Author's Preface
The dawn of a new day. A morning to start things anew, and forget the lamentations of the past.
Or in Akane’s case, the distaste and awkwardness of the night before.
She slowly came to wake, rubbing at her eyes. Yawning. Stretching, the lean corded muscle in her slim arms flexing. Black hair messy, falling across her eyes.
“Ah… I don’t remember part of last night,” Akane whispered to herself. “I still feel so groggy. Ugh.”
Yet, she couldn’t shake the feeling of something against her chest and at her side.
A weight. Something warm. Soft. And very much cuddly.
…
Akane stared for a moment, unable to comprehend it.
A woman. The exact same age as her. Dark brown skin. Half-dyed hair. Very much naked.
“RINNEE!” Akane yelled, the absolute reddest she’d ever been.
She scampered back until she was flat against the headboard of her bed. The fair-skinned genius tried to look anywhere except her naked best friend…
Trying desperately NOT to stare at those gently flared hips. Her full soft breasts. Supple brown that skin that she almost wanted to bite-
“ NO!” Akane shook her head, breathing deep. Looking down to try and focus-
Until she saw it. Akane herself was also as naked as the day she was born, littered with small bite marks.
“MF… ah… so loud,” came a cute grumble.
Sharp double-lidded green eyes opened and narrowed. A small pout on full lips.
And Rinne Panganiban stared at her best friend with a groggy yet totally normal look.
“Oh. Morning ‘Kane,” Rinne murmured casually, as if she wasn’t as bare as the day she was born. “Here. Tired still? We did go for pretty long~”
Akane sputtered, her eyes wide with shock. “Ex-CUSE me??? That wasn’t a dream-”
She really needed a moment to think, to comprehend. And that’s when the images came flooding right back.
Heated words while heading down a staircase.
Loud voices, alcohol still streaming through their veins.
An argument that continued all the way back to Akanee’s house.
And Rinne's “apologetic” kiss. One that led into hushed words, fingers disappearing into wetness, and sensitive moans that were silenced by soundproof walls.
… all Akane could do was bury her face in her hands and groan.
“W-we did. I actually… with my best friend…”
She peeked through her fingers at Rinne. Fighting to get out her next words.
Akanee’s mouth open and closed, unable to formulate the correct words. But finally, she managed to murmur, “… it was good at least. M-my first time. But…” a small quiet sigh.
“I wanted it to be more special, Rinne. With you. Not something I can only half-remember.”
A gleam lit up in Rinne's eyes - and she giggled, laying on her stomach. Propped up on her elbow, eyes half-lidded. The way the morning light hit her red-and-black hair, the way that smile looked… it made Akane’s stomach flutter.
“Right, it was your first. I’m flattered you wanted it to be more special, ‘Kane. But, I mean…”
Rinne poked Akane’s cheek teasingly. “ You were the one who dragged me into your room after the kiss. So forward girlie~”
“Ugh.” Akane rolled her eyes, playfully shoving Rinne. “Don’t avoid the subject at hand, Rin. We… were arguing. That night was a mess. And then-”
“And then what, Akane?”
A quiet stare. Rinne’s feet were lazily kicking in the air, like this was any normal sleepover of the past. Clear mischief in those devilish eyes.
…
Despite it all, Akane had zero comebacks formulating in her brain. Thousands of thoughts, all whisked up into a muddy mental soup. Retorts that wouldn’t land. Half-truths and lies. Arguments with no basis.
“What am I supposed to do in this situation? Say? Feel?”
While Rinne looked on and waited for an answer - Akane just sat there.
Head tilted slightly down. Her right hand gripping her left arm, rubbing it for no real reason. Biting the inside of her cheek while sorting out all these emotions.
“Ugh. It feels like I’m gonna burst. I have to just say it. I have to get closure. I have to-”
“C-can we… do it again, then?” Akanee randomly bursted out. She looked up at Rinne with a slightly shy yet eager look. A myriad of emotions flashing into those eyes.
But no haze of alcohol. No second thoughts about this.
“It’s uh. Not clear in my memory actually. If it was actually g-good. Maybe I need to check.”
A slight burn at remembering just why they argued in the first place - but Akane pushed it down into the recesses of her burning heart.
All while Rinne gulped audibly. Like this was not what she had planned for this morning.
“Okay. I was like, expecting you to run out of the room, or scold me, or something,” she chuckled sheepishly. She looked away for a moment, starting at those Super Sentai posters that almost felt like they were judging her.
But Rinne looked back. Taking a moment to see it all.
That genuine hopeful stare. The lustful innocence in those big blue eyes. The way that the edges of Akane’s lips were quivering oh so slightly.
So Rinne leaned in, pressing her lips to Akane’s slowly. One hand supported the back of her best friend’s neck, the other slowly running up and down her core. A slow, burning touch across those firm, visible abs.
“Fuck it,” Rinne whispered, breaking the kiss for a moment - just to dive back in with gusto. She eased Akane’s lips open, tongue delving inside to mingle with her own.
“Since you’re not complaining, bestie… don’t mind me if we ruin these sheets~”
It was all a hot, passionate mess. Akane could feel the warmth of her best friend’s lips. The scent of jasmine and coconut oil filling her nostrils, while her heart did somersaults. The weight of a body slowly pressing atop of hers, like a warm, soft blanket.
Akane kissed back nervously, almost letting herself be taken along for the ride. Enjoying the feel of those feathery fervent lips. She grasped at the brown-skinned teen’s back, a quiet moan escaping her lips.
“A-Ah… Rinne, slow down a little…”
“Mmm?” she giggled, shot Akane a husky smile - and then slowed down. “You get overstimulated quick~”
More tender, sweet, loving little kisses. But it didn’t stop those slender digits from reaching lower.
“Mmm…!”
Akane she still couldn’t fully look at Rinne, even between kisses. That lingering pit in her stomach from the issue last night kept trying to rise up. But it was fighting against a new feeling.
“Hah… too much… so stimulating… my fantasies. Mixing with this . I should be mad at her still, but Rinne… Rinne… Rinne!”
Too much internally broiling. A swell of emotions and physical sensations. Was this really right? Should she just forget about the crux of the matter, and-
Akane forced down her own thoughts - by physically pushing Rinne onto her back, flipping the situation.
“Eep!” Rinne's squeak as she hit the bed, how her breathing got heavier…
It did something for Akane. Something that made her stare with intense hunger.
“Words won’t be enough. I need to make her scream too. We can talk later.”
The more experienced delinquent girl looked like a deer in headlights, looking up at the sudden predator.
“H-holy shit,” Rinne thought to herself, already feeling her blood rushing somewhere lower. “I’ve never seen Akane look like this! Heh. Score~”
“I’m… I'm going to m-make sure I can’t forget this one,” Akane murmured, her stammer disappearing into resolution. She had already quickly tied up her long black locks into a neat ponytail, using a hairband from her bedside drawer.
“And neither will you, Rinne.”
“W-WHAT!?! Akane, don’t look at me like I’m a meal- AH~!”
Just one goal in mind, for the perfectionist genius.
A few flickers of inexperience, of uncertainty - but Rinne quietly kept guiding while underneath, even without words.
And the tides shifted, as it was Rinne's bright voice that began to ring out.
…
…
Perhaps an hour later - a messy bedroom finally settled into peace.
No more sounds, except the quiet breathing of two individuals, falling into a shared rhythm.
Akane had ended up with her head against Rinne's chest, a dazzling, infectious smile on her lips. Listening to the steady thrum of her heartbeat.
Rinne was laying back, her dark hair with red highlights fanned out on stained sheets. An even wider, shit-eating grin dancing across her pretty face.
“Dude. Feeling so much better now, right? That was totally amazing,” she giggled with glee, leaning down to kiss the top of Akane’s head.
“Mmm. It wash good,” Akane mumbled, her words muffed by warm skin. Her hand, slightly warm to the touch, traced the curve of her best friend’s hip. Not wanting anymore - just a slow touch to make sure this was all real.
It sent little shivers down the party girl’s spine, who responded by using both hands to grip and squeeze Akane’s abundant ass.
Rinne let out a little giggle, eyes filled with warmth. “Good. I didn’t want my bestie to hate me forever. Andddd… I feel like we were totally kinda just waiting to do this~”
“Hmph.”
Akane looked up, lips smushed against Rinne's chest at this angle.
“I could never hate you forever. I just… ugh. Those two just rubbed me the wrong way. Not like I hate them, but, just, you know.”
“Do I~?”
“Yes. Like that one transfer student from Dolvaria who was talking about you behind your back and-”
“UGH! That bitch!” Rinne huffed hard, and hugged Akane tight to her chest, smothering her against her bosom.
"She was SO rude! And fucking entitled. I totally don’t regret what I did~”
Akane giggled from her spot, returning the tight embrace. She could really smell that sweet scent now. Something that was purely Rinne, that made her heart nerves calm down after the morning’s passion.
“Mhm. Still don’t agree with it morally. But it was impressive,” Akane spoke up amusedly.
“And THAT is my real superpower!” Rinne stated smugly. “Forget my big ass cleaver and echo-strikes and guns - nothing beats just hitting send on a text and watching someone lose all their arrogance~”
They both shared a quiet laugh. A reminder of the old days. Of the high school they were leaving behind with fond memories and vivid stories.
Another quiet moment of relaxing, of mandatory post-coitus cuddles. But eventually, Akane wriggled her way out of Rinne's plush embrace, and sat up in bed with a gentle look.
“You can shower and get ready first,” Akane murmured. “The guest should always be tended to.”
A small yawn, and then a happy giggle from Rinne again. The brown-skinned youth slid out of bed - wincing slightly as her legs felt like jello - and waved with a grin.
“What a gentlewoman~! I’ll be quick, then I gotta dip. Someone has to make sure my dad doesn’t eat slop for breakfast. See you in a bit!”
Her figure retreated into the bathroom connected to Akanee’s room. Leaving the dark-haired beauty all by herself.
“Phew. That was… a lot,” Akane mused to herself, but still smiling. “ … maybe I should’ve grilled her more on yesterday. But instead, I got this .”
Maybe that quiet lump of unease didn’t matter anymore. All that mattered was that her and Inner had finally connected. Even if they weren’t officially together… it was only a matter of time after this morning, right?
By the late morning, almost noon - the transit had already spat out Rinne Panganiban into the less affluent section of the giant melting pot known as Ostia City.
Gone was the prim and neatly organized daily life of those with plenty of extra spending power.
In the Lower District, buildings were far more cramped. Recycled polymer concrete was everywhere. The homes, the pathsways, a small percentage of the stores. The light thrum of generators, music, and conversations made sure your ears were never resting.
As Rinne walked the streets with her head held high, she passed plenty of apartment complexes with the residents sitting out in their balconies or on the steps. Brushing shoulders more frequently now with the narrower streets too.
“Yo, Rinne.”
“What’s good with you, fine shyt?”
“Hey girl!”
“Pandaaa! You comin’ to the party on Fifth Avenue?”
Voices called out to her no matter where she went. And her slim shoulders puffed up in pride.
“Catch you later, everyone! I’m reaallll tired and busy. Going right back home to Papa,” Rinne responded to a larger group, waving with a big smile.
“Awww man. You be safe now, chica !” A tall tatted up gangster with a shaved head and a pistol in his pockets nodded, even his eyes softening for once.
A sight that repeated itself more as Rinne got closer to her home, until the small building was right in front of her.
“Home sweet home,” Rinne murmured to herself, smiling faintly.
Poly-concrete just like most homes - but there was a layer of real brick and mortar underneath.
A small metal gate lied in front, Rinne brushing past it, no need to even input a code into the broken keypad.
“Papa! I’m homeee~!” she called out loudly, stepping inside and already taking off her shoes.
She nearly placed them aside a small row of other shoes, and slipped into fuzzy pink house slippers.
“Mmm…!”
Rinne stepped into a cozy little place that currently smelled of rice, oil, and ginger.
Past the compact living room, a couch filled with hastily repaired holes. Past the small shrine with both a red daruma and a Santo Niño gracing it. And into the kitchen.
“ Anak, you’re fifteen minutes late,” came a gruff voice. A dark skinned man with a pomade combover turned…
His gentle eyes contrasting with a weathered, scarred face.
“Hmph. I cooked some fried rice, and-”
“Yesss! Thank you Papa~!”
Rinne had already ran up and hugged the bulky man tightly, and planting a sweet kiss on his cheek.
“Smells totally amazing. Glad you didn’t make that slop today. Is little Sota awake?”
“No, not yet. Little gremlin went to sleep late last night,” Arturo Paganini grumbled. “You should never have bought him that video game console.”
Rinne's beautiful laugh filled the kitchen, as she pulled out two chairs at the small, circular dining table.
“Oops~! My fault, Daddy. But it helps him get along with the other kids too, riiight?”
“Hmph.” Arturo scoffs - but not before piling Rinne's plate with steaming hot garlic fried rice, bits of bacon sprinkled in.
“I suppose. But he shouldn’t need a console to make friends. And- wait.”
He sniffed the air. And then sniffed Rinne. One brow slowly raising, with that accusatory look that parents got when they suspected their children of something.
“You smell more like Akane than usual, Rinne Panganiban. I know your usual perfumes… I only smell your so-called bestie, right now.”
“OH!”
Rinne's awkward laugh almost sound it like it hurt. She shook her head and waved him off immediately.
Perhaps with a bit too much energy.
“N-no no! Just because I slept over, yeah! So I used her shampoos and body wash, that’s all.”
“Right. But you slept over at her place plenty of times, and…”
Arturo sighed, his expression caught between amused and disgruntled.
“Whatever anak. I don't push into your personal matters. Instead,” he leaned against the wall of the kitchen, arms crossed.
“I hope you’re ready for Aegis. They will kick you out if you try the same tricks you did during high school. Being close to Akane won’t help you in there.”
Rinne took this time to scarf down her meal, bits of rice clinging to the corner of her mouth.
“You worry too much, Daddy. I’ve changed… kinda,” she murmurs, even her expression becoming more serious. “I’ve been training hard. Working hard. And don’t you remember how I charmed the admissions officer?”
The memory of it made Arturo pause. The middle-aged father sighed, running a calloused hand through his slick hair…
… before shaking his head.
“Yes. I do. That’s why I’m worried.”
Arturo turned, making his way out of the kitchen. “Finish eating. I’ll wake up Sota.”
Leaving his young adult daughter with a slightly bewildered expression.
“Huh? What is that supposed to mean?” She thought to herself. “Did I do something odd during that meeting…?”
That day replayed in her mind. A private chat with an official from Aegis. Just her dad, her, and the officer in her late 40’s.
Rinne couldn’t think of anything weird. Not a thing. Did she act differently? Code switch so hard Daddy thought it was weird? Did she-
BEEP BEEP~
“Oh!” Rinne's face lit up, pushing aside the questions. “A text from Akane. Let’s see…~”
She picked her phone up, swiped up - and instantly groaned.
“get home safe? hope ur not too sore 🫣 tmrw we’re GOING to train, bring ur combat gear! u need to be extra ready for the Academy 😼”
Rinne put her phone down. Sighed.
But still couldn’t help a smile from slowly creeping on her tired face.
“She worries way too much. But… hm. Training outfit Akane…!” She squealed at the end.