Deeply

The wicked rod that had adorned Claire’s lower body was successfully dealt with. The cleanup was a bit… difficult, but thanks to Claire, who could move freely again, it was somehow managed well.

…But the awkward atmosphere was unavoidable.

Even though I thought I’d handled it as professionally as possible, Claire kept letting out suppressed moans intermittently while reciting prayers to calm her mind. Even I felt strange, so Claire must have felt even more so.

Looking at it this way, it feels like I’m doing something bad to Claire. No, I didn’t even threaten her to take the medicine, so why should I feel this way? Shouldn’t I be the one receiving comfort instead?

My body suddenly changed, and I had to deal with bizarre rods I’d never seen or heard of in my life.

…Nothing would change by dwelling on it, so I let it go with a sigh. It would be more beneficial to focus on research than sighing.

When Claire, with a face that seemed both refreshed and uncomfortable, asked if I wanted to eat dinner, I shook my head. My bloated stomach played a part, but I simply didn’t feel like eating anything. More than a meal… a bath and sleep were more urgent.

More than anything, if I ate now, it felt like I’d be chewing with semen. If I had to eat… maybe after washing up.

At my words, Claire, with an understanding expression, guided me to the Bathroom. Along with a change of clothes.

“I’ll be right there, so go ahead and wash up first.”

“…Alright.”

By the way… is she planning to come in with me?

…It feels a bit late to be surprised now. I’ve already seen all the important parts.

Though it was more like I couldn’t help but see them, even if I didn’t want to.

Now… it’s tiresome to blush just from seeing a woman’s naked body. Every time I wash, it’s a woman’s body I see. It’s even beautiful.

…What am I thinking?

I shook my head once, then took off my sweat-soaked Nun’s Habit and underwear, neatly folded them, and entered the Bathroom.

The interior was clean. Except for the white decorations embedded here and there, just like outside, it felt like a bathhouse I’d seen in my past life.

Well, the temple isn’t poor, after all. Just looking at the amount of paperwork Claire handled today…

To clear away the distracting thoughts that kept filling my mind, I soaped and scrubbed my salty-feeling body, then rinsed thoroughly. Rinsing my hair also took some time, but I was used to it now. After washing off all the soap, I moved towards the bathtub.

Submerging myself in the lukewarm water made me feel a bit better. The feeling of accumulated fatigue and stress, both known and unknown, washing away was truly pleasant.

Feeling like I had the whole place to myself, I submerged myself completely, even my mouth, and blew bubbles, making the water’s surface ripple. Then, my eyes caught sight of where the water was pouring out.

A statue, similar to the one I’d seen outside while praying, presumed to be a goddess, was pouring water from a jar in a benevolent pose. Feeling somewhat irreverent, I straightened my posture.

…I feel unnecessarily self-conscious.

I gazed at my hair floating on the water’s surface, submerged endlessly. It was Claire’s voice that pulled my consciousness back above the water.

“What are you doing?”

With hazy eyes, I looked in the direction of the voice, and there was Claire, walking towards me without a single thread on her body.

She was slightly shorter than Claudia, with a surprisingly firm and smooth body. Her breasts were… smaller than Claudia’s, but instead, her abundant hair cascaded down to her waist.

…Even though I thought I’d already seen everything, I belatedly turned my head away.

“Just tired.”

“…Should I help you out a bit?”

“If you’re going to use Divine power, it’s fine.”

“Just wait a moment.”

Then, from behind me, I heard the sounds of Claire washing. The sound of her scrubbing her body, wetting her hair, and her wet skin brushing against itself.

…It must have been a familiar sound, but thinking of it as another person… and a friend I hadn’t seen in a very long time at that, made me feel strange. I wasn’t sure if the heat on my face was due to the bathwater or those sounds.

Not long after, the sounds of water subsided, and Claire’s footsteps gradually drew closer. The sound of bare skin touching the wet floor.

The splashing footsteps stopped.

Hands slipped under my armpits. Before I could say anything, my body was lifted. My vision suddenly rose.

“W-what are you doing?”

“Haven’t you been in here too long? Your body’s hot.”

“…Th-that’s true, but why are you treating me like a piece of luggage…?”

At my words, Claire chuckled softly.

“Sorry. I just felt like playing a prank.”

Claire, who had lifted my body with a flourish, sat me down on the edge of the bathtub. I could see the crown of Claire’s head as she squatted. Soon, Claire took hold of my feet.

“I’ll give you a massage, just like you did for me.”

“…It’s fine.”

“Just wait.”

Claire’s hand pressed firmly on the sole of my foot. A jolt of pain, felt for the first time, shot up my spine.

“Hmph!?”

“…You must have been very tired.”

I twitched and squirmed as I received Claire’s massage. It started from my feet, traveled up my calves, passed through my thighs, and extended to my waist and back. The touch on my lower abdomen felt a bit… strange, but the sensation of the fatigue accumulated in my body disappearing made me relax completely.

“It feels pretty good, doesn’t it?”

“…Yeah.”

With somewhat shaky legs, I got out and then put my now chilled body back into the bathtub. This time, Claire was with me. Before, it felt nice to have the spacious bathtub all to myself, but now, with just the two of us close together in this large tub, it felt wasteful and strange.

Claire probably isn’t the only one who uses this bathroom, so why is no one else here at this hour?

No, it’s not that I want to see other women’s bodies, but isn’t it a bit strange? It should be the time when everyone wants to wash up after their work, yet there’s no one here but Claire and me.

If I’m curious, I should just ask. There’s someone like the general manager right next to me.

“Claire.”

“Huh?”

“Why are there so few people in the bathtub?”

“…What are you talking about?”

Her expression somehow seemed to misunderstand. I waved my arm and continued.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but it’s not that. It’s strange that no one else is here, given the time and the size of this place, which isn’t meant for just one or two people.”

“Ah.”

Claire, submerged up to her shoulders, said in a nonchalant tone.

“I told them not to use it for a while because of you. You’re… a man, aren’t you? And it’s not like I can send you to where the male priests are.”

“…They accepted that?”

I wondered if that was allowed, but Claire shrugged.

“I suffer like a dog normally, so wouldn’t I have this much authority? All I have to do is ask them to clear out for a bit.”

“I see….”

“And… the other nuns… No, there’s no need to say that.”

“Huh?”

“If you didn’t hear it, then it’s fine.”

Well, putting aside what I didn’t hear, it’s good that Claire sees me as a man, but is it okay for Claire to be in the bathtub with me? If they’re strict enough to separate, shouldn’t we not be in together?

“Then are *you* okay?”

“Huh?”

“I mean, is it okay for *you* to be in here with me?”

“…Well, n-not really. For now, I’m in a woman’s body, and w-we’re friends, aren’t we?”

“Really?”

Seeing Claire speak so nonchalantly… it seems like it doesn’t matter much. Indeed, from the outside… it just looks like a Saint and a nun bathing together.

Yet, preventing other nuns from entering felt somewhat hypocritical, but for me, it was convenient.

Thinking that, I glanced at Claire, and her cheeks seemed slightly flushed. It seemed her body was getting heated up, so I wondered if it wasn’t time to leave.

“Shall we get out soon? Others will need to use it.”

“You go out first.”

“Not together?”

“I-I came in late, so I’ll stay a little longer before leaving. You go out first and wait where you changed clothes earlier.”

“Understood.”

I nodded and exited the Bathroom.

I was about to dry myself and get dressed, but there was a problem. The underwear Claire had brought didn’t fit my body. After a moment’s hesitation, putting on something that was already soaked felt uncomfortable, so I just put on the new Nun’s Habit.

I started walking, intending to ask Claire for it when she came out… but it was a bit… difficult. It felt as if the passing nuns-nim were staring intently at me. It probably wasn’t true, but their gazes kept making me self-conscious.

Feeling heat rise to my cheeks, I covered my chest and moved quickly. Yet, it still felt as if they were constantly looking at me and silently reprimanding me.

I knew it was a baseless delusion, but once the shame ignited, it wouldn’t subside. That paranoia only ended when I arrived at the room Claire had mentioned.

“Hoo… why am I like this?”

Lately, I’ve found it hard to control my emotions. The presumed cause… is it perhaps this changed body of mine?

I had a feeling that when Claire told me I had changed… she wasn’t just talking about my body changing.

Feeling depressed, I got onto the bed.

There was only one bed, but I closed my eyes, assuming Claire would wake me up when she arrived. Because I didn’t want to be awake right now.

To forget the depression and helplessness, I closed my eyes and exhaled.

As I exhaled steadily, my warmed body, perhaps due to fatigue, fell asleep instantly. So deeply that I wouldn’t have known if someone had carried me away.