Chapter 343: Mixed Bathing Hot Spring

"Next stop, let's go swimming at the beach," declared Chika, placing her hands on her hips and raising her chin confidently. Her voice was clear and sweet. "I've said my piece. Who's in favor, and who's against?"

"I object."

Kaguya was the first to raise a dissenting vote.

"Huh?"

"The ultraviolet rays are too strong. They'll cause tanning."

This, of course, was a lie.

The real reason? Much like how Veneto would never bathe alongside Enterprise, Kaguya had no intention of subjecting herself to a dimensionality reduction attack.

"I'll follow the young lady's orders," said Hayasaka, her demeanor calm and professional. In her maid persona, she stood two steps behind Kaguya, embodying the quintessential image of a dutiful attendant.

Next, Sajuna gave her input. "I don't want to go swimming at the beach either."

Swimming wasn't her thing—not at school, not on vacation, not anywhere. The memory of shopping for a swimsuit only to have the store clerk smile and suggest the children's section still stung.

Lastly, it was Komi's turn. True to her frugal-with-words nature, she simply shook her head emphatically to express her stance.

"Wait a second! It's supposed to be a fun idea—why is everyone against it?" Chika exclaimed, looking visibly confused. Turning to Amamiya, she sought backup. "Amamiya, what do you think?"

Amamiya leaned casually against the railing. "As an ordinary high school student, wanting to swim during summer is perfectly normal and reasonable," he said with a faint smile. "I'd like to go swimming."

Chika lit up immediately. "Then it's settled! Just the two of us—"

"Absolutely not!"

Kaguya cut her off with an adamant objection.

There was no way she'd let the two of them go swimming alone. Without supervision, Chika would no doubt flaunt her so-called "assets" to lure Amamiya in with her charm.

"...Stare…"

Chika narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Why not, Kaguya-chan? Could it be that…"

"The reason is simple," Kaguya interjected, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "If we split up, we might accidentally trigger a sudden dungeon entry. It's safer to stay together."

"Then let's all go swimming," Chika proposed, undeterred.

"No."

"…"

The stalemate persisted as the two girls turned toward Amamiya in unison. "What do you think, Amamiya?"

Beside them, Komi and Sajuna crossed their arms, exuding quiet disapproval.

Adopting a serious tone, Amamiya diffused the tension. "We're leaving for Tokyo early tomorrow morning. Let's not waste time on unnecessary distractions. Kagoshima has plenty of specialties to enjoy—black pork dishes, venison, Sakurajima radish, clementine ice cream... Let's try all of them first. If we still have energy left, we can think about the beach."

The Shura Field crisis was averted.

After all, the allure of good food was far more tempting than swimming.

As the conversation shifted, the ferry arrived at Sakurajima's port, though the group had no intention of disembarking.

Umi and her father, who only met every six months, had plans to spend time together. They'd already arranged to meet tomorrow morning to return to Tokyo.

From the ship's deck, the view of Sakurajima's billowing volcanic smoke was striking, particularly for first-time visitors. Several girls whipped out their phones to capture the scene.

Having already taken photos earlier in the day, Amamiya was indifferent to the volcano. Instead, his attention turned to the girls marveling at the view—a scene far more memorable.

"Won't your mother worry about you suddenly leaving like this?" Amamiya asked, glancing at Chika.

"Not at all," Chika replied, making a playful scissors gesture with her fingers. Her smile was bright. "I told her I'd be with Kaguya-chan and staying over tonight."

"When I was in middle school, I often stayed at Kaguya-chan's house. Mom never found it suspicious."

Amamiya shifted his gaze to Kaguya. "And you, Kaguya? Won't this be an issue for you?"

The Chika family might be lenient, but the Shinomiya family's strict house rules likely made such escapades more complicated.

Hearing this, Kaguya softly pursed her beautiful lips and replied in a gentle voice,

"If it's just for one day, there's no need to worry."

In the past, she wouldn't have had the courage to resist the fate imposed by the Shinomiya family. Escaping them would have meant there was nowhere in the world for her to belong.

But now, things were different.

Her gaze subtly shifted to Shimizu, whose translucent figure shimmered faintly.

As long as her mother was by her side, she was no longer alone. With that reassurance, Kaguya had found the courage to stand against the powerful Shinomiya family.

Amamiya turned to Sajuna and asked softly,

"What about you, Sajuna? Won't your family worry?"

Sajuna hesitated for a moment before replying in a small voice, "No. My parents are usually too busy with work and rarely home. It's only my sister who might be a bit of a problem."

Amamiya's expression brightened. "So uncle and aunt are busy with work, huh?"

"There's nothing good about that!" Sajuna puffed up her cheeks indignantly and shot him a glare. "And don't get any ideas about visiting my house. I'm not letting a wolf in!"

Amamiya chuckled and moved on, turning his attention to Komi.

"What about you, Komi-san?"

Before she could respond, Sajuna chimed in with a subtle smile, "Komi-san's mom is the total opposite of her. When I went to pick her up, I thought it'd be troublesome, but her mom was so excited. She pushed Komi-san out the door and said I was the first friend to visit their house. She was thrilled."

"It seems I was mistaken," Amamiya remarked, feigning disappointment. "I thought Komi-san wouldn't refuse requests if you asked nicely. Even something unreasonable, like wanting to see her in a swimsuit."

Hearing this, Komi's eyes widened in surprise, and she frantically shook her head in protest.

"Go away!" Sajuna huffed, puffing her cheeks again. "Stop bullying Komi-san!"

After returning to Kagoshima by ferry, the group decided to make the most of their remaining time, eating, drinking, and enjoying the local sights.

Since they were set to return to Tokyo the next morning, they stuck to nearby attractions. As the sun set, they wrapped up their day with dinner and returned to the hotel they had booked. It was already eight in the evening.

"It's so hot, I'm sweating," Chika sighed, removing her sunhat and gently wiping the sweat from her forehead. "Let's all go soak in the hot springs together!"

For Chika, taking a hot spring bath in summer was as natural as enjoying a warm soak in winter.

Sajuna's eyes lit up. "It's been ages since I've soaked in a hot spring!"

Komi quickly nodded in agreement, her enthusiasm evident despite her quiet nature.

"I'll head back to my room first," Amamiya said, excusing himself from the group.

The girls were staying in a shared room, while Amamiya had his own. The hot spring was private but divided by a bamboo fence, ensuring separate spaces for men and women.

"Phew..."

Amamiya let out a long sigh as he eased into the steaming water. After traveling from Tokyo to Kagoshima on a night train and spending the entire day exploring, this moment of relaxation was long overdue.

After showering, he had slipped into the hot spring. The soothing warmth of the water eased his fatigue, and he closed his eyes, enjoying the tranquility.

"Amamiya, I'm heading to the other side."

Shimizu appeared briefly, her translucent form floating gracefully past him.

"Go ahead," Amamiya murmured, his eyes still closed.

Time seemed to blur as he soaked in the spring, the distant sounds of the evening blending into the gentle ambiance of the night.

Tap, tap, tap.

The soft sound of wooden clogs echoed on the stone pathway, gradually growing louder.

At first, Amamiya assumed the sound was coming from the women's side of the hot spring, but as it grew clearer, he realized it was approaching his side.

Opening his eyes in confusion, he was startled to see a girl emerging from the shadows, bathed in the glow of the moonlight.

She was wrapped in a white bathrobe, her snow-white skin seeming to shimmer in the light. Her familiar red ribbon, tied behind her head, fluttered softly in the evening breeze.

For a moment, Amamiya could only stare, caught between surprise and disbelief.

"Kaguya?"

Amamiya called out, raising an eyebrow.

"Huh?"

Kaguya was just about to step into the water after removing her clogs when she heard a boy's voice coming from the shadows. Startled, she instinctively stepped back, but her foot landed in the stagnant water, causing her to slip. With a sudden splash, she fell into the hot spring pool.

Crash.

Water splattered everywhere.

Seeing the flustered young lady tumble into the water, Amamiya stood up on reflex and helped her up.

"Ahem…"

Kaguya coughed twice, trying to regain her composure, but her gaze fell on Amamiya. Her eyes widened in shock.

Earlier, because Amamiya had been reclining in the shadows, Kaguya hadn't seen him clearly. Now that he was standing right in front of her, she realized—he wasn't wearing anything.

This was, of course, normal.

Hot spring etiquette strictly forbids wearing clothes.

Monster!!

Kaguya's eyes widened further in disbelief. Her enhanced night vision, a result of her previously acquired abilities, only made things worse.

What is that?!

Her mind raced. Was this some kind of monster? It looked nothing like the sculptures from her history textbooks.

For a brief moment, Kaguya froze. Then, her face flushed red, and she swiftly turned away. Covering her burning cheeks with her hands, she tried to flee in a panic.

Before she could make her escape, Chika's voice rang out from the other side of the bamboo fence:

"Amamiya, what happened just now?"

Kaguya froze again.

Wait. Chika and the others were in the neighboring hot spring. Did I… go into the wrong one?

Realization hit her like a thunderbolt.

How could I make such a basic mistake? she thought, flustered. This can't be right!

She vividly remembered seeing the wooden sign marked "Women" before entering.

Unless…

A chilling suspicion crept into her mind.

What if the sign hadn't been wrong at all?

If Chika and the others were next door, it didn't make sense that they'd taken the correct path while she alone had wandered into the boys' hot spring.

This must be… Mother's doing!

Her mind replayed the events: just as she'd finished her shower, her mother had conveniently excused herself, claiming she had something urgent to attend to. It all fits. She must have secretly switched the nameplates.

Betrayed by her own mother!

Kaguya felt a pang of despair. Sure, her mother had teased her about creating opportunities to be alone, but this? This was too much. Sharing a hot spring with a boy was utterly shameless!

Although these thoughts flashed by in mere seconds, the shock left Kaguya dazed. As she tried to climb out of the water, she slipped again, her clogs striking the floor with a loud bang before she toppled back into the pool.

"Amamiya, what's that noise?" Chika called again.

"It's nothing," Amamiya replied. "I just dozed off and accidentally choked on some water."

Turning his attention back to Kaguya, Amamiya lifted her motionless body from the water.

"Kaguya?" he asked softly.

There was no response.

Kaguya lay limp, her eyes closed, her wet hair clinging to her forehead, giving her an unusually delicate appearance.

"Did she faint?" Amamiya murmured.

Of course she had fainted—how could she possibly face the reality of being tricked by her own mother into bathing in a hot spring with a boy? The embarrassment was too much to bear.

"You fainted so easily," Amamiya remarked, his tone laced with subtle amusement. "In that case, I won't hold back."

Kaguya: "…"