"What?! Nijika-senpai is missing?"
Holding her guitar in her arms, Hitori lifted her head in surprise, staring at Ikuyo, who stood before her looking flustered.
"Yeah! Nijika-senpai only said she was going out to buy snacks and drinks for tonight's party… The convenience store isn't even that far from the inn, but it's already been more than an hour, and she still hasn't come back!"
"Th-th-then… what do we do?!"
Bocchi panicked and jumped to her feet, but standing frozen in place, she had no idea what to do.
"We don't even know the roads around Suwa City. Maybe it was too dark, and Nijika-senpai got lost!"
"I-I'll go find Haru-san…!"
Almost instantly, Hitori thought of Haru. But just as she took two steps toward the door, the paper sliding door opened. Standing outside was the cool beauty with short azure hair, her face expressionless as her gaze swept the room.
"Haru isn't in his room. I just checked the hot spring too, no one was there."
"Haru isn't here either?"
Kita slowly calmed down at those words. If only Nijika hadn't returned, she might still be worried, but if Haru was also gone from the inn, then it probably meant the two of them were together.
If that was the case, then there wasn't too much to worry about.
"So Haru-san is with Nijika-senpai? Then… if the two of them went out, why didn't they tell us beforehand?" Hitori blinked, puzzled, turning her gaze toward Ryo.
"Bocchi, you're still too naive."
Ryo smiled with half-closed eyes, raising her finger and lazily wagging it as she spoke.
"If you were going out alone with Haru at night for a date, would you go out of your way to tell everyone else?"
"Eh…"
Bocchi let out a long, awkward sound, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
What Ryo said always sounded nonsensical, yet when she thought about it, there seemed to be some truth. Still, the others weren't about to relax so easily, not until they confirmed the two really were together.
"I'll just call and check."
"If they just so happen to be kissing, then, oops, sorry."
Ryo casually dialed Nijika's number, but the call was immediately rejected. Almost at once, a Line message popped up: the two of them were taking a walk by Lake Suwa.
Silence fell over the room for several seconds, until Ikuyo finally broke it.
"Nijika-senpai… when did this happen?"
"She was so shy at first, saying she couldn't do it, but in the end she was the first to secretly make a move without telling us? I guess that's just like Nijika. I wonder if… they'll even come back to the inn tonight."
Ryo's remark carried a hint of surprise, making the two girls beside her blush. Ikuyo nervously twisted a fiery red strand of hair at her ear and stammered.
"T-they should, right?"
"No matter what, they wouldn't stay out all night. I mean, this is Nijika-senpai we're talking about…!"
Ryo only shook her head slightly, giving Kita a teasing look. "You can never be sure. Nijika is the type who gives in easily… If Haru says the right words while he's by her side, who knows?"
This time, even Ikuyo found her confidence wavering.
"Th-then what do we do now?"
Hitori pressed her hands tightly to her chest as she asked nervously. The cool beauty beckoned them closer with a slight gesture, and when the two leaned in, she whispered a few words.
In an instant, both girls shivered.
"Eh...?"
…
Even though she kept saying "we should hurry back to the inn," the golden-haired angel didn't quicken her pace at all. Instead, her hand, lightly clasped with his, shifted from leading half a step ahead to trailing half a step behind Haru.
Though the smallest in build among them, Nijika was in truth the most mature in the band. Even as she walked hand-in-hand and chatted, she repeatedly reminded Haru never to recklessly risk his life saving someone again.
But because they dragged things out, occasionally blushing as they touched on little-couple topics, the ten-minute walk stretched into nearly twice that time.
Click
Haru slowly slid open the inn's door. Just as he stepped into the stone entranceway with Nijika's hand still in his, the three remaining bandmates stood waiting, eyes fixed straight on them.
"W-why… why is everyone here?"
Still holding hands, Nijika jolted, shrinking her shoulders in guilt. With a nervous look like a thief caught red-handed, she tucked her pale face behind Haru's back, as if trying to avoid the others' gaze.
But how could their stares be avoided so easily?
Ryo's meaningful glance seemed to pierce right through Haru's chest and land squarely on Nijika's heart. The fact that she stayed silent and just stared only made the angel's shame burn hotter, her head lowering as her cheeks flushed.
Their little secret date had been completely exposed!
Sensing the tension, Haru gave a small cough and spoke first. "Sorry, Nijika and I went for a walk by Lake Suwa, so we came back a little late."
Ikuyo couldn't help glancing down at their interlocked hands. They had only been gone a short while, yet their relationship had advanced so quickly. She could hardly imagine how Nijika-senpai had managed it.
Being stared at so intently, Nijika's cheeks instantly turned red, but even so she never let go of the hand she was holding.
"Nijika, let's all go soak in the hot spring together?"
Surprisingly, the usually talkative Ryo didn't say a single word this time.
"R-right now?"
Nijika stammered in reply, her eyes flicking toward the boy at her side as if asking for his opinion. Haru, caught off guard by her look, could only give a wry smile and lightly squeeze her hand in response.
"Yeah, yeah! If we don't go soon, it'll be too late. Nijika-senpai, come with us!"
"Eh?"
Ikuyo hurried to chime in, even giving Nijika a little push on the back. The flustered angel had no choice but to be half-dragged along, leaving only Hitori standing behind, her cheeks faintly red.
She hesitated for a moment before softly speaking up. "Haru, you… you should go to the hot spring too?"
"Alright, I'll head there in a bit."
Trouble. Could it be there's something strange about this hot spring?
Back then, Nijika had kept hinting at him to go soak in the baths, and now, the moment they returned, the others were pressing the idea on him too. Even if Haru was slow to notice such things, he could tell something was up.
Still, he didn't really mind.
If anyone dared to mess with him, he would make sure they left utterly defeated.
Haru was no longer who he had been before. Up until now, he had been ambushed countless times by the ever-proud Ryo. If that woman dared to trespass into his territory again, he would devour both her and her tricks clean.
"…Guess I'll go soak."
He muttered under his breath, exhaling deeply before returning to his room. After a quick wash, he opened the wooden door to his private bath, and the sight before him came into view.
Billows of steam cloaked the hot spring in a hazy veil. Overhead, the crescent moon hung in the open night sky. The bath itself was encircled by marble stones, and beyond that stood tall bamboo fencing, shielding the other side from view.
"A hot spring really is something else."
He couldn't help but sigh.
Though his home bathtub was comfortable and spacious, it was nothing compared to this natural hot spring combined with the night scenery. The crisp, fresh air cleared his thoughts as well.
The winter chill lingered in the air, so of course Haru didn't stand around naked admiring the scenery. He finished his preparations and slowly stepped into the warm water, settling down.
Having the whole bath to himself, the feeling was pure bliss.
"What a big bath!"
A sweet, lively voice suddenly reached his ears, dragging him back from his drowsiness. Instinctively, Haru turned toward the bamboo fence on the other side, where the sound of splashing water echoed.
"Ryo-senpai, your… your figure?!"
"Hmph. No need to look at me like that. This is only natural."
Kita Ikuyo's voice, filled with envy, drifted over, followed by Ryo's proud response. Haru froze for a moment, his expression stiffening as he cast an involuntary glance toward the fence.
"Careful not to slip, everyone. Speaking of which… Kita-chan, your waist is so slim?!"
"Hehe, and Nijika-senpai's skin is so fair and soft, just like milk! Eh… Wait, where's Bocchi? Shouldn't she have come earlier than us?"
"She's probably still washing up."
"By the way, Ryo-senpai, isn't your figure way too perfect? You're so slender, yet everything that should be there is still there…"
Wait a second, are these really the kind of conversations I should be overhearing?
The playful banter between Nijika and Ikuyo drifted over the fence, forcing Haru, his head resting on a towel, to take a deep breath. His thoughts betrayed him, images rising unbidden, and the steady rhythm of his breathing faltered.
"Bocchi, you finally came... huh?"
Ikuyo's voice cut off abruptly, as if her throat had been caught.
Leaning back at the edge of the bath, Ryo raised her brows. Her golden eyes locked onto the figure ahead: Hitori , clutching a bath towel to her chest, unable to meet anyone's gaze, standing frozen like a child caught misbehaving.
Ryo's eyes widened in shock. She couldn't help but give a thumbs up.
"Among all the pitiful girls I've ever seen, in this particular area, no one can compare to you."
"Bocchi, this time I admit defeat."
Haru almost choked but managed to hold it back.
"U-ugh! Don't say it out loud, it's embarrassing…"
Hitori instinctively reached to cover herself, her delicate face flushed red beneath the rising steam, glowing like pudding under soft light. The overwhelming curves of her chest, practically demonic in scale, left Ikuyo's eyes drained of their shine.
Ikuyo stared blankly ahead, her little hands clutching her head as though in despair.
"H-how is that even possible?"
Can a human body really reach such a level?!
A dragon. That was nothing less than a destructive dragon of the end!
Even Nijika couldn't stop herself from showing shock. Her small mouth opened as she stared at Hitori from head to toe, then glanced down at herself, her expression turning conflicted and bitter.
She was the senpai here, wasn't she? How could it be like this?
A deathly silence descended over the bath.
For girls, no one could ignore such a matter. All the more so when each of them was a high school girl in love. In this situation, faced with the crushing presence of a dragon, even the gentle Nijika could only force out a dry laugh.
"A-actually, we can still develop more! We're just high school girls after all. I remember lots of girls don't really grow until college. It's totally fine!"
"True! I've been massaging every night… I'm sure it'll be different in the future!"
From the neighboring bath came the sounds of self-consolation, their desperate discussion carrying far too clearly.
Haru couldn't help but cover his face with one hand.
Couldn't they at least keep their voices down?
Even though Haru couldn't see a thing through the bamboo fence, their descriptions were so vivid that he could already picture the scene in his mind. Feeling a heat he couldn't quite suppress, he pinched the bridge of his nose, adjusting his breathing to calm down.
"Ordinary massages don't really work. I heard it only works if it's done by the boy you like."
Ryo suddenly cut in, her words sharp and unexpected.
Her tall and slender figure arched slightly as she lifted her head, the swan-like curve of her pale neck on display for the others. She glanced casually at the bamboo fence beside her, a fleeting glimmer of amusement flashing in her eyes.
"Th-the boy you like?"
Ikuyo cried out, her entire face flushing red before she slipped further into the hot spring with a splash.
She had heard of such things too. At most, she only dared to sneak Haru into a corner for a quick kiss, and even that already felt bold. Going further than that, she didn't have the courage. But deep down, her interest in such matters might have been stronger than anyone else's here.
It felt as though Ryo had brought up the subject on purpose. She turned, ever so naturally, to look at Nijika .
"Speaking of which… Nijika, you went out with Haru today, didn't you? What exactly did you two do?"
"Me?"
Nijika hadn't expected Ryo to suddenly throw the spotlight onto her. With the steam of the hot spring curling around them, her soft face was already flushed as if she were tipsy, and her gaze grew evasive.
How was she supposed to answer that?
"Yeah, yeah! Nijika-senpai came back holding hands with Haru too~"
"N-no, we didn't do anything…"
She tried to explain, but in the very next moment let out a startled, girlish cry. Somehow, Ryo had slipped right next to her and launched a surprise attack, fingers sliding under her arm.
"Nijika, I'd suggest you be honest."
"So there's even that move?! As expected of Ryo-senpai~"
"W-wait, stop touching me there… ah! That spot is… absolutely not allowed!"
Her sweet, flustered cries pierced through the bamboo fence, and in the neighboring bath, Haru nearly lost control. If this went on, he doubted he'd be able to sleep tonight. His restless second self might very well end up taking over.
"Fine, I'll talk, I'll say everything!"
The noise from the other bath gradually died down, Nijika's pleas dwindling into silence.
Just as Haru was about to get up and leave, his movements froze. Some strange pull made him stop, and after a brief hesitation, he sat back down again.
It wasn't that he wanted to eavesdrop.
As her boyfriend, it was only natural that he take responsibility. He needed to make sure the girls didn't get too carried away talking and end up fainting in the bath. That was all. He had perfectly proper reasons for listening, absolutely.
"I… I confessed. Haru and I are officially together now."
"And after that?"
"D-do I have to say it all? It's so embarrassing… We just, just kissed a little, and then we held hands and came back together. We didn't do anything else!"
Nijika's explanation, stammered with a burning red face, only seemed to intensify the teasing looks around her. She quickly summarized the events, and Ryo finally gave a small, satisfied nod. Then her eyes slid slyly to the side.
"So, how did it feel?"
"Do you really need to ask?!"
"Nijika, you went behind all our backs to sneak out on a date with Haru, didn't you? That kind of sneaky behavior isn't something you can just be forgiven for."
Ryo's flat tone landed like a judge's gavel, heavy and merciless. Overcome by guilt, the angel could only lower her head. Drowning in shame, she forced herself to answer with a trembling voice.
"W-warm… It smelled like floral tea… and tasted a little sweet."
Silence fell.
"By the way, isn't Haru also in the hot spring right now?"
Ryo asked the question as if it were nothing, her glance brushing the bamboo fence. But her words made all the girls stiffen at once. Nijika in particular froze, her face steaming red as if the rising mist had blended with her embarrassment.
Hitori hesitated half a second before whispering, "…Haru, I think he also went to the hot spring just now."
"Which means… he heard everything we just said, loud and clear?"
Ikuyo's words landed like the final straw on Nijika's fragile composure, shattering the last defenses of her shame.