"I'm not a judge, Miko."
Kaito replied to Miko's remark with just that single sentence.
In truth, it wasn't that he couldn't offer a critique, but doing so would easily lead to misunderstandings about who was better and whatnot. Therefore, he decided to withhold his evaluation.
Anyway, everyone looked great, just don't ask him for the specifics.
If it were just his own selves, he wouldn't care; he could critique however he liked.
But now, with Lumine and Miko obviously included in the mix, he'd better refrain from commenting.
"Tch. You've feasted your eyes, yet you're unwilling to say a few more words."
Seeming to look down on Kaito, Miko continued, "But never mind. If you won't speak, then don't."
After saying this, Miko turned her head and walked towards the hot spring.
Regardless, since she was here, she was definitely going to soak.
As for asking Kaito to evaluate them just now, she was actually quite satisfied with his reaction, only pretending to be dissatisfied.
After all, when she asked that guy to evaluate, she didn't really want him to critique everyone; it was just to keep Lumine from thinking too much.
If that guy had actually started critiquing, she would have wanted to hit him.
Fortunately, Kaito understood her meaning.
"I say, Mei, and you too, Lumine, aren't you two coming down to soak in the hot spring?"
After entering the hot spring, Miko noticed that Lumine had sat back in her original spot, while Mei was sitting on Kaito's lap again. Thus, she called out for both of them to come down and soak.
She didn't think much of Lumine doing that, as she had likely soaked already.
But seeing Mei sit on Kaito's lap immediately without coming down to soak made her very curious.
Does Mei really like sitting on that guy's lap?
Watching Mei, who had now stood up from Kaito's lap and was walking towards her, Miko couldn't help but think this.
Otherwise, there was only one explanation: Mei didn't like soaking in hot springs.
With this in mind, Miko asked, "Do you not like hot springs? Mei."
"No, I think it's alright."
Not expecting Miko to ask this suddenly, Acheron, recalling the sensation of Kaito soaking in the hot spring just now, answered quickly.
Although she hadn't soaked over here yet, Kaito had already soaked over there, so she naturally knew how to answer Miko's question.
"It seems Mei has already soaked in a hot spring with Kaito before, hmm~?"
As she said this, Miko wore a 'knowing' expression.
Acheron and Kaito soaking in a hot spring?
But didn't Kaito say he hadn't soaked before?
Lumine, who had also walked to the side of the hot spring, thought this silently.
However, she also knew that Miko was likely just guessing and didn't really know if Kaito had soaked with Acheron.
"No."
Soon, Acheron's answer verified Lumine's thoughts.
"Then it seems you soaked by yourself. But Kaito didn't soak with you? That feels a bit strange."
Nodding, Miko seemed somewhat puzzled.
In her view, if Mei had soaked, she definitely would have invited Kaito along, but apparently, she hadn't.
"I still have things to do sometimes."
Since he definitely wouldn't reveal his special circumstances, Kaito offered this explanation.
Speaking of which, if Kaito had known Miko would care so much about the hot spring matter, he would have just had Acheron answer that she hadn't soaked.
But since Acheron had already answered that way, he could only try to patch things up now.
"You guy... is there anything more important than soaking in a hot spring with Mei?"
Miko seemed unhappy with Kaito's answer. She felt that soaking with Mei was definitely more important.
Umm...
Is soaking in a hot spring that important?
Inside the hot spring, Lumine immediately thought this after hearing Miko's words. She hadn't realized soaking could be so significant.
If she had known this earlier, she wouldn't have called the others over.
But there was no helping it now; people were already here, and she couldn't just chase them away.
Sigh...
I wonder if just the two of us can do this next time...
"So we are soaking now,"
Kaito said, not expecting Miko to view hot springs as so important.
But he still wanted to retort that if he soaked with Acheron, the temperature he experienced would be doubled.
Just like now—even though he was lying on the chair, he was effectively soaking in the hot spring.
There was no helping it; if Acheron was soaking, it was equivalent to him soaking.
Of course, he was indifferent to this temperature change now.
But in the past, he felt he would have cared, perhaps even jumping out of the spring from the heat.
"Forget it, I can't be bothered to lecture you."
Seeing Kaito look like he wanted to say something but stopped, Miko finally said this.
Actually, she wanted to say that having so many people made it different, but after thinking about it, she didn't voice it.
More importantly, she realized that if Paimon weren't here, the remaining girls—herself included—all had some indescribable relationship with this guy.
Even, if Paimon weren't present, she felt some events unsuitable for children might occur.
"Hehe, I'm coming to soak too."
At this moment, Paimon, who had already been changed into a child's swimsuit by Wendy, flew over.
However, looking at the surface of the hot spring, Paimon didn't go down directly.
She was pondering a question: if she went down, would she be submerged immediately?
Thinking about this, Paimon fell into thought.
"Don't look, Paimon. You'll drown unless you stay flying,"
Lumine said, seeing Paimon staring at the spring and knowing what she was thinking.
"Uh... then I won't soak."
Hearing Lumine say this, Paimon immediately gave up the idea.
After all, soaking was for relaxation. If she had to fly the whole time, she'd rather lie on a chair and eat.
"Do you want me to get you a basin?"
At this moment, Wendy asked Paimon, holding a large basin already filled with hot spring water.
"Yes, yes, yes."
Seeing she could soak in a basin, Paimon changed her mind immediately.
Regardless, since it was a rare chance to soak, she wanted to try it.
Hmm?
Why does Wendy feel a bit off today?
She's completely unlike that brat from before.
Watching Wendy silently from the side, Miko felt very strange.
Today's Wendy seemed a bit different, though she didn't know if it was just her imagination.
____
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