Through the misty steam, laughter and splashing drifted from the women's shower area, where Takanashi Rikka and Sawamura Eriri were fooling around.
Just then, Kasumigaoka Utaha, her body still flushed from the hot water, pushed open the door and stepped inside.
Trailing half a step behind her, Yukinoshita Yukino suddenly paused, as if sensing something, and turned her head.
There sat Minamoto Senya, calm and quiet, soaking in the outdoor bath.
At the same time, Busujima Saeko approached, expression serene as ever. She brushed back a loose strand of violet hair from her cheek with a practiced elegance, her tone lightly curious.
"What's wrong, Yukino?"
"…No, it's nothing."
A trick of the mind, perhaps…
Saeko didn't press, only smiled gently. "Come on, let's rinse off and change. The night air's chilly—without proper warmth, it's easy to catch cold."
"I'll… help wash your back later, Yukino," she added casually.
"That's not necessary. But if you need help, Saeko-senpai, I'll be glad to return the favor."
The two continued in quiet conversation, slipping away toward the showers.
Senya politely drew back his invisible gaze. He wasn't about to intrude further on the girls' sanctuary—unguarded and gathered together in the steamy shower room.
Even so, his head felt faintly overheated. The warmth of the hot spring played its part, sure, but more than that… it was Saeko's sudden whisper at his ear earlier.
Tonight, I'll come find you.
The fact that she chose to say it when no one else could notice—it clearly meant she didn't want the others to know.
Did she plan to talk to him in private? Or… something bolder?
The conclusion came to him almost too easily, setting his blood rushing downward.
Compared to Utaha, compared even to Tokihime, Saeko's mature, striking beauty stood out most vividly. Even beneath the thick folds of her yukata, the sheer presence of her "explosive" figure was impossible to conceal—every curve threatening to burst free.
Senya's imagination betrayed him again, reconstructing every detail in a flawless, all-angles panorama.
With no one else left in the bath, his body burned hotter. He no longer bothered pretending to be the picture of restraint.
Rising from the spring, he sat on the stone ledge above the water, leaving only his calves submerged like someone soaking their feet.
The night air swept cool against his skin, calming some of the heat in his chest. But the "tent" beneath his towel remained shamefully obvious.
Truthfully, the moment Utaha had appeared earlier in that swimsuit, he'd already felt the stirrings. He'd managed to suppress it then.
But the real trigger—the one that roused the dragon fully—had been Saeko.
When she leaned in to speak, whether intentional or not, her lips brushed his ear. And those massive "white rabbits" had mischievously thumped his shoulder a few times.
The impact wasn't painful, but the morale boost? Absolute. Buffs spilling out of the status bar.
What now?
This was far beyond anything he'd expected tonight.
Senya tilted his head back, staring at the starry sky, lost in thought.
Twenty minutes later, Rikka poked her head around the corner. "Senya, we're all done! You can come shower anytime now."
"Yeah. Got it." Senya nodded, rising and heading to the showers.
The room was thick with the mingled scents of shampoo and body lotion—fragrant traces left behind by the girls.
Closing his eyes, Senya washed his hair. After everything just now, such lingering sweetness couldn't faze him anymore.
Soon he changed into the sleepwear he'd brought from home and joined the others in the tatami-floored common room.
The TV played a late-night variety show, though no one was watching. Instead, they were playing Twister, using the canned laughter as background noise.
On the mat, Yukino and Saeko were locked in competition.
"Come on, Yukino!"
"Saeko-senpai, you've got the advantage—keep it up, you're close to winning!"
Eriri and Utaha cheered from the sidelines.
Saeko's luck had kept her stable—each foot planted neatly on red and blue circles.
Yukino, on the other hand, looked like a sprinter frozen at the starting line, hands pressed flat to the mat, one leg stretched forward, the other back. Her loosely tied hair had slipped to the front, brushing her silk pink pajamas, softening her usual cool aura into something gentler, warmer.
"You brought this game?" Senya asked, coming to stand beside Rikka, who was serving as referee.
"Nope! I just found it in the cabinet here. Probably something the inn provides for free."
She handed him the spinner. "Want to try? It's Saeko-senpai's turn."
Senya spun without hesitation.
"Blue—right hand!" Rikka announced.
Saeko thought for a moment, murmured an apology to Yukino, then leaned forward.
Heaviness descended. Yukino's head found itself crushed beneath something it was never meant to support.
Senya immediately caught Yukino's glare.
Yeah, this one was on him. No way to dodge it.
"You all keep playing. I'm still lightheaded from the bath." Handing the spinner back to Rikka, he excused himself.
At the table sat an unopened bottle of milk without a straw—clearly meant for him. Without fuss, Senya drank it down.
The first night at the inn passed busily. A delicious kaiseki dinner, relaxing soak in the springs, silly games long into the evening—time flew until they realized it was already nearly eleven.
"Time for bed. We've got plans tomorrow."
With sticker "penalties" plastered all over her forehead, Yukino laid down her last card, declaring victory.
Her daily rhythm didn't allow for late nights; fatigue weighed on her.
Seeing this, Eriri—her own face covered in stickers—nodded quickly. "Yeah, it's late."
Rikka, equally spent, chimed in, "Then let's all rest. Tomorrow will be fun too."
Everyone helped clean up the cards, peeling the sticky strips off their faces—everyone except Senya, who had somehow avoided a single loss.
Yukino, who had known him the longest, still couldn't wrap her head around it. Her childhood friend had almost never lost at cards. Was it pure talent, or some trick no one else had caught onto?
One by one they brushed their teeth.
Saeko, the last girl to emerge, whispered softly to Senya. "Good night, Senya."
Meeting her gentle, lively eyes, he nodded. "…Good night, Saeko."
A quiet understanding passed between them.
After bidding the others goodnight and switching off the main light, leaving only a faint nightlamp, Senya headed for the washroom.
And froze.
His toothbrush was already set in a paper cup—paste squeezed neatly on top.
Wait…
He gripped his head. A vivid, undeniable possibility filled his thoughts, scattering them into chaos.
Two voices clashed in his mind.
Don't overthink this, Senya. Saeko's just naturally kind and caring. This is her being thoughtful, nothing more.
No—it's not that. With what she whispered earlier, and now this… she's all but spelled it out. Tonight, after the others are asleep, she plans to come. Maybe not a full home run, but second base, third—easily within reach!
His brain in turmoil, Senya brushed his teeth with absurd intensity, as if sparks might fly.
Meanwhile, in the girls' room…
Saeko had already spread her futon. But noticing Utaha pulling out her phone, she thought a moment, then shifted her pillow to her knees and began sit-ups.
As expected, Utaha glanced over, intrigued. "Saeko, you always exercise before bed?"
Saeko replied casually, "Usually I practice sword swings. Skipped today, so I'm making up for it."
"Oh, I see."
By then, Saeko had already done forty flawless reps.
Catching Utaha's gaze lingering, she smiled and invited, "Want to try? A little fatigue makes sleep deeper, rest better."
"Eh? No way. I'd be out of breath after two."
"Don't underestimate yourself. The body has limitless potential. Just once—give it a try."
Before Utaha could protest further, Saeko moved to her side, pressing down firmly on her ankles.
Something in her aura—gentle smile or not—radiated a dominance Utaha found impossible to resist.
"…Fine, I'll try."
Across the wall in the other room, Yukino lay down immediately, while Eriri and Rikka giggled, smearing moisturizer on each other's faces.
When they finished, Rikka didn't return to her own futon. She slipped under Eriri's blanket.
"Hey! Rikka, go back to yours."
"Nooo~ It's been ages since we had a night like this. I'm too excited. Your waist is so soft, Eriri—even if your chest isn't huge."
"Don't talk like some old man! And stop hugging me—Snow, help me out here!"
Yukino turned her back coldly. "Do as you like, just keep quiet. I need rest."
"…I've been abandoned?!" Eriri groaned theatrically.
Rikka smirked, poking. "See? She doesn't care. You mad?"
"…Very." Eriri's eyes glinted. "Then let's see how Yukino developed overseas. Rikka, help me!"
"On it!"
"Don't you dare," Yukino warned sharply, alarm flickering beneath her icy tone.
But that hint of weakness only fueled their predatory grins.
Meanwhile, Senya was still brushing, far longer than usual. Three rinses with minty mouthwash left his mouth practically sterile—ready for anything.
Back in his room, he tried distracting himself with news on his phone. Ten minutes later, he hadn't absorbed a single word.
Fine, just a peek, he told himself. If it's nothing, I'll stop right away.
Cautiously, he shifted his "gaze" toward Saeko and Utaha's room—
—and froze.
Utaha lay back, gasping, arms behind her head, mouth open in small whimpers. Saeko, holding her firmly by the ankles, urged her on with calm encouragement.
Utaha clenched her teeth, straining to lift her upper body, but collapsed halfway, completely spent, chest heaving.
…Exercise? At this hour?
Senya blinked, finally realizing the situation.
When Utaha fumbled for milk calcium tablets afterward, he snapped his gaze back to the common room.
To be fair, he told himself, if he checked one room, he couldn't ignore the other. Mostly, he just worried Rikka would get too mischievous.
Shifting perspective again, he nearly laughed aloud.
Yukino had both Eriri and Rikka pinned to the futon with crisp aikido holds, each girl's arm locked helplessly.
The two tapped frantically in surrender.
No doubt, they'd poked the wrong bear and paid the price. Yukino might look delicate, her stamina poor, but she'd had proper martial arts training. Enough to take down two overeager idiots easily.
This trip really was proving… entertaining.
Senya finally withdrew his sight completely.
He took a long, steadying breath, forcing himself to wait.
Midnight ticked by. One o'clock.
He even finished an entire comedy movie.
At last, a faint knock rattled his door.
Senya shot up instantly, heart pounding, and opened it with care.
Who else could be standing there but Saeko?
"Sorry, Senya. Made you wait. Utaha stays up late—it took me a while to slip away."
"It's fine. Come in."
"…Mm."
With graceful ease, she stepped inside. Senya closed the door quietly behind her.
Then Saeko reached back, turning the lock with a soft click.
In the dim light, Senya met her gaze. Her cheeks glowed faintly red, lips curved with a touch of heat.
Her beauty in that moment was almost too much to bear.