"You cannot be serious?"
Darjeeling asks her friend, hoping this is all some kind of joke. Crossing her arms over her chest and taking a peek between the curtains, Darjeeling cannot help but feel her cheeks heating up. "There must be hundreds of people out there," Darjeeling's blush spreads all the way from her face to the top of her chest, colouring her skin a dark red. She wishes she wore her other swimsuit. "I brought this one to get her attention! Not all those people out there."
Darjeeling had to fight her embarrassment and better judgments to even purchase her swimsuit. The black strapless bikini top did little to hide her impressive chest, while the O-ring holding it together does a great job showing off the centre of her chest. It took all her courage to put on something so revealing for today, and now Darjeeling finds herself being forced to show it off for a bunch of strangers. "All because she thought it would be fun to compete…." Darjeeling looks over to her friend. "If it were anyone else, I would never…." She looks over to her friend, who does not look the least bit embarrassed about the situation. The only solace Darjeeling finds is that her matching black bikini bottoms are not that more revealing than any other swimsuit she has worn in the past. Apart from where the O-rings hold the fabric together, they cover everything necessary down there.
"Do I really need to go out there?" Darjeeling asks, praying Kay would let her sit this one out while her face burns hotter.
"Come on, Darjeeling," Kay smiles. "It will be fun, and besides, with that swimsuit, I'm sure you can take first place. I did not take you as the kind of person who would wear something so daring. I swear those guys in the parking lot nearly had a heart attack when they saw you wearing that."
"This isn't something normally wear," Darjeeling mutters, fighting her embarrassment.
"So, is there a particular reason you why you wore it today?" Kay leans in closer, and Darjeeling struggles to even look at her.
"No," Darjeeling replies, looking away. "I just felt like trying something new."
"Well, you should wear that more often," Darjeeling yelps and jumps when Kay suddenly slaps her ass. "If I were a man, I would be all over you."
"If you were a man…." Darjeeling whispers as she looks up in time to see Kay winking at her.
Darjeeling glances at the crowd again as they start to cheer when a man wearing a suit takes to the stage before she wishes she had worn a swimsuit like her friends. Kay's one-piece swimsuit suits her well and covers more skin than Darjeeling's own bikini. Although the way it shows off Kay's cleavage is enough to draw Darjeeling's eyes. "Why is it that you would only be interested in me if you were a man?" Darjeeling wonders before catching herself staring and adverting her gaze before Kay catches her.
"Just relax," Kay tells her, putting an arm over her shoulder making Darjeeling's heart race. "Try to enjoy yourself out there." Kay leans in closer to where Darjeeling can feel her breath on her ear. "I'm sure a lady as beautiful as you will take first place."
Just as quickly as Kay took hold of her, she is gone. Darjeeling watches Kay takes her place in line as the show gets ready to start. She finds herself smiling as she takes her place in line. "She thinks I am beautiful…" Darjeeling hears Kay's last words to her repeat themselves repeatedly in her head as the curtain is slowly lifted and the show begins. Even as the crowd cheers loudly, Darjeeling finds herself wholly calm and happy despite the amount of skin her swimsuit reveals.
"Ladies and gentlemen, that give it up for our beautiful contestants!"
The crowd goes wild, cheering and whistling, calling out to their favourite name and snapping pictures. Through all the whistling, cheering, and shouts, the show's host somehow manages to keep the crowd under control and quickly gets them to quiet back down. With a big smile on his face, the man starts introducing the girls, but Darjeeling finds her eyes only on one of them. Kay looks completely natural, smiling and waving at the crowd. Darjeeling cannot help but wonder where Kay finds her courage.
"Now onto contest number five," The man announces, pointing towards Kay. "Some of you may know her from TV as she is the captain of the Saunders University High School Sensha-Dō team. Let us all give Kay a warm welcome."
Kay steps forward and walks down the small runway like all the other contestants before her. The crowd goes wild, making much more noise than they have so far enough even that Darjeeling can feel the ground stage start to vibrate from the sound. Kay, on her part, only plays up the crowd smiling and waving and even blowing a kiss here and there. This time the host struggles to rain in the crowd once Kay retakes her spot inline. It takes the man in the suit a few minutes to regain control and introduce the next girl, but Darjeeling finds her gaze locked only on Kay.
"Now let us welcome contestant number nine onto the runway," The host calls out, and Darjeeling feels scared when he turns to face her. "Someone else you may recognise from TV as this elegant young lady leads the St. Gloriana Girls College Sensha-Dō team. Let us hear it for Darjeeling."
Darjeeling feels her heart stop in her chest, and she must fight not to start blushing. She looks at the crowd as sees all their eyes on her and feels much more embarrassed about being the centre of attention than she ever has in her life. But then she looks over towards Kay and finds her friend looking back at her. With a nod of Kay's head and a smile on her lips, Darjeeling finds the courage to take that first step down the runway.
Holding her head up high with a smile gracing her lips, Darjeeling walks down the small runway. She does not wave or blow kisses like Kay. She just simply walks, taking elegant steps down to the end of the runway and back. "I am a lady of St. Gloriana," Darjeeling reminds herself. "We remain calm and graceful no matter what situation we find ourselves in." Darjeeling does her best to ignore the crowd and the eyes on her, but that is impossible with the amount of noise they make.
Darjeeling could barely believe it when the crowd cheers louder for her than they did for Kay. They whistle, call out her name and some of the men Darjeeling notices go out of their way to grab her attention. One man even must be escorted out by security for attempting to climb up onto the runway. "This is chaos," Darjeeling struggles to believe what is happening as she takes her place in line. Even the host cannot get the crowd under control, and he even must beg the crowd to settle down. Darjeeling smiles to herself as the crowd slowly settles down, but when she looks over towards Kay, her friend seems troubled by something.
The show continues, and six more contestants take their turns on the runway before the host asks the crowd to vote on who the three winners should be. The crowd goes crazy again, and Darjeeling hears her name called out along with Kays. People text their votes to the number provide and shout the names of the people they voted for. But Darjeeling does not feel any sense of happiness or pride for being so popular. She only feels worried and concerned over what is bothering Kay. Even when the host takes to the stage again, Darjeeling is still focused only on her friend.
"Ladies and gentlemen. It is time to announce our top three contestants," The man in the suit announces as he takes out a small smart device from his pocket. "In third place, we have the lovely miss Azumi."
Darjeeling's eyes still do not leave her friend even when a familiar-looking girl wearing a red bikini takes a step forward. Kay keeps her eyes on the ground, liking like she is deep in thought.
"Miss Azumi, you have won a free trip to the newly refurbished Boko Museum and a one-hundred-dollar gift card for the gift shop," The host smiles. He hands Azumi the prize, which she happily accepts. "Now in second place, we have… miss Kay."
Whatever is troubling Kay, she seems to push aside for now. Smiling once again, Kay steps forward to accept her prize. Waving to the crowd as they cheer and chant, her name Kay appears to be fine, but Darjeeling feels like her friend is still troubled by something.
"Miss Kay, you have won 4000 yen," The host smiles as he hands Kay an envelope full of money before turning to face the crowd. "Now, the moment you have been waiting for, ladies and gentlemen. Taking first place, our winner is… miss Darjeeling!"
Before I can even take in his words, the crowd erupts into cheers. My feet move automatically, and before I know it, I am stood beside Kay, being handed an envelope of my own. Darjeeling cannot help but notice how light it feels and starts kicking herself for not thinking of asking Kay about it earlier.
"You miss Darjeeling, thanks to the generosity of the Leisure Hotel and Spar have won a three days and nights all-expense paid trip for two at any one of their three hotels," The host says.
Darjeeling is left with her mouth wide open. Leisure Hotel and Spar is one of the most exclusive places globally, with a waitlist that takes as long as two years for even the wealthiest and most influential people. Three days and nights would have cost her over a million yen just for herself. Darjeeling looks at the envelope in her hands, afraid she might break it if she holds onto it too tightly.
"Let us give our winners a round of applause," The crowd explodes once again as the show is brought to an end.
Darjeeling makes her way backstage, looking for Kay, who mysteriously vanished the moment the show came to an end. Darjeeling weaves her way through the people backstage, occasionally politely accepting another contestant's congratulations only to excuse herself as soon as possible. She continues to wander around backstage but cannot find any traces of Kay. "It is not like she can just vanish," Darjeeling tells herself after failing to find Kay in the third room she tried. She sighs. Feeling ready to give up, Darjeeling leans against the wall. "She left me…" Darjeeling feels crushed by the thought. She was ready to give up and go home. But before she can, Darjeeling finds her arm grabbed, and she is pulled into a nearby room.
"What are you… Kay?"
Darjeeling is shocked to find the girl she was looking for was the one who abducted her. But even more so by the look in her friend's eyes. Darjeeling feels a shiver roll down her spine when she looks into Kay's eyes and sees a longing and darkness she has never seen before. Before Darjeeling knows what is happening, her back hits the wall, and Kay effortless pins both her arms above her head with her left hand.
"I'm sorry," Kay says, gently stroking Darjeeling's cheek with her right hand. "I thought I could hold myself back. I thought I could continue being just your friend. But after I saw everyone staring at you. Talking about you back there, I can't hold back any longer."
"What are you…."
Darjeeling does not get to finish before Kay seals her lips with a kiss. Her first kiss is not what Darjeeling had been expecting. She had thought it would be sweet and gentle like how her favourite characters in her books described them to be. But Kay is rough with her. Tightly holding Darjeeling's in place and giving her little time to breathe. Feeling Kay press her body closer, pinning her to the wall, Darjeeling does not find the whole situation to be disturbing in the slightest. In fact, she feels a thrill run through her body by Kay's actions.
"I'm sorry…." Kay pants as she finally pulls away to catch her breath. "I don't think I can be your friend anymore."
Kay starts to walk away, and all Darjeeling can do is watch as she struggles to process what had just happened. "Kay just kissed me," Darjeeling touches her lips, still feeling her friend's warmth against them. She feels happiness, warmth and a strange feeling demanding more from Kay, but at the same time, Darjeeling also feels fear. As she watches Kay walk away, Darjeeling fears that this will be the end, that she will never see Kay again or get more from that kiss that part of her longs for.
"Kay, wait," Before Darjeeling could think, she leapt forward and grabs her friend's arm.
"Just let me go," Kay pleas turning to face Darjeeling with eyes damp with tears. "Before I do something, we will both end up regretting."
"That kiss isn't something I regret doing," Darjeeling tells her, refusing to let go of her friend's hand. "You may have surprised me, but I did not hate that kiss."
"You didn't?" Kay slowly relaxes and stops fighting to be free.
"No," Darjeeling smiles. "It made me happy knowing you felt that way about me."
"So, you are okay with this?"
"Yes," Darjeeling nods her head.
"Then can I do it again?"
Darjeeling nods her head again, and Kay steps forward. Wrapping her arms around Darjeeling's neck, she leans in and kisses her again. Darjeeling wraps her own arms around her friend's waist as she finally gets that sweet, gentle kiss she thought would be her first. Kay is slower this time, gentler as she kisses Darjeeling. But Darjeeling finds herself wishing it were like the first. All too soon, Kay is pulling away again, leaving a pang of hunger behind in Darjeeling's stomach that longs for another taste of her friend's lips.
"Hey, Darjeeling," Kay says lovingly, looking into Darjeeling's eyes. "Does this make you my girlfriend now?"
"On two conditions," Darjeeling smiles.
"Name it,"
"One you come on this all-expense-paid trip with me," A smile grow on Kay's lips hearing that. "And two. No more entering me in swimsuit competitions without my permission."