Artifice and Duplicity

[Ichi]

"Huh? Why would I feel uncomfortable?" asked Húxiān in a seemingly innocent matter as she glanced down at her breasts. "Is there something wrong with my breasts?" said Húxiān as she cupped her perky breasts, lifting them up slightly---not that they needed any support. Húxiān eyes would scan over her breasts, seemingly looking for possible abnormalities.

"I just...well, I didn't want you to feel...uncomfortable like that," Hiro said. "It's...it's not anything weird. Really."

"Hiro-kun," replied Húxiān, her voice soft and sweet, "please don't worry about making me feel uncomfortable." Húxiān would move her chair closer to Hiro. "I trust you"---Húxiān would attempt to put her hand on Hiro's inner thigh in a gentle, almost platonic way---"and I like you." As Húxiān said those words, she would attempt to meet Hiro's gaze. Her hand would be resting precariously close to Hiro's groin---not close enough to necessarily be considered sexual but near enough that "Kimie's" intentions would be ambiguous. Furthermore, Húxiān's bare breasts would be tantalizingly exposed: all Hiro would have to do to catch a glimpse would be to let his gaze wander just a few inches downwards.

Then, Húxiān would gently ask, "Is something the matter? You seem very nervous. Does my lack of attire make you feel uncomfortable?"

-----

Everything Húxiān did was designed to ratchet up the sexual tension while still maintaining plausible deniability. To force Hiro to question whether or not the seemingly innocent and earnest "Kimie" was actually coming onto him. And to establish, albeit abruptly, a sense of intimacy between "Kimie" and Hiro. Everything from referring to Hiro as "Hiro-kun", an endearment that implies a sense of familiarity, to placing her hand on Hiro's inner thigh and close to his groin, was designed to further those purposes. Finally, the line "and I like you" was purposefully ambiguous so as to keep Hiro guessing: "Kimie" could have meant that statement in a platonic way, or she could have been harboring romantic feelings for Hiro and simply have been playing coy.

Húxiān, on the other hand, only saw Hiro as a pathetic, spineless toy for her to play with---and a tool that she could use to take down a more dangerous target. Moreover, to Húxiān, even her own body was simply a tool to be used in pursuit of what she wanted. In Húxiān's mind, there was nothing special or intimate about nudity and sex: both could be used as weapons and the latter felt good physically. As such, Húxiān had no reservations about flaunting her body to Hiro.

[CaptainL]

Oh, god. Hiro gulped; just looking back at the nearly naked girl sitting across from him made the blood rise in his face, and a nervous tremor went through his body. He crossed his legs, resting one atop the other, in an attempt to try and keep his arousal from growing too obvious, but his knee began to bob up and down anxiously and he soon uncrossed his legs again. Either Kimie was coming on to him and doing this on purpose, or she really was more innocent than Hiro had believed was humanly possible. And for the former to be true, she'd need to be a very good actress. Perhaps even better than most. It didn't seem likely that someone that talented would be working as a magazine reporter...

But now she was drawing even closer - and as her chair scooted toward him, Hiro could practically feel his heart speeding up in his chest, and the warmth radiating off of her body. As she lay her hand against his thigh, she could feel how tense his muscles were, pulled taut beneath the skin. What she said next did little to defuse the situation.

"L-Like..!?" He blushed even harder, sucking in a breath as he straightened himself in his seat. "Y-You...you mean...like like me, or-?" He bit his lip again. This couldn't be real, this couldn't be happening. Kirie wouldn't like this. He knew that. He didn't want to risk the shaky foundation their relationship was built upon. But...Kimie was a sweet girl. He had to admit that. He trusted her, too.
"But...uh..." He took in another breath, a long, deep one to center himself. Another feeling of guilt came to him then, but this time, it wasn't over Kirie. This time, he thought to how gentle and caring this girl had been toward him, and how accepting she'd been even in what could have been an awkward moment. He didn't want to be too imposing on her, or to make her feel uncomfortable...or unwanted.

"No, uh...it's fine. Really...I'll be okay. Uh..." Shortly after the words left his mouth, he felt he needed to say something more. "Thanks, though...you're really kind..."

[Ichi]

To Húxiān, seeing Hiro fall for her trick was both amusing and laughable. The situation was reminiscent of a stereotypical porn film, complete with a cheesy, contrived setup. At this rate, Húxiān was going to get stuck in a cabinet or something. And then Hiro would try to pull her out, only to inadvertently grind his groin against Húxiān's backside in the process. Which would lead to sex.

This was no porno, however. Although, judging from Hiro's physical reaction, it would seem like he was more than "ready" for that sort of situation. Even though Húxiān was trying to stare directly at Hiro's face, she still spotted Hiro's "readiness" out of the corner of her eye.

Seeing Hiro's arousal and hearing him stammer through a response was quite amusing for Húxiān. Content to watch Hiro struggle, Húxiān remained silent as she listened to Hiro's response. Once Hiro was done, Húxiān spoke up.

Removing her hand from Hiro's thigh, Húxiān began speaking. "Are you sure? You seem a little---" Húxiān's eyes noticeably shifted downwards to lock onto Hiro's groin. "Oh," stated Húxiān before pausing for a moment. Then, Húxiān breathed a false sigh of relief. "I see why you were so flustered now. I'm relieved---I was getting worried because I didn't know what was troubling you." Húxiān covered her breasts with her left forearm, restoring some of her modesty. Then, she tried to catch Hiro's gaze before looking down and to the side in a coy manner.

"I'm really sorry. If you haven't noticed, I'm a little sheltered," Húxiān said with a smile. However, that smile would slowly disappear. "My father---he forced me to go to an all-girls school for most of my life. Since we were all girls, we never bothered to hide our bodies. Nor did we pay much attention to each other's bodies," explained Húxiān. "I guess it never occurred to me that guys would feel awkward seeing me like this. I really... haven't been around many guys because..."

Húxiān took a deep breath. "My father was very controlling," blurted out Húxiān. "He hated it whenever I would talk to guys. He was always worried that I'd run off with some random guy. I wouldn't do that but I could never seem to convince him. He didn't trust me." Húxiān's face showed a scowl for a brief moment before transitioning to a melancholy expression. "He would always look through my phone to make sure I wasn't talking to any guys. He also forced me to hand over the passwords to any social media accounts I made. And the one guy friend I had... was quickly chased off by my father. My father beat him up and threatened him to make sure he never came near me again."

[CaptainL]

"H-Huh..?" Though Hiro was already on edge, the thought that Kimie could tell exactly how much he was...evidently enjoying the predicament he was in only made it even more flustering. He was embarrassed he was having such a reaction to begin with, and it was even more embarrassing that she noticed. Was he that obvious? And how was one even supposed to explain that to a girl? Biting his lip, Hiro again tried to cross his legs in the hopes of hiding his reaction, but this time he winced from the pain of just trying to do so. Gulping, he looked back toward the girl across from him - who now at least had the decency to cover her chest, if little else. At least she didn't seem to mind...

But as Kimie went on, Hiro took another pause. What she was saying felt...familiar. As she went on, he recognized everything she mentioned. The threats, the constant concerns, even the checking of phones...his eyes widened. Kirie had done all of that to him, and for largely the same reasons. His gaze flitted anxiously around the room, from one corner to the other. He knew he loved Kirie. But at the same time, it had its challenges - and if something so similar caused this girl so much grief, was it truly healthy?

Clearing his throat, Hiro spoke again. "I see...I see. I...can't imagine how that has to feel...I mean, I know it has to be terrible, but..." Then he stopped in mid-sentence. He didn't want to go behind his girlfriend's back...but he didn't want to lie to Kimie either. This girl trusted him. He was one of the few people she had. It wouldn't be fair if he had to hide something from her...

Looking down with a sigh, Hiro continued. "Actually...I do know how that feels. Don't tell anyone I said that, but...it does weigh on me sometimes, what my girlfriend does..."

[Ichi]

Although Húxiān had a practical goal in mind, she also enjoyed seeing Hiro squirm. It was clear that Hiro was nervous, evidenced by both his general body language and him biting his lip---the latter being a nervous habit that Húxiān had previously picked up on. Hiro definitely seemed like the type to let himself fall under the thumb of a possessive, monstrous woman such as Kirie. Messing with such a pathetic man was proving to be quite fun for Húxiān so far, and would likely prove to be even more fun later.

As she spoke, Húxiān noticed that Hiro was subtly reacting to her description of her father's alleged controlling behavior. Of course, this was a complete lie, meant to elicit the exact reaction that Húxiān had been observing at that moment: empathy. Based on Hiro's reaction, Húxiān strongly suspected that he was living through the exact sort of situation that she was describing. Perhaps he was even questioning his life choices, or maybe he was in the midst of trying to rationalize them. Regardless of whatever was going on in that spineless milquetoast's brain however, Húxiān knew that she had Hiro by the balls---assuming he even had any.

"I see...I see. I...can't imagine how that has to feel...I mean, I know it has to be terrible, but..."

Húxiān listened to those words, making sure to keep up her kind and understanding facade. Internally, however, Húxiān felt quite differently. What are you, some kind of fucking eunuch? If you're going to lie, do it with intent, thought Húxiān. At the very least, those weak words further confirmed what Húxiān had already suspected: that Hiro was probably not the sort of person who could lie easily. Most likely, he was the sort of person who tried to be decent.

"Actually...I do know how that feels. Don't tell anyone I said that, but...it does weigh on me sometimes, what my girlfriend does..."

And with that, the floodgates were opened. Húxiān knew that once someone begins talking, that person can often end up revealing more than they had intended to. Based on Húxiān's personal experience, both with Hiro and others, this seemed like a likely outcome.

"I see," stated Húxiān. She would slightly tilt her head sideways and subtly lean in closer, to convey interest in what Hiro was saying. Then, she would look at Hiro as if she expected him to say more, as if silently imploring him to continue speaking.

[CaptainL]

For a moment, after the words had left his mouth, Hiro was silent. He felt guilty about speaking out about his...tumultuous relationship with Kirie. While she did, genuinely, make him happy, it would be a lie to say that she wasn't controlling, some would say frighteningly so. She wouldn't let him talk to any other girls, and on the oft chance that he did she always found some way to construe it as a threat to their relationship, something she put on a pedestal and wouldn't let anything touch the sanctity it held in her mind. He was at least thankful that when such conflicts inevitably arose, Kirie took it out on the women she perceived as interlopers, rather than on Hiro himself...but even then, he felt guilty letting them get into harm's way. Just as he felt guilty about betraying Kirie's trust in him. He knew she didn't have much, but - whether it was out of holding onto the good, or desperately trying to make the relationship work, or just out of Stockholm syndrome - Hiro didn't want to risk anything he didn't have to.

At the same time, he felt bad lying to Kimie. He knew she had placed her trust in him, too. She had confided in things that she never would tell anyone else, and he had her assurance that nothing said in this room would leave it. He saw no reason to doubt her. If there was ever a safe place to speak up, this would be it.

Hiro expected something else from Kimie, but there was nothing. No questions, no prompting to continue, just "I see." But Hiro knew she wanted more. He couldn't just leave it at this. He'd dropped a thought onto the table and left it without any elaboration. He had to continue. And, after a sigh, that was what he did.
"Kirie didn't actually set out to be a wrestler, you know. After I got out of high school, I was looking for a job, and I found one as a manager for an independent joshi promotion. It was all business, between my client and I, but...Kirie was convinced there was more, no matter how much I tried to tell her otherwise. She tried picking a fight with my client backstage, and lost, hard. She didn't have any training, so...that kinda went without saying. But she wouldn't leave it at that. And she decided to get into the business just to get back at her..."

Hiro looked down at the ground, too nervous to face the reporter's nearly naked body but also afraid to look her in the eye with such revelations. Speaking it out loud, Hiro realized just how shaky their relationship was. Did he even want to keep this up? Was it worth it? Hell, he hadn't even gotten into the worst of it yet...and he gulped at the thought.

[Ichi]

Everything, from what Hiro had said to his current body language, screamed "emasculated". Too weak to excise himself from a blatantly unhealthy relationship. Too easy to manipulate. It was no wonder that a controlling wretch such as Kirie would latch onto Hiro---Hiro was easy to control.

Húxiān could tell that there was more this story. But she figured that she would have plenty of time to wring out more information from Hiro. Thus, instead of trying to manipulate Hiro into saying more, Húxiān would abruptly shift the focus.

"Umm... sorry if this seems rude or out of left-field, but... are you... happy with Kirie?" said Húxiān, her face filled with faux concern. "I mean... happy being with Kirie?"

Húxiān threw out that question as if it were a jab: a strike meant to disrupt an opponent's rhythm and set up bigger strikes. Knowing that such a question would throw Hiro for a loop, Húxiān waited with anticipation for Hiro's response.

"Sorry if this is a weird question. But... I'm a little worried about you, Hiro-kun," stated Húxiān. "And uh... please don't worry! I won't judge! I promise!"

[CaptainL]

It had been awkward to conduct this conversation as it were, with Kimie being practically naked, and inching closer to Hiro in what he might have taken for an attempt to win him over with her charms, had she not seemed so genuine and so innocent that he was sure she didn't mean anything by it. Hiro had been conducting this whole interview, such as it were, in a haze, only halfway thinking his thoughts amidst a storm of perverted impulses and self-loathing born of his inability to control himself. However, when the girl asked her next question, it felt as though a shaft of light had shone through the fog. Hiro had been blundering his way through the conversation, but this question - are you happy with Kirie? - he heard it loud and clear.

He sat in silence, his eyes going wide as, for once, he looked the reporter right in the eye. His whole body stopped. He didn't know what to say to that - but he knew he had to say something.

"Am...I happy with her? Me?" Hiro let out a sigh, looking down at his feet. "Well...how do I say this...I mean, I love her! Really, I do! I want it all to work out, but...I'll admit, she scares me some times." His legs kicked idly at the air as his shoulders slumped low. "I worry about how she's going to feel, how she's going to react...it's a lot of trouble, sometimes. Sometimes, I wonder what it'd be like to not have that, for her to be understanding. For her to trust me. But...right now, she thinks the worst of me a lot, it seems. I feel like other people don't have that, and it makes me jealous, sometimes. It must be so much easier. Not that it should be jealous. I should just...be happy with what I have. I'm sorry...I don't mean to sound so selfish."

All the same, there was something else she had said that stuck in his mind, something he would be remiss to ignore. As Hiro looked back up at the girl, he smiled to her. He let out a breath, one that seemed to let the tension out of his body - as though he'd gotten something off his chest he'd been feeling for some time now. "You're really...worried about me? It's...it's okay. I'm glad to know you care..."

[Ichi]

"Yeah, I'm really worried about you," whispered Húxiān as she put her hand on Hiro's upper arm. Húxiān would move in close to Hiro, her face only inches away from his. "I really care about you, Hiro-kun." Hiro would be able to feel Húxiān's soft, feminine breath on his face as her lips got dangerously close to his. Húxiān's eyes would stare directly at Hiro's eyes in an attempt to make eye contact.

[CaptainL]

Hiro's smile was growing a little wider, as he leaned into the girl's touch. Suddenly, the fact that she was nearly naked, and getting so close against him, didn't seem to matter. Any other time, that was going to unleash feelings of incredible discomfort that Hiro would be faced with trying to repress, particularly when he was in public. But coming from Kimie...it seemed so innocent. Nothing about her told him that she wanted anything else out of this besides someone to confide in. Hiro knew she had placed her trust in him, and he, too, felt like he could trust her.

Hiro nodded his head, letting Kimie lean against him. His skin twitched ever so slightly beneath her breath, but he let her come closer all the same. His eyes looked back into hers, and the stiffness in his muscles slackened as he let out another sigh. There was something about those eyes he could get lost in.

"...thank you," he spoke at last. "It means a lot to know you're thinking of me." The thought of being with Kimie romantically was out of the question, but Hiro at least figured the two could be friends. And yet, he still couldn't ignore the fact that a part of him wanted something more. Was that why he didn't care about how close her lips were coming to his?

"If you ever need to talk, I'm here, alright..?"