but to get naked...

(chapter originally by faith on writing.com)

Rise took a step away from the leering crowd and her flustered junior idol. She had a window of opportunity to get out of this increasingly horrible situation with her dignity intact, and she was not going to miss it! These absurd, horny fans Kanamin had managed to get herself involved with were not going to get leverage over Rise Kujikawa if she had anything to say about it! How Kanamin had been dumb enough to be in this situation in the first place was beyond Rise...

Almost like she wasn't thinking straight to begin with...

Rise paused, and felt her eye twitch. Oh no. Absolutely not. She was not going to convince herself to feel guilty with making a hard exit on this situation! Kanamin had been acting ****, foolish, and way too passive! She was just going along with this whole situation like she had **** but to lose her AND Rise's dignity!

Like she was dead and drained of will and energy, just going through the motions, confused and directionless. Much like a certain idol had been when she first returned to Inaba after fleeing her career like Kanamin was trying to do.

Rise sucked in a breath and narrowed her eyes, glaring harshly at no one. She was not doing this. Just because there were one or two similarities did not make her situation comparable to this one! For one thing, she'd never have even contemplated something so **** as losing her clothes in order to solve her mental crisis!

Unless you count the fact that Rise's entire mental dungeon was one huge strip club featuring her as the center attraction!

Rise blushed, closed her eyes and clenched her fists. That was her Shadow's fault!

How did the phrase go? I am thou, thou art I? Rise's Shadow was a part of Rise. Rise was suffering from an internal crisis, and wanted to flee her life and career. And part of her wanted to take that impulse to the ****, abandon her clothes and her dignity and utterly destroy her career in one lewd act of rebellion, at once punishing everyone who was pressuring her and punishing herself for all her internal conflicts and failures. Was Risette really that angry at Kanamin for dragging her into this stupid situation? Or was she disgusted with how much she RECOGNIZED that nihilistic little urge to go all out with running away and burn that last bridge in one final act of lewd self-destruction. Or was it maybe the fact that Rise did not want to admit that her natural excitement for performing in front of an audience and being the center of attention had a perverted streak to it, as evidenced by that suspicious stiffness of her nipples and that growing hint of wetness between her legs?

All right! Enough! Shut up, brain! Rise fumed, scolding herself. She had managed to get through her "episode" and so could Kanamin!

Rise had gotten through her episode. Because there were people, total strangers at the time, who were willing to help her. Sure, she loved taking and trading insults with them and often competed for attention, but as much as she mocked them she still felt the same about the group as she had after her recovery. They were dorky and flawed, but still cool and amazing people who saved her life! More than that, they helped her find her way by just being there. Even the laughter and the jibes worked to keep things light hearted. They had seen her at her most raw and embarrassing, freely acting like a lewd slut and admitting her secrets like it was nothing! And they didn't care! To them she was still Rise. Her flaws didn't count against her in their eyes.

Don't...say it...

Kanamin is lost. She needs help. She needs someone who will talk to her. She needs some cool, amazing person to intervene and put themselves on the line for her sake. Otherwise she's going to keep fumbling her way into that abyss of depression and ennui you were in that nearly swallowed you whole and almost killed your new friends to boot! She needs help. Like you did. Now who here is likely to step up and be the one to save her, I wonder? Is it the assholes who are leering at her right now? No, definitely not. So who else can step up and put it all on the line for her sake?

Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Rise winced and open her eyes, crinkling her face in despair. I get it! But...but I DON'T WANT TO BE NAKED!!

In answer to her shrill, **** protest her conscious simply shrugged. What would Yu Narukami do?

"Fuck." Rise said out loud, looking back at Kanamin and her entourage, who were currently staring at her and watching her mental debate with terror and bemusement respectively.

"Fuck!" She repeated a little louder as she stormed over to Kanamin. "Kanamin! Purse!"

"Purse?" Kanamin asked, a little dazed as Rise practically snatched the accessory from her off her shoulder.

Meaningfully, Rise emptied the contents of her pockets, wallet and phone included, and filled them into her friend's purse, struggling to zip up the now bulging bag. Shoving it back into Kanamin's hands, Rise turned to face the apparent leader of this mob of perverts.

"We get to keep the purse and everything in it! Non-negotiable!"

The leader shrugged. "Yeah, okay. Terms accepted."

"Good!" Rise snapped.

A moment passed as everyone looked at Rise expectantly. She felt a shiver go up her spine. Her heartbeat was strangely steady, playing out a pattern that sounded to Rise like the drumbeat of an execution. Her hands twitched nervously as they descended with painful slowness to the first button on her coat. One by one she unclasped the remaining shielding between her dignity and her leering audience. She paused for one final long moment, her eyes meeting Kanamin, then she let the raincoat open and fall away from her body.

The collective group of males surrounding her let out a collective sigh of awe that made Rise’s skin crawl. The reality of dozens and dozens of complete strangers seeing her naked very quickly crushed her resolve, and the naked girl gave a small cry of dismay as she immediately bent down to retrieve her coat and hold it in front of her to hide her nudity. She glanced behind her to see Kanamin staring at her naked butt. She blushed again.

“Not for nothing, Risette. But we do need to have the coat for the toll to count.” Said the leering leader of the group.

Rise trembled slightly, humiliation and anger building up in her. With a savage move, she threw her coat into the face of the pervert, momentarily blinding him. His fellows laughed and jeered. Rise blushed again, this time covering herself with her hands in a pathetic attempt to hide. The leader chuckled as he pulled the coat off his head, his gaze drinking in the humiliated celebrity standing stark naked in front of him. The others followed his example, staring intensely while Rise remained paralyzed before them.

“Kanamin!” Rise squeeked at last. “Hurry up!! Everyone’s looking!”

She heard Kanamin take several steps towards her.

“Senpai…” Kanamin said, awe in her voice. “You really did it. You got naked for me…”

“Would you hurry up and-“

Rise trailed off as Kanamin hooked her thumb in her pants and began to shimmy out of them. Her round posterior heaved and bounced, emphasizing a certain bit of weight she had put on. Far from being unsightly, the pounds had mostly added a bounce to her Rise found distracting. With her pants still pulled at her waste, Kanamin off her black panties without preamble. She glanced up at Rise, her glasses shining in the sun a moment before revealing her wide eyed stare. She was clearly breathing hard as she wrestled with her bra under her shirt. Rise felt a flash of envy as the black underwear was unclasped and yanked up between her cleavage. Seriously, how did those things get so big so fast? Kanamin continued to stare at her intensely as the last article of clothing lay at her feet, holding her shirt low to cover her butt.

“Okay! Great! Let’s get moving before-“

“No!” Kanamin squeeked. “You..you really did it! You really got naked! Senpai, you…this isn’t fair! I can’t let you…”

“Little late for…” Rise trailed off as sucked in a breath, took a hold of either side of her shirt, and began yanking it over her head.

Another round of awed excitement came from behind them. Rise could only stand in awe as the short, busty girl dropped her shirt at her feet, her curvy body on full display.

“Kana…why?! You didn’t have to lose your shirt!”

“I just…didn’t think you’d…I was in such a rush I didn’t think ahead and…you really did it. Even though you thought I was bluffing. You really..and if you can, then so can I!” Kanamin declared.

Before Rise could respond, Kanamin rushed to her and gave her a bear hug. Unsurprisingly, no one seemed to object to two hot celebrities squishing their naked breasts and bodies tightly together.

“Thank you Senpai! I was going crazy and everything was falling apart and…and I don’t know what I would have done if you weren’t here!!!” Kanamin sobbed.

“Idiot…” Rise whispered, angry and exasperated and trying unsuccessfully to not feel a little glee from the heartfelt display. “You owe me! Your going to tell me what the hell this is all about when we’re safe and not getting leered at! Understand?”

Rise emphasized this last by wrapping her arm around Kanamin’s waste and pinching her bottom.

“Y-yes, ma’am!!” Kanamin yelped.

“And on that note, hurry up and take our clothes! Get us the hell out of here!”