Lee Miho (3)
Let's sort out the situation. This morning, the transfer student beauty turned out to be something not quite human with cat ears and a tail. By the time I got back to class after forgetting my textbook, she was panicking and trying to hypnotize me or something—but I'm acting like it has no effect on me. What a ridiculous setup straight out of some light novel title.
I laid it all out in my head, and even I couldn't believe it.
"Phew... that scared me."
Unlike me, though, the girl in front of me seemed pretty calm now. Convinced her hypnosis had worked, her perky triangular ears had drooped slightly, and her three fluffy tails, which had been wagging vigorously, had gone still.
Miho left me frozen in place and hopped back onto the desk, stretching her back into a cat pose again. Bathed in the sunset light streaming through the window, her graceful arch was elegant... but since she thought I was hypnotized, she was facing away from me with her hips raised.
Which meant I got a clear view up her skirt: white panties and the alluring thighs stretching down from them. In that moment, I was glad I'd decided to play along.
"Mmm... feeling stable now."
Miho twisted her body a couple more times before leaping lightly off the desk. Her quick, cat-like movements and fluid grace reminded me once again that she wasn't an ordinary human.
Still holding up one hand, she eyed my rigid form and approached with a playful glint in her eyes.
"I put up a barrier, so how'd you get in~?"
With one hand raised, Miho poked my cheek. Since all I could do was stay still, I kept my body tense even as she prodded me.
She tilted her head, then made an "aha!" face and said,
"From now on, answer when I talk to you!"
She wants to chat? I considered nodding, but staying put seemed safer. Miho was clearly thrilled that her hypnosis had "worked," buzzing around me, inspecting every inch.
"Okay, one more time."
Miho perched on the edge of the desk, chin in hand, eyes sparkling with curiosity. Completely defenseless, her skirt rode up as she asked,
"You came up to the second floor via the stairs, right? Not some emergency exit or anything?"
"Y... yes."
I psyched myself up, reminding myself I was hypnotized, and put on a dazed voice. It felt awkward for a second, but her unchanged expression put me at ease.
"Hmm~ Guess you have some special constitution? Even among ordinary humans, one or two might manifest a trait like that—super rare, but they can sometimes ignore barriers."
Miho's tail swished. That "transparent wall" feeling I'd had on the stairs wasn't just unease—it must've been crossing her barrier.
Barrier... I swallowed quietly.
Clearly, this cat-eared girl knew her way around magic or sorcery.
"Hmm~ hmm~?"
Miho swished her tail for a while, gazing at my stiff form with fascination.
"It's so intriguing. My desk mate, Kang Hanjun...?"
She hopped off the desk and closed in on me. Up close, she tapped my arm with slender fingers.
"You seem like an ordinary student... but you ignored my barrier..."
Her poking turned into soft strokes. She ran her hand up my arm, then to my chest.
"Great body... and even though you're my desk mate, you didn't make a big fuss about it...?"
Each touch on my chest sent tingles through me—a ticklish, teasing sensation. All I could do was stand there.
Her hand crept higher.
"And... this necklace."
Miho reached out, brushing the skin just below it. Her red eyes fixed on the necklace with interest.
"You even swatted my hand away to protect it, huh?"
She slowly reached to grab it. Instinctively, I flinched.
"Uh... huh?"
Miho looked flustered. Did she catch me? Sweating bullets, I watched as she awkwardly pulled her hand back.
"Hmm... probably some unconscious defense mechanism tied to the necklace... whatever. You said it's from your grandma, so nothing special, right."
Luckily, her whims saved it—her attempt to snatch the necklace fell short. As I sighed inwardly in relief, Miho started wandering the classroom, tail swishing happily. Barefoot on the floor, leaping between desks, she looked thrilled.
"Ahh... this is great. It's all so different from over there... coming to the human world was the right call."
Miho faced the sunset pouring through the window and grinned brightly.
"Mmm, slipping into human school life like in dramas and movies... it's so fun!"
Her red eyes sparkled as she peered out the window. Watching her, I realized why she'd stayed in this empty classroom alone.
She loved this class so much, she wanted to savor her first day by herself. Sprawled on a desk in the sunset glow. Padding barefoot across the room. Here, with no one around, she was blissfully happy about her enrollment.
I recalled that morning: the class swarming her, and Miho answering everyone earnestly, eyes shining. She hadn't brushed off the attention—not even the jokes—responding kindly to each one. Being right next to her, I'd seen it clearly. She returned every bit of interest with genuine warmth.
No, not "person," exactly? But it didn't matter. From her morning self and this, she seemed utterly human.
"Oh! That reminds me of a romance drama I saw recently?"
Miho hummed, then spun to me with a mischievous grin.
"Hanjun, what do you think? Am I attractive?"
Her triangular ears perked up as she awaited my opinion. Playing hypnotized again, I replied in a slack voice,
"Att... attractive."
"Hmm~? Really?"
Her tails swished. My eyes flicked to the fluffy trio for a second, but she pressed on, so I snapped back.
"Be more specific. What makes me attractive?"
Specific, huh... I listed her charms in my head. So many: stunning looks, light steps, white panties. But if I had to pick one, it was this.
"Returning kindness to each person one by one..."
Unlike me, who struggled to connect after moving from the countryside. Unlike me, who'd pushed everyone away per Grandma's dying words.
Miho had met every gaze with sincere attention.
"Facing each person seriously."
My voice carried unintended envy.
"That's your charm, Lee Miho."
Mid-sentence, I realized it didn't sound dazed like before. I glanced at her slyly...
"...?"
Something was off with Miho. Her three tails stood rigid, eyes wide.
Crap... big trouble.
Did she notice from my voice that I'm not hypnotized? I stepped back instinctively.
Miho stared at me with her crimson eyes. Sweat beading, I froze after my retreat.
"Hmm~? So that's how you see me...?"
She clutched her cheeks. Flushed from the sunset—or so I thought.
"As a fox-tail youkai, humans and even other youkai are drawn to my looks instinctively... but you find my personality attractive?"
Miho approached with quick steps, tails swaying wildly. Different from before.
"Hmm~ First time for this?"
She yanked my tie, pulling me close. Her cheeks burned—not from sunset. She was excited.
"Like ignoring my barrier, can you instinctively resist our clan's charm too? What even...?"
Miho locked eyes with me, taking me in.
"You're perfect. A guy who sees only me."
She stroked my chest appraisingly.
"Great body."
Her hand slid up to my jaw.
"Face is my type."
Miho leaned down, burying her nose in my collarbone. She inhaled deeply, letting out a heated moan, then met my eyes.
"And the scent... divine."
Her dangerous expression made me twitch. She wrapped my tie around her hand, pulling tighter. Her pink lips parted like she had something to say. Staring at them up close, I waited...
"Should I just eat you up right here?"
Her words blew past all my expectations. I doubted my ears.
