end.

     I couldn’t help but think that.

     I took a deep breath, but I was sure that my expression had returned to normal. I hoped I’d look like my usual self by the time I got back to class.

     「So, Kurumi. Which would you prefer, being the puppy or the master?」

     She asked as she put the collar away in a small pouch.

     I knew that question was insane.

     But…

     「I like both.」

     Hearing my answer, she laughed.

     It was cute, one befitting a princess.

     「Ahaha, how greedy. You know, I’ve also recently started to think that it’d be nice to be the master myself.」

     「Even though you’ve always wanted to be a puppy.」

     「That’s certainly true, but I felt that as long as it was with you, Kurumi, I’d enjoy either. …Hehe. Strange, isn’t it?」

     I was just as strange.

     As Sorahashi-san started off with a light step, she tightly took hold of my hand.

     「Sorahashi-san?」

     「Could we go back to the classroom like this?」

     「Huh…」

     「I’m certain it’ll be more fun that way. …Right?」

     I barely interacted with her at school. I was sure that the others in our class thought that we were just barely close enough to engage in some small talk here and there, and previously, they wouldn’t have been wrong. But over these past few months, we’d become much closer to each other than anyone else.

     I squeezed her hand back.

     I wasn’t sure how we’d be seen by the people around us, but it was fine if this was what she wanted. We caught some strange looks as we walked down the hallway, but surprisingly, nobody said anything.

     Making it back to the classroom, we went to our separate seats. I could still feel her warmth lingering on my right hand and couldn’t help but blankly stare at it. I glanced over to Sorahashi-san to see that she had already started a conversation with another friend. She was as popular as ever.

     Just as I was about to prepare for the next class, I felt a tap on my shoulder.

     I turned around and saw Yume enter my vision.

     Her hair was a little messy, even though she had just fixed it earlier. I gave it a touch, running my fingers through it.

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