The bunk quarters of the Command Wing were a rare oasis, a sanctuary amidst the chaos. Jin lay sprawled across one of the narrow bunks, his body completely relaxed in the embrace of exhaustion. His chest rose and fell in a gentle, steady rhythm. His vault suit had been carefully peeled away, revealing a thin medical sheet that hung precariously low across his hips, offering only the slightest coverage to his well-defined physique. The evidence of his recent struggle was apparent in the scars etched across his skin and the smudges of grime that still clung to him.
Sera let out a weary sigh, rolling her shoulders. Her silver hair was matted and unkempt, and the battered sports bra she wore was torn and slipping down just enough to expose a generous hint of cleavage, the material clinging to her sweat-soaked body. "Alright… I really need to take a shower. I'm completely wiped out from having to babysit this idiot," she muttered, though the words lacked their usual bite.
Clara stood nearby, her hands nervously playing with the collar of her still-unzipped jumpsuit. "B-But… Jin's still so dirty… Shouldn't we clean him first? What if his wounds get infected…? I-I could… help clean him up…" Her voice trembled with a mix of concern and a shy excitement she couldn't hide.
Rosa, with an air of carefree confidence, slipped out of her vault suit, letting it pool around her ankles to reveal snug underwear that accentuated her curvy figure. She approached, clutching a steaming basin and a damp towel. "Well, well, look who's eager to explore every inch of our hero's impressive physique. Aren't you a cheeky one?" she teased Clara, letting her towel brush against Jin's thigh as she set the basin down.
"Wha—no! D-don't twist it, Rosa!" Clara's face flushed a deep red.
Sera knelt beside the bed, noting that the med-gel patches were working, but Jin's skin was still smeared with dirt and dried blood. "Clara's right," she said with a sigh. "Rosa, you take his back. Clara, his legs. I'll get his chest."
"Poor Jin… He's going to regret falling asleep," Rosa murmured, leaning closer, her breath warming Jin's neck as she slowly glided the towel down his spine.
As Jin shifted in his sleep, the sheet slipped down, revealing the sharp V-line of his hips. With trembling hands, Clara wiped down his thighs, the towel inching dangerously close to the edge of the sheet. Her eyes widened, and she covered her face with a whimper. "F—Fuweehh… I shouldn't be doing this… it's too much!" Yet her hands continued their work, a testament to her desire to care for him.
"Oh, don't stop now, Clara!" Rosa chimed in mockingly, adjusting Jin's position and pressing her curves against his side with a mischievous smile.
Sera, blushing slightly, scrubbed his chest with almost aggressive determination. "Tch… All these muscles just make it tougher to clean!" she muttered, her towel brushing against his pecs as her cheeks heated.
Jin mumbled in his sleep, "No—no, not... ther~…" A small, playful smile formed on his lips.
"Oh my gosh, he's dreaming?!" Clara gasped, her hands clasped over her mouth.
"Aw, listen to him," Rosa laughed. "Looks like he's dreaming about us already!"
Sera rolled her eyes, but a hint of a smile crept onto her face. Once their task was finished, they gently laid a new thermal blanket over him, tucking it around his hips. Rosa brushed her fingers along his cheek. "Sleep tight, hero. We'll be waiting for you…" she whispered.
"Idiot…" Sera muttered, rearranging his pillow, her fingers lingering on his shoulder.
"G-get well, Jin…" Clara whispered shyly, squeezing his hand.
With Jin settled, the trio turned toward the glowing bath module. "I'm going first, make way!" Sera declared, stepping forward as her silver hair cascaded down her back.
"T-Together… the three of us…? I-I've never… done anything like this…" Clara stammered, her jumpsuit sliding down to her waist, revealing her fair skin and the gentle curve of her chest.
Rosa grinned. "Oh, come on, darlings! Just imagine the fun—slippery bodies and maybe a bit of... exploration~" With a flourish, she tossed aside her underwear and confidently stepped into the steam.
The three girls settled into the warm water, a comfortable silence enveloping them. It was Rosa who broke it, her voice softer than usual. "Mmm~ You know, I almost forgot how incredible this feels to be this relaxed. Honestly, if this tub had a couple of glasses of champagne by my side, I could almost convince myself I was back at my family's compound in Miami…"
"You're from Florida…?" Clara asked in surprise.
Rosa smiled gently, her eyes closed. "Absolutely. Born and raised in the Sunshine State. But you know, being the daughter of the President definitely comes with its own set of… complications. My father always made sure I'd be safe. Guess he finally got his wish when everything went south."
Clara, curled up with her arms wrapped around her knees, whispered, "Even though I went to school in France, I was actually born in Luxembourg. I spent years at a technical boarding school… I just… I just wanted to build things." She pulled her knees closer. "I didn't really have many friends there."
Sera, who had been quiet, spoke gently. "Well, you do have friends now." Clara blinked, then a genuine smile broke across her face.
"I'm from Tokyo, actually," Sera said, leaning back, her silver hair glistening in the water. "My father was British, a bio-geneticist. My mother was a Japanese architect. They laid the groundwork for the Phoenix Project… I tackled quantum models before dinner, composed essays in Japanese by lunchtime. I studied tirelessly… Honestly, I didn't particularly enjoy my life back then." A faint, bitter smile touched her lips.
"Sounds like it was quite suffocating," Rosa remarked.
"It certainly was," Sera replied. "But I'm still here, so maybe it was all worth it after all."
Rosa stretched, breaking the silence. "Look at us. Here we are—three complete strangers from different corners of the world, now sitting together in this bath because fate had other plans."
Clara, in a soft voice, asked, "You really were a student council president back in Yamashiro, right?"
Sera felt her cheeks warm. "Yes. That school is considered one of the best in the world. Only the top-ranked students are admitted... In that environment, your future is practically chiseled into stone." Her gaze shifted toward Clara. "But I carved my own path, in a way."
"Have you ever skipped class or bent the rules just a little?" Rosa teased.
After a moment, Sera replied, "Well… once." A small smile curled on her lips. "I snuck out past curfew just to read… the novels, old fiction books of all kinds. There was this quaint little bookshop not too far from my school that still stocked hardcover editions, and the owner had a bunch of cats lounging around."
"So, you're a bit of a book nerd, huh? That's probably the most attractive thing you've ever said," Rosa teased.
Sera shot her a glare. "I could very easily drown you, you know."
"Y-You read actual paper books?! That's so adorable!" Clara chimed in.
"It's… for research purposes!" Sera shot back defensively.
For the first time in what felt like ages, genuine laughter filled the air. "Go ahead and ridicule me all you want," Sera said, rolling her eyes. "But what about you, Rosa? What were you like back in the day?"
Rosa idly swung her leg, creating ripples in the water. "Me? I was pretty much involved in every single club... But even when surrounded by so many people, it felt incredibly hollow. Most of those boys weren't genuine; they were just trying to win favors with my father... It was... incredibly lonely."
"Yeah, it really was," Rosa agreed, her voice now serious.
A hush fell over the room, but this silence invited deeper introspection. "Before everything changed, I didn't know either of you," Clara said gently. "But I'm truly grateful that I got to meet you both…"
Rosa softened her gaze. "We survived this, thanks to him."
All three women understood whom she was referring to. Their eyes were drawn almost instinctively toward the frosted glass separating them from the dormitory.
"That idiot…" Sera muttered, a faint smile on her lips.
As the three girls leaned back, partially submerged in the comforting warmth, the scene gradually faded, their forms entwined in the growing connection forged through shared experiences and newfound friendships.
---
[GROUP SYNCHRONIZATION]
Shared moment of vulnerability and care has significantly strengthened team bonds.
New dynamic: Found Family.
Group-wide Morale boost: +15%
Affinity with all party members has increased.
---
[Heroine Affinity Update]
Seraphina Valerius: 34 -> 42 / 100 (Sera's tsundere defenses are weakening. She's starting to see Jin as a reliable protector, not just an idiot.)
Rosalie Thorne: 36 -> 40 / 100 (Rosa is finding Jin's earnestness more endearing than his clumsiness is frustrating. A dangerous combination for her.)
Clara Vance: 27 -> 35 / 100 (Clara's shyness is being overcome by her desire to care for Jin. Her confidence is growing in his presence.)
---