"Kyo, you've been in there for 20 minutes now."
Of course, when it came to soaking in the bath, spending half an hour in there was pretty normal. After all, with so much water filling the tub, you might as well stay in until the heat starts fading, right?
Not to mention, plenty of bathtubs these days even came with heating functions—an absolute blessing for bath lovers.
Anon had even seen news stories about people who could soak for four whole hours, long enough for their skin to prune up completely.
Since Kyo loved water so much, Anon figured she probably spent a good amount of time in the bath regularly. This was just a casual reminder—if Kyo wanted to stay in longer, Anon wouldn't mind.
"..."
But there was no response from behind the bathroom door. Not a single sound.
Not even the faintest splash of water.
"Kyo?"
Anon started to feel uneasy. She quickly stepped closer to the door, peering through the frosted glass panel. The blurred, semi-transparent surface revealed nothing—no shadow, no movement.
"Kyo!" Tomori joined in, calling out her name as well.
Raising her voice further, Anon knocked on the door, her heart pounding with worry. She really hoped Kyo had just zoned out and hadn't heard them calling.
Silence.
"Kyo, I'm coming in!"
Making a split-second decision, Anon reached for the doorknob and turned it.
To her relief, Kyo hadn't locked the door.
Anon felt a wave of relief, but before she could think any further, she instinctively pushed the door open—
Just as a weak, hoarse voice mumbled from inside:
"…Anon…?"
The moment she heard it, Anon tried to stop herself, pulling back her arm—
But her body was already mid-motion, processing the previous command instead.
And with Tomori anxiously pressing forward behind her, desperate to check on Kyo, Anon found herself shoved further in.
The door, unstoppable now, swung open completely.
And Anon stumbled straight into the steamy, enclosed space of the bathroom.
For a moment—
She couldn't move.
Her usually sharp, lively eyes, capable of spotting anything in an instant, were now frozen—utterly petrified, as if she had just locked gazes with Medusa herself.
She had imagined this scenario before.
Ever since seeing Kyo's damp uniform clinging to her skin that day, she had let her thoughts wander—not just once, but multiple times—picturing what was hidden underneath.
But now that the opportunity was actually in front of her—
She panicked.
Oh god oh god oh god oh god—
Anon screamed internally, feeling her face heat up uncontrollably. It was like steam was about to rise straight from her head, adding even more humidity to the already misty bathroom.
Meanwhile, Tomori, who hadn't heard Kyo's faint voice at all, was still in full-on worry mode.
She rushed in right behind Anon, immediately scanning the room—
And then, her eyes met Kyo's.
Dazed, distant eyes, staring back at her.
Kyo was still sitting in the bathtub, most of her body submerged beneath the water's surface.
She had draped her arms over the edge of the tub, resting her head atop them. Her dark hair was still pinned up, untouched by the water.
In this position, her body was mostly concealed.
But not entirely.
Her pale shoulders, tinged slightly pink from the heat, were completely exposed. The gentle curve of soft skin trailed down from her shoulders, disappearing beneath the water.
And further below, though the bathwater blurred her figure, her long legs remained faintly visible beneath the rippling surface—subtly distorted by the gentle movements of the water.
Kyo's current state made it difficult to tell if she was fully conscious.
Her half-lidded eyes fluttered, her gaze unfocused, as if she might drift off at any moment.
Yet, despite her dazed expression—
Her deep blue eyes, eyes that seemed to hold an entire ocean within them, wavered with intensity.
The steam near the water's surface was heavier, more opaque.
And yet, even through the mist, those eyes were impossible to hide—
Eyes filled with melancholy.
Like a sorrowful moon hanging in the night sky, veiled by drifting fog—
Yet still casting its glow upon the endless waves below.
"Kyo…?"
Tomori's face turned red—she was well aware of how awkward this situation was.
Still, she crouched down, bringing herself to eye level with Kyo, who remained slumped against the edge of the tub.
"Kyo… Anon… why are you here?"
—Hiss.
The way Kyo spoke just now—
It was completely different from the hoarse, barely-there voice she had used to call Anon earlier.
It was sweet and languid, like a siren's call, like a noble consort's whisper, like the quiet freshness after a rain. Soft and indulgent, yet tinged with a hint of post-rain melancholy…
What was this bewitching sound?
It felt like a feather had brushed against Anon's ear, sending a shiver down her spine.
She instinctively covered her eyes with both hands—but left a tiny gap between her fingers to peek through. After sneaking a glance and realizing that most of Kyo's body was obscured, she hesitantly lowered her hands. Even so, she kept her gaze averted, staring mostly at the floor.
"I just wanted to remind you about the time, but you didn't answer, and I started worrying that something might've happened… so we barged in."
"Mm…"
Kyo let out a soft hum, blinking slowly. Droplets clung to her long lashes, trembling before falling away—only adding to the delicate, sorrowful beauty she exuded.
"I see. Sorry for making you worry. Can you grab me a towel and some clothes?"
"Huh? You don't have—" Anon stopped mid-sentence, suddenly recalling that Kyo had walked straight into the bathroom after serving them tea earlier. She hadn't brought anything with her.
Anon and Tomori quickly stepped out, closing the door behind them.
Finding a towel was easy—it was hanging out on the balcony to dry.
But getting clothes… was another issue entirely.
Kyo's room wasn't hard to locate; her name was written on a plaque hanging on the door.
But when they opened her wardrobe—both Anon and Tomori were dumbfounded.
Inside, stacked neatly on the shelves, were not clothes—
But an assortment of bartending supplies.
Jars of fruit for juicing, containers of sugar and salt, decorative garnishes for cocktail glasses…
Everything except actual clothes.
With no other choice, they returned to the bathroom door with just the towel. Anon cracked the door open slightly—barging in earlier had been an emergency, but going in again now would just be plain rude.
"Kyo, we couldn't find any clothes in your closet. Here, dry off with the towel first, then tell us where your clothes are, and I'll go grab them."
Anon, being the proper lady she was, averted her gaze and simply extended her arm toward the bathtub, holding out the towel.
Kyo didn't reply, but Anon felt a light tug—Kyo had taken it. So, she let go.
Then, the towel slipped straight to the floor.
Kyo had taken it, yet she let it fall as if she lacked the strength to even hold up a simple piece of fabric.
Water pooled around the towel, soaking it instantly.
Anon quickly pushed the door open a bit more and snatched it off the floor.
"Kyo, what's wrong? Are you sick?"
She definitely didn't look fine. At the very least, she seemed lightheaded.
"No, I just… don't feel like moving," Kyo murmured. Her voice was soft, drained of all energy. "Maybe… just going with the flow isn't such a bad idea."
"I have no idea what that even means, Kyo."
Anon held onto one side of the towel while Kyo weakly grasped the other. At least now it wasn't dragging on the floor, but Anon had no clue what to do next.
"Can you tell me why you're suddenly in a bad mood?"
"Do you think I'm in a bad mood?" Kyo mused. "I suppose… that's one way to put it."
"Fine, but before anything else, can you please dry off first? The water's gone cold, right? You're going to catch a cold like this."
"Then… dry me off, Anon."
That gentle, sultry voice spoke again—
And it nearly broke Anon.
"Huh?!?"
It was like dropping a stone into a still lake—sending ripples, waves, an entire tsunami through her.
Right then, Tomori finally understood the strange sense of familiarity she had felt ever since stepping into the bathroom and seeing Kyo in this state.
"Ano-chan! Kyo's acting just like she did back at the aquarium…!"