Reiko froze.
Not in a physical sense, not out of fear—but because her entire thought process collapsed.
Her mind, so desperate for explanations, produced nothing but white, empty static.
What… what just happened? Reiko thought, utterly stunned.
...
...
...
As she headed toward the bath, Mara felt that familiar sensation that always accompanied her after being with one of the girls.
It was a mix of deep relaxation and lingering warmth on her skin. The feeling was somewhat hard to explain, but it was something she had already grown used to, so she didn't give it much importance.
During the short walk from the main hall to the bathroom, the vivid image of the nun was still fresh in her mind.
Her face—so serene and devout at first—transformed into a mask of absolute perversion.
That stark contrast between what she represented and what she truly was didn't strike Mara as strange. In fact, she found it a little amusing, since in her past life, those kinds of sharp contrasts—that dichotomy between appearance and desire—had been one of her favorite fetishes.
At least in that regard, the universe still seemed willing to grant her small indulgences.
When she reached the bathroom, Mara closed the door with a dull thud, then began to undress. Her white blouse was slightly wrinkled, and the short skirt—the one that still made her feel a bit exposed—was the first thing she removed, almost with relief.
Her movements were slow, as she wasn't in any real hurry beyond the vague desire to go to sleep.
Besides, her body still carried the lingering ecstasy of what she had just shared with the nun—a pleasant heaviness that made every gesture more unhurried.
Once she finished undressing, she filled the wooden bucket in the corner with warm water from the barrel, then sat down on the small wooden stool in the center of the bathroom.
The surface was cold and rough against her skin, so she spread out a towel she had brought with her to sit more comfortably.
Settled in, Mara poured the bucket of water over herself from head to toe. The warm liquid ran down her back in gentle streams, washing away the sticky sensation of the day, along with that sweet, spicy scent the nun had left clinging to her skin.
Then she took the herbal soap and the natural sponge hanging from a hook and began to lather her body with slow, circular motions.
Her thoughts, like the water, drifted unhurriedly—yet without stopping—toward the subject that had occupied her mind for much of the day: Reiko.
That dark, still silhouette. Always watching.
Her roommate and coworker.
I wish I could be closer to her, Mara thought, even knowing that if she tried to approach Reiko to talk, she would probably avoid her.
It wasn't that she wanted to get along with her because she especially liked her, or anything like that.
It was pure practical logic: when you live with someone, work with someone, and generally have to spend time with someone, the less tense the atmosphere is, the better it is for everyone involved.
Maybe tomorrow I should try breaking the ice with her again, she reflected as she rinsed the soap from her arms.
She knew it would probably not end well, but she had nothing to lose by trying… at the very least, she could say she had tried.
The rest of the bath passed like that, her mind wandering between possible conversation topics.
When she finished, she dried herself with a clean towel, put on a long T-shirt and loose sleep pants, and decided to head straight to the bedroom to rest.
The day had been long: the physical work of cleaning, washing, organizing, making beds—and, of course, the session with the nun—had left her with a deep, satisfying fatigue.
But as she crossed the reception area on her way to the dormitories, something caught her attention.
At one of the tables in the main hall, beneath the dim light of an oil lamp, Alice and Reiko were sitting together, talking quietly.
Alice, with her usual calm, had her hands clasped atop the table. Reiko, on the other hand, sat very straight, her expression serious—almost intense—as she listened.
Mara couldn't hear what they were saying, but the atmosphere didn't feel casual.
It was a deliberate conversation—perhaps even an important one.
I think it's best not to interrupt them, Mara thought before quietly turning around and heading to the bedroom.
"What an exhausting day," Mara whispered as she let herself fall onto her bed.