Summary

In “Body Magic,” all of Ruri’s classmates questioned her friendship with Shiho. Unlike Ruri, Shiho had not developed, “was quiet,” and kept to herself (112). The other girls thought Ruri was more sexually aware than Shiho, but Shiho “had had a boyfriend since first grade” (112). They had kissed and had sex already, too.

Ruri and Shiho were the only students in the after school art club together. One day, they started talking “about falling in love” (1113). Ruri was fascinated by Shiho’s sexual experience and the mature way she discussed sex, making it sound “innocent and pure” (115). She described sexual desire as wanting “get inside someone’s skin” (115). Her stories made Ruri want “to be true” to her “own sexual arousal” (116).

Shiho answered Ruri’s questions without judgment. She explained that kissing and sex were things people learned with practice. She...