“You fell in love! Awww! That’s wonderful!” exclaimed Maria, clapping her hands together.
“Were you even listening to what I said? I didn’t fall in love.” Alisa sighed.
“What? That sounded like the beginning of a love story, no matter how you try to spin it.”
“Stop twisting my words to fit your narrative. I told you we were just friends. Remember?”
“Yep. From friends to lovers. It’s very common. Sah and I were the same. Right, Sah?” Maria snickered while gently smiling at the picture inside the golden locket she had just pulled out from deep within her cleavage. She was so in love that there were practically hearts popping out of her head like in a comic book. Alisa coldly glared at her sister, who had switched into her usual maiden-in-love mode.
“But, well… I do recognize his skills, and I trust him,” admitted Alisa reluctantly, looking anywhere but at her sister. Maria nodded while she continued to admire her boyfriend’s picture.
“Yeah, there’s nothing cooler than a guy who gets things done in times of need. Sah’s the same. I can still remember when he swooped in to rescue me from that dog—”
“If you’re just going to gush about your boyfriend, then get out.”
“Oh, Alya! You’re so cold!”
Alisa turned a chilling glare on her sister, who was puffing out her cheeks.
“And for your information, I like people who are hardworking.”
“You still have a lot to learn, Alya. He’s usually so laid-back and low energy, but all of a sudden, bam! He shows you how much of a real man he is! That’s a good trait if you ask me!”
“Sounds like we don’t have the same tastes, because it honestly annoys me how much of a slacker he usually is.”
Alisa began to ramble on and on about his character traits and failings:
“He forgets his books all the time, he sleeps in class, and he doesn’t even seem to care when I tell him to get his act together! He always just laughs it off like it’s nothing, and… Well, I guess that’s why I can say whatever I want without having to care…”
“Right? In other words, your relationship is built on trust.”
“What in the world makes you think that?”
“Because he won’t leave your side, no matter what you say. Isn’t that why you can talk to him without a worry in the world? And he is fine with whatever you say. That sounds like a relationship built on trust if you ask me.”
Alisa was lost for words after her sister’s unexpected, insightful comment, but she quickly recovered and argued back.
“No, it’s nothing like that. I can scold Kuze without having to care because everyone in class knows he needs to be set straight. That’s all… But I admit he’s easy to get along with. Getting along with others doesn’t mean you’re in love with them, though, right? Besides, having feelings for others means…you want to go on dates together and kiss and that kind of stuff, right? I’ve never even thought about doing anything like that…,” mumbled Alisa while bashfully looking away.
“You’re so cute, Alya.” Maria smiled gently and clasped her hands together.
“Are you making fun of me?”
“No way. Alya, listen. You don’t have to go on dates, kiss, or do anything special. If you care about him, then simply talking to him or touching him would feel special,” boasted Maria with her large chest puffed out with pride. Alisa’s eyebrow twitched.
“Could you be more specific?”
Astonishingly, Alisa had taken the bait instead of simply ignoring her sister like she usually did, causing Maria to blink with slight surprise. She stared into the distance.
“Hmm… The easiest example I can think of is holding hands. You don’t even have to do that. If it’s someone you like, even the brief touch of your hands would make your heart race. It would make you blush and want to scream, but not because you don’t like it. It fills you with happiness and…,” rambled Maria as she excitedly explained what love was while staring at the picture of her boyfriend and bashfully shaking her head.
“It makes you blush and want to scream…”
Alisa quietly looked down at her legs, then slowly extended her right foot toward Maria.
“What’s wrong, Alya?”
“Sorry. Do you think you could help me take off my socks?”
“Huh? Why?”
Maria blinked in bewilderment at the sudden, bizarre request, but after seeing the look on Alisa’s face, she had a good idea of what was going on, and so she scooted across the carpet and placed a hand on her sister’s leg.
“Hmmm…”
Alisa watched with a slightly stern expression as her sister smoothly pulled off her sock.
“All done. Uh…want me to take off your left sock, too?”
Maria quizzically pointed to the knee-high on Alisa’s left foot.
“No. Just put my right sock back on,” replied Alisa with a crease in her brow.
“What? Why?”
“Just do it.”
“If you say so.”
Puzzled, Maria slowly slipped the knee-high back on her sister’s foot while Alisa’s grimace gradually deepened.
“Okay, all done. So…?”
“…”
Maria hesitantly looked up at Alisa’s face, but Alisa was simply frowning at her leg without even glancing in her sister’s direction. Before long, she sighed and stood up.
“This isn’t working, Masha. You’re no help.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?! That hurts, you know!”
“Yeah, yeah. Are we done here? Because I need to change, so I need you to get out.”
“Sniffle… Is Alya going through her rebellious stage? Is that what this is? Sah, what should we do? Alya’s become a rebellious teenager.”
With drooping shoulders and a miserable expression, Maria was then kicked out of the room. Alisa gazed back down at her right leg and slowly traced her finger across her bare skin, but embarrassment caused her to look up, where she was instantly faced with her faintly blushing cheeks in her full-length mirror.
“Hmm…”
Alisa frowned as if to deny the fact that she was blushing, then imagined a certain young man and, grimacing, whispered:
“<It’s not that.>”
Her Russian whispers drifted off into the air before ever reaching another soul.
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