"Haa… that was close, really close…"
After finishing a can of coffee milk bought from a vending machine, Yutsuki let out a soft sigh, her face showing a touch of helplessness.
"I heard that in Japanese culture, coffee milk after a hot spring bath is the most delicious thing…"
Actually, coffee milk tastes good no matter when you drink it. But even so, mood does matter, doesn't it? The atmosphere certainly affects how one experiences the taste.
Helplessly sitting on a public bench in the hallway, Yutsuki rested her chin on her left hand and idly twirled her long hair with her right.
(So in the end, I really should try taking a hot spring bath once…)
Glancing at the bathhouse door not far away, Yutsuki still shook her head helplessly and gave up.
That paradise was simply too high-level for her. The mont she stepped into the hot spring, she would probably be killed in one strike. And the hot spring would turn into a blood pool.
Suddenly, Kotori hurried out from the won's bath area in a fluster. From her appearance, it looked like she had also not even entered the bath and had been forced to withdraw because of so special circumstance.
"Yo! Kotori-chan, why did you suddenly co out?"
"Oh… Yutsuki-nee. Is your body feeling better?"
Yutsuki's greeting made Kotori, who had been hurrying along, slow her steps a little and look over at her.
By the way, Yutsuki had used the excuse that because of the drowning, her body still felt sowhat unwell, so she wanted to go rest for a while.
"Cough cough." Yutsuki coughed twice to hide her guilt. "I've already gotten a bit better. I'm just blowing so wind here for now. What about you, Kotori?"
"Uh… I'm a little urgent. I want to go to the restroom."
Although Kotori really did seem urgent, when she said this, her eyes unconsciously shifted away from Yutsuki's gaze.
Actually, Yutsuki could roughly guess what Kotori was going to do next, but she did not point it out. Rather, the mont the explosion sounded, she had already realized what was happening.
"Mm, then hurry up! Good luck."
"Mm…"
Looking a little apologetic at Kotori's retreating figure, Yutsuki scratched her long hair and let out a deep sigh.
(So not only did the beach outing get ruined by drowning, but even taking a hot spring bath ran into such a serious obstacle. Although reality can't possibly be as perfect as imagination, could it really be that my rare first trip ends in such a tragic failure?)
If she just went back to her room and rested like this, Yutsuki felt that it would an she had lost.
Then—!
Yutsuki's eyes sharpened with determination.
------------
At this mont, Shido was washing himself in the shower area.
After all, in Japan, before entering the hot spring, one must first wash the body clean.
"Ahh—"
Feeling the pleasant sensation of warm water washing over his body, Shido let out a comfortable sound.
"Well… next is shampoo. Hm? Where is the shampoo?"
"Here~"
Suddenly, a hand beside him handed a bottle of shampoo to Shido.
"Oh, perfect… thanks a lot—"
Shido accepted the shampoo handed to him and instinctively turned to thank the person.
Then he froze.
"No need to thank !" Yutsuki replied while wearing a swimsuit and washing her body with soap.
"—A-a-a-ugh—!"
The mont he realized who the other person was, Shido almost instinctively cried out, but he was imdiately subdued by Yutsuki, who covered his mouth.
"Tch… so I really can't get away with this naturally. Stay quiet!"
Yutsuki clicked her tongue and, from behind him, restrained his movents by controlling his joints while speaking.
"Mmm—"
Shido's face was rapidly turning red. Since one of Yutsuki's hands had to cover Shido's mouth, she could only use one hand to hold him in place, and at the sa ti her body was pressed against his back. Sothing smooth, elastic, and full of hope and dream was rubbing lightly against his back from behind, and the sinful sensation nearly made him lose his composure.
However, Yutsuki did not notice Shido's embarrassnt at all.
"Shido, what's wrong? I heard a strange noise from you."
Tohka's voice ca from the other side of the wall. It seed that although the n's and won's entrances of this inn were rather far apart, the bath area itself was connected, and any shout loud enough could be heard on the opposite side.
At first, Shido was flustered by Tohka's question. But who would have thought that Yutsuki would actually clear her throat and, under Shido's shocked gaze, answer using Shido's own voice?
"I'm fine! I just tried pouring cold water over myself and couldn't help yelling."
"Oh. Then that's good!"
After successfully fooling Tohka, Yutsuki whispered to Shido, "Calm down. Don't make too much noise. I'll let go, okay?"
"Mmm-mmm!" Shido imdiately nodded in agreent.
"Pffft!"
Once Yutsuki released her restraint, Shido quickly moved away from her, took a couple of deep breaths, and finally cald down enough to ask, sowhat flushed, "Why is Yutsuki over here? This is the n's bath…"
At that, Yutsuki coughed a little guiltily and shifted her gaze aside.
"Shido, I think I told you before. I have mories from my previous life of being male."
"Mm… I rember."
Although he did not quite understand why Yutsuki had brought this up, Shido still nodded honestly.
"It might be easier to explain it this way…" Yutsuki said, troubled, while holding her head and pointing to the wall opposite them. "If Shido beca Shiori, could you walk into the other side?"
"Question. Why is Reine's chest so outrageously powerful?"
"...Mm? If you want to touch , I don't mind."
"Ugh, to think I would lose to my own vassal in a place like this. Tohka, accept my punishnt!"
"Aah… Kaguya… don't… touch there…"
"Yoshino. Tohka-chan's chest is not only big, but her waist is also very slender. Want to touch it?"
"...Y-Yoshinon!"
Just by listening to the voices, Shido could feel his heartbeat racing wildly. If things really were like Yutsuki said, and he could blend in there, then he would probably be sent to heaven in more ways than one.
"I understand…" Shido's mouth twitched slightly. But considering this was the n's bath, he still said, "But wouldn't it be better to just go alone later, when it's quieter?"
"No!" Yutsuki firmly objected. Her expression darkened slightly, and with a little disappointnt she said, "Bathing alone is super boring…"
Noticing Yutsuki's lonely expression, Shido felt so reluctance, but still shook his head. "Still no. No matter how you look at it, this is the n's bath. If soone else cos in…"
"You don't need to worry about that." Yutsuki showed a proud expression. "Before coming in, I already put up a sign at the door saying 'Cleaning in progress. Do not enter.'"
"Uh…"
Shido was left speechless for a mont. One had to admit that when Yutsuki did things, she really was incredibly thorough.
"Well… I ca in wearing a swimsuit anyway. It's not like I'll cause you any trouble!"
At this point, what else could Shido say? He could only let out a sigh and reply, "I understand. Just don't let anyone else find out."
"Okay~"
With a cheerful reply, Yutsuki continued washing her body with soap.
After two bitter smiles, Shido briefly washed his hair and then lowered his body into the hot spring.
In an instant, it felt as though all the accumulated fatigue in his body was dissolving away from every pore. Letting out an "Mmmh—…" old-man-like groan, Shido relaxed completely.
He gazed at the calm, gently swaying blue-green horizon in the distance and let out a soft breath.
"Ahhh… this really is peaceful…"
"Yeah…"
At so point, Yutsuki had finished washing herself, tied up her long hair, and stepped into the hot spring. Sitting beside Shido at a comfortable distance that would not make him nervous, she gave a blissful sigh.
"By the way… what's in that wooden bucket beside you, Yutsuki?"
"Hmm? Side dishes. Isn't there a custom in Japan where you can eat while in the hot spring?"
"Well… in so places, I guess."
Just as Shidou was wondering how to respond, Yutsuki sohow took out a small ceramic bottle and poured alcohol into a little cup.
"Ahh—! The side dishes at this inn with sweet liquor are absolutely amazing!"
"You're not allowed to drink alcohol as a minor!"
"What does it matter? You know, in my previous life I was already an adult who had graduated from university. There were plenty of places where drinking was normal."
"But right now, no matter how I look at it, you're not even twenty."
"Hm—Shido, you really are like an old lady when it cos to these tiny details." Yutsuki pouted in dissatisfaction and took out two bottles of cola from the bucket.
"This should be fine, right? Want so?"
"…You really prepared absolutely everything."
Shido took the cola Yutsuki handed him, his face showing an expression of helpless amusent.
Drinking cola while soaking in a hot spring… what a strange experience.
"Ahhh~ This tastes great!"
Yutsuki let out a refreshing burp, the carbon dioxide in her mouth spreading the sensation of satisfaction. Seeing that, Shido could not help but chuckle teasingly.
"W-what are you laughing at! What's so funny about doing that?"
Yutsuki's face flushed a little red as she glared at Shido indignantly.
In response, Shido gently shook his head, and a faint smile appeared on his face.
"No… it just feels like when I'm with Yutsuki, I can really relax. There's a sense of no restraint at all."
For so reason, after hearing Shido's words, Yutsuki fell into a brief silence. In the end, she asked a little nervously, "Sh-Shido, do you think I'm… fine like this?"
"Huh? Why do you ask that?"
"Because… no matter what, I'm still a girl. Wouldn't behaving like a man like this disgust you?" Yutsuki looked at Shido with so unease. "If it really does, I'll try to change."
"Hm? There's no need. I think Yutsuki is great like this."
"?"
"Mm… the first ti we t, I already felt it. How should I put it…" Shidou scratched his cheek. After a mont, he organized his thoughts. "Back then, when you didn't want to get dragged into danger, it wasn't because you wanted to save people—it was because you didn't want others to end up in trouble because of you. The reason you didn't kill the AST mbers wasn't because you hated killing, but because you understood that their actions had perfectly valid reasons. In order to prevent Tohka from being hurt by the collapse of the building struck by Ellen's attack when she attacked you, you put yourself in danger… no matter what situation you were in, you always wanted to act according to your own principles. You lived in order to live as 'yourself.' I sincerely admire that about you."
"...Shido. Do you really find it so interesting to speculate on other people's inner thoughts?"
Yutsuki stared at Shido in stunned disbelief, and only after that did she let out an exhausted-sounding complaint.
"Huh? Sorry, sorry! It just feels like when I'm with Yutsuki, I can say anything sohow."
"…You really can say that kind of line so casually."
Yutsuki took out another bottle of cola and gulped it down heavily before gradually calming down.
To live as oneself, huh… that's true.
Not deciding how to live based on being male or female, but only living in order to live as oneself.
"Hey… Shido, I think… after coming to this world, being able to et you… and beco family with you… was truly wonderful."
"Huh? What did you say? It was too quiet, I couldn't hear you."
"Nothing at all~"
Yutsuki raised her head and gazed at the bright half-moon in the sky, her face blooming with a radiant and beautiful smile.
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