Chapter 2 - Rika's Secret Account - Part 2

TN - Sorry for the delay. Dealing with IRL Stuff. Since we're havind one extra day off here, I'll t try to post at least one more chapter untill timorrow.

Chapter 2: RIKA@Secret Account Part 2

"Nii-san, are you listening?"

The ringtone sliced through the midnight silence. The call that followed showed no sign of ending, dragging for nearly an hour. Even a voice as clear as mountain spring water starts to grate after a while. Having finished his chores and wrapped up his preparations, Tsutomu had to muster extraordinary effort to keep himself from voicing his true thoughts: 'I wish this would end already.'

"I'm listening."

“Seriously... not just spring break, but you won't be coming home for Golden Week either? Dad and Mom miss you."

"I know I should feel bad. But I'm busy – what can I do?"

"You always say that. If living alone keeps you that busy, wouldn't it be better to commute from home?"

"Give me a break. It takes two hours each way."

"But..."

"Anyway, I'll come home at least once during summer break. Tell them that for me."

He hung up after saying that. Pressing a hand to his damp forehead, he let out a sigh. Messages flooded his smartphone display: 'Absolutely', 'I feel like I heard the same thing before spring break', 'I'll come by to check on you'.

The sender was Tsutomu's stepsister – a new addition to the family, one year younger than him, brought into his life by his parents' remarriage. Even setting aside any family bias, she was undeniably a beautiful girl, the kind of situation others might easily envy.

...Reality was far less forgiving. Living under the same roof as a member of the opposite sex, close in age and not related by blood, turned out to be far more taxing on the nerves than he had expected. Constant worries followed him everywhere.

"What excuse should I use when summer break starts?"

He had absolutely no intention of going home for summer break, despite saying so aloud.

His stepfather and stepsister. It wasn't that he disliked them. He simply didn't particularly want to see them.

"Go home? I'd much rather be alone."

He flopped onto the bed, stared blankly at the ceiling, and let the words spill out. His gaze drifted to the clock on the wall. He picked up his smartphone and opened Twitter.

It was the usual update time for his favorite secret account.

"Oh, perfect timing — it just updated."

In the room that had once again fallen silent, Tsutomu's voice sounded cheerful. Not a trace of the irritation he'd felt moments before remained in his mind.

☆

RIKA@Secret Account

Today's showcase

　※

Her skin, illuminated by the light, looked as fair as ever. Even dressed in loose sweats, she carried herself with a natural confidence that drew attention. Her lower half … it looked like she wasn’t wearing anything. It was marvelous.

Two photos were attached.

One was a front-facing selfie of her sitting cross-legged.

Her legs, visible beneath the hem of the sweatshirt, were dazzlingly pale.

And the other one was—

　☆

"This is outrageous... absolutely outrageous!"

The second photo showed the sweatshirt's hem pulled up high.

Not only was her perfectly flat stomach, without a single ounce of excess flesh, exposed, but the lower half of her large breasts — the so-called southern hemisphere — was clearly visible.

She wasn't wearing a bra. She was braless. The fabric pulled upward distorted the shape of her hemispherical breasts. The softness was emphasized, including the shadows, and even though I knew it was pointless, I instinctively tapped the display.

Incidentally, while it seemed like she wasn't wearing anything on her lower half... she was actually wearing regular shorts. The design was different from the ones I saw the other day.

While I thought underwear would have been better, I also sensed RIKA's strong will: 'This photo wants to show off the upper body!' Tsutomu, with a deadpan expression, thinks trivial things like 'Erotica is tough.'. Even if you're good at schoolwork, the world is full of things you just don't understand.

・

・

・

"Phew... RIKA-san is the amazing today too."

Was his brain turning to mush? He felt like he muttered the same thing every time. After quietly appreciating the post by himself, he scrolled through his timeline... and his finger froze.

'Calling for Costume Submissions'

A new comment from 'RIKA' had appeared.

He swallowed hard without thinking. There was a chance she might choose something he suggested. Just imagining that possibility made his excitement spike in a way he couldn’t quite control.

Any outfit would look good on her. So, what kind of clothes should he request?

What would make for the sexiest outfit?

Seeing her wear something he picked out, and then take them off – that alone felt strangely thrilling. Wouldn’t that be the same as undressing her himself?

Pointless thoughts bubbled up one after another, making his head feel like it was overheating.

"No, no, hold on, me. Calm down..."

Just as his imagination was about to run wild, he managed to pull himself back to reality. He adjusted his slightly fogged glasses.

Even though he was following her posts in real time like this, he couldn’t forget that an enormous distance existed between them in the real world. The closeness he felt was only an illusion – something created by social media.

Even if Tsutomu acknowledged 'RIKA's existence, she would never notice him. That was simply the nature of their relationship.

If she blocked him, it would be the end of it – and since they had no connection in the real world, he had no way to reach her directly.

So, he hesitated to make any request that felt too forward. Maybe it was safer to stick to his usual role as a quiet observer.

"But still... Hmm..."

While Tsutomu wrestled with his thoughts alone, more and more requests kept pouring in. Some people even sent gifts through online retailers.

Reading the replies made an inexplicable restlessness stir inside him.

— A request... should be okay, right?

If she noticed his message, he’d be happy. If she didn’t, he’d feel disappointed.

He found himself confused by these feelings. Because... the real Tsutomu wasn’t someone who thought like that.

He wasn’t the type to send lewd requests to anyone. He had never had a female friend, much less a girlfriend. He had never felt anything like 'happiness' or 'sadness' towards someone of the opposite sex in real life. And he had never questioned that.

He had lived his sixteen-plus years that way.

But — now, Tsutomu felt a strong pull toward 'RIKA'.

An anonymous girl on social media should have been as distant as a shining idol on TV. Considering he didn't even know who she was or where she lived, she might as well be from another world.

"......"

He was sweating in a strange way – different from how he’d felt while talking to his stepsister on the phone. Was it excitement? Nerves? He couldn’t even tell.

The hand holding his smartphone trembled. His finger hovered uncertainly, unable to settle on the right spot to tap the screen.

If he was going to send a request, he had to do it soon. 'RIKA' wouldn't wait forever.

He placed a hand over his chest to steady his breathing and typed each character with care. When he finished, he reviewed the message.

More seriously than he had ever checked a school exam – reading it again and again, making sure it was exactly right.

'Bunny Girl, please.'

"Phew."

Somehow, managing to post the comment gave him a strange sense of accomplishment.

He plugged his smartphone into the charger and tossed it onto the pillow.

Lying on his back with his eyes closed, he felt the lukewarm breeze drifting in through the open window brush against his cheek.

Caught between guilt and exhilaration, Tsutomu eventually drifted off to sleep.