Ch.158158. Bath Resumed (1)

“Sister! Want to go take a bath together?”

“…It seems everyone is already preparing. Are you talking about the large bathhouse here?”

“Yes! Hehe… The Association’s bathhouse is amazing. Haven’t you been there yet?”

“That’s an employee benefit, isn’t it? I’m not an employee… Rather, I’m someone hostile to the employees, so I don’t think it would be good for me to go. Besides, there’s a shower attached to my room…”

“Oh come on… Wouldn’t it be nice to soak your body in warm water?”

“And, to begin with, I haven’t stayed here that long. Just… a few weeks at most. Well, I might have to live here for the rest of my life, so maybe later if I get the chance…”

“The rest of your life?! You have to come back with us!”

“Well… that’s not for me to decide…”

We were lying on the bed, chatting comfortably.

“Huh? What are you talking about? If anything, staying here would be better for you. If you come back, I’m going to work you to the bone. After all the trouble you’ve caused, I’ll make you pay it all back.”

Blanc sits beside me and interjects.

“And… sigh. Never mind. I’ll tell you later.”

“Well… isn’t it being decided tomorrow anyway?”

“Yeah. When you come back to our house, I’m going to make you work really hard, so be prepared.”

“Yunseul sister…?”

Arin calls out to Blanc with worried eyes as she looks at me.

“Don’t worry, Arin. I’m definitely going to make a maid outfit for Bine.”

“…Oh.”

“Hey, Blanc?!?!”

“From now on, once a month… no, at least once every two weeks, I’m going to make you wear a maid outfit. Don’t worry. I’ll design various styles… hehehe… so you won’t get bored.”

“Blanc… I haven’t said I’m going back yet…”

“Yeah. That’s what you think. We’ve already decided. And you’re always saying this and that with your mouth… I’ll show you what real inconsideration is. Look forward to it.”

“…That sounds a bit scary.”

“Hehehe…”

Let’s put aside Blanc with her strange laughter.

Even without Blanc, Yuri alone is more than enough to handle.

What’s with this sudden obsession with dressing me up?

…Actually, for the past few weeks, Yuri has been bringing me clothes.

I said anything comfortable would be fine, and that was the beginning of the problem.

I was just expecting a hoodie and dolphin pants.

Sigh…

I was so surprised to see enough clothes to fill an entire car.

“Um, I’ve had enough of being a mannequin…”

“It’s okay. I won’t make you do that. Well… I can’t exactly guarantee that. Anyway… look forward to it? Maid outfit… hehehe…”

“…I’ll handle anything that’s not good for Arin’s education.”

“Sure. As long as Arin doesn’t see it, right?”

“What…? No, are there such things?”

Arin seems curious about what she shouldn’t see and asks Blanc.

“Sister…? Something I shouldn’t see… could it be…?”

“Now, now. Arin is still too young. Let’s think about it when you’re a bit older, okay?”

“What?! Yunseul sister!”

“Hehe… Ah, Yuri sister fell asleep. Hyewon, can you wake her up? Sister needs to wash up too.”

“You’re changing the subject! Sister!”

“Come on… grab your clothes. Let’s go quickly.”

“Sister!! I’m curious too!”

Ellie, who had been quiet beside us, had a red face from whatever she was thinking.

I think I know roughly what it is.

I overheard Blanc whispering to Ellie.

Probably this:

“I’ll make you wear couple outfits too, so look forward to it.”

What on earth is she thinking…?

Is she trying to extend her evil clutches to Ellie as well?

Before Arin could ask more questions, we were dragged off to the bathhouse.

Since the Association is in a city but also in the mountains… they’ve built an open-air bath, I hear.

I’ve never been there, so I don’t know anything about it.

“At this hour, there shouldn’t be many people, right…?”

“If there are any, they’d just be magical girls training late at night, right?”

“I guess so… but are there such girls…?”

“There are quite a few. Sister, didn’t you train here late at night a lot too?”

“That was… because of Bine…”

“Huh? Me…?”

“Yeah… after you did this and that to me… I felt so sorry for the others, you know? So… I decided to try a little harder… but I still couldn’t beat you…”

“If it was after that time. I remember things got more annoying because you went back again…”

“Really? Then I’m glad… at least what I did wasn’t completely useless…?”

“…Useless, huh. Hah… I suppose so.”

“What’s wrong…? It’s better to leave the past in the past. Otherwise, that past will keep eating away at you. Come on, let’s go wash away all those bad thoughts.”

Just as I was about to become a bit gloomy, Yuri’s words forced me to forget, and we headed down to enter the bathhouse.

“…But, as I’ve said many times, Blanc already knows my past…”

“And do you care about that?”

“…Isn’t that something you all should care about?”

“We’re fine with it. If you’re okay with it, then everything’s fine.”

“But still…”

“We’ve already seen everything there is to see, so stop being shy. Come on in.”

“B-but what if there are other magical girls or staff…!”

“They’ll just think you’re a woman, so it doesn’t matter. And if you keep reacting like that… I’ll eat y— Nevermind… Just come in already. Aren’t you cold? The night air has been chilly lately.”

“Huh…?”

“I said come in. Arin is waiting inside.”

“Ah…”

Fortunately, there was no one inside. Arin and Ellie must have gone in quickly ahead of us, as they weren’t there.

Just…

Well.

What’s different about women anyway?

It’s just… our bodies are a bit different.

No, I was fine when I was with them one by one, but why now…

Ah, back then I was dragged in forcibly.

No, I’m being dragged in forcibly now too.

No, I mean.

I don’t know where to look…

“Bine, what’s wrong? Are you sick?”

The insensitive Hyewon asks.

“Hyewon… Bine says she’s still embarrassed.”

“Huh…? Hasn’t it been at least ten years…? At this point, honestly… aren’t you basically a woman?”

“I said I’m embarrassed.”

I’ve already undressed but…

But…

With nowhere to look, I was staring at the floor trying to go inside when—

Thump.

My shoulder was grabbed.

And I was pulled back, then—poof!

I was embraced.

…Soft?

Squishy…?

“B-Blanc…! L-let me go…!”

“I don’t want to! Come on, let’s go in!”

“Blanc…!”

We’re touching, we’re touching…!

It’s not like we’re forced to touch in the bath…

We’re touching outside…!

With bare skin…!

“Pfft… Bine. You’re getting hot.”

“Nooo! Blanc…!”

I was pushed into the bath by Blanc.

Inside, Arin and Ellie, who had already washed themselves, were…

…

They weren’t fighting, but…

Or were they fighting?

Were they about to fight?

Yeah.

They’re about to fight.

“Hey! Stop it!”

“You started it first!”

“Eek…! Stop spraying shampoo on my head!! Take this!”

“Kyaaack!? It, it got in my eyes! Hey! Heeey!”

“Pfft! Serves you right! That’s what you get for always bothering Sister Bine!”

“What are you saying! Bine has been so m— Bleh!”

“Hehe…! Got soap in your eyes? You should thank me for washing them!”

…Yeah.

A magical girl is bullying a villain.

I guess this is the time when villains get hunted down.

Well, it does look like Ellie started the war…

“Y-you!”

“Kyaa?! Ah, that’s cold! That’s cheating, that’s cheating!”

“Who cheated first! The one who splashed water with the basin cheated first!”

“The shower is going too far! Kyaa, ack?! S-stop! Stop!”

I should stop this now.

They might start fighting with their powers in the bathroom at this rate.

“Ellie. Stop.”

“Uh, uhm…? Bine…!? Y-you came…?”

“Arin, please stop too… You’ve been doused with cold water, so get in the bath quickly. Or at least use warm water. You’ll catch a cold if your body gets too cold.”

“Ah, B-Bine sister… Y-yes…”

…It’s a mess.

Arin is still shivering with soapy water dripping from her hair.

Ellie is still coughing, probably from choking on the water she got hit with earlier.

Sigh…

“So… what were you fighting about? Ellie. Explain.”

“Well, this magical girl started first—”

“No sister, listen to me first, this Elise started—”

“…Enough.”

“Okay…”

“Yes…”

After settling them down,

“Phew… Blanc. Let’s wash up fir— Ah.”

“Hm? Bine? What’s wrong? Weren’t you just breaking up their fight?”

Looking at Blanc who called out from behind me.

…Ah.

Right.

KYAAAAH?!?!?!?!

“B-B-B-B-B-Blanc! D-don’t look here…! No, t-turn around! Everything is visi— KYAAH!?”

“What are you saying? Hurry up and sit down to wash. I’ll scrub your back.”

“B-but…”

“You were the one scolding those two just now. Don’t make a fuss.”

“…Yes.”

Something feels off.

Why is Blanc…

Well, she said she’d scrub my back, so I need to wash my hair first…

“Wait. I’ll wash it for you.”

“…I can wash my own hair…”

“Let me do it.”

“Isn’t your desire showing a bit too much…?”

“Where did the person who was making a fuss earlier go?”

“Ugh.”

I ended up letting her wash my hair.

The kids beside us.

Why aren’t they getting in the bath… and just watching?

Well…

I couldn’t see properly because I had my eyes closed to avoid getting soap in them, but I could sense their presence.

Since my hair is long, I had my eyes closed for quite a while.

I found myself focusing on the touch.

Somehow it’s more thorough and gentle than when I wash my own hair.

“You can be a bit rougher if you want…”

“Hm? Was that your preference, Bine?”

“N-no…! How can you say such things with the kids here…”

“What do you mean? I just asked if you prefer having your head massaged more firmly while washing. Did you think of something else?”

“Ugh… evil magical girl…”

“Yes, yes. Now I’m going to apply conditioner, so close your eyes again.”

“I’ve had them closed the whole ti— bleh…”

“Oh right. I forgot to rinse off the soap. I almost put conditioner on top of the bubbles. But wow, your hair is so soft… I wish I had hair like this.”

“Ptooey… Do we really need to use conditioner… it’s such a hassle…”

“…Hm?”

“Even if I wash it roughly, it’s still this ni— wait…? Blanc…? Your hands seem to be pressing harder… ow, that hurts…?”

“Yeah. I thought you needed a massage.”

Blanc’s touch…

It seems to have some emotion behind it.

“It hurts! I said it hurts! Kyaah!!”