Through the mirror, Kiyoko saw the dark circles forming on her shoulder and back.
It hurt a little, but… it was working. For the first time she believed Jin's ridiculous explanation about "cupping".
"…Keep going," she whispered.
The first cup had stung, but the more he placed, the more her body adjusted. The strange pull left a numbness that faded into warmth.
Jin moved down her back, cup after cup. By the eleventh, he was running out of space. His eyes slipped lower, toward the waistband of her sweatpants. Boldly, his hand twitched.
"Jin! No way!" Kiyoko yelped, one hand snapping back to guard her waist.
'Too fast!' Jin winced. He scrambled for an excuse.
"The, uh… the lower back is important! That's where all the pressure builds up. If I don't put a cup here, it won't work at all!"
Her hand hesitated, uncertainty flickering across her face.
"…I'll… do it myself," she muttered, tugging her waistband down just enough to bare a sliver of skin at her lower back.
"No more than this. If it's not enough, I'd rather stop."
"Enough! That's perfect!" Jin said a little too quickly.
He grabbed the smallest cup he had, knowing it would cling the strongest. His fingers brushed lightly across the exposed skin as he wet it. The contact made both of them tense.
Kiyoko's breathing picked up. 'Why did I ever agree to this…?' If she had known Jin would do cupping, she would've refused. Now it was too late.
"…C-can you hurry up…" she whispered, her words broken by the heat rising in her chest.
Jin froze. His hand hovered, unwilling to pull away. Her soft plea made it even harder to focus.
"Kiyoko, I…" he swallowed, his voice catching.
Without thinking, his fingers slid just a little lower.
"Stop!" She tried to push herself up, hands braced against the mattress.
But Jin's reflexes were faster. He caught her wrist, and she toppled back down with a soft gasp.
"Why not? I'm not messing around… I really like you." His voice cracked as he stumbled over the words.
Kiyoko's eyes widened. She wasn't angry, just shaken. Her lips parted, her gaze damp with unshed tears. "W-wait… please."
That pitiful look jolted Jin back to his senses. 'What am I doing?' For a moment he'd nearly pushed too far.
He let out a shaky laugh, ruffling her hair with a forced grin. "Look at you, acting like I'm some bad guy. Don't worry, I'd never hurt you. You can trust me."
A sharp 'clack' hit the floor.
Both of them glanced down.
On the floor beside the bed lay a small box Jin had forgotten in his pocket.
Kiyoko's eyes narrowed. Her face turned scarlet.
"Th-that's!"
Jin swore under his breath. 'Crap! Why now of all times!?'