Suspension

Brrrring—

The old-fashioned ringtone I’d set on my phone rang, and I groggily opened my eyes and got up from the bathtub.

I must have dozed off for a bit; my skin had gone all wrinkly by now.

I pulled the plug from the tub and slowly got out.

I glanced at the mirror, wiped the steam from it with my hand, and looked at my whole body again.

"Even a little wrinkly, I’m still this beautiful."

Even when I tried to grab my belly fat, I could only pinch a tiny bit, like the flesh on my cheeks. It wasn’t like grabbing a lump of dough.

"So this is what it means to be a beautiful girl."

I dried my hair with a towel, draped it around the back of my neck, and went outside.

"Hk, hhk, cough."...