After Everyone fell sleep ...
Steam curled into the night sky as the private section of the hot springs opened just for faculty and "special students" — or at least that's how Hikami-sensei explained it with a wink.
The stars blinked overhead, silver and shy. The smell of pine and minerals filled the crisp mountain air. Lanterns flickered, casting golden halos over the bubbling water.
Gojo stood at the edge of the steaming spring, wearing nothing but a towel, staring at the rippling surface as if it were a boss battle he wasn't prepared for.
"This feels like a trap," he muttered.
"Good instincts," said Hikami-sensei behind him.
She was already in the water.
Steam floated around her, but it couldn't hide the fact her towel was barely holding on. Her legs were crossed under the water, and her damp hair clung seductively to her neck.
"Get in already, Gojo-kun," she said, teasingly splashing water at him. "Sensei's all alone."
He stepped in slowly, the heat almost unbearable—though he wasn't sure if it was from the spring or her gaze. The water surrounded him, but so did the tension.
Hikami moved closer. "You're red. Is it the water… or me?"
"S-Sensei, we're still on a field trip," he stammered.
"And?" she smiled. "That just makes it hotter."
She moved in, pressing her shoulder against his. "Besides… I need you to help me... loosen up."
Before he could react—
Splash!
Suma burst into the spring like a pink-haired missile. Her towel flew up—Gojo caught only a glimpse of thighs before she settled in, squeezing between him and Hikami.
"THIRD WHEEL INCOMING!" she declared. "Sensei, you already got a stroll with him. This bath is mine!"
"Suma-chan," Hikami said, voice dripping with rivalry, "we're in a shared space. You can't just claim a person like a shampoo bottle."
"I can if I washed him first," Suma said smugly, throwing her arms around Gojo.
"I'm NOT a shampoo bottle!" Gojo protested, nearly dying from the sensation of Suma's softness squishing against his back.
Just then—
"Gojo-kun…?"
Hiyori stood at the entrance, wrapped in a pale yukata. Her long, dark hair fell around her shoulders. The steam backlit her like an ethereal goddess.
Gojo's heart nearly stopped.
She blinked, then took a shaky step forward. "I thought… I might join too. I—I couldn't sleep…"
Suma and Hikami looked up at her, then at each other. The battlefield had shifted.
Moments later, Hiyori slid into the water beside Gojo, cheeks redder than the sky during sunset.
"I-It's okay, right?" she whispered. "I just wanted… to be near you."
Gojo, now boxed in on all sides, was drowning—and not in the water.
Three beautiful girls. Steam. Skin. Silky towels clinging to dangerous curves.
He'd watched enough anime to know exactly how this went.
"Guys…" he whimpered, "I'm just one man…"
---
The night turned chaotic.
Suma kept making Gojo play "rock, paper, skinship"—a made-up game where the loser had to touch the winner's thigh.
Hikami challenged him to a quiz game about her body. "Guess right and you win a shoulder massage. Guess wrong… I get a kiss."
Hiyori stayed quiet, but every time she caught Gojo's gaze, she held it a second longer than usual… her hand inching into his under the water.
The heat built. Not just from the spring—but from everything unspoken. Every brush of skin. Every glance. Every sigh.
Then, as they sat together beneath the stars, wrapped in towels and laughter—
Hikami leaned against Gojo, eyes soft.
"Hey… Thank you for coming with me today."
He turned to her.
"It was fun," he admitted. "Crazy, but fun."
She smiled, her lips barely a whisper from his.
"Tonight…" she murmured, "will be something I'll never forget."
Suma, resting on his other side, yawned and curled up against his arm like a sleepy kitten.
"I'm… not letting Sensei hog you," she mumbled, already drifting off.
Hiyori looked at him, her face glowing with gentle affection.
"This is embarrassing," she whispered, "but I'm really happy, Gojo-kun."
He looked at the three of them.
He was soaked, stunned, and deeply confused.
But his heart?
Full.
---
The Next Morning
Sunlight streamed through the paper windows.
Birdsong. The scent of miso soup and grilled fish.
Hikami stretched in her futon, her yukata slipping slightly as she sighed blissfully.
"Best. Field trip. Ever."
Gojo sat on the floor nearby, fully dressed, nervously drinking tea like it was holy water.
Suma was still asleep, hugging her pillow and murmuring "Gojo-senpai" in her dreams.
Hiyori adjusted her glasses and packed her bag, casting Gojo shy glances that made his heart flip.
Outside, the students were boarding the bus. Laughter echoed across the mountains.
Hikami looked out the window, smiling softly.
"For once," she said quietly, "I felt… like a girl again. Not just a teacher."
She looked over her shoulder at Gojo.
"I'll remember this forever."
Gojo swallowed, touched.
Then—
"BY THE WAY," she added loudly, "if you tell anyone about the bath, I'll make you clean the faculty toilets for a year!"
He choked.
Suma stirred. "Did someone say bath?"
Hiyori sighed.
And outside, the bus honked.
Time to go home… with memories that would heat their hearts long after the springs had gone cold.
To be continued