(1)
March 20th, 2010, Saturday.
Last night’s weather forecast said it would rain today.
But this morning, the sun was shining brightly.
The thick winter quilt that hadn’t been changed yet was bunched up into a ball, hugged tightly in An Jing’s arms.
Warm breezes blew in through the open window—though it was only March, it felt like summer was just around the corner.
“Hmm…”
In her daze, An Jing heard some noisy sounds, but she still refused to wake from her dreams.
She unconsciously sucked in the drool that was about to slip from her lips onto the pillow, muttering as she rolled over again.
“Knock knock.”
Suddenly, the door was knocked.
A familiar voice sounded from outside, “Xiao Jing~ Xiao Jing? I’m coming in, okay?”
“Hmm… gugh…”
“Then I’m coming in!”
As she spoke, the unlocked door was gently pushed open.
Zhu Ying walked in, tiptoeing with a delicate paper bag in hand.
She crept to the bedside and suddenly pinched An Jing’s nose, forcing her to breathe through her mouth.
But she quickly choked on her own drool and started coughing.
“Cough cough… cough cough cough cough!!!”
“Awake?”
“Hoo…”
An Jing opened her eyes weakly, her long eyelashes casting a shadow, “Xiao Ying.”
“Wake up, it’s already eight thirty. The sun’s shining on your butt!”
“So sleepy…”
“What time did you sleep last night?”
“Around twelve…”
“Hurry and get up~”
“No…”
An Jing groggily closed her eyes again and wandered in her dreams for another five minutes.
Suddenly, as if something startled her, she snapped her eyes open.
—Something fuzzy was pressed up against her, tickling her cheek.
She lowered her head and saw Zhu Ying’s rosy little face and her big blinking eyes.
“Waa!! Wh-when did you sneak under the covers?!”
***
(2)
“I’ve been under here for a while! Isn’t Xiao Jing hot with the sun shining on her? I’m sweating under the covers already.”
“…I was wondering why it was so hot, you put the quilt back over me…”
“Hurry and get up~!”
“I’m up, I’m up…” An Jing got out of bed helplessly, yawning as she slipped on her slippers and stumbled out the door.
“Huihui-jie said breakfast is in the kitchen.”
“Mm… Where’s Huihui-jie and the others?”
“They went out early in the morning. I ran into them downstairs.”
Zhu Ying darted out from An Jing’s covers, put on her thin black jacket again, and hurried out, “They said they’re going out for a spring outing.”
“A spring outing… Come to think of it, it really is the best time in spring now.”
An Jing yawned widely, “It’s a good day for a spring outing. But why didn’t they take me?”
“It must be because they want to spend some time alone together.”
“How could that be, Huihui-jie always calls me. Maybe I just slept too deeply and they couldn’t wake me up…”
“No way, they’re definitely off to have some alone time!”
“…Haah…” An Jing stood in the bathroom, yawning several times in a row before stuffing her toothbrush in her mouth and started brushing.
“How about we go for a spring outing today too? Just the two of us.”
“A spring outing…? Didn’t we already do that before?”
“It wasn’t as warm then, it feels different now.”
“There’s nothing much to do today…”
“If there is, I’ll just have to bite you!”
“Ahem… ha, haha…”
An Jing scratched her head and gave a dry laugh, nearly swallowing the toothpaste foam. She quickly grabbed some water, gargled, and spat it out.
“Oh right, how about wearing a dress today?”
“Pfft… cough, cough cough cough!!! Absolutely not!”
“Hmph hmph, you don’t get to decide this time!”
***
(3)
“Finished washing up? Then hurry and try this on. I specially picked it out, our figures are about the same—if it fits me, it’ll fit you!”
“B-breakfast first!”
“Nope~ change first!”
“I’m worried I’ll get the clothes dirty while eating!”
“Hmph hmph… then you’re not allowed to eat.”
“Hey hey, what are you, a slave driver!”
“Tsk—alright, alright, breakfast first.”
“Phew…”
“But don’t think of running away! I absolutely—won’t—let Xiao Jing escape today!”
“So scary, your expression just now…”
“Hmph hmph, it could get even scarier!”
“Eek!?”
***
(4)
Sounds of rustling came from the second bedroom.
The gentle wind brushed across An Jing’s cheek, but couldn’t cool her flushed skin.
It was a Japanese-style school uniform in a color between off-white and pure white—Zhu Ying’s family seemed to have lots of these uniforms, though it was a mystery where she bought them all.
An Jing recalled the last time she’d seen Zhu Ying’s wardrobe at her house—it was so big, yet still stuffed full of clothes.
Not just these anime-like Japanese uniforms, but also all sorts of dresses, qipaos, and even the kind of costumes you’d find being rented out at tourist spots.
“Hurry up! If you’re not dressed soon, I’m coming in to dress you myself!”
“Almost, almost!” Even with the door locked, An Jing’s reply was still flustered.
She carefully took off her last piece of clothing—the pair of men’s boxer shorts was her last bit of stubbornness—then put on the short-sleeved top with black stripes at the cuffs.
She picked up the brand new black pantyhose, feeling both resistant and inexplicably expectant, and slowly pulled them up her legs.
Thanks to past experience, she managed to get them on smoothly—only struggling a bit at the end.
She carefully smoothed out the tights, while Zhu Ying outside started urging her again.
“Xiao~ Jing~!”
“Hey, are you really that fast at getting dressed?”
“Nope~”
“Then how do you have the nerve to rush me!”
“I just want to help dress you, Xiao Jing!”
“That’s way too forward!!”
“With you, Xiao Jing, I have to be direct!”
“Stop rushing, I’m almost done.”
An Jing quickly put on the short skirt that barely covered half her thighs, then the off-white jacket.
On the left chest was a school Logo, making it look quite convincing.
An Jing checked herself in the mirror: “Actually, kind of cu… uh—!”
She swallowed the second half of her sentence and looked at the poster on the wall: “No wonder it looked familiar. It really is like Xiong Mei’s school uniform… If I had a wig… Ptooey, ptooey, what am I thinking!”
“All~ done~?”
“Coming!!”
An Jing straightened her clothes and, flustered, pulled open the door.
Zhu Ying’s eyes immediately lit up.
She poked her lips with two fingers and looked her up and down, “Fits really well!”
An Jing replied with a spectacular eye roll.
“Here, I even brought you some little leather shoes. I’m a size 36, Xiao Jing should be about the same.”
“Mm.”
“Want me to help you put them on?”
“…Fine, I’ll indulge you this once.”
“Cheh, not resisting anymore? No fun!”
“You’re so awkward.”
An Jing couldn’t help but laugh and cry as she slipped her feet into the shoes Zhu Ying put before her, and walked a few steps to try them out.
“How are they?”
“Mm… just right? Or maybe just a tiny bit loose at the front? But I think they fit.”
“Huh? I think they’re a little tight on me, this size runs small. Xiao Jing, are you a 35?”
An Jing didn’t want to admit that she could even fit into kids’ shoes now.
She just pouted and nodded lightly, “This is fine… Are you satisfied now…?”
“Yup!”
“Then I’m taking them off.”
“What? Not allowed!”
“Huh?”
“It’s not that easy. You have to wear them out with me, of course!”
“Hey! What if we run into someone we know!”
“No problem~”
Zhu Ying smiled slyly, “Just say you’re An Jing’s little sister, okay~ Xiao Yin, little sister~”
An Jing immediately got goosebumps all over: “I’m dying…”
“Let’s go, time to head out! You’re in white, I’m in black—today we’re wearing couple’s outfits.”
An Jing smacked her forehead, trying one last time to resist, “Can we not go out…?”
“Nope!”
“T-then, let me grab a few things.”
An Jing sighed helplessly, “Does this outfit have pockets?”
“The skirt does, but they’re pretty small. What do you need to bring?”
“Keys, and maybe something else…”
“They should fit, just don’t put too much or it’ll get bulky.”
“T-then wait a moment.”
An Jing hurriedly stuffed an Audio Cassette in a Plastic Case into the pocket, then grabbed the house key—she hesitated for a moment, but in the end didn’t bring the GBA Game Console.
***
(5)
After all, if she brought the Game Console out, it would scream “bored” to anyone who saw it—even someone as dense as An Jing could imagine Zhu Ying’s dissatisfied face if she did that.
Besides, they weren’t going out for several days.
“Okay, all set.”
An Jing patted her skirt pocket, “It shouldn’t fall out, right?”
“Mm—generally no?
Just be careful.”
Zhu Ying glanced at the bed, “Eh, you’re not wearing it?”
“Wearing what?”
“The thing for under the skirt, of course!”
“Hey, no way!”
“Then why’s it still here? I picked out a brand new one just for you.”
“I’m wearing my own!”
“Lame, not cute at all.”
“This is the one thing I won’t compromise on!”
“Weird stubbornness.”
“What’s weird about it…” An Jing pouted.
“Whatever!”
Zhu Ying grabbed An Jing’s wrist, “Let’s go! First, let’s stop by the big arcade street!”
“Why there? Weren’t we going for a spring outing?”
“We have to pass by anyway, right? On the way here, I saw a new store opened there.”
“What kind of store?”
“All claw machines inside!”
“What a boring place, does that even count as an arcade…”
“That’s why it’s called a doll house! Let’s each grab five turns when we get there!”
“I don’t think I’ll win anything… Don’t waste your money.”
“What if you do win? Spending a little to buy a bit of hope—I don’t think that’s a waste at all!”
“Then let’s treat it like playing a claw machine with no prizes…”