"Ahhh, a long hot shower after a long day of delivery hits differently, don'tcha think Texas?" a very recognizable voice said. The sound of one of the showers turning on could be heard soon after.
Yeah, me and Blanc were in the girls shower room - I'd rather have a girl see me naked than a guy see Blanc naked. There was also the fact that I hoped to do a little bit of peeking.
"Mm," came the quiet response of who I assumed to be Texas.
Who'd have thought that I would bump into the two of them here. The images of their naked bodies ran wild through my head.
"Master, how are you going to get out now?" Blanc asked.
"Good question."
On our way here, the hallways were deserted making it quite easy to enter the girl's shower room undetected. The lack of security cameras - at least visible - was concerning, but I wasn't about to let that bother me. No need to bite the hand that offers you such a wonderful gift.
"I'll figure something out."
Blanc looked at me doubtfully before shrugging her shoulders. "Wanna wash my back, master? Or do you want me to wash yours?"
"I'll wash yours," I responded eagerly. We were both sitting when Blanc turned around and exposed her naked back to me. I spread some soap all over my hands as I gently rubbed Blanc's back. It was soft and smooth. Her back, and body in general, possessed trace amounts of fat.
Over on the other stall beside us, Exusiai seemed to be happily humming some upbeat tune - something I didn't recognize. Then, in a teasing voice, she asked, "Not gonna join me in the showers this time?"
At first, I thought she was somehow referring to me. A split second later, the logical part of my brain caught up with my impulsive and horny parts, realizing she was talking to Texas.
"I'll pass," came her short response. Judging by where the voice came from, it seemed she was outside the shower stalls.
"Suit yourself~"
Honestly, my mind and imagination was going crazy. Two of my favorite operators, two top tier waifus, were in the same room as me, separated only by the walls of the shower stall. They were likely naked, bare for my eyes to take a little peak. Something rose, despite having used up all its ammunition for the 3rd time that day.
And what was that about showering together?
From what I know, which is pretty limited, there are no canon ships in Arknights. That doesn't stop the player base from forming ships though - me as well. While I love the Texas Lappland ship everyone seems to be crazed over, I also really enjoy the Texas Exusiai ship. It's healthier, less one-sided.
"Mmm~"
Blanc's quiet hums of approval from my hands caressing her back broke me out of my chain of thought. Her back was perfectly clean already. In fact, every part of her body was spotless, squeaky clean. Yes, even the hole I just fingered.
That didn't stop my hands from wandering, cleaning other parts of her wonderful body. Her shoulders, her stomach, her thighs and of course, her breasts and her butt. I took my time savoring each part of her body, making sure I cleaned it thoroughly.
"Master… Haaah~"
I gently sucked on the nape of her neck as my hands massaged her inner thighs. A hickey I think was what people called it.
By now, Texas had finally entered into a showerstall. Any remotely smart person would use this time to discreetly exit the room. But why would I do that, when I could play with two beautiful mounds of soft flesh.
"You - ah - really love my breasts - mm - don't you, m-master?"
Her question was intermittent with moans and gasps of pleasure as I fondled her lovely peaks, occasionally giving them a light pinch.
"Of course."
"Mmm"
Texas and Exusiai seemed to have their own short exchanges. Regrettably, I was too focused on Blanc to pay too much attention. It was when they stepped out of the shower that my attention snapped away from Blanc and her beautiful, succulent, soft breasts.
"We've been here a while, haven't we, Blanc?" I asked, keeping my voice low.
"Mhm," came Blanc's reply. Her eyes were closed as she enjoyed the feeling of my hands groping her chest.
"Don't you think it's a little bit suspicious?" I asked. My hands stopped moving as my ears focused on the sounds of the two girls drying themselves and putting on their clothes.
'Damnit! I was too late to act - no peeping for me I guess.'
From outside, I heard Exusiai say something similar. "She's been in there for a while now, eh Texas. You think she's okay?"
At the same time, Blanc reassured me, saying, "It's fine. Not like they're gonna check."
What Texas said next backed up what Blanc said. "Mind your own business."
"Now master," Blanc continued, her voice all of a sudden a bit embarrassed. "P-Please continue cleaning my body."
"Sure thing," I replied. My hands resumed their task of 'cleaning' her breasts as Blanc leaned back into my chest, eyes closed, expression content.
Blanc's words of reassurement helped lower my guard a bit - the shower curtains dividing us will stay there, obscuring the two of us from their sight. Strangely, some part of me felt a bit disappointed. It was almost as if I wanted a naked Exusiai or Texas to open the shower curtains to check on the occupants inside, blessing me with the view of their holy, naked bodies - their slim and lithe figures forever ingrained into my mind.
Tragic that none of those two operators had summer skins.
"Master, you're a pervert."
"Naturally," I responded, before, against my better judgment, adding an "And that's why you love me."
An embarrassed squeak escaped Blanc as she suddenly brought her knees close to her chest and buried her face in them. My hands were still fondling her breasts, so we ended up in an awkward position.
Love is a strong word. Honestly, I don't think we were ready to use that word yet, our relationship being as weird and abrupt as it was, but I did.
I hesitantly called out her name. "Blanc…"
Suddenly, she turned around, enveloping her arms around me in a hug. "I do love you master! Not just because you're a pervert and not just because I was programmed to like my master. I love you because you're so kind to me despite only just meeting me. You spoil me and treat me so well."
"Blanc…"
I decided against raising the question about her origins and her being programmed. That would ruin the mood we had. Asking the question some other day would suffice.
Slowly, I closed the distance between our faces, and kissed her.
"Mmm,"
The kiss was different from all the ones we shared so far. It wasn't one filled with lust, thirst or hunger. No, it was a kiss filled with love and affection.
"Mmm, I love you too, Blanc," I whispered against her mouth quietly. Soon, we both melted into a pile of content happiness.
"It's been over an hour now, hasn't it?" Blanc asked while rubbing my back. The sensation was on the tickle-ish side - I was a pretty ticklish person. Still, the way her cool hands rubbed up and down my back felt nice and comforting.
"Yeah. I'm surprised our skin hasn't turned all wrinkly."
I suspected my convenient magical powers granted to me had a part to play in this - it seemed to activate in the oddest situations.
A couple more girls came and went. Most came individually - not surprising, I don't think people usually shower with their friends - took quick showers and gave little to no clues for me to figure out their identities. I was quite surprised by how everyone seemed to take such short showers. Back in my old world, I had the habit of letting the hot water run down me until there was no hot water left. Granted, I also did read somewhere on reddit that lonely people tend to take longer, hotter showers.
There actually was a certain female operator that I recognized immediately upon her entrance. Hard not to when the first thing she does upon entry is mutter "Texas… you were here a moment ago, weren't you?"
The laugh helped give it away, too.
Blanc's slender hands and arm wrapped around my chest as her head leaned into my back
"Master, I'm tired."
A yawn escaped her which immediately caused me to yawn as well. "Mmm, me too. It is getting quite late."
Somehow, the stars aligned for the two of us, and we managed to sneak back to my room without bumping into anyone. I guess I did figure something out in the end. Using an old and once popular phrase in my old world, we essentially 'yolo-ed' it.
God that saying brings back some unnecessary and cringe actions I did as a kid.
"What do you wear at night?" Blanc asked me.
"Clothes," I answered immediately without completely registering what she asked. I received an unamused look in response.
Blanc reiterated her question. "What clothes do you wear at night?"
"Ah, well, I usually just wear a pair of underwear during the summer nights," I responded properly this time.
"Okay!" Blanc said, promptly stripping down to a pair of lace panties we bought at the lingerie store earlier today. It was black, partially see through and was really, really nice on the eyes.
Tucking into the bed together - barely managing to fit - Blanc snuggled close up to me. Surprisingly, I didn't use this moment to let my hands wander over her practically nude body. Exhaustion was catching up to me. My eyelids were heavy. I struggled to keep them open, the lull of sleep at my doorstep.
"Good night master."
"Night Blanc…"
I felt a soft kiss of my cheeks before traveling to the realm of Morpheus.
I woke up with a sense of dread in my heart. Blanc was sprawled over my chest, her body seemed to try and make as much skin to skin contact with me as possible. While it was most certainly an amazing feeling, the feeling of anxiety managed to persist within me.
Your first day of school was often the most nerve-wracking. Worse if you're going to a new school. Even worse if you're a transfer student going to a new school.
I took a deep breath. 'Come on now, Hellastic, think happy thoughts. You're not alone - Blanc will be there with you.'
Looking to my left, I was greeted by the adorable sight of my sleeping girlfriend. Her face was peaceful, mouth slightly opened with a bit of drool leaking out. Her fang was visible.
"Cute," I said out loud as I gave her a head pat. The action seemed to wake her. Slowly, her eyes opened. Groggily, she sat up.
"Good morning master."
"Morning, Blanc."
She let out a long yawn. "Sleep well?"
"Very."
She nodded in response before promptly crashing back down to continue sleeping. I chuckled in response. Rubbing her head one last time, getting a "mmm, master…" out of her, I got up from bed and started making breakfast.
The meal was simple enough: toast with some jam spread over it plus some juice. I lacked access to a kitchen - well, it was more like I was too lazy to go to the public one - so more complex breakfasts like pancakes, scrambled eggs and the like were unavailable. Granted, I also lacked access to decent cooking skills so having a kitchen wouldn't make much of a difference anyways.
Plugging the toaster to a power source, I inserted two pieces of bread into it - one for me, one for Blanc. Then I brought out two reusable cups - I wanted to save money after all - and poured each of us a cup of orange juice.
Click!
'The bread toasted so fast,' I couldn't help but think.
Taking out the 2 pieces of toast, I spread some strawberry jam over it. Looking at what I've prepared for breakfast, I couldn't help but feel a bit underwhelmed.
I sighed. "Life as a broke high school student is sad."
My appetite was non-existent - starting school for the first time in this world was still firmly stuck in my head.
"Blanc!" I called out. "Breakfast is ready!"
"Okay!" she responded back from the bed, getting up immediately. She didn't bother changing as she eagerly ran towards me before abruptly stopping in her tracks. "Oh, you meant that kind of breakfast… Okay!"
Plopping down on her seat, Blanc happily munched away on her toast. Looking at her enthusiastically eat her food, the words she said earlier entered my mind. Maybe giving Blanc a special meal before school would help alleviate my stress.
"Once you've finished your breakfast, you're free to eat your dessert as well."
"You mean…?" Blanc asked. Her voice was hopeful. I nodded in response which caused her to munch away at her toast with renewed vigor.
While Blanc's mouth helped alleviate my worries for a short period, it didn't last. The closer I got to school, the more nervous I felt. I was entering a completely new and unknown environment - no friends (apart from Blanc) and no family to support me.
Blanc was in her watch form; She seemed to be emitting a cool, comforting feeling. I was thankful for that.
The main school building on the Rhodes Island Campus where all my classes for today were was huge - way bigger than my previous high school. Not to mention, way more intimidating, too. My hands slowly pushed the door before jerking back suddenly. I briefly entertained the thought of chickening out - I was a coward like that back in my old world. Whenever I met the slightest bit of resistance or problem, I would back down.
This time though, I brutally stamped those thoughts out of my mind. I promised myself, when I got hit by truck-kun, that I'll live my new life to its fullest. I wouldn't let such petty feelings of nervousness drag me down. I won't let it obstruct me from pursuing my dream.
I thought about all the interesting new people I'll get to meet, operators I'll get to know and girls I'll eventually and undoubtebly fuck. This door, this obstacle, stood in my way between me and my future harem. Taking a deep breath, I composed myself and pushed open the school entrance doors.
Inside, there were students mingling all over the place, each within their own cliques and friend groups. I heard a couple people talking about their weekend, while others whined about homework and cruel teachers. Despite being in a high school in another world, the hustle and bustle sound of student life was still the same. There were just a bit more people and it was just a bit louder.
Grabbing onto my backpack straps and pulling them - an action I often did when stressed at school - I opened out the map of the school given to me and looked for my first class.
Second Year Biology - Room 236B
I saw a couple of cute girls walk in front of me. Their skirts were short, exposing a fair bit of their legs and teasing the bottom of their buttcheeks, while their tops were form fitting and cropped.
Sure, this school was foreign and massive, but honestly, I think I'll manage just fine.
One thing I noticed about the school was that while everyone wore more or less the same clothes, there was still a great deal of variation in attire among students. Specifically, most people seemed to customize their uniforms in unique ways - some definitely crossing the line of decency.
But I didn't give it too much thought. Instead. Instead, I focused my attention on the map in my hand, trying to navigate the winding hallways to the best of my ability.
'Left turn here. Right turn there. Go through a set of doors over there. Nope, make a u-turn, I made a wrong turn. God this school is huge.'
Should've followed my directions, master.
'And where did that lead me, a couple minutes ago?'
Blanc chose not to answer. Good thing no one was present in the classroom I accidentally entered - there was quite some time until school started. Also a good thing we came early. By now though, after wandering the hallways for quite some time, we were hardly early anymore.
"Arknights High students and staff, today is Monday, August 24th, and you now have 5 minutes to get to class. That's 5 minutes!"
Hearing the announcement that sounded out the speakers dotted throughout the school, I finally knew what day it was.
'August 24th… pretty close to a certain special day. Completely different from the day I got hit by Truck-kun.'
Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised with the fact that this world used a similar - perhaps even the same - calendar system as my old one. All I need to figure out now is the year.
What came as an even bigger surprise was the announcement. It wasn't an unwelcome one, no, rather the opposite. Replace the high school name in the announcement with my old one and it was as if I never left my old world. The speakers were even playing music. None familiar to me, but the gesture was all the same.
Instinctually, my legs moved themselves as if I was back in my old school. Forward, turn right, climb up a set of stairs, turn left and arrive at my locker.
As my feet moved on their own, my mind wandered elsewhere. 'I wonder how my friends are doing back home.'
Probably fine. They're big boys.
As the music continued playing, signaling the start of school getting closer and closer, I couldn't help but feel a wave of nostalgia. This school was so similar in way too many ways to my old school.
'I wonder how my mom is doing.'
'...'
I passed what seemed to be a chemistry lab. It was almost identical to the one back in my old school - just bigger and with slightly different, more advanced and more numerous equipment.
The way all the students gathered around in groups, scrambling through their notes was very reminiscent of my time in chem class. On the day of a big test, my classmates and I would arrive a bit, no, a lot earlier to do some last minute cramming. They'd often form groups to read each other's notes and quiz each other, right up until the test began. I normally formed a pair with my friend, Sam.
'I wonder if he's still sleeping so late…'
From inside the room, I could hear many students despair over what I assume was their upcoming test. Some were clearly overdramatic while others seemed genuinely anguished and resigned.
"The fuck does that mean? Oh god I'm so fucked."
"What!? Since when were organic polymers on the test!?"
"Ahh well, there's always next year…"
"Shit shit shit, gimme the notes on naming amino acids again."
'...'
I understood the feeling greatly. While my chem teacher wasn't the personification of a devil, she was the toughest marker I've ever had. Wrong sig figs? Take off some marks. Missed a small step? Take off some marks. Diagram slightly mislabelled? Take off some marks. You want art marks for all the work you've shown and steps you did? 0.5/4, take it or leave it.
Still, she was a sweet lady who always managed to find time in her busy schedule to give students the extra help they need - whether it was during lunch or after school.
'...'
I walked down the hall further, footsteps dragging slightly. By now, the flow of students had diminished significantly.
"Now, before class begins, I'd like for all of you to hand in your formal lab reports."
The sound of students getting up from their seats and the sound of rustling paper soon followed.
Physics class was one of my favorites. Partly because I actually liked physics. Mostly because my teacher was very chill
'...'
"How come only a quarter of you stood up?" the professor seemed to ask. "Don't tell me I didn't give you guys enough time to complete it?"
He was met with an almost unanimous response of, "Yes, you didn't give us enough time."
"Are you guys serious?"
Another almost unanimous response of, "Yes."
"Alright, alright. I'll give you guys a 2 day extension."
He was met with a cheer from the class.
"And for those who already submitted, I'll be giving some juicy bonus marks."
More cheers - it seemed this physics teacher was similarly as chill as the one from my old world.
'...'
As I continued walking, I happened to stumble by a bulletin board. On it was the advertisement for all sorts of different clubs. I briefly skimmed it over.
Chem. Bio. Physics. Environmental Science. Aerodynamics.
All science related. Speaking of, this hallway consisted of only science related classes as well.
I glanced at the bulletin board one last time. Joining a club was something I never experienced back in my old world. It's something I regret a fair bit.
'...'
There's a paraphrased saying from a song that popped into my head, perfectly describing what I was feeling right now.
'Only know you need it when you let it go.'
As much as I liked to hate on school, homework and socializing - especially with strangers - being in this foreign environment made me realize that maybe life wasn't so bad. Maybe it was me that was the problem. Sure, my life took some bad turns, but it was ultimately me who drove myself into it.
I was the one who steered myself into the corner I found myself in. I lost motivation over the smallest of troubles, quitting before I really got started on something - even if I had genuine potential or talent for it. The only exception was badminton, but even that too I gave up after…
'...'
What I'm trying to say is that I never was the type of kid a parent would brag about to their friends. Basically a, well, disappointment. A failure.
'...'
God I'm being so depressed on my first day of school in a new world; This was supposed to be my turning point - a moment of character development and character growth. I'm at least glad Blanc is giving me the privacy I need.
I spotted a couple students enter a room up ahead. In their hands were a biology textbook.
Stepping up to the door, hand on the doorknob, I took a deep breath and composed myself.
'The moment I enter through this door, I will be a different person. I will make friends, do my homework and be the student I could have been back at home. I'll let nothing drag me down.'
Slowly, I pushed open the door and entered.
'Of course, I'll also get that harem.'
AN: Shorter chapter, basically where chapter 4 was supposed to end but I got lazy. Thanks to all those who favorited, followed and reviewed.