Chapter 50: Splurging
"Is... something wrong?" A young girl with platinum hair asked, watching as her friend suddenly froze, eyes widening as though something startling had just occurred.
The girl seated beside her—the one with pink hair—remained silent, still trying to recover from whatever sensation had just hit her.
"Anna!"
"H-huh?" Anna stuttered, her breathing coming in rough, ragged gasps. She swallowed hard and turned to find her friend staring with obvious concern.
"I-Isa?" she muttered, still disoriented.
"Yeah, me. So what happened? You just stopped talking mid-sentence," Isa frowned, tilting her head as she studied her friend intently.
That feeling... it was definitely him. But why is he using my ability? Anna wondered, instinctively pulling the extra-long sleeves of her pink fluffy sweater to cover the slave mark on her hand.
Both girls were still dressed in their Academy uniforms: crisp white shirts, short sleeves, and black skirts that were... well, let’s just say they were designed by someone who clearly understood the power of distraction. The skirts weren’t too short, but they were certainly effective at making any red-blooded male forget whatever they’d been thinking about.
Anna wore long black socks from her knees down to her white shoes, leaving just a glimpse of smooth, fair thigh—an undeniably enticing sight. Her shirt wasn’t fully buttoned, revealing a tasteful hint of the white undershirt beneath. Over this, she wore her pink sweater, lightweight enough for the moderate weather that leaned just slightly more toward cool than warm. Her long pink hair flowed freely, styled in the front where some strands were clipped back with a delicate pink butterfly accessory, framing her face perfectly.
"It’s nothing," Anna said after a lengthy pause.
Isa wasn’t buying it for a second. "If only I were stupid, I’d believe that. Too bad I’m not."