Amy's Discipline
"H-hic..." I squeezed my eyes shut, desperately trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over. Even with my lips clamped tight, a whimpering groan escaped and echoed through the office. My backside, freshly spanked by Amy, burned as if it were on fire. A throbbing, stinging pain radiated across my bottom, leaving a distinct, hand-shaped heat.
Sitting in a chair was out of the question, so I ended up lying face down on the sofa. Lying right beside me, Shine was also holding back her tears, her face contorted in pain. Unlike her, I couldn't stop my tears. Drip, drip. Large droplets rolled down my cheeks and splashed onto the floor.
More than the physical pain, I was crying because of how disappointed I was in myself for disappointing Amy. Every single morning, Amy woke up early to make us healthy green juice out of fresh vegetables and fruits. I knew how exhausting and tedious it was to repeat that routine day after day, without fail. Yet, I had taken her effort and affection completely for granted.
"Waaah!" Finally, the tears I had been holding back burst forth. My mouth fell open in a sorrowful wail, and hot tears streamed continuously from my burning eyes. Just because it tasted bad, just because I didn't want to drink it, I had foolishly passed the green juice onto Appleton under the naive excuse of "helping a friend." I knew full well that she had a hard time saying no to Shine and me. I had willfully ignored the fact that if I hated it, others might hate it too. Amy had prepared that juice specifically for Shine and me, and no one else. And I had thrown her love away.
As I sobbed uncontrollably, a sudden wave of fear washed over me. What if Amy was so disappointed in me that she left? What if she looked at me with cold, disappointed eyes? The thought terrified me. As that fear took hold, my cries grew even more pitiful. Shine, who had been lying beside me holding back her tears until the very end, finally let silent tears stream down her face, as if reacting to my sorrow.
Amy watched us in silence. Her expressionless face made my heart race with anxiety. Normally, she would have smiled warmly and reached out to hug us, but now, she didn't move an inch.
"A-Amy... I'm, hic, sorry..." I began to pour out everything I had realized in those short, painful moments. My voice cracked between sobs, and my slurred, tearful pronunciation turned some words into gibberish. Amy listened to me quietly. As I went through my mistakes one by one, explaining what I had done wrong, my crying gradually began to subside. Hugging a cushion tightly, I peeked up at Amy with swollen eyes, trying to gauge her reaction.
"Shine, do you have anything to say?" At Amy's question, Shine let silent tears stream down her cheeks. Her tightly bitten lower lip bore deep teeth marks, showing just how hard she was trying to suppress her cries. Shine slowly took a deep breath. Amy waited for her patiently. After taking a moment to control her emotions, Shine began to speak in a voice far calmer and more logical than mine. She listed her faults: what she had done wrong, how she had failed to stop Jeff as her older sister, and how she had turned a blind eye despite knowing it was wrong. Hearing her quiet, steady voice made me burst into even louder sobs. Seeing me like this, Shine reached out and gently pulled me into her arms. Though my tears soaked her clothes, she didn't seem to mind at all, gently stroking my back to comfort me.
"If you knew it was wrong, why did you do it?" Once Shine finished speaking, Amy spoke in a calm, even tone. Neither Shine nor I could find an answer. We just looked at each other guiltily and burrowed deeper into each other's embrace.
"You won't do it again, right?" Amy's voice came with a soft sigh. I lifted my head at her words. Amy was looking at us with a small smile—a gentle, warm smile. I parted my lips, wanting to ask: Are you not mad anymore? You're not angry? But I was too afraid she might say she was still angry, so the words caught in my throat.
As I wiped the tears from my cheeks and stared at her, Amy stood up and walked over to Shine and me. Kneeling close, she stroked our heads and asked, "Did it hurt a lot?" Her voice and expression were filled with genuine worry. Hearing that, the tears I had barely managed to stop welled up all over again, blurring my vision. The moment I blinked, hot tears spilled down my cheeks. Amy reached out and gently wiped them away. Her touch was so warm that I instinctively nuzzled my face against her palm.
Finally gathering my courage, I asked the question that had been lingering on the tip of my tongue. "You're... you're not mad?"
"No, I'm not mad." Amy smiled at my question, wrapping her arms around Shine and me to pull us into a tight embrace. She gently patted our backs for a long time, holding us until we had cried out every last tear.
"Jeff. Shine. Did you really hate the juice that much? Should I stop making it for you?"
"N-No!" I answered frantically. Even though it tasted awful, it was bearable if I just held my breath and gulped it down. I was terrified. If I told Amy to stop making it, she really would stop. And if she stopped, I felt like the affection she showered us with would stop too. I couldn't bear that. Even if it tasted bad, I could endure it. I just wanted her to keep liking us, to keep loving Shine and me. I wrapped my arms around Amy's waist and buried my face in her chest.
"But you said it tasted bad."
"No... I can... I can drink it." Amy chuckled softly at my response and patted my back. With amusement in her voice, she teased, "Is that so? Then should I make even more for you?"
"T-That's..."
"Why? Don't you want to?"
"I-I'd love to!" A sour, astringent, bitter taste seemed to coat my tongue already. I felt like I had just downed a whole glass of green juice. Amy burst into a soft laugh. Still smiling, she let Shine and me go. I stood up awkwardly, gingerly rubbing my burning backside.
"I-I think there's going to be a handprint left..." I muttered quietly. Shine leaned in and whispered in my ear, "Want me to check for you?"
"Ch-check what? My butt?"
"Yeah. You said there might be a handprint."
"N-No, I'm fine!" Shine whispered quietly, keeping an eye on Amy. Since Amy had let us go and was heading toward Rain, she didn't seem to hear our whispering. I shook my head at Shine's offer. I didn't need to look to know. Placing a hand on my stinging bottom, I could feel the slightly swollen, hand-shaped ridges. It would probably take quite a while before I could sit comfortably in a chair again.
Rain had also been severely scolded by Amy. She was currently sprawled out on the floor with a massive bump on her head. Amy scooped Rain up into her arms and gently laid her down on the plush sofa.
"Rain, you're awake, aren't you?" Amy asked softly. She gently stroked the hair of the girl lying on the sofa. As Amy slowly brushed away her messy strands, Rain opened her eyes, just as Amy had predicted.
"H-how did you know?"
"What do you mean, how? We've lived together for years. Of course I'd know."
"O-Oh..." Rubbing her head, Rain sat up on the sofa. Unlike us, she hadn't received a spanking, so she could sit down comfortably. Instead, she had received a series of heavy chops to the head.
"Why do you think I entrusted the kids to you?"
"B-Because I look young? So it wouldn't look weird for me to hang out with them?"
Amy shook her head at Rain's guess. "No. It's because you're the one I trust the most."
"Me... me?"
"Yes."
"R-Really?"
"Of course. Really. I trust you, Rain."
"H-Haah..." Rain's face flushed bright red, and she looked down, deeply moved by Amy's warm smile. Amy stroked her hair and continued, "You were just excited because it's been a while since you went to school, right? You just made a little mistake while hanging out with the kids?"
"Y-Yeah! Exactly! That's it! It was just a temporary lapse in judgment!"
"Then, Rain, I can keep trusting you, right?"
"Of course!" Rain shouted with a bright smile. The dejected look from being scolded was long gone. She puffed out her flat chest and put her hands on her hips, casting her trademark smug look toward Shine and me.
"Good. Rain, can you make one promise to me?"
"Huh? What promise?"
"Make sure the kids—I mean, Shine and Jeff—don't do anything weird. For example, things from those comic books you collect."
"Th-that's..."
"Of course, I'm not saying those are bad. But they're still young, aren't they? Kids Jeff and Shine's age love to copy things they see in comics, movies, or anime. You remember, don't you? How Victor used to mimic those superhero shows back in the day."
"Y-Yeah."
"So I'm asking you, please. They're still young. Understood?"
"Ah... Y-Yes!" Rain nodded, her face turning pale at Amy's words. Her trembling gaze flickered toward Shine and me. Shine watched Rain with a strange, knowing smile.
It was then that Shine moved. As I was gingerly rubbing my sore bottom, Shine reached out and gently hugged me from behind. Her left hand wrapped around my waist, while her right hand crossed over my chest to hold my shoulder. Her grip was tight, as if she would never let me go, making it a bit hard to breathe.
"Shine, I can't breathe."
"Okay. Just let me stay like this for a bit," Shine murmured softly, resting her chin on my shoulder. Since she hugged me like this all the time, I didn't think much of it. Only Rain's eyes trembled with deep anxiety as she watched us.
"Jeff. Shine."
"Yes."
"Yeah."
The moment Amy turned around from talking to Rain, Shine's posture shifted. With a fluid, sliding motion, by the time Amy's eyes landed on us, Shine and I were simply holding hands. Shine's transition was so seamless that Amy didn't suspect a thing. She spoke.
"You heard what I told Rain, right? You shouldn't copy things you see in movies or comic books. Understood?"
"Yes."
"Why?" Unlike me, who nodded automatically, Shine questioned her.
Amy chuckled softly and replied, "Because you're still young. It can be dangerous."
"Dangerous?"
"Yes. So if you want to try those things, it's better to wait until you're older."
"Can we do them once we're adults?"
"Well... once you're adults and can take full responsibility for your actions, that would be best."
"I understand."
"Really? I can rest easy, right? You won't do anything dangerous?"
"Not even a little bit?"
"...As long as it's not dangerous, to some extent."
"Hmm, that's tricky." Shine nodded at Amy's words. Safe things, not dangerous things, she murmured under her breath. "Okay."
Listening to Shine, I walked over and sat on the sofa. My stinging bottom made it uncomfortable, but the plush cushions made it bearable. A quiet, slightly awkward silence filled the room. Shine and I sat on the sofa, Rain sat at her desk, and Amy focused on her work. Perhaps because I had cried so much, a sudden wave of hunger hit me. I'm hungry, I muttered, rubbing my stomach. Right on cue, the office door swung open, and Victor walked in. Accompanied by a mouth-watering aroma, he entered holding a stack of large pizza boxes in one hand.
"You guys done?" Victor asked, looking around the room. He had brought pizza.