[146] Eriri, Join Me in the Bath Too!

Chapter 146: Eriri, Join Me in the Bath Too!

Shunsuke's lunch was a torment. Mashiro remained silent as always, occasionally picking out the food she didn't like from her bowl and placing it into his.

Eriri's expression was twisted with discomfort, while Yui kept trying to guess the relationship between the three of them, making the atmosphere incredibly awkward.

Finally, lunch came to an end. After wiping the corner of his mouth with a napkin, Shunsuke naturally reached out to wipe off a stray grain of rice from Mashiro's lips.

That was when he noticed Yui staring at him in shock.

"What's wrong, Yui?"

As the saying goes, if I don't feel awkward, the awkwardness belongs to you. With a calm and composed expression, Shunsuke met Yui's gaze and asked.

Yui opened her mouth as if to say something but then turned to look at Eriri, only to find that she wore a completely unsurprised expression.

Then, glancing at Mashiro, who remained as expressionless as ever, she quietly closed her mouth.

That was the nature of someone who was sensitive to the atmosphere—Yui didn't have the courage to speak against it yet.

If she were dealing with a guy she was somewhat close to, even a bit of assertiveness would likely be enough to get him to date her. But the new generation of passive, herbivorous men rarely had the resolve to be assertive.

After splitting the bill evenly, the three of them saw Yui off.

Shunsuke then suggested that they browse the mall for a little longer.

After all, it would be ridiculous if they spent an entire day shopping only for him to end up buying a Mr. Panda plush that wasn't even for himself but for another girl… What a cruel fate.

He had already steeled himself to buy anything that the two girls locked eyes on.

Just then, a sudden commotion spread through the mall.

Shunsuke turned to look outside and saw the sky growing even darker.

The trees were swaying violently in the strong winds.

Moments later, with a flash of lightning and a loud crack of thunder, raindrops the size of beans began to pour down. In no time, it had turned into a full-blown storm.

Taking out his phone, he checked the weather forecast.

The typhoon and heavy rain were expected to last until midnight.

A warning advised citizens to travel cautiously.

"If it doesn't stop and only gets worse…"

Shunsuke frowned.

Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, he quickly turned his gaze toward a building next to the mall—an upscale hotel.

"If the rain doesn't stop and only gets worse..."

Shunsuke frowned, then suddenly turned his head sharply toward the building next to the mall—an upscale hotel.

—Then let it pour even harder.

With a smile, he closed the weather app on his phone. "Mashiro, Eriri, don't worry about it. Let's keep shopping for a bit. The rain will lighten up soon."

Eriri believed him without question.

…

"Shunsuke, why hasn't the rain stopped yet?"

Afternoon had long passed, but the downpour showed no sign of letting up. In fact, it seemed even heavier than before. Looking out from inside the mall, the streets were nearly deserted.

The three of them stood by a window after finishing dinner. While Shunsuke and Mashiro remained unfazed, Eriri wore a bitter expression, frowning deeply.

"With rain this heavy, even wearing a raincoat and using an umbrella won't help. Plus, there's a typhoon right now. Going back would be too dangerous—not to mention, you'd probably catch a cold." Shunsuke casually guided the conversation in a particular direction. "Getting a taxi would be a hassle too."

Eriri, unknowingly led astray by his reasoning, didn't even consider calling her parents to arrange a ride. Instead, her frown deepened.

"By the way... Eriri, when you left today, you told Mrs. Sayuri you were meeting me, right?"

"Huh? Of course! Who else would I go out with on a weekend?"

"Then it's no problem if you don't go back tonight." Shunsuke nodded. "As Mashiro's… caretaker, as long as she's with me, it doesn't matter whether she goes home or not. Naturally, the same goes for me. So…"

He pointed at the hotel beside them. "Why don't we just stay there tonight?"

"A-a hotel?!"

Eriri pressed her lips together, clutching the hem of her skirt with her fingers. After glancing at the heavy rain outside, she whispered, "I-If the rain keeps up like this… staying at a hotel is… unavoidable."

Hearing Eriri agree, Shunsuke felt a surge of joy, but before he could show it on his face, Mashiro softly asked, "Shunsuke, are we all sleeping together tonight?"

"BOOM!!"

Shunsuke froze. Eriri also jumped in shock and immediately grabbed Mashiro's hand. "M-Mashiro, don't joke about things like that! Girls can't sleep with boys once they've grown up!"

"BOOM!"

Lightning flashed, and an eerie glint flickered in Mashiro's eyes. "I sleep with Shunsuke all the time."

Her calm words made Eriri stiffen. But before she could say anything, Shunsuke swiftly pulled both of them into his arms. "Hahaha! Decision's made! Let's hurry up and go! Quick, quick, quick—if we don't run, we'll be drenched!"

Summoning Star Platinum, Shunsuke forcefully pushed both of them toward the hotel next door.

Though the distance was only a few dozen meters, the torrential rain still left them somewhat soaked.

"Hello, one presidential suite—the biggest one you have, for three people."

Striding up to the front desk, Shunsuke pulled out a black card and, while facing away from Eriri, winked at the male receptionist.

Due to the nation's limited land area, hotel and inn rooms in Japan were generally quite small—even in high-end hotels. If they wanted a comfortable space for all three of them, only the presidential suite in select luxury hotels would suffice.

Yes, let's all believe that's the real reason.

"Wait a second! That's too expensive. Three standard single rooms will be fine," Eriri quickly protested, her face flushing red. Mashiro remained completely still.

The female receptionist gave Shunsuke a look of contempt, while the male receptionist, keeping a professional smile, pretended to check the system before apologizing politely. "I'm sorry, due to the heavy rain, there are no available rooms left in the hotel. The presidential suite is the only one that hasn't been booked yet."

"Th-Then… we'll take the presidential suite," Eriri mumbled, lowering her head. She remained silent for a long time before finally speaking.

Shunsuke subtly gave a thumbs-up. With observation skills like yours, if you don't get promoted to shift leader tomorrow, it'd be an injustice!

After stepping into the room, Mashiro suddenly began shaking off the water before kicking off her shoes. Her delicate feet, clad in white stockings, pressed into the soft carpet. Then, right in front of Eriri, she casually took off her top.

"W-Wait! Mashiro-chan, what are you doing?!"

"Shunsuke said that if our clothes get wet, we should take them off immediately and take a bath."

As she unzipped her skirt, Mashiro turned back to Eriri with a blank expression, her gaze carrying an unmistakable 'Eriri is so dumb' vibe.

"T-That's… not wrong, but—"

"Eriri, you should bathe too. Otherwise, you'll catch a cold."

Mashiro continued undressing while extending an invitation as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"If Mashiro wants me to so much… Wait, Mashiro, stop undressing already!"

"I don't understand Eriri."

"I don't understand you either, Mashiro!"

"Shunsuke is going to bathe with us too."

"..."

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