"Did you just say... babe?" Sato asked, his expression a mix of confusion and barely-contained laughter. He stared at Sakura, who simply nodded toward the cowering figure of Daiki.
"Yeah, he's the boyfriend I told you about," Sakura replied flatly.
Sato's smirk widened. "I didn't know you were into geeks."
Before the words had fully left his mouth, a sharp, cracking sound echoed off the tiled walls. Sakura's hand had connected with the back of Sato's head, sending him sprawling face-first onto the concrete.
"Say that again, and next time I won't hold back," she warned, her voice low and dangerous. She then turned her fiery gaze to Daiki. "And you! What in the hell are you even doing here? You weren't trying to spy on the women's side again, were you?"
Daiki, his body shaking, pointed a frantic finger at Sato. "It-it was Sato! All his idea!"
"Like hell it was!" Sato yelled, pushing himself up. "You're the one who wouldn't stop rambling about... 'tatas'!"
Daiki immediately looked away, whistling innocently. "I haven't the slightest idea what you mean."
"Oh, you—"
"CAN YOU TWO SHUT THE HELL UP?!" Sakura's voice exploded across the steamy bathhouse.
The two boys instantly went quiet, dropping to their knees and looking in opposite directions. Sakura rummaged through her bag, pulling out a towel. "Regardless of whose idea it was, you're both still in women's territory. You're both wrong." She whipped the towel at Daiki, hitting him squarely in the face. "And you, cover yourself up already!"
Daiki scrambled to wrap the towel around his body as a series of heavy footsteps sounded in the distance. They all froze. Two hulking figures began to peer around the corners, their eyes scanning the area.
"Sakura, help us!" Sato pleaded in a frantic whisper.
She sighed dramatically, grabbing both boys by their collars and shoving them into a small storage room. "Stay in here and remain quiet. No fighting either. I'll handle them." She slammed the door shut, leaving the two boys in total darkness.
"Okay, Hikari, you..." Sakura stopped mid-sentence. Hikari was standing there, her face a deep crimson, with actual steam billowing from her head. "What is it now?" Sakura asked, her tough facade replaced with genuine confusion.
"W-well, Sa-Sato was... half-naked... and that's just..." Hikari stammered, covering her face with her hands.
Sakura couldn't help but crack a small smile. Their conversation was cut short as the two massive intruders approached them.
"Hey, ladies," one of the men said, his voice a low growl. "You haven't seen two guys pass by here, have you? One totally naked, the other… puny?"
From inside the closet, a muffled voice cried out, "PUNY?!" before being immediately silenced. Sakura forced a polite smile.
"Oh, them? They left minutes ago. You just missed them," she said sweetly.
The men bowed in thanks and continued on their way. Sakura waited for them to be out of sight before she opened the closet door.
"Okay, you two, head back and get dressed. Hikari and I will be at the dining hall." She paused, her eyes narrowing. "And where in the world is Kaito?"
Sato and Daiki exchanged a nervous glance. "He's at the hall," Sato answered. "We were supposed to meet up with him."
"Good. Hikari and I will find him. You two get cleaned up and join us. And Daiki," she added, her voice dropping to a menacing whisper. "We're going to have a long talk about this when we get home."
As Sakura walked away with Hikari, Daiki began to tremble, his face pale with fear. Hikari, meanwhile, stole a glance at Sato, her cheeks flaring red again. She quickly moved to catch up with Sakura, leaving Sato looking utterly bewildered.
"Alright, dude, let's head back," Sato said to a visibly shaking Daiki. "You've caused enough trouble for today."
At the dining hall, Sakura and Hikari spotted Kaito sitting alone at a table. As they joined him, Sakura immediately began to recount the events.
"You wouldn't believe what I just saw," she said, plopping down across from him.
Kaito didn't even look up from his drink. "Let me guess: Sato and Daiki were trying to spy in the ladies' hot spring."
Sakura's mouth dropped open in surprise. "How did you know?"
"But Sato wouldn't do something like that! You're lying!" Hikari said, pouting.
Kaito held up a hand to calm her. "Relax. It was Daiki's idea. Sato was going to stop him, but Daiki bribed him with a 'Gun and Run Level 9 Premium' something or other. He was just in it to keep Daiki from doing anything stupid."
Hikari's pout softened as the truth sank in. Before anyone could say anything else, two towering men in black suits approached the table. They positioned themselves on either side of Hikari, their shadows falling over her. Sakura and Kaito stared up at them, but Sakura's expression hardened into a defensive frown.
"Hikari Kuroda," one of the men said in a low, gravelly voice.
In a flash, Sakura was on her feet, standing protectively in front of Hikari. Her fists were clenched, and she stared them down, unafraid. The entire hall watched as the standoff began.