The interior of the bathhouse was like any typical Asian bathhouse.
There was a light smell of soap and perfume wafting in the steamy interior, and the furnishings were all antique-looking to make the place more traditional.
As opposed to the library, which had been empty, the bathhouse had quite a few people going about their business, making the place a bit more lively.
Himiko let go of Kyle's hand and practically skipped to the counter, where a woman greeted her with a smile.
"Good evening. Welcome to our humble bathhouse, how can I help you today?"
Kyle walked up to them and rested his back on the counter, facing the other side of the room.
"I made a reservation, can you look under the name, Himiko?" she asked, thrumming her fingers on the table.
Strangely, throughout their drive down to when they arrived, Kyle had noticed a subtle difference in Himiko.
It was almost like she was itching to say something but was at the same time trying to restrain herself.
He stole a glance at her before looking back at the interior of the place, admiring the decor. 'Maybe she's just nervous…'
The woman picked up a ledger and began going through it. "Just give me a second, let me look through our records."
Her face lit up a second later. "Oh, Himiko. I have your reservation right here."
She closed the book and gave Kyle a strange stare, a small smile curling up her lips.
Kyle's face remained stoic. 'What the hell is that look?' he thought.
The woman moved around the desk and smiled. "Come with me, I'll take you there."
To Kyle's surprise, Himiko had gone out of her way to pick out some of the best rooms in the bathhouse.
He was not sure if she felt anything less would not suit his 'rich tastes' or if she was just trying to make his experience more memorable, but he appreciated the gesture.
"Alright, I'll be on my way now. This is your key." The woman stretched out her hand, the metal key lying in her palm.
Both Kyle and Himiko stared at her hand, sharing a confused look before slowly moving their gaze up to her face.
"Where is the other key?" they both said simultaneously.
The woman's eyes widened slightly. "O-other key??" She placed her hand over her mouth, partially obscuring her face, which was now flushed red.
"Y-you only reserved one room, didn't you? P-please, enjoy yourselves!"
Too embarrassed to continue the conversation, she grabbed Himiko's hand and shoved the key right into it just before sprinting away, leaving them both dumbfounded.
Silence…
More silence…
Kyle glanced at Himiko, then held his chin, his face hardening. "Miko, I didn't peg you for a perver—"
"I swear I told her two rooms!" Himiko screamed, her face turning pink from embarrassment.
Kyle slowly shook his head. "Are you sure? I mean, I can understand if—"
"Stop teasing me!" Himiko huffed, balling her fists and stomping her feet on the floor like a ten-year-old.
Kyle smiled, a small laugh unconsciously leaving his lips. 'She's cute…'
When Himiko saw him laughing, she sighed and stuck the key into the door.
"Besides…" her voice became lower. "It's just like mixed bathing, people do it all the time…"
Immediately the door was pushed open, a wave of steam blew past their faces, the heat rushing to escape the room.
There was a large bathing pool by the right of the room; at the other side were two towels and bathing supplies consisting of scented soaps and shampoos.
Himiko stepped into the room, and Kyle was about to follow suit when she raised her hand to stop him.
"I need to change first."
She said emotionlessly and looked straight into his eyes, her gold iris boring into his—
Then she leaned forward a little, one hand behind her back while the other hand was placed on him, tracing circular patterns on his abdomen.
Her voice was slightly restrained as she parted her lips.
"Or… do you want to see?"
"?!"
Kyle was at a loss for words.
Himiko smiled mischievously. "Who's the pervert now?"
Bang!
Before Kyle could retort, the door was slammed right in front of his face.
For a few seconds, he just stared at the door, and then he leaned his back on it and sighed.
"This girl…"
He was not sure if it was due to his influence or because of the new path she was taking, but she was slowly shifting from the image he had of her after watching the anime.
And he loved every single moment of it.
He stared up at the ceiling, a light blush staining his cheeks.
"Uhum…" Kyle cleared his throat, slowly shaking his head.
•••
Bathhouses were businesses that had been in existence since the times of ancient Japan.
Day after day, hundreds of people came and left, enjoying the soothing benefits of the scalding hot water.
To the customers, they were having the time of their lives, but for the attendants…
"This is so boring…"
Slumped back on her chair, head lulled back and hands laying by her sides like she were a corpse, was Rin.
"Why doesn't anything fun happen in this dump?"
She got up from her seat and stretched, her body sounding more like an unserviced Toyota Camry from the 90s than an actual living being.
Rin was about to continue her shift when someone burst into the room, a wide smile on her face.
"Rin! You won't believe what I just saw! There was a young couple at the bathhouse!"
Rin scoffed angrily and waved her hand in her direction, shooing her away.
Couples came to the bathhouse all the time; just one measly couple wasn't enough to kill her boredom—
"They booked one room!"
"W-w-what?"
Rin's eyes brightened with life, and she dashed to her friend, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her so hard that her eyes nearly fell down her throat.
'Could it be them?' she wondered, her mind going back to a few hours ago…
The time she had modified an order to spark some drama in the bathhouse.
'It has to be!!'
Unable to restrain her excitement, her fingers dug into her friend's shoulders, an evil smile on her face.
"Tell me more!"
Gossip.
Gossip was the fuel that kept these girls running!
Meanwhile, in the private bathing room, Himiko was taking off her clothes piece by piece, completely engulfed by the silence of the space.
After wrapping herself up with her towel, she got into the bathroom to shower, which was customary to do before soaking in the bath.
She twisted the knob, allowing the water to trickle down, bathing her skin, but as she stared at her pale skin, her mind began to wander.
'I have to tell him today…'
Himiko knew that this was the right course of action, and yet…
She gritted her teeth.
'Do I really have to?'
Her little moments with Kyle were something she cherished, but ultimately she was building it up with lies—lies that could eventually cause their relationship to crumble.
'All because of this quirk…'
At the mere thought of Kyle, Himiko's breathing became heavy, the sound of her breaths louder than the overpowering shower.
She stared at herself in the mirror and bit her lips, drawing blood.
The more she loved someone, the more her cravings grew…
And with the speed at which her attraction for Kyle was growing, it was becoming ravenous, to the point that sometimes she felt she was losing her mind.
Himiko had held herself for this long.
But this night, she knew… that she could no longer restrain herself.
She glanced up at herself, looking at her pitiful figure in the mirror.
'I need his blood.'
Himiko craved to drink the blood of the man she loved.
This time, she didn't just want a taste, she wanted a long, satisfying—
"Argh!"
Himiko slapped herself across the face, her cheeks turning red from the impact.
"Focus, Himiko! Don't mess this up!"
..
..
A/N
200 Powerstones = 1 Bonus chapter
400 Powerstones = 2 Bonus chapters
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