Self-Harming Heroine

Chapter 14

Bunny Girl.

The official name is Playboy Bunny.

It was a costume first introduced by the American adult magazine company; Playboy, and it has received a lot of interest and admiration for decades.

That's all I knew about Bunny Girls.

I had no idea how Bunny Girls came to exist here, in a place that isn't Earth, let alone America. To be honest, I didn't really care. Human desires are pretty much the same everywhere, even across universal barriers.

The spring weather was warmer than winter, but the chill hadn't completely disappeared.

It was after 3 a.m. now. If I were to go out in such a thin dress, I was bound to feel the cold.

But right now, the reason I was wrapping the trench coat tightly around me wasn't because of the cold.

It was because of the daring Bunny Girl outfit underneath.

Hesitantly, I crossed my arms over my chest.

Ugh, I should have been more thorough. I shouldn't have just taken my measurements roughly and bought it - I should have tried it on and made sure it fit right.

It feels too tight... but as long as I can wear it, it shouldn't be a problem.

Golden hair glistened, with bunny ears perched on a headband above.

With every careful step I took, the ears swayed slightly, like real rabbit ears.

Below my head, a ribbon choker wrapped around my throat.

I only wore it because it reminded me of the time I had 'accidentally' gotten caught in a noose and my heart had started to pound.

The black leotard that tightened around my waist like a corset had no shoulder straps and barely covered my hips.

Even the slightest movement made my chest feel like it was about to pop out, so my steps were naturally filled with hesitation.

White cuffs contrasted with black on my wrists, and my legs were covered in sheer fishnet stockings that exposed my curves.

The high heels that clicked with every step were my first pair and I wasn't used to them. It felt like standing on tiptoe.

The round, white rabbit tail was attached just above my hips, around my waist, and kept brushing against my bottom.

Is Lucia's bottom just that big, or is the bunny tail just that big?

Or maybe it's just the outfit and the high heels that make me sway when I walk?

Hmm, I'm not sure.

Since it's not too uncomfortable, I try not to think about it.

I kept my steps as low as possible.

The clicking sound of the heels was loud, it could probably be heard from a distance.

Ha, haha... this won't do.

My current appearance...

No one can see me like this. Absolutely no one.

The grounds of the academy are huge.

Compared to the number of enrolled students, it's too big. Not even a famous university campus would come close.

Because of its size, there are many facilities on the academy grounds.

The garden with a pond that I nervously walked through was one of them.

Calling it a garden doesn't quite fit, though - it's more like a park in size.

It was smaller than the public park I'd visited earlier in the day in the heart of the city, but still remarkably large for a school-affiliated space.

Because the academy receives massive national support, it can afford such extravagance.

It's been lavishly decorated under the pretense of promoting the psychological well-being of the students, with fountains rising several feet into the air, like something you'd see in a theme park.

During the day there's a lot of foot traffic with students around, but at this hour it was hard to find any sign of life.

I was the only presence here.

Click.

I tried to be careful, but the sound of my heels echoed again.

A shiver ran down my spine.

The wind carried the sharp sound of my footsteps far into the distance.

My heart was pounding.

I crept slowly, like a turtle, and finally reached the fountain in the middle of the garden.

A warm breath escaped my lips and a cloud of white mist rolled out like dry ice.

I moved my head stiffly.

I looked around, my ears attuned to every sound.

There was no one.

Only the silence and stillness, without even the sound of insects, greeted me.

I had been nervous, wondering if there might be students sneaking around for a secret meeting, but unfortunately there weren't any.

Ah-I mean, thankfully, not unfortunately.

I must be too tense.

I'm even tripping over my own words.

Hmph.

Even though I know this, I can't afford to let my guard down.

It only takes one witness to ruin my life at the Academy.

Like the bunny ears perched above my head, I kept my senses sharp.

My heart pounded with the suspense of not knowing when someone might show up.

It wasn't just people I had to worry about. This world also has surveillance cameras.

It's not as advanced as in my original world, and the Academy, being a top-notch facility for training supernaturals, only has a few cameras, but they still exist.

I've already mapped their locations.

But there's always a chance that I missed one. There could be a surveillance camera that I haven't found.

Maybe I've already been caught. Someone could be watching me.

"Ugh..."

Just thinking about it made my heart sink.

The corners of my mouth quivered.

I took a deep breath, then let it out.

My chest tingled.

My fingers trembled as I shifted my weight to my left hand.

"Ha... haha..."

A bead of sweat trickled down from my forehead along my jawline.

Unable to suppress a giggle, I shrugged.

I moved my right hand.

Like a foot, my palm stepped forward.

Next was my right foot.

Then my left hand.

Finally, my left foot.

At that moment my hands became my feet.

I walked on all fours.

"...Ha...hehe...heh..."

I walk.

Step by step.

I walked.

I extend my front limbs, followed by my back.

"Ah...ugh...aah..."

My hips swayed awkwardly. My arms wobbled and my legs shook as if they were in shock.

Wearing high heels and being human, I wasn't designed to walk on all fours. Humans evolved to walk upright, so trying to move on all fours felt undeniably strange.

But I didn't stop.

I lifted my head, looked ahead, and stretched out all four limbs.

"Ah..."

My trembling forearm gave way.

It wasn't that I lacked strength as a supernatural.

My face scraped the ground and my chest was crushed.

A sharp pain stabbed me.

The earthy smell filled my nostrils.

I tried to stand, but my arms wouldn't obey.

With my face buried in the ground and my lower body stretched toward the sky, I mumbled.

"I..."

What am I even doing?

This isn't... this isn't what I wanted.

I just wanted to take a short walk and go back... So why am I here, crawling on all fours? Like an animal. Like some kind of pervert. I'm not Lucia. I may be Lucia, but I'm not like her... I should be much more rational...

I can hardly control my own mind.

Lucia's body, it's overtaking my thoughts.

I brushed my head with my now dirty hands.

I removed the headband. What a fool I am. What kind of rabbit is this?

Stop pretending not to know.

Stop denying it.

Think about what you've been doing these days.

How are you different from Lucia?

You're just like Lucia.

You're a pervert just like Lucia!

"No... I'm different... I'm... different..."

Calling it "training" while I hurt myself.

Knowing everything but stubbornly denying it.

Now here I am, dressed in this lewd outfit, crawling around on all fours.

I'm too pathetic to even laugh at myself.

Now I think I understand a little. Lucia's feelings.

The feeling of being so ashamed of yourself that you can't stand it.

It's time to stop running from reality.

I am... I am...

"A pervert..."

Just like Lucia.

A wave of disgust washed over me.

I wanted to pull out my own hair in disgust.

My chest hurt.

My heart was pounding harder than ever.

It throbbed like a derailed locomotive.

"...Heh."

I parted my lips.

My pink tongue touched the floor.

"Hehe..."

I licked the ground as if I was licking from a plate.

The taste of earth filled my mouth and I couldn't think straight.

"That's right... I'm a pervert..."

A pervert so twisted that the self-disgust I felt made me even more aroused.

It seems I was wrong before.

I'm not only a pervert like Lucia.

I'm a worse pervert than Lucia.