“Pervert!”

Alessia spat the word again. Their situation was truly dire. Trapped in the cramped fitting room, she stood barely clothed—only a pair of black lace panties remained, the very style she’d been trying on.

Kanata, meant to fasten her bra, now gripped the slipped strap with one hand while the other accidentally brushed that sensitive spot between collarbone and ribs…

“So soft,” Kanata murmured, genuinely awed by the Sovereign’s body. *Too perfect.*

Kanata loomed above; Alessia lay pinned beneath. Kanata blinked, dazed. Alessia flushed crimson—equal parts fury and fluster.

The mighty Sovereign felt, unmistakably, *taken advantage of*.

Just then, a store clerk, hearing the commotion, pushed open the unlocked fitting room door.

And froze.

“Ah… my apologies, customers,” the clerk stammered with an awkward smile. “If you simply can’t wait… there’s a new love hotel across the street. Running a couples’ promo—52% off!”

Her expression screamed *total misunderstanding*.

“I said it’s not like that! *He’s* the one groping me!” Alessia shoved at Kanata, desperate to escape. But space was nonexistent. Kanata was already straining *not* to kiss her.

The push sealed it.

“Chu~”

An awkward, almost cinematic kiss.

The clerk clapped a hand over her eyes. *This isn’t Uniqlo! Why here?!* Utterly baffling.

Only logical conclusion? A hentai duo with exhibitionist kinks, chasing thrills in public.

Well. The world held all kinds of weirdos.

“Ah—WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” Alessia’s humiliation boiled over. Her tiny Bloodbond Thrall—so bold! Groping her publicly, *stealing* a kiss? Unforgivable. Unauthorized.

*Slap!*

A sharp, stinging crack echoed.

…

“Hey! Total misunderstanding! Who’d *want* to kiss you? I’m not some kissing maniac!”

Alessia stormed out, lingerie shopping forgotten. Kanata trailed behind, seething. *She* pushed *me*!

“And FYI… you stole my first kiss. I haven’t forgotten.”

Her one-and-only first kiss—gone. And the thief acted *righteous*. Seriously?

“First kiss?” The Sovereign’s tone turned icy. “For someone with your… *flexible* lifestyle, that was probably just *today’s* first.”

“Ugh, have you been mainlining that ‘I don’t care what *you* think—I care what *I* think’ garbage?” Kanata’s temper flared. She wasn’t the type to swallow blame silently.

They were seconds from a full-blown street argument.

Alessia had countermeasures. Like whipping out cash and slapping it against Kanata’s cheek.

“One thousand… two… three… Enough to shut you up? Your chirping’s deafening.”

The sting of bills. The Sovereign’s cruel smirk. Kanata’s fists clenched—*I should punch her*.

She *wanted* to be the Mary Sue heroine: “Who wants your dirty money?!”

But she couldn’t. She *needed* it.

“Tch… I can take a beating. Got more cash to waste? Throw it. If it kills me—I lose.”

Money… *so good*.

Next month’s meds. Hospital bills. Pills. Her cheek burned, but her heart felt light.

Under curious stares, Kanata crouched, scooping every bill into her pocket. No shame. No hesitation.

Dignity? Alessia had crushed that long ago.