Steam drifted gently through the bathroom, curling like whispered secrets around the tiled walls. The water had long since heated, filling the room with a soft warmth, but Shin still sat on the low wooden stool, slumped, his bruised back toward the glass wall.
His arms hung limp at his sides, bandages on one, a bruise coloring his collarbone in a soft purple-pink swirl.
Behind him, Ai knelt, completely naked, her soft skin flushed pink not with embarrassment, but from a bubbling storm of rage barely masked by her usual sweetness.
Her small hands squeezed body wash into her palms, lathering it into soft, delicate foam. But as she stared at the many bruises trailing Shin's shoulders, her jaw tightened.
"They hit you this hard?!" she growled under her breath, furiously rubbing her soapy palms together. "Those stupid, violent—! I swear I'll—"
She slapped her foamy palms against Shin's back with a splat, only to immediately freeze as he winced lightly.
"Ah—! I'm sorry!!" Her voice cracked as she instantly dropped into a soft whimper, her lips trembling. "I didn't mean to hurt you, Onii-chan…"
Shin chuckled weakly. "You sound like a kitten when you're angry. But the moment you touch me, you melt."
"I am angry! They ganged up on you!" she protested, rubbing slow circles into his back now, gentle as falling petals. "Just because it was funny doesn't mean they get to turn you into a punching bag…"
The sponge she held made only the lightest squishing sounds as she passed it along his arms, over his neck, careful with every bruise, every nick. She worked in silence, her pout lingering.
Shin tilted his head back a little, eyes half-lidded. "They didn't actually hurt me that badly."
"You're literally purple." Ai squished one cheek against his shoulder, hugging him gently from behind. "You look like a bruised banana."
Shin laughed softly, his hand reaching back to pat her thigh comfortingly. "It's okay. Honestly, I let them."
Ai blinked. "Let them? Why?!"
"Because…" he sighed, letting his head drop again, "I hurt them first."
Ai frowned, confused. "You mean the competition?"
"Yeah."
He looked down at the small pool of water by his feet, the ripples reflecting his tired eyes.
"I could've just called it a tie. I could've said something vague. But I said your name." He turned to look at her over his shoulder. "I knew it would hit them hard."
Ai's hands paused on his chest.
"…Why?"
Shin smiled faintly.
"Haa-chan… she's liked me since we were kids. She tries to hide it, but I know. And Yuki…"
His expression shifted, softer.
"Yuki's only known me for four days. But somehow, he's already filled my thoughts more than most people have in years." A beat passed. "So, choosing him above her would definitely would have made Haa-Chan sad."
Ai's lips quivered. "You still picked me."
Shin nodded, slowly.
"I picked the third option. The honest one. I love you, Ai. I always will. Not because I had no choice, not because it was easy. Because I really do."
Ai sniffled. She was still sitting behind him, now wrapping her arms around his torso as if trying to shield him from every bruise, every pain. She pressed her cheek against his wet back, soapy bubbles trailing between them.
"I love you too, Onii-chan," she whispered. "More than anything. You didn't have to say it in front of everyone. You could've just whispered it to me… but you shouted it. You made sure they knew. You picked me."
She sniffed again and slowly began to wash his chest, shy now, blushing slightly.
"I'm really happy… even if everyone else hates us."
Shin leaned back slightly into her touch. "Let them. You're the only one who really knows me. Who's always stayed."
Silence passed for a moment. The only sound was the soft splashing of water, the subtle slide of foam.
Then, Ai leaned forward, her lips brushing his ear.
"…Onii-chan?"
"Hmm?"
"Next time you get beat up… please let me join the fight. I'll wear the scary eye stickers if I have to."
Shin chuckled again, eyes closing.
"Sure, Ai."
They stayed like that, soaking in warmth, in bubbles, in feelings neither fully knew how to express. And outside the bathroom door, the chaos of school, the confessions, the rivalries… all faded away.
---
Inside here, it was just them. Two naked hearts, speaking softly in soap and silence.
The bathwater was a gentle simmer of heat and comfort, the surface faintly tinted with golden flecks from the hot spring powder Ai had lovingly poured in. The scent was calming—like warm citrus and honeyed herbs, swirling through the steamy air like a gentle lullaby.
Shin rested back against the edge of the bathtub, his body sinking into the water with a long, relieved sigh. His bruises ached less here. Every ripple seemed to massage his soreness, carrying it away.
Ai was seated snugly on his lap, facing the other end of the tub, her back pressed gently to his chest. Her soft hair clung to her damp shoulders, little beads of water rolling along her pale skin. Shin's arms were loosely wrapped around her waist, warm and protective, as though he could shield her from the world just by holding her tighter.
Her hands gently held his, fingers intertwining.
"I missed you so much today," Ai whispered softly, her voice muffled by steam and sentiment. "Even though you were just a few school away… I kept looking at the clock, hoping the day would go faster."
Shin smiled into her shoulder, his breath warm against her skin. "You always say that."
"Because it's always true," she replied, curling in closer, like a kitten nuzzling into its favorite blanket. "I hate when you leave. Every second you're not near me feels like something's missing. Like I'm just waiting to breathe again…"
He gently squeezed her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder now. "I didn't know I was your oxygen."
"You are," she said, tilting her head back slightly to glance at him. Her eyes shimmered with sincerity, soft and golden-brown like autumn tea. "I love you so much, Onii-chan. I know people say it's weird. I know they'd never understand. But I don't want anyone else. I don't want anyone but you."
Her voice cracked slightly at the end, a thin shimmer of emotion catching in her throat. Shin turned his head, kissing the side of hers lightly, just above her ear.
"I know," he whispered. "I know, Ai. You don't have to be afraid. I'm not going anywhere."
Ai turned around in his arms slightly so she could face him better, arms around his neck now, her nose brushing his.
"I just want to be in your arms every day," she said. "Just like this. Just us."
"You always will be," Shin said, brushing a few wet strands of hair from her face. "I've only got one home. And it's right here."
He pressed his forehead against hers, letting the silence linger as the water shifted around them gently. A soft smile curled on Ai's lips—one of those dreamy, lazy smiles that only come when everything feels right.
Then, Shin trailed his lips softly along the curve of her neck.
Ai gave a tiny yelp, squirming in his lap as her cheeks flushed red. "O-Onii-chan! That tickles!"
He smirked against her skin, whispering low. "Good. I like hearing you laugh."
She giggled again as he planted a few more kisses—one just under her ear, one near her collarbone, and one right on the soft crook of her neck. Her toes curled underwater, and she tried not to melt into a giggling puddle.
"Onii-chaaan~!" she squealed, now playfully pushing at his chest. "You're such a tease when you're injured!"
He laughed softly, resting his cheek against her shoulder now, arms pulling her back into a gentle hug.
"I've got to get my strength back somehow," he whispered. "And hearing you laugh is better than any medicine."
Ai sighed contentedly, her small fingers drawing soft circles on his chest. The scent of the bath filled the air again—warm, homey, loving.
For just a while longer, the world outside the bathroom didn't exist.
There was no bruises.
No competitions.
No pain.
Just two souls, wrapped in warmth, in laughter, and the comfort of each other's arms.
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END OF CHAPTER : 26 : BATHING BRUISES AND UNSPOKEN TRUTHS!
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