Kaguya and Yuzuru were spirited away by Murasame Reine, and before Shichen could even enjoy a moment of peace, Tohka and the others barged in.
"Shichen! Are you okay?"
The moment she stepped into the room, Tohka rushed over and started patting him all over.
"Tohka, what are you doing?" Shichen gave her a strange look.
"Where are those two? Weren't they with you? They didn't do anything to you, right?" Tohka started looking around for Kaguya and Yuzuru.
"Heh…" Shichen couldn't help but laugh and shake his head. "What could they possibly do to me?"
"They definitely had bad intentions toward you!"
"Relax, I'm fine. Reine already took them away."
"Really? Then that's good."
"So, Shichen, you didn't do anything to them, did you?" Tokisaki Kurumi asked sweetly, smiling as she watched him.
Origami, who'd come along as well, glanced at him when she heard that.
"...What do you think I could've done to them? What kind of person do you take me for?" Shichen shot Kurumi an exasperated look.
"Ah la~ I know you're very gentlemanly, but aren't they exactly the kind of targets you like?" Kurumi teased.
"Even if that were true, it still depends on the relationship, doesn't it? If I'm going to do anything to someone, it'd make more sense to do it to you than to them."
"...!" Kurumi hadn't expected him to say that. Her heart gave a happy little jump, and a blush crept across her cheeks.
"Shichen, you can do whatever you want to me," Origami said flatly.
"Origami, in your dreams!" Tohka snapped immediately, eyes full of hostility.
"Shichen can only do things to me, he won't do anything to you."
"Then what exactly has he done to you?"
"That…"
"Hehe~ you two can stop arguing. Let's go eat. You've still got make-up lessons to do this afternoon," Shichen cut in, smoothing things over.
"…Okay…"
By the time Shichen and the girls arrived at the dining hall, most of the teachers and students were already there.
He looked around the room; Reine, Kaguya, and Yuzuru were nowhere in sight.
They didn't need him worrying about them, so he calmly sat down with Tohka and the others and started eating.
Surrounded by ocean, the island's meals were naturally heavy on seafood. Since all the expenses were being covered by the sponsor, the food was quite luxurious.
There were even plenty of raw dishes.
Shichen wasn't used to eating raw stuff. Every time, he discreetly roasted it with Sacred Fire, which actually brought out the flavor nicely.
Once Tohka caught him doing it, she insisted he roast hers too.
Then Kurumi and Origami joined in.
That lunch ended up being oddly exhausting.
Afterward, they rested for a bit, and then it was time for class again. The subject teachers went along with the students to supervise, while Shichen, as the PE teacher, had nothing to do.
As for why a PE teacher needed to come on the trip, that was the travel agency's request. With his looks, he was useful for promotional photos.
Since they were paying, whether he came along or not didn't really matter to him.
Back in his room, Shichen lounged around for a while. Bored, he was just thinking about going home for a bit to hug Yoshino when the door suddenly opened.
"Shichen, we're back!"
"Correction. We came to drag you out," Yuzuru said.
Kaguya and Yuzuru strolled in as if they owned the place, both dressed differently from before.
Their uniforms were gone, replaced by blue-and-white yukata.
"What are you two wearing?" Shichen asked, puzzled.
"Shichen, just come with us," Kaguya said.
One on each side, they grabbed his arms and dragged him out the door.
"...And where exactly are we going?"
"Hehehe~ you'll know when we get there. Hurry up and come along."
"Assurance. Just follow us," Yuzuru added.
"And if we're already there, will I still need you to tell me?" Shichen muttered.
He didn't resist and let them lead him. They quickly arrived at a certain place.
In front of them were two entrances, each with a blue or red curtain hanging above: one marked "Men," one "Women."
The inn's bathhouse.
"You dragged me here for what?"
"Hehe~ There is far too much darkness and filth built up in your body, so we deign to allow you to purify yourself here," Kaguya declared grandly.
"Speak human."
"Translation: Kaguya means 'go take a bath and work up a proper sweat,'" Yuzuru explained.
"If you want me to bathe, just say so. It's not like I'm actually dirty."
"E–even if you're not, you still have to bathe!"
"What exactly are you plotting?"
"T–that… you'll know once you're done bathing…" Kaguya's gaze darted away.
"Fine, I'll play along. But isn't it a bit early to bathe?"
"Not at all. Now's the perfect time—no one will interrupt."
"Request. Please, we've already prepared everything you need," Yuzuru said earnestly.
"Alright, alright." Shichen shook his head and stepped into the men's side.
Just like Yuzuru said, there were neatly folded towels, bath towels, and a yukata waiting at the entrance.
Shichen glanced back at the two.
"W–what are you looking at? My lofty and profound designs are not something a mere mortal can comprehend!" Kaguya huffed, folding her arms and looking away.
"Suggestion. A big bath with no other people is pretty great," Yuzuru commented.
"I'll be very interested to see what you two are planning. Don't disappoint me," Shichen said, giving them a meaningful look.
"You won't be disappointed!"
Kaguya clearly didn't understand what he meant.
"Admiration. I respect your decisiveness, Shichen," Yuzuru added.
"I'm going in, then."
"G–go ahead," Kaguya said, suddenly too shy to meet his gaze, her cheeks turning pink.
Yuzuru lifted a hand, hiding a small smirk.
Hope Reine pulls this off…
With that thought, Shichen let the curtain fall behind him and headed into the changing area to undress.
The changing room was warm, steam leaking out from behind the sliding door that led to the baths, making it impossible to see inside.
Shichen briefly wondered if Reine might already be in there, but that would be unlikely.
He didn't sense her presence, so he stripped down, grabbed a bath towel, and walked toward the bath.
Sliding the door open, he was greeted by a breath-taking scene:
A wide stone bath, filled with slightly brownish hot water. Thick steam curled upward like a misty veil—it was basically an open-air hot spring.
Most importantly, because it was an outdoor bath, the broad expanse of the ocean lay just beyond, and the sound of waves rolled steadily in.
Bathing in a place like this really was a luxury. You could soak here all day.
There wasn't another soul in sight. Shichen rinsed himself off at the shower area, then slipped into the bath with a satisfied sigh.
"Hoo—" He couldn't help letting out a long breath.
Baths were that kind of thing—before you get in, you don't really care. Once the hot water wraps around you, it's instant bliss.
But bathing alone was a little dull.
Clatter—
Almost as if answering his thoughts, the sliding door opened again, followed by light footsteps.
Shichen turned his head and was rewarded with a delightful sight:
Two identical, bath-towel-clad girls stepped in.
Their towels didn't cover everything; bare shoulders, collarbones, and calves were all exposed. Their skin was pale and smooth, with a healthy glow.
They quickly walked to the edge of the bath. From Shichen's angle, he couldn't see any "valleys," but he saw plenty.
"You two… what are you doing here?"
"Hehe~"
Kaguya gave a smug little chuckle, and she and Yuzuru slipped into the water on either side of him.
The towels soaked instantly, clinging to their bodies and outlining their curves in detail.
Full and shapely.
Shichen looked them up and down openly; he'd already guessed they'd show up.
"Heh—hehe~ S–so? Even you can't help but fall under my charms now, right?" Kaguya said, flushing, her words stumbling.
"Pfft~" Yuzuru snorted from the other side.
"Mocking. 'Charms'? This is the first time Yuzuru's heard Kaguya had any," she said.
"Wh–what's that supposed to mean?! Hmph! You'll be laughing on the other side of your face soon, because Shichen will be completely bewitched by me!" Kaguya huffed.
"Challenge accepted. That's exactly what I want," Yuzuru replied calmly.
The two slid closer, pressing against Shichen and hugging his arms again.
This was different from back in the uniforms. With the bath towels so thin—and soaked—the sensation was even more intense.
"Hehe, prepare yourself, Shichen. Soon your body will become one that can't be satisfied without me."
"Denial. Shichen will become a prisoner of Yuzuru's body instead."
"Oh? And what exactly are you planning to do?" Shichen asked.
"Planning to… uh…" They traded a look, then both looked away.
"Yuzuru, w–why are you staring at me? I'm simply graciously permitting you to make the first move."
"Denied. The one who should be granted the right to move first is clearly the one who needs it more—you, Kaguya. Yuzuru can yield the first strike to you."
"Hah, you really don't get it. If I make a move, Shichen's eyes will be stuck on me forever… can't you tell I'm doing you a favor?"
"Suspicion. You just don't know what to do, do you?"
"...You're no better!"
~~~
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