K SIDE:Black & White
Chapter 1
On the Run
Wallpaper dominated by the color pink.
A bed shamelessly carved into the shape of two hearts. There’s proof of some degree of cleaning, yet the interior decoration still radiated a sense of cheapness.
“Haah”
Isana Yashiro fell onto the bed bonelessly, unb.u.t.toning the top of his shirt.
“-feels like I came a long way.”
It was his first time stepping into such a place.
A bring-along inn, if we’re going for old-fashioned expressions.
Or, more bluntly put, a love hotel.
It’s not like he didn’t feel curious about the silver mirror ball on the ceiling, or the pop-colored fridge in the shape of a star, but Yashiro experienced a degree of fatigue that wouldn’t even permit his usual curiosity.
“Shiro! Shiro!”
Right then, Neko stuck her head out of the bathroom.
“Are you sure you won’t take a bath with me?”
It seems like she had wasted no time in getting rid of of her clothes. At the moment, she looked exactly like when they first met - in other words, naked.
Yashiro replied, expending minimal effort to lift his head.
“Neko. What did you promise me just now?”
“Um….”
The hint of a pout appeared on Neko’s face.
“To not show myself naked in front of men!”
“Exactly. So please keep that up.”
Yashiro said with a tired smile before letting his head sink into the bedsheets again, accompanied by a soft ‘thud’ sound. Neko grumbled,
“That’s boring! And here I wanted to have fun with Shiro and splash each other with water!”
She retracted her head. Yashiro felt quite awkward when she suddenly started to take off her clothes in front of him a while ago. It took a lot out of him to simply persuade an unwilling Neko to take a shower alone. He heard the tell-tale sounds of a showerhead and cheerful humming.
Neko had pale skin and curves in all right places, resulting in quite the attractive body.
It’s not like he wasn’t interested at all, as a guy.
(I’m pretty sure I’ve done myself quite a few disfavors as a member of the male gender…)
Yashiro smiled without humor and closed his eyes. What he really wanted to do was just fall asleep. However, he had something that he needed to do.
He still hadn’t-
“How indecent!”
At that precise moment, Yatogami Kuroh exclaimed from his position on the sofa, arms and legs crossed. It seemed like his indignation had finally surpa.s.sed its limit.
“What sort of obscene place is this?!”
He finally stood up with a clenched fist.
And if it was even possible, Yashiro’s smile grew even more bitter.
“In the first place, why do we have to hide in this- this-…”
It seems like Kuroh simply can’t bear to speak the words "love hotel’ out loud. Blushing slightly, he said,
“The sort of place used for clandestine love affairs!”
There’s a clear disjoint between the current era and his choice of words. Yashiro sat up swiftly, and leaned against the back of the bed.
“Isn’t this typical for people on the run? There really aren’t that many other places in a city where you can remain anonymous and enjoy undisturbed privacy. There’s no way they’ll ask everyone who comes here to show identification, after all. It’s a perfect spot for people like us who need to keep our heads low.”
“What I wanted to point out was-!”
Kuroh said, his conscientious nature showing itself.
“How unwholesome this place is!”
“Well, what can I say.”
A vulgar smile appeared on Yashiro’s face as he recalled his “friend”, Mishina. Mishina would probably brush it off in such a fashion.
“Considering the kind of things that are to be done here, wholesomeness is a little bit too much to ask, don’t you think?”
“No!”
Kuroh immediately shook his head, and continued with a blush,
“I-I don’t intend to criticize such kinds of actions. They are simply part of the workings of human society, and not something to be denied. What I do think is problematic is the business model of the hotel itself. In other words, how we’re able to get in here with no trouble at all!”
This love hotel runs on an automated payment system, and one can enjoy the hotel’s benefits without ever having to come face to face with another human being.
Upon seeing the the perplexed expression on Yashiro’s face, Kuroh clarified himself somewhat irritably.
“We were obviously a group of three!”
“..ah, I see. So that’s what you’re onto.”
There was a security camera at the entrance of the hotel. There probably is someone checking the video footage. Regardless of how automated the system can get, it’s not like there’s no manager in the building at all. Wary of capture at the hands of SCEPTER4, they disguised themselves to some degree and made use of Neko’s powers for camouflaging purposes, but they couldn’t really fake the number of people.
“Well, in these kind of places, combinations like two guys and a girl aren’t as rare as you think.”
“How indecent!”
“I wonder what sort of play that would involve?”
Yashiro laughed nonchalantly as he felt the full force of Kuroh’s glare. At that moment, a cheery voice sounded from the bathroom.
“Hey, hey, Shiro! There’s this weird b.u.t.ton! Look!”
The moment Yashiro and Kuroh turned their eyes towards the direction of the sound, the wall of the bathroom turned transparent. They could see Neko inside, looking cheerful while surrounded by a cloak of bubbles.
“See!”
Every time she pressed the b.u.t.ton, the wall turned transparent, and Neko in her birthday suit flickered in and out of sight.
Seems like it was a questionable device to showcase people taking a bath.
“Yay!”
Looking like she was enjoying herself, Neko stood up in joy and spun around. Her long hair barely covered the most important parts of her naked body.
Yashiro and Kuroh spoke up at the same time.
“Stop it!”
“Do you mind?!”
“Meow?”
The moment Neko froze up in the middle of twisting her body, the wall returned to norma