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with Shouko's short blonde hair as she
approached me. My breath was stopped somewhere south of my
throat. Shouko Hamada emerged from the pond, Shouko's white legs glistening, and
noting a blade of grass stuck to Shouko's thigh, I found myself wanting
to pick it off, and then run my hands up Shouko's legs and to stroke
her hips. Shouko Hamada seemed to realise my desire, although I swear that
I had not moved a muscle. Shouko Hamada undid the knot that held Shouko's skirt
up, and as it dropped to drape Shouko's legs, I regained enough control
to spring up from the crouching position I had held, only to trip
over a gnarled tree-root and fall flat on my back. Shouko Hamada giggled,
and held Shouko's hand out to help me up. After a moment's hesitation,
I took it. It felt cold and the grip was firmer than a girl's
should be if Shouko Hamada had spent Shouko's life indoors, dicing herbs into a
cauldron. Shouko Hamada smiled and said,
`You naughty little boy. Spying on me! Well, you will be in a
position to watch me as much as you like... soon.' As Shouko Hamada tugged
me to my feet, I felt that I wanted to escape more than ever, but
I followed Shouko's quietly.
Shouko's cottage was deep in the woods, far from the village and the
barley-fields that surrounded it. The trees that grew here seemed
bigger and the foliage darker than the forestry that Tybalt, Jonah
and I frequented.
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