Classroom Changes - Umako Chapter 6 - 2

“That’s a complicated question, “ Hiroto began. He felt her body's rhythmic expansion and contraction stop as she held her breath, trying to anticipate what he would say next.

Hiroto looked up. Umako was looking down at him, a nervous expression on her face. She seemed to be on the verge of tears. He made eye contact and tried to give her a reassuring look. His heart was pounding; he knew the next thing he said could make or break their relationship. He knew what he wanted to, indeed had to, say but was scared to say it.

“I love you,” Hiroto said, not breaking eye contact with Umako. Her nervous face gave way to a smile, and he felt her start to breathe again.

 “There, I said it!” Hiroto half-whispered, as much for his benefit as for Umako. He continued, “I’ve loved you for a long time but was always afraid to tell you. That doesn’t stop because you have a new body. I will always love you.” He paused for a moment to let that sink in.

“But, “ he continued, seeing her tense up again, “You also scare me. You’re so much bigger and stronger than me now. You could so easily injure or kill me without meaning to. Is it fair that I burden you with constantly having to worry about damaging your fragile boyfriend?”

 Hiroto turned away and hung his head, embarrassed at what he had to say next.

“I can’t get over feeling you’d be happier with a centaur boyfriend. You said Yukio is a jerk, but I can’t forget how natural the two of you looked together. There are lots of other centaur boys out there. They can’t all be jerks. Is being with me stopping you from finding someone more suitable?”

“Wow,” Umako answered, “That’s a lot to process.” She took his head and gently turned him to look into his eyes. She had a wistful expression. “Of course, you are right about me having to be careful around humans,” she spoke softly, “but that’s a part of my life from now on with everyone, not just you. I’m not going to deny myself human contact out of fear of what could happen.”

“And, MISTER,” she continued, her voice turning from consoling to angry, “I will be the judge of who I want to be with! If I decide you’re not right for me, I’ll let you know. Don’t you try to decide that for me!”

“Move, I want to stand up,” Umako commanded. Hiroto scuttled out of the way as she rose.

“Now, “ she continued, “climb on my back.”

“What?” Hiroto asked, confused.

“Just do it!” she said, “Unless you want me to lift you there.”

Hiroto clumsily climbed onto Umako’s back. She turned her shoulders and tilted her head back.

“OK, height difference solved,” Umako declared. “Is there anything you want to do now that you’re up there?”

“Play polo?” Hiroto suggested, trying to cover his nervousness with a joke.

“Very funny,” Umako snapped, sounding annoyed. “Kiss me, baka”

Hiroto hesitantly leaned in and kissed her. It was their first kiss, and he found it exciting and magical. Judging by the ripple that ran through Umako’s body, she must have felt the same.

“That was… amazing,” Umako said, smiling.

“Yes, it was,” Hiroto agreed, but his expression showed something was still bothering him.

“What is it?” Umako asked.

“Well,” Hiroto blushed, “I don’t quite know how to say this. Between sex ed in school and various ‘entertainment’ media, I have some idea of how to be with a human girl. But here I am, sitting on a horse.”

Umako reared up on her hind legs, causing Hiroto to slide off her rear end clumsily and land in a heap on the floor. She turned to face him and stepped forward, placing a front hoof firmly on his chest, pinning him to the ground. Panicking, Hiroto grabbed her leg and tried to move it off him but could not budge it.

“I am NOT a horse!” Umako protested, pressing a little harder on him.

Hiroto was terrified by Umako’s display of power over him but also wanted to laugh at the absurd situation of her protesting she was not a horse while trapping him with a hoof. He decided discretion was the safer move.

 “Sorry,” Hiroto meekly apologized. “I didn’t mean it that way. I meant I don’t know how to please that part of you.”

“Your concern might be more convincing if you weren’t a virgin,” Umako wryly noted as she removed her hoof from his chest. She reached down and helped him to his feet, leaving him standing eyeball to nipples with her, “Perhaps I will be your first and spoil you for human girls. Once you go equine, no others will shine.”

“Maybe you just need to get more used to the new me to ease your nervousness,” Umako said. With a mischievous grin, she removed her t-shirt and casually tossed it on the floor. 

Hiroto gasped, and his eyes went wide, shocked that Umako would strip before him and aroused to see her topless. 

“Umako,” he started to protest, “You don’t…”