Kabe, who had also just finished showering and walked out wearing only a bath towel, immediately stopped in his tracks when he saw the chaotic scene in front of him.
During the two girls' playful struggle, Mirajane's loosely wrapped bath towel had already slipped to the floor.
Meanwhile, Ultear's thin shirt had been lifted up halfway by Mirajane, leaving her smooth, fair abdomen with perfectly defined abs exposed to the air.
Looking further down, four long, straight, fair legs intertwined with each other.
As the owners' emotions changed, the legs moved around without order, creating a scene that was almost dazzling to look at.
Kabe stared for a moment, completely forgetting to stop them.
It was not until Cana, Juvia, and Erza came out of the room one after another that Erza frowned and shouted.
"What are you two doing?! Mirajane, look at yourself! Hurry and put your towel back on!"
The two girls, who had been focused on playing around, turned their heads after hearing the voice.
Only then did they realize that everyone had already finished showering and was now looking at them with strange expressions.
Especially Kabe.
When Ultear noticed his appreciative gaze staring directly at her, her face instantly turned bright red.
She quickly covered herself with the nearby towel in panic.
Mirajane picked up the bath towel from the ground and wrapped it around herself, scratching her head awkwardly.
"Hehe, don't misunderstand. We were just playing around."
Kabe clicked his tongue and reluctantly moved his gaze away.
Although he knew the two girls were just messing around, there was still something he needed to remind them about.
"Playing around is fine, but don't let me discover that you two have any strange habits like liking girls or anything like that."
"What nonsense are you talking about? I'm already yours. How could I possibly like that kind of thing?"
Mirajane rolled her eyes at him in annoyance and waved her hand, chasing him away.
"Go, go. Go enjoy your hot spring. Ultear and I will come over later."
"Wait, I..."
Ultear had just wanted to say that she did not plan to join their group activity.
But Mirajane quickly covered her mouth with her hand, blocking the rest of her words.
"Alright, it's decided."
Without giving her any chance to argue, Mirajane made the decision herself.
Juvia had already been impatiently waiting.
Seeing that nothing serious had happened between the two, she did not bother worrying anymore.
She hugged one of Kabe's arms and dragged him outside.
"Since Mirajane said so, let's hurry and go."
Kabe looked back at the two suspiciously.
After confirming that the scene he absolutely did not want to see would not happen, he finally allowed himself to be pulled away by Juvia.
"Erza, Cana, you two come as well. Don't worry about them."
"That line really shouldn't be coming from someone who was standing there naked like a pervert."
Cana responded to Mirajane with an annoyed look.
After that, she ignored whatever trick Mirajane and Ultear were playing and followed Erza out.
Once everyone had left, Mirajane finally removed her hand from Ultear's mouth.
"Go get ready. I'll stay here and watch you. Don't even think about running away."
Ultear truly could not understand what Mirajane was trying to accomplish.
But after Mirajane had already gone this far, refusing again would only make her look cowardly.
"Hmph. Even her own boyfriend doesn't mind, so what am I worrying about?"
With that thought, she brought Mirajane back to her room and prepared herself.
Hearing the sound of running water coming from the bathroom, Mirajane crossed her arms and nodded with satisfaction.
"Well, well. You really thought you could escape?"
"Since we are going to become sisters sooner or later anyway, I might as well give you a little push."
"But that Kabe guy is really annoying. After I helped him so much, he actually suspected me."
"Just wait until tonight. I'll make sure he understands how impressive I am!"
Meanwhile, Kabe, who had just entered the hot spring pool outside, suddenly felt a chill run down his back and shivered.
Seeing this reaction, Cana immediately became suspicious and pulled back the foot she had been about to put into the water.
"Idiot, what are you shivering for?! You didn't just pee in the hot spring, did you?!"
"Don't talk nonsense! Do I look like that kind of person?!"
Feeling insulted, Kabe immediately retorted in embarrassment.
However, before he could finish speaking, Ultear suddenly jumped into the hot spring.
A short while later, she surfaced with a disappointed expression and proved Kabe's innocence.
"Don't worry, I already checked."
Cana and Erza: "..."
"No, wait. What exactly are you disappointed about?!"
Kabe said nothing.
He simply shifted his body backward calmly and quietly moved his hand under the water to cover what needed to be covered.