Thank you,@Jailen, for joining the memberships.
I'm truly grateful.
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Chapter 89 – Reimu: My Stingy Fiancé.
.....
In the living room, only Shinobu Oshino and the two sisters remained.
Fubuki glanced at her older sister, who hadn't moved at all, and asked softly:
"…Sis, aren't you going?"
Tatsumaki crossed her arms, looking away.
"I-I'm an adult, okay? There's no way I'd join a bunch of little girls fooling around."
"…Okay."
Fubuki clearly saw through her pride, but said nothing.
After finishing breakfast, she quietly washed her dishes and placed them in the rack.
"I'll head back to handle the Blizzard Group's backlog. Do you want to come?"
"…No. I'll go take a walk in the sunflower field."
"Alright."
Afternoon.
Kihara grabbed his axe and pickaxe, ready to clear debris around the farm and gather materials for expanding the house.
But just as he stepped forward.
The solid ground beneath his feet suddenly vanished.
In its place appeared a grotesque gap filled with crimson eyes.
"Wait—what?!"
Before he could react, his footing slipped and he fell straight in.
Luckily, he was no longer the powerless ordinary guy he once was.
As the misty ground rushed closer, he twisted his body midair and landed cleanly on his feet.
"Whew… almost faceplanted."
He let out a breath, then frowned.
"That woman… opening gaps without warning again…"
Looking around, he realized.
He was standing inside an open-air hot spring.
Immediately, a certain "payment condition" came to mind:
Bathing together.
"…No way."
Kihara's eyes lit up.
"Is the world's cutest and youngest Miss Yukari actually giving me 'fan service' this time?!"
Without hesitation, he stripped and jumped straight into the hot spring.
Sitting cross-legged in the water, he waited expectantly.
Footsteps echoed down the corridor.
Closer… and closer…
Until a silhouette appeared at the entrance.
As soon as the person stepped in, Kihara slicked back his hair dramatically and greeted them in what he thought was a cool pose:
"Yo~ I've been waiting—"
"…Reimu?!"
"You—what are you doing here?!"
Reimu Hakurei froze in shock.
She clutched the towel barely covering her body, her cheeks flushed—whether from
embarrassment or anger, it was hard to tell.
"I have no idea!" Kihara protested.
"I was just heading out to work, then Yukari Yakumo tossed me in here!"
"…I see…"
Reimu took a deep breath, calming herself.
Then she shot him a flat, deadpan stare.
"Turn around. Don't peek."
"I'll wash first… then we'll bathe together."
"…Huh?!"
Kihara's jaw dropped.
Reimu's deadpan glare intensified.
"Turn. Around."
"…Okay."
After he turned, Reimu cautiously tiptoed toward the washing area.
Every two steps, she turned her head to check.
Was he peeking?
The reason she agreed to bathe with him…
was because she had fallen straight into Yukari's trap.
For once, Yukari had generously funded renovations for the shrine's old hot spring, even hiring Nitori Kawashiro from the kappa to handle the upgrades.
At first, Reimu was suspicious.
But once she saw the modern shower system.
She gave in.
No more hauling water bucket by bucket just to bathe.
Yesterday, Yukari had even stuffed 10,000 yen into the offering box and casually said:
"I'll be using the hot spring tomorrow. Let's bathe together~"
Reimu immediately agreed to the hot spring.
But bathing together?
"That's extra."
Yukari paid without hesitation.
Then left with a mysterious smile.
When Reimu entered the bath today and saw Kihara.
She instantly realized she'd been played.
But her brain worked fast—especially when money was involved.
Fine. I'll just charge him afterward.
As long as she kept her distance and the steam blocked his view.
It still counted as "bathing together," right?
While washing her hair, Reimu turned around every two seconds to monitor him.
Even when shampoo got into her eyes.
She forced them open through tears just to check.
To an outsider, it would look like she was being held hostage.
After finishing at record speed, she stepped into the hot spring.
Once fully submerged, she finally relaxed slightly.
"Okay. You can turn around now."
Kihara turned back and immediately noticed the distance.
At least four meters apart.
He sighed.
"Reimu… do you really distrust me that much?"
"That's not the point."
She replied flatly.
"It's about propriety between men and women."
"I'm your fiancé!"
"…."
Reimu froze.
For a moment, it seemed like she had completely forgotten that fact.
Then she stubbornly argued:
"Th-that doesn't mean we have to sit close together!"
Something felt… off.
If this were just Yukari's trap, Reimu could've left immediately.
Kihara narrowed his eyes.
"…You're planning to charge me money, aren't you?"
"Wha—no no no no no!!"
Reimu flailed in panic, laughing awkwardly.
"What are you even saying? Not trusting your fiancée like that—how awful~"
Yep. She's definitely trying to scam me.
Kihara smirked slightly.
"Now that I think about it… paying for a private hot spring session with you isn't a bad deal."
"Really?!"
Reimu's eyes lit up—
Then she quickly coughed and corrected herself.
"Of course! It's not about money! It's because you're my fiancé!"
"Right, right."
Kihara nodded casually.
"But payment only counts after the bath is over… right?"
Reimu froze.
Her smile vanished.
"…You're not planning to stay in here forever, are you?"
Kihara shrugged.
"Maybe."
Reimu clenched her fists.
"For stinginess… I, Reimu Hakurei, acknowledge you as the strongest!"
"But I won't lose either!"
"My back carries the weight of countless empty offering boxes!!"
"…Why are you making being greedy sound so heroic?"
Kihara shot back.
"And you! Refusing to pay for a noble shrine maiden's bath service?!"
The two began arguing loudly in the hot spring.
Greed vs. stinginess—
Like dragon and tiger clashing above the steaming waters.
What they didn't notice—
Was a figure hidden high in the clouds.
Aya Shameimaru adjusted her custom long-range camera.
Click.
She captured Reimu's current expression perfectly.
"Shocking! Hakurei Shrine Maiden Fights With Fiancé in Hot Spring—The Cause? Child Support Dispute!"
Accompanying image:
Reimu—
Eyes shining like gold coins.
The very embodiment of greed.
.....
Thank you for reading.