Chapter 345: The Beauty in the Bathroom

"I'm heading back!"

Chika quickly wrapped herself in a bath towel and ran off without another word.

Left alone, Amamiya walked into the yard and eased back into the hot spring for another soak. When he eventually got out, he noticed a new text message on his phone.

Hanamori: "Senpai, I'm coming!"

Coming here? No, you're clearly next door!

Sending a message at this time... Are you planning to wait until your silly lady falls asleep, then make a dramatic, glittering entrance under a new identity?

Amamiya quickly typed a reply:

Amamiya: "Where are you? I'll come pick you up."

Hanamori: "It's so hot outside, Senpai, no need to trouble yourself. Just tell me where you are, and I'll meet you there."

Amamiya: "This is your first time here, and you're unfamiliar with the area. What if you get lost?"

Hanamori: "There's a navigation app for that!"

Amamiya: "It's not safe for a girl to wander around alone at night."

Hanamori: "Don't think flattery will let you off the hook for juggling multiple relationships, Senpai! I won't forgive you so easily!"

Amamiya: "..."

Ultimately, the "spy maid" refused to let Amamiya pick her up, citing convenience—running to the station was too much of a hassle for her.

Sighing, Amamiya put his phone away and decided to head out to buy a drink.

Just as he stepped outside, he saw a girl with long black hair standing by his door. She bit her lower lip nervously, her conflicted expression paired with a slight flush on her otherwise delicate features.

"Komi-san?" Amamiya called out, raising an eyebrow.

At the sound of his voice, Komi flinched slightly. She quickly looked down at her toes, unable to meet his gaze.

"Do you need to talk to me about something?" he asked curiously.

Komi hesitated for a moment, her lips trembling, before shaking her head.

"Come on, there's clearly something," Amamiya teased, crossing his arms. "You've been standing there hesitating for three whole minutes."

Komi-san: "…"

(It was only a second or two, not three minutes!)

Amamiya added with a smirk, "If you don't say anything soon, I'll have no choice but to bully you."

A soft, barely audible voice escaped her lips—so faint that in a noisier environment, it would've been missed entirely.

"...You won't."

Amamiya blinked in surprise. "You actually spoke?"

Komi-san's cheeks flushed crimson, and she stared down at her feet, avoiding eye contact.

"Alright then," Amamiya said, switching tactics. "How about this? Tell me what's wrong, or I'll go and bully Sajuna right in front of you. You wouldn't want your best friend to suffer, would you?"

Komi-san: "…"

Using Sajuna to threaten me? That's too cruel!

Pouting slightly, Komi pulled out a small notebook from her bag and began writing. Speaking might be difficult, but writing was no problem.

After a few moments, she handed the notebook to Amamiya.

"The bracelet... the one my mom gave me for my birthday... it's gone."

Amamiya glanced at the words and immediately asked, "Did you search your room thoroughly?"

Komi nodded.

"Was it still there earlier today?"

She nodded again.

"When was the last time you saw it?"

"In the bathroom," she wrote.

"Then it must've fallen into the hot spring," Amamiya deduced, snapping his fingers.

Komi looked startled, realizing he was probably right. She'd come here intending to search but hadn't worked up the courage to knock on the door. If Amamiya hadn't stepped out, she might've hesitated at the entrance all night.

"Come on in," Amamiya said, holding the door open. "The bracelet probably slipped into the hot spring. You'll have to check."

Komi hesitated briefly before stepping inside. She stood frozen just past the threshold, clearly nervous.

"Go ahead and look for your bracelet," Amamiya said, heading toward the door. "I'll leave for about ten minutes. Is that enough time?"

Komi nodded quickly, scribbling, "More than enough."

"Alright then."

Waving goodbye, Amamiya left the room and made his way to a convenience store. There, he bought a can of iced tea and sat outside sipping it while casually texting the succubus girl.

Umi: [Picture]

Umi: [Picture]

Umi: [Picture]

She sent several pictures in a row then a message:

"I was having seafood dinner with my dad, and he asked why you didn't come over to eat with him," 

"I'm taking a hot spring bath with the girls." Amamiya said, typing casually.

The succubus girl promptly sent an emoji of an angry cat, accompanied by an indignant "snort." But her temper was fleeting, and another message soon followed.

Umi: "After dinner, I'm going to take a hot spring bath and put on a volcanic mud mask."

Amamiya: "Your skin's already so good, I don't think you need a mask."

Umi: "Even perfect skin needs maintenance! By the way, how are we getting back to Tokyo tomorrow?"

Amamiya: "We already agreed to take the Shinkansen together at 9 a.m."

Umi: "Great. I'll come find you after having breakfast with my dad."

And with that, the chat ended.

Ten minutes passed quickly. Amamiya put away his phone and headed back to the hotel.

Click.

Pushing open the door to his room, he found it silent. There was no sign of Komi.

Assuming she had left, Amamiya began undressing for a bath. Summer nights weren't much cooler than the days, and after a short walk, his clothes were sticking to him with sweat.

After a quick rinse in the bathroom, he made his way to the backyard hot spring, ready for a refreshing soak.

As he stepped outside, he froze.

Under the pale, cold moonlight, a girl stood waist-deep in the hot spring. Her long black hair draped down like silk, and her perfect waist and hips shimmered alabaster-white in the moon's glow.

For a moment, Amamiya couldn't look away.

Then the girl moved. Hearing his approaching footsteps, she quickly stood upright, her eyes wide with panic as they met his. Her face turned an instant, fiery red. Letting out a small squeak, she hastily sank back into the water, using her arms to cover herself.

It was Komi-san.

Amamiya raised an eyebrow. What are you even doing?

That hot spring was far too large to search thoroughly in a few minutes. It would take at least ten just to comb through one section!

Shaking his head, Amamiya turned to leave, but before he could take more than two steps, he heard frantic splashing behind him. The noise didn't stop. In fact, it grew louder.

"What's going on now?"

Turning back, Amamiya saw Komi flailing in the water, clearly struggling.

"What are you doing!" Amamiya muttered in disbelief, his calm demeanor vanishing.

She was drowning.

In a hot spring barely a meter deep.

How bad is your sense of balance?!

With a sigh of exasperation, Amamiya hurried to the edge of the spring and waded in. In two quick strides, he reached the flailing girl and scooped her up out of the water.

Crash.

Water cascaded off her delicate, fair skin.

Komi coughed violently, clinging to Amamiya's arm with trembling fingers. Her tear-filled eyes and pale face showed just how frightening the experience had been.

"It's okay," Amamiya said, patting the top of her head to calm her. "You're fine now, but could you let go of my arm?"

It was only then that Amamiya realized the bath towel Komi had been wearing had slipped off during the struggle. Her arms, now wrapped tightly around his, created an unexpectedly pleasant sensation.

Still, he knew better than to linger in such a moment. Nighttime impulses could easily overpower reason, and giving in to them would spell disaster.

Komi blinked, her expression blank for a moment, before realizing her predicament. With a sharp gasp, her pale face flushed crimson. Letting out a small cry, she quickly covered herself and sank back into the water, steam rising from her head.

"So, you still haven't found your bracelet?"

Now that they'd already reached this level of awkwardness, Amamiya saw no point in leaving right away. He crouched down by the edge of the spring, looking at Komi, who squatted under the water like a boiled shrimp.

Komi shook her head frantically, her embarrassment written all over her face. She hesitated, lifting a hand as if to write something, but quickly dropped it back into the water, realizing the situation didn't allow for notes. Finally, in a barely audible whisper, she stammered,

"J-Just now… there was a bug."

"What?" Amamiya leaned in, not quite catching her words.

Komi took a deep breath and repeated, even softer, "There… was a moth."

As it turned out, when Komi came to the backyard earlier, the light had attracted a particularly large moth. Girls typically hated insects, and Komi was no exception. The sudden sight of the creature had startled her so much that she panicked and slipped.

Amamiya sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"A moth scared you that badly?"

Komi nodded, her face turning an even darker shade of red.

"Alright, alright," he said with a wry smile. "Let's just find that bracelet and call it a night."

Blocked by the moth, Komi-san hesitated for a long time before finally gathering the courage to drive it away. However, the delay left her little time to search for her bracelet, and she couldn't bring herself to leave empty-handed.

When she explained this to Amamiya, he asked, "Have you searched the entire hot spring?"

Komi-san shook her head.

"I'll help—" Amamiya started but paused mid-sentence, sighing. "Never mind, I'll look for it. Just stay where you are and don't move."

Komi quickly shook her head, flustered. "I-I can find it myself!"

Amamiya frowned. "Forget it. If there's another drowning incident, it'll just cause trouble for the staff."

Komi silently squatted in a corner of the hot spring, hugging her knees and trying to make herself as small as possible. Only her eyes and nose peeked out above the water. As her heart pounded rapidly, she sneaked a shy glance at Amamiya, who was not far away, before quickly looking away again.

Amamiya, unaware that anyone else was in the hot spring, had only wrapped himself in a towel. With his improved physical fitness, his toned muscles and defined abs stood out, accentuated by the moonlight.

Moments later, as Amamiya searched the water, his fingers brushed against something hard beneath the surface. His eyes lit up as he retrieved the object—a bracelet.

"Found it," Amamiya said with a small sigh of relief, turning to Komi. "Take a look. Is this yours?"

Komi's eyes brightened as she nodded happily.

"Here you go." He handed her the bracelet and stood up. "I'll head back now."

Though he didn't get the chance to enjoy the hot spring, Amamiya didn't feel like he'd lost out entirely.

Back in the room, after a quick shower, Amamiya was preparing to relax when there was a knock on the door.

Knock, knock.

Walking to the door, he glanced through the peephole and saw a petite figure standing in the hallway, dressed in a pink yukata with her hair styled in twin buns.

"It's Sajuna," he whispered, glancing at Komi.

Hearing this, Komi panicked and frantically looked around for a hiding place.

Amamiya pointed toward the bathroom, and she quickly slipped inside. Only after she was safely hidden did he open the door.

"Idiot Amamiya, Komi-san is missing!" Sajuna exclaimed, skipping any formalities. Her tone was laced with worry as she stepped inside.

Missing?

"Don't worry," Amamiya replied calmly, closing the door behind her. "What do you mean she's missing?"

"I don't know!" Sajuna huffed. "She's just gone. I was reading a manga, and when I finished, the room was too quiet. At first, I thought she was in the bathroom, but the light wasn't on."

"Did you try calling her?" Amamiya asked.

"Her phone is still in the room, charging!" Sajuna shot back. "She's gone!"

In the bathroom, Komi, who was pressing her ear to the door, blushed deeply, feeling both guilty and mortified.

Sorry. I didn't mean to worry you, Sajuna.

"Relax," Amamiya said, guiding Sajuna to sit on the bed. "Komi-san is so well-behaved. She wouldn't just wander off. She probably had something important to do."

"Important enough to leave without telling me?" Sajuna frowned.

"Komi-san is frugal with words," Amamiya said thoughtfully. "Has she said even one word to you today?"

Sajuna blinked, momentarily at a loss. "Well… no, but…"

"Exactly," Amamiya interrupted. "Maybe she didn't want to write it down in her notebook either. There's probably a special reason—something she's too embarrassed to share."

"Like what?" Sajuna asked, still unconvinced.

"Maybe she went out to buy something personal. Like… underwear," Amamiya suggested matter-of-factly. "She'll be back soon."

"Underwear?" Sajuna blinked, her skepticism wavering.

"Exactly." Amamiya nodded with a straight face. "Give her a little time."

Sajuna sighed but seemed to relax slightly. "I guess that makes sense."

"Don't worry," Amamiya said, trying to reassure her. "Let's wait another ten minutes. If Komi-san hasn't returned by then, we'll go out and look for her together."

Only then did Sajuna reluctantly nod.

If it's just ten minutes, I suppose I can wait a little longer, she thought. After all, Komi isn't a child.

If it were a child who was lost, waiting even a minute would be unacceptable; immediate action would be necessary.

"Come here," Amamiya said, waving her over and changing his tone. "Let me recharge my Sajuna's energy."

"What are you even talking about?" Sajuna shot back, crossing her arms over her chest defensively, her expression filled with disdain. "I'm going back to my room. If Komi-san comes back, I'll let you know right away."

This was exactly what Amamiya wanted.

Only by getting Sajuna out of here can Komi come out of hiding.

"Five minutes," Amamiya said, holding up his hand as though negotiating. "Let me recharge your energy for just five minutes."

"No," Sajuna replied flatly.

"Three minutes."

"Still no."

"...Fine."

Sajuna ignored him, heading toward the door. Just as she reached for the handle, a sudden knock echoed from the other side.

"Someone's here!"

Startled, Sajuna instinctively took a step back, her face nervous. "I'll hide somewhere!"

"There's no need to hide," Amamiya said calmly, stopping her with a hand. "We've done nothing wrong. We've got nothing to feel guilty about."

"Speak for yourself!" Sajuna huffed, puffing out her cheeks indignantly.

You were just trying to hug me to recharge your so-called energy, and now you're claiming a clear conscience? Seriously?

"Hide under the bed," Amamiya suggested, pointing to it.

"No way!" Sajuna refused outright.

Making her own decision, she swung the bathroom door open to hide inside.

But just as she stepped in, she froze mid-motion, her eyes going wide as realization hit.

"You… you… you…!"