Aya's bedroom felt smaller with all the set up.
I had only stayed here for a week while her mom was away, but I'd already gotten used to the room's size and its half-kept order. Aya's dad had passed years ago, so it was just us and Hina. I only had clothes and a toothbrush, so I took up almost no extra room.
But now everything felt crammed.
I could feel the heat from the ring light on my face. The air smelled of ozone, vanilla body spray, and sweat. Nervous sweat.
Aya sat on the edge of the mattress. Her face was blue from the glow of the laptop, propped on a makeshift desk made of two boxes. She didn't look like my girlfriend anymore; she looked like a mechanic checking a machine.
"Frame is good," she murmured.
The camera showed the bed, the crumpled sheets, and the three of us. Hina sat between me and Aya, in the center of the frame, her legs tucked tight. Her fingers were interlaced so tightly the knuckles looked like white stones.
Oh boy. She's going to bolt.
She was so close that I could feel the tremor in her spine.
"Don't look at the floor, Hina," Aya blurted, not looking up from the screen. "We're about to start. Look at the lens."
"I... I can't," Hina whispered.
"Yes, you can." Aya glanced at both of us. The playful sister from the kitchen was gone. In her place was the Director. "The Goal Bar is set to fifty thousand. The first challenge is 'The Reveal.' Kaito, first you lift it halfway. If they hit the target, the shirt comes off. Understand?"
Hina didn't answer. She just stared at the digital self.
Click.
The 'Live' icon flared red on screen.
"Good evening," Aya spoke. Her voice dropped an octave, smooth and dark for the audience. "Get your digital wallets ready, because we have a special treat for you tonight. As you can see, we have a guest. A very private, very shy guest. Say hello to my little sister— Imouto."
The chat exploded, making the sidebar scroll like crazy.
Tongue and money bag emojis vomited across the screen.
Ghost_In_The_Shell: Is that her? She looks like a doll.
Tokyo_Night: The sister! Finally.
VIP_User: [Tipped 500 Coins] Welcome, sis!
"As I said, Imouto is shy," Aya told the lens. She brushed a strand of hair from Hina's damp forehead. "She's never been seen. Not like this. Especially by so many eyes." Aya's fingers lingered on the skin. "But she trusts her family, doesn't she?"
The Goal Bar flickered 500.
"She just needs more encouragement from the audience."
The screen pinged again. A 5,000 Coin tip.
VIP_K: The shirt is too big. Master, make her show us her shoulders. I want to see how much she's shaking.
"A request," Aya said, her eyes fixed on the numbers. "VIP_K wants to see the nerves. Goshujin?"
Ignoring the camera, I turned to Hina. My knee pressed into the mattress behind her. I got hold of the collar of her shirt, and Hina gasped.
The mic caught it and amplified it.
Salaryman_Zen: Look at her neck. She's flushing.
VIP_K: [Tipped 2,000 Coins] Move further.
I slowly slid the fabric down.
I could see the goosebumps on Hina's sharp, white shoulder.
"She's trembling," Aya narrated. "Can you all see it? She's never been touched like this before."
She gave me a quick glance. A silent prompt.
Time to lift the shirt.
I lifted the bottom of the shirt just above Hina's belly button.
Hina's fingers twitched at her sides.
Another tip dropped.
Ching.
"Look at her body," Aya murmured. "She's so soft."
The chat exploded.
Anon_16: I like the way she tries to look away.
VIP_K: [Tipped 2,000 Coins] Lift higher.
The Bar flashed gold. Goal met.
"The rules are the rules," Aya murmured to the camera. She didn't look at Hina. She looked at me. "Goshujin. The reveal."
"Wait," Hina whispered. It was too quiet for the mic, but I felt it in the vibration of her skin.
"No," I replied, also quietly. I gripped the shirt from both sides and pulled it over her head.
Hina was left in a thin, white cotton bra.
Aya unzipped her own top, letting it fall. Black lace against Hina's plain cotton. The professional against the amateur. The predator against the prey.
The tips flowed in.
"The chat wants to see the contrast," Aya said, reading the screen.
Salaryman_Zen: Take them off. Both.
Coin_Master: [Tipped 5000 Coins] Let Goshujin do it.
Aya looked at me. A brief, sharp nod.
I moved forward. I felt the heat of the lamps on my forearms. I reached around Hina, my hands steady. I unhooked Aya first—an effortless click. Then I reached for Hina's white clasp.
Her whole body shuddered. When the fabric fell, she tried to cross her arms.
"Hands down," Aya said. She grabbed Hina's wrists, pinning them to the sheets. "They paid to see you, Imouto. Don't hide."
I get to see the contrast too.
It was the first time I had seen Hina topless.
Aya's breasts were fuller, more developed, more womanly. They swayed a little when she moved.
Hina's were smaller, firm and high on her pale, waif-like chest—"doll-like", as I'd overheard Aya tease her once. Very erotic, actually.
I felt Hina's body twitch again.
Now would be the worst possible time for her to back out.
I moved in between the sisters and wrapped my arms around them.
My left hand found Aya's familiar warmth. My right found Hina's panic.
She was burning.
Her heart was a trapped bird hammering against my palm. I pressed slightly down to ground her.
Stay. Breathe.
The chat loved every second of it.
User_X: Look at the difference. Incredible.
Red_Dragon: Goshujin is a lucky man. He's got an arm around both of them.
Big_Spender: [Tipped 10,000 Coins] The sister is breaking.
I looked at Hina. She was staring at the camera, eyes wide open, shaking a little less.
She's not breaking, I thought, feeling the heat of her skin. She's waking up.