Side Story IF — Lily's Graduation Ceremony (Finale) — Censored

"Take off your clothes and lie face-down on the bed."

I doubted my own ears.

What had I just heard?

"Li… Lily… what… what are you saying…"

I must have misheard her.

Take off my clothes and lie face-down on the bed?

What kind of wish was that supposed to be?

"I said take off your clothes and lie down, Unnie."

"W-… what?"

"Hurry, Unnie. I can't hold back any longer."

"What on earth are you talking about, Lily?! Take off my clothes?!"

I had no idea why Lily was suddenly acting like this. The bright, sunny smile she'd worn only moments ago had vanished without a trace, replaced by a flushed face steeped in deep, unmistakable desire.

I shrank back from the unfamiliar air rolling off her. Lily fixed me with an intense stare, stepped in close—

"Haeup?!"

—and pushed her tongue straight into my mouth.

Chup— churup—

Our tongues, which had already kissed countless times before, tangled together as if by instinct and danced inside each other's mouths. Hers swept over mine; mine wrapped around hers. We shared a fierce, breathless exchange of heat.

"Heup… haah… chuyup… heeup…"

Only after we had plundered each other's mouths for a long while did Lily finally pull her head away. Through the thin, glistening threads still bridging our lips, I could see her face flushed scarlet.

I stared up at her through a dazed haze. She looked back at me wearing a sadistic little smile.

"Unnie. I'm sorry. I just can't hold it in."

And with that, Lily—

"Li… ly?! Wait—?!"

—reached for my chest.

For the hour that followed, I was helpless. Caught in a shiver of pleasure I had never once experienced in my entire life, I couldn't offer so much as a scrap of resistance.

.

.

.

My reason shattered. Thought went numb; my body locked up rigid. Inside my skull it felt as if fireworks were going off—bang, bang—everything shaking apart. A ringing filled my ears and drowned out the world.

My body trembled violently. Then the strength drained from my legs and I pitched forward—

But before I could hit the floor, Lily caught me and lifted me gently into her arms.

"You did so well, Unnie. It's your first time, so your body must be pretty shocked."

"Haahk… heuek…♡"

"It's all right. You'll get used to it little by little."

"Heuk… haahk…♡"

Still holding me, Lily walked deeper into the room and carefully laid my twitching, aftershock-wracked body down on the bed. Then she pressed a brief kiss to my forehead and spoke.

"I'll say it again. I love you, Unnie. More than anything else in this world."

"I love you. I love you. I've said it over and over. But you never understood how I felt at all. So this is all your fault, Unnie. Which means—"

"For one whole week, leave everything to me."

Lily—my adorable little sister who always beamed at me so brightly and always did as I asked. In the six years we had spent together, I had never once fought with her. How could anyone have a complaint about a sister as precious as Lily?

But now—

Smack—!

For the first time in my life, I raised my hand against her. The slap left the shape of my palm blooming red across her cheek.

"What the hell do you think you're doing to your unnie?!"

For the first time, I raised my voice at Lily—raw, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠choked with emotion.

After what we had done, I had simply lain there on the bed for a long while, gasping through the aftershocks of pleasure, breathing hard and nothing more. Lily had waited patiently until I came back to myself. And once enough time had passed for reason to return, I had slapped her cheek. That was now.

"…"

"Say something! Why would you do that…?!"

Tears welled along my lashes. My kind, lovely, pure little sister—I couldn't believe she had done something so rough to me.

Lily only watched me in silence as I spoke in a trembling voice. And on her face… there was a faint, sorrowful cast.

"I love you, Unnie."

She stared at me for a long time before she finally managed to open her mouth.

"We're fami—"

"No!!!!"

Her sudden scream locked my body up for a second.

"I love you, Unnie. I want to be with you every day. I want to kiss you every day. I want to touch ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you. I want to leave my mark on every part of you. This isn't family. This is me looking at you as someone I desire."

In all the long years I had spent with Lily, I had never once heard a confession this desperate from her.

"Li… Lily…"

"Six years. For a full six years I've been desperately holding this feeling down."

Lily kept going, watching me sit there stunned by her words.

"I know. I know you only see me as a precious little sister—not as a lover."

Tears were slowly gathering in her eyes.

"Every time I realized that, it felt like my chest was being torn open. I love you this much… and you don't feel the same."

"…"

"So I waited. Until I became an adult. Hoping that once I grew up, maybe you'd finally look at me that way."

"I… I…"

"But nothing's changed. Please tell me, Unnie. How do you see me?"

Her words turned my mind pure white.

Lily… felt that way… about me?

For six years…?

I hadn't known. I hadn't known at all. I never imagined she carried feelings this deep for me—that she had been yearning for me so desperately all this time. Just as she said, I had only ever thought of our relationship as family.

And even now… that was still true.

"I… I… you…"

But I couldn't bring myself to say it. The look on Lily's face as she watched me was one that could dissolve into tears at any second. If I told her how I really felt right now, she would be deeply hurt.

My most precious little sister in the whole world. I didn't want to leave a wound that big on her heart. But I couldn't accept her feelings, either. What was I even supposed to do?

Lily came toward me with tears in her eyes and slipped into my arms the way she used to when she was little, nestling in tight.

"I've been holding on this whole time thinking only of you…"

"Li… Lily…"

"When I slept alone ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in the dorm, lonely… when you and Dania Unnie spent cozy time together without me… I just clenched my teeth and endured, waiting only for this day…"

"…"

"Please… for just one week, give me all of you. After that, I won't put this kind of burden on you ever again…"

Lily had never once begged me for anything with a face this desperate. Was that how badly she wanted me?

…I don't know.

I loved Lily too. I always wanted to be with her. But if she asked me to become her lover, I couldn't answer so easily. I had never once thought of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her that way.

Of course, she and I weren't family by blood. There was always the possibility we could become lovers someday. But in my heart, our relationship still sat much closer to family.

And yet… as much as I thought of her as family… more than anything, I didn't want her crying from a broken heart. I wanted that bright, sunny smile of hers back.

One week.

She said she only wanted my body for a single week. Lily, who had waited for nothing but this day for six whole years. Looking at the way she watched me now—trembling faintly with the fear of being refused—I could feel just how desperately she longed for this.

I wanted to give Lily anything she asked for. I didn't want to wound a heart that had waited and hoped for so long.

After a long stretch of private struggle, I reached my conclusion.

…Just… one week…

If what she wanted wasn't my heart, but only my body… it was frightening, yes. But I could still give her that. This was a body I'd planned to keep single for the rest of my life anyway. If I could use it to grant my beloved little sister's dearest wish, there was nothing I couldn't offer.

And… I did swear I'd grant any wish no matter what…

The Wish Coupons Lily had treasured and carefully collected. When I first told her about them, I had truly meant to grant every single one. I had told her over and over that I would fulfill any request she made. My conscience wouldn't allow me to take that promise back now.

…Yeah.

This is for Lily. Just grit your teeth and get through one week, Hera. Grant the wish she's spent her whole life waiting for—then go back to being sisters again. Of course things will be a little different from before. But that's fine.

As time passes, the love she feels for me will cool little by little. Nothing in this world lasts forever—especially not unrequited love. And if it doesn't… well, maybe someday I'll find myself ready to accept Lily's confession after all.

I steeled myself and looked at her.

"Lily. Promise me."

"Unnie…?"

I could see it in her eyes—the fear of rejection tangled up with a scrap of hope she was desperate to cling to. I took her hands firmly in mine, wanting to put her at ease.

"Only one week."

"U-… Unnie!!"

A bright light began to kindle in her eyes. The gloom on her face slowly washed away, replaced by pure happiness.

"But you have to promise. After that, we go back to being sisters."

"M-… mm!! I promise—I really promise!!"

"…All right."

"I love you, Unnie!!"

Lily beamed and threw her arms around me in a tight hug. Seeing that happy face of hers, I felt glad I had agreed to her request. Watching her return to her usual self, a small smile slipped onto my own lips as well.

"And once you've used up all the Wish Coupons, that's it—no more. Got it?"

"Yep! Hehe… that'll be more than enough!"

Saying that, she scampered off toward a corner of the room. Where her footsteps led sat a single bag, stuffed so full it looked ready to burst. Lily opened it, flipped it over—

—and a cascade of objects spilled across the floor.

"…Huh?"

Strange things whose purpose I couldn't even begin to guess poured out in a heap. A collar, handcuffs, a blindfold. Something shaped like an animal's tail. A rod studded with all sorts of little nubs. A gag with a black sphere attached. A weird bottle labeled lotion… and countless other items besides.

I could only stare at them in a daze.

"Hehe…"

"Li… Lily? Wh-… what is all that?"

"Ah… these? I collected them while I was living at the Academy, thinking about you the whole time!"

"I… I see…?"

From among the mountain of objects, Lily picked up something that looked like a dog collar and turned to face me.

"Unnie. Then you have to grant my first wish, right?"

"F-… first wish?"

What had Lily's first wish been again?

"Hic."

An inexplicable chill ran through my body. But I shook my head hard and forced it away.

I-… it's fine… I just… have to get through one week.

A stretch of time that could feel endless or fleeting, depending. One week. If I could just endure one week, we could go back to the way things used to be. I would grant Lily's desperate wish, reclaim my adorable little sister, and catch both rabbits at once.

I squeezed my eyes shut and steeled my heart.

But I never could have imagined how our relationship would change after that single week.

Just one week.

No—over the course of fulfilling Lily's one hundred thirty-two wishes—

My wish to remain her unnie, and this body of mine that I myself had never once laid a hand on—

"Heeek… hic… heungot…! Lily♥… Lilyyy♥♥… I wuv youuu♥♥♥"

Chup— chuyup—

"I love you too, Unnie. For life. Forever."

—were thoroughly, completely conquered by Lily.