After a long while, Shichen finally left the bath with Kaguya and Yuzuru.
Shichen looked completely relaxed; Kaguya and Yuzuru, on the other hand, were swinging their arms with exhausted faces.
"My arms are so sore… why did it have to take that long?"
"Agreent. Yuzuru's shoulder almost dislocated."
"Don't worry about it. I'm just that strong," Shichen replied casually.
"So what was that thing just now, anyway?" Kaguya couldn't help asking.
"Question. Yuzuru is also curious. Shichen, how did you hide sothing that big, and why is it gone now?"
Yuzuru stared him up and down, but couldn't see the "mysterious object" she'd been imagining.
"Don't rush. You'll find out later," Shichen said.
"Later…"
Kaguya and Yuzuru glanced at each other, then both quickly looked away.
Shichen watched them and chose not to explain further. These two were way too awkward—until they were honest with each other, it wasn't the ti to give them hope.
On the way back to his room, Tohka and the others had finally finished their study session and were free to move around.
Shichen asked Kurumi to take Kaguya and Yuzuru off to et everyone. The two had always been stuck in their own little world with only each other; they didn't know how to deal with outsiders at all.
Too isolated.
With Kurumi watching them, Shichen wasn't worried they'd cause any trouble—and he also asked her to explain about the other spirits to them. With classmates around, they'd feel more at ease.
After that, Shichen headed back to his room alone to rest for a while.
He had just talked two clueless girls into "helping him relax," and as enjoyable as it was, it actually left him a bit tired.
It wasn't that he lacked stamina—far from it—but they really were completely inexperienced. Even after teaching them so much, he'd still ended up pretty worn out.
Pain and pleasure, bundled together. A good kind of tired.
He'd barely lain down when the door suddenly opened. The first thing to step in was a pair of legs wrapped in black stockings.
Among the won he knew, only two regularly wore black tights, but Kurumi definitely wouldn't show up at this hour.
His gaze moved upward, and just as expected, he saw a sleepy face with heavy dark circles under her eyes: Reine Murasa.
"Reine, what brings you here?"
"How are you holding up, Shichen?" Reine closed the door and walked over to the bed.
"I'm fine, just… soaked a bit too long," he said.
"Is that so? Were you… dissatisfied?" Reine sat down at the edge of the bed, level with his head.
"I wouldn't say dissatisfied… But what did you teach those two, exactly?"
"With how naïve they are, if we waited for things to progress naturally, who knows how long it'd take for your relationship to advance," Reine replied. "So I had to nudge them into being a little more proactive."
"As expected of you…"
"Shichen, are you tired?"
"Tired? No way. I just soaked too long and feel like taking a nap," Shichen said seriously.
"In that case, you should get so sleep."
"Yeah… Just not really sleepy yet."
"Am I keeping you up? Then I'll go," Reine said, starting to rise.
"No… Could I ask you for a favor?"
"A favor?" Reine lowered her head slightly, looking at him with puzzled eyes.
"I just want you to help with sothing small."
"Go ahead."
"Could I use your lap as a pillow?" Shichen t her gaze and asked quietly.
"Lap pillow…"
Reine looked calmly at him for a mont, then nodded.
"That's fine."
"Thanks."
Shichen didn't hold back—he shifted up and laid his head on Reine's thighs. Her legs were springy and soft in all the right ways; it was incredibly comfortable.
He closed his eyes, letting his mind unspool, simply enjoying the feel of her lap pillow.
Reine said nothing. She just lowered her gaze and silently watched his sleeping profile.
After a long ti, she lifted a hand and gently brushed aside his bangs, eyes fixed on his face.
Shichen didn't react at all, as if he really had fallen asleep.
Looking at him like that, Reine couldn't help but show a faint, relaxed smile.
…
By dinnerti, Shichen and Reine walked together into the dining hall. The other teachers and students were already there.
Kaguya and Yuzuru, surprisingly, were chatting and laughing with Tohka's group as they ate, having blended in faster than he expected.
Kurumi noticed him co in, glanced over, and gave him a small, satisfied smile—like she was asking for praise.
Shichen just shook his head helplessly and t her eyes for a second, but didn't interrupt them. He sat down with Reine and started eating quietly.
This ti, with no Tohka or the others crowding him, the al wasn't nearly as exhausting.
To thank Reine for the earlier lap pillow, he subtly used his fla to grill bits of seafood for her.
Reine just ate quietly, but she ate steadily—and at a good pace. She really seed to like the cooked flavor.
Or maybe food roasted with holy fire really did taste better.
After dinner, it was bath ti for all the students. To prevent any boys from peeking, Shichen simply put barriers around both the n's and won's bathhouses, blocking even sound.
Tohka and the others could be loud in the bath, after all.
"Reine, I'll leave Kaguya and Yuzuru to you tonight."
"Don't worry. It's a good chance to teach them a bit more," she answered.
"…Just don't overdo the 'teaching'."
"You didn't like it? You seed plenty relaxed this afternoon," Reine said bluntly.
"Ahem… Let's not talk about that," Shichen said, embarrassed.
"Understood."
Parting ways with Reine, Shichen returned to his own room. He lay down on the bed, thought for a mont, and decided he'd rather sleep back ho.
"Shichen!"
"Onii-chan, you're back?"
Kotori and Yoshino lit up when he appeared, barreling into him together.
He wrapped an arm around each of them. "I missed you two, so I ca ho."
"Hmph~" Kotori huffed, but her face couldn't hide her joy.
"It hasn't even been a whole day and you already missed us?"
"Yup."
"Well then, if you're that desperate, I suppose I don't mind keeping you company tonight…"
"That'd be great. Yoshino, want to sleep together too?"
"U-um… If Onii-chan wants to…" Yoshino whispered, cheeks pink.
So that night, Shichen slept very soundly—with Kotori and Yoshino tucked under each arm.
Back on Arubi Island, though, Reine, Kaguya, and Yuzuru were still very much awake.
"You two… what exactly did you do with Shichen this afternoon?"
"Sensei, Shichen just told us to hold on to… sothing, and keep moving until he relaxed. Does that count as helping him unwind?" Kaguya asked.
"Hold on to sothing?"
"Question. What was that? And why did it disappear the mont we left the bath?" Yuzuru asked.
"From the way you describe it, its shape likely changed," Reine answered.
"Changed shape?"
"You'll see it with your own eyes eventually. For now, I'll teach you so other thods for capturing Shichen's heart."
"Other thods?" The twins focused on her completely.
"You two made so progress today, which ans you need to push even harder next ti."
"Push harder…?"
…
The next day, the students still had to study seriously. On this three-day, two-night trip, only the last day was truly free ti.
Kaguya and Yuzuru, however, didn't have to join the lessons.
Shichen was dragged out to the beach; the twins ran off to change into swimsuits.
Over breakfast, Reine had already filled him in that this, too, was part of her "lesson plan."
All he had to do was cooperate.
"Heh heh~ What are you doing all the way out here alone?"
"Discovery. Found you, Shichen."
After he'd walked a while along the barrier-sealed shoreline, two voices—half expectant, half shy—floated up behind him.
He turned, and his eyes lit up.
Both girls were wearing only swimsuits, showing large areas of bare skin, their fair bodies glowing under the sun.
Kaguya wore a black bikini edged with white lace; Yuzuru's was the opposite—a white bikini trimd with black lace.
Side by side, the two mirrored each other perfectly, and the suits outlined their figures in way that was hard to ignore.
"It suits you," Shichen said with a smile.
"Mm…"
Kaguya didn't puff up with pride this ti. Instead, she flushed deep red and looked away, suddenly shy.
Yuzuru also froze for a mont, then lowered her gaze to look herself over, the tips of her ears turning bright crimson.
So easy to embarrass, these two.
"H–hm! W-well~ Of course you have good taste. But don't get the wrong idea—it's not that the swimsuits look good, it's that my charm makes them look pretty," Kaguya said, folding her arms and slipping back into chuunibyou-flavored tsundere mode.
"Thanks. Yuzuru is very happy," Yuzuru said frankly.
"So, I'm the judge today—how exactly are you two planning to show off your 'charms'?" Shichen asked.
"Um…"
The twins glanced at each other, then stepped up on either side of him and wrapped their arms around each of his.
The bikinis couldn't hide how much they were pressing against him. Shichen could clearly feel the soft, springy curves on both sides of his arm.
No worse than in the bath yesterday.
"And what do you two think you're doing?"
"We're at the beach. Isn't the first step obvious?"
"Explanation. Yuzuru and Kaguya want you to put sunscreen on us."
~~~
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