Chapter 150: Going Commando...?
"You hold Big Meow!" Vigne commanded with more force than necessary, thrusting the Scottish Fold into Kouya's arms while trying her best to look authoritative. Her cheeks puffed slightly as she added, for what felt like the hundredth time, "And don't you dare peek!"
Kouya could only stare at her blankly. There was absolutely no need to emphasize it again—it was, in fact, the fifth time she'd said those exact words. 'Who even repeats themselves that much?' he thought. 'And peek? Why would I peek? If I wanted to see, I'd just look directly. Honestly.'
Still, Vigne didn't trust him in the slightest. Her serious face didn't match the blush creeping up her neck as she mumbled something inaudible, spun around, and slipped quickly into the bathroom. The click of the lock followed almost immediately after. She stood still for a moment, pressing her hands over her flushed cheeks, willing her heart to stop racing. Only when she finally stepped under the warm shower did the tension in her shoulders begin to ease.
The steady stream of water cascaded down, washing away the chill and filling the small room with steam. The air grew thick and misty; the sound of droplets echoed softly against the tiles. Through the fogged glass, Vigne could faintly make out Kouya's silhouette sitting on the sofa. His posture looked relaxed—maybe too relaxed—which only made her face heat up again.
She exhaled slowly, steam rising around her face. "How... how did it end up like this?" she murmured. She had gone out tonight for one simple reason—to find Big Meow. And yet, somehow, she had wound up in a love hotel with Kouya. Her mind could barely comprehend how events had snowballed this far.
Her fingers trailed idly through the water as she pouted to herself. "This has to be karma. I did this to myself. If I hadn't hesitated so long earlier, we could've just gotten two rooms... and I wouldn't be in this mess! Though, I guess that would've cost more..." Her voice trailed off into a whisper, the embarrassment rolling in waves.
Usually, taking a bath was her favorite daily ritual. She loved the warmth, the sense of calm that came with sinking into the water. It was the time she allowed her mind to go quiet—to drift without thought or worry. But tonight, her thoughts refused to stop racing.
"I heard boys can be scary creatures at night... like they turn into wolves under the moonlight..." she mumbled softly, glancing toward the frosted door. "But there's no window here, so... no moonlight. That's good, right?"
Her imagination betrayed her anyway. She pictured Kouya's calm, unreadable face and muttered, "Still, if he did try anything, I guess... I could knock him out. Just once. Since he did help me find Big Meow, I'll be gentle about it..."
Her cheeks burned brighter. "Ugh... there's only one bed too... how are we supposed to sleep?!" she whispered to herself, voice rising slightly before she bit her lip.
Steam continued to swirl around her. Between her spiraling thoughts and nervous energy, it took much longer than usual to finish bathing. She finally turned off the water and reached for the towel—only for a sudden realization to strike like lightning.
She froze. "W-wait... my underwear! I didn't bring any!"
Her towel slipped slightly, and she fumbled to grab it. This wasn't her tidy home with spare clothes neatly folded in a drawer. This was a love hotel room she had entered on a whim, with nothing but what she'd been wearing.
"Oh no... oh no no no!" she muttered, pressing her palms to her reddened face. Her damp clothes lay draped over the nearby stool, still soaked from the rain. The thought of putting those clammy things back on made her shiver in disgust. But if she didn't wear them... the only option left was...
Her eyes widened. Her face turned crimson from ear to ear. 'No. No way. Absolutely not.'
She shook her head violently. "Going out there without... that would be insane! What would he think of me?! He'd think I was some shameless... pervert!" Her voice cracked at the thought.
She sat down on the edge of the tub, staring blankly ahead. The two options in front of her felt equally awful—wear the wet underwear and suffer all night, or step outside completely bare and die of embarrassment.
After a long minute of internal agony, a spark of inspiration hit her. "Wait... the hair dryer!" she gasped softly. "If I dry them off first, it might work! It won't be perfect, but... better than freezing to death!"
The realization brought hope—but also new problems. The dryer was outside, and bringing it into the bathroom would be dangerous. On top of that, asking Kouya to hand it to her meant he'd know. And the idea of him even realizing what she was doing made her want to curl up and disappear.
After pacing in a circle several times, she finally gathered her courage. Blushing from head to toe, she called out in a barely audible voice, "K-Kouya-kun... can you bring me... the hair dryer...?"
Her voice was so soft it was practically lost under the hum of the television. Kouya tilted his head. 'Did she just... call me over?' he thought, rising to his feet. 'What for? Don't tell me she actually wants me to... scrub her back or something?' He hesitated for a moment, then walked to the door.
He reached for the handle. "Hey, what's up—"
"W-wait! What are you doing?!" Vigne shrieked from inside, her voice hitting a pitch high enough to startle even Big Meow.
Kouya blinked. "Didn't you just call me to—"
"Who said that?!" she yelped, voice cracking. "I just wanted the hair dryer! Don't come in! What the hell is wrong with you?!"
Kouya froze mid-motion, raising a hand in surrender. "Alright, alright, calm down. I'm not breaking in."
He grabbed the dryer and held it near the door. The lock clicked once, and the door cracked open just slightly—a narrow gap no wider than her hand. A slender, pale arm reached through the mist.
Even as he thought about how ridiculous the situation was, Kouya's eyes were drawn to the faint sheen of water on her skin. Her arm was delicate, fair, and smooth, still glistening under the warm light, with a soft pink tint that made it look almost too perfect. It was easy to see why people used the phrase "skin like lotus roots."
"D-don't look!" Vigne stammered, her voice trembling with embarrassment. She snatched at the dryer. "Just give it to me already!"
Kouya sighed, handing it over. "Here. Don't electrocute yourself."
He turned back toward the sofa and sat down, flipping through TV channels idly, trying to ignore the faint humming sound from behind the bathroom door. It wasn't long, however, before a sudden loud thump echoed through the room, followed by a muffled groan.
Kouya's head whipped toward the sound. "What happened?"
"I-it's fine! Nothing!" came her shaky reply.
"If you don't tell me, I'm coming in," Kouya said flatly.
"Don't! Don't come in!" she cried, panic lacing her voice. After a brief pause, she mumbled, mortified, "I just... maybe got a small shock from the dryer... it's not a big deal..."
Kouya groaned, rubbing his temple. 'Why would you even use it inside the bathroom? There's literally a giant warning label that says not to do that.'
A few tense minutes passed before the door finally opened. Steam rolled out, followed by Vigne. She looked sheepish, towel-dried hair falling over her shoulders. Her knees were slightly red—and one had a faint scrape with a trickle of blood still visible.
At least her clothes looked dry again. Whatever she had done, she'd managed to make it work.
Kouya immediately noticed the injury. "You're bleeding. Did you slip?"
"Just a little. I fell, that's all," she said softly, trying to walk normally. But the slight limp in her step betrayed the pain she was trying to hide.
Kouya scanned the room—no first aid supplies anywhere. "I'll go downstairs and grab some antiseptic."
She waved her hand quickly. "No, it's okay, really! It's not that bad—"
But he was already heading for the door. "I'll be back."
Vigne's mouth opened, as if she wanted to stop him, but the words wouldn't come out. She just stood there, fingers curling nervously, a faint warmth flickering behind her embarrassed expression.
Downstairs, the clerk behind the counter looked up as Kouya approached. "Do you have any disinfectant or alcohol wipes?" he asked bluntly.
The clerk blinked in confusion. "Uh, did something happen, sir?"
"Just a scraped knee," Kouya replied, matter-of-fact.
The clerk's expression shifted instantly from concern to amused understanding. A sly, knowing grin spread across his face. "Ah, I see, I see... understood. I'll get that right away."
Kouya's brow twitched. 'What the hell is that supposed to mean?!'
When the clerk returned, he handed over a small bottle of antiseptic with a grin. "Here you go, sir. And, ah... if the bedsheets happen to get stained, just know there's a cleaning fee tomorrow."
Kouya froze mid-reach. 'Stained? What kind of nonsense are you implying?'
The clerk continued smoothly, grin widening. "Also, if the bed frame breaks, there's a replacement cost. You understand, right?"
Kouya's face darkened. 'Break the bed frame? What kind of monster do you think I am?!'