97: Ginko Passed Out in the Bath

After receiving Hakuto's promise, Nao left the area with Misa.

It's worth mentioning that before leaving, Kurobane Misa returned control of the body to Nishimori Yusa.

Now back in control, Yusa looked around in confusion, muttering to herself that she must have had another episode.

Hakuto found it hard to understand because, whenever Misa took control, Yusa would fall into a deep sleep.

However, when Yusa regained control, Misa could still perceive the external world.

Moreover, the ability to summon spirits should have originally belonged to Yusa, yet the dominant control was in Misa's hands.

This confused Hakuto. To him, summoning spirits seemed more like Misa's ability, while igniting flames was Yusa's.

But if summoning spirits was truly Misa's power, then it wouldn't be called summoning—it would be called possession.

Regardless, this wasn't something Hakuto needed to worry about. What he cared about more was the point of conflict between his ability and Otosaka Yuu's.

Although he had a rough guess, it was still better to ask Nao directly.

"By the way… is Ginko done washing up?"

Since he didn't know whether Ginko was finished bathing, Hakuto could only wait here.

If he barged in to check, it would be fine if she was already done, but if she wasn't… that would be a disaster.

"Still, this is taking way too long..."

Hakuto knew that girls usually took longer to bathe, but this was excessive—it had already been over 50 minutes.

A few more minutes passed, yet Ginko still hadn't come looking for him, and he couldn't hear any movement from her either.

With no other choice, and out of concern for her safety, Hakuto decided to check on Ginko.

The place where Ginko was soaking was shrouded in mist, resembling an ethereal paradise. The occasional splashes of water echoed like a mountain spring.

Hakuto peered through the steam to check on Ginko's condition.

"Wait… she passed out?"

In his view, Ginko was lying in the tub with dazed eyes, her cheeks flushed a lovely shade of pink, reminiscent of the early morning sun.

But Hakuto had no time to admire the sight. He quickly stepped forward, crouching beside her and patting her cheek.

"Ginko? Ginko?"

Ginko didn't respond, only gazing at him with her unfocused eyes.

"How did she even pass out from this?"

Hakuto scratched his head helplessly. Given her current state, she definitely couldn't stay in the bath any longer—otherwise, she might end up all swollen.

"I should've told Nao to stick around..."

With no other options, Hakuto clasped his hands together in a brief prayer before reaching into the tub to pick Ginko up.

"See no evil, see no evil…"

But really, was a mere phrase enough to block out the scene in front of him?

The moment he lifted Ginko and hadn't yet wrapped her in a towel, the sight before him left him momentarily stunned.

Her blue hair cascaded down her shoulders, droplets of water clinging to the strands and sliding down her snow-white skin before landing on Hakuto's hands.

Holding her legs and back, he used the most effective posture to support her weight.

Even though they had been childhood friends, and had shared the same bed many times when they were little, things were obviously different now.

Even though Ginko was still a blossoming young girl, she was already showing signs of maturity.

"No wonder she has the heart of a mature woman—her figure is almost there too…"

Perhaps feeling the movement, a bit of clarity returned to Ginko's hazy eyes.

She looked at Hakuto, then buried her face into his chest, speaking in a voice that sounded like she was pouting.

"Hakuto… you're here…"

Hearing Ginko's soft voice snapped Hakuto back to reality. He quickly wrapped a bath towel around her.

"I have sinned..."

He nearly slapped himself—how could he be so easily captivated? What kind of person was he?

After saying that, Ginko closed her eyes and completely passed out. 

Hakuto held her securely with one arm while picking up her clothes with the other, heading back toward their campsite.

Fortunately, he was used to fighting and had plenty of stamina, and Ginko was fairly petite—otherwise, carrying her all this way might have been too much.

Once inside the tent, Hakuto laid the towel-wrapped Ginko on the bed.

"Damn it…"

He had to remove the towel; otherwise, she could catch a cold.

As for dressing her… he didn't have the courage for that.

Instead, he grabbed a clean towel from the luggage and carefully dried her wet hair.

"Ginko… I'm going to take off your towel now, or else you might get sick. If you don't agree, just shake your head. If you don't move, I'll take it as permission."

Of course, Ginko was sound asleep and couldn't respond.

Hakuto knew she wouldn't react, but he was really just trying to console himself.

"I'll take that as a yes. Just don't kick me tomorrow, okay…?"

With that, he placed his hands on the towel and slowly pulled.

The white towel slid down effortlessly like melting chocolate, revealing Ginko's flawless figure once more.

Under the gentle glow of the lantern, she lay there quietly, like a perfect, unblemished piece of jade.

Her skin was smooth and delicate, reminiscent of the finest porcelain, exuding a soft radiance.

There wasn't a single flaw on her body, as if she had been sculpted with meticulous care by nature itself.

Her chest rose and fell lightly, reflecting a serene and peaceful rhythm.

The elegant curve of her neck, the soft velvet-like skin, shimmered under the light, radiating an irresistible allure.

She lay on her side, her entire form on display before Hakuto, resembling a docile kitten inviting him to play.

After what felt like an eternity, Hakuto finally slapped himself, forcing himself to snap out of it.

"Shiratori Hakuto! Are you even human?!"

With that, he quickly pulled the blanket over Ginko and quietly stepped out of the tent.

The soft moonlight illuminated his face, filling him with a sense of calm.

"So this is what they call a childhood friend's awakening, huh…?"

Hakuto ruffled his hair, trying to shake off the lingering thoughts. 

He hadn't forgotten about his agreement with Nao, but he wasn't sure if he'd be back before Ginko woke up.

"How did she even pass out from this…?"

He re-entered the tent and gently poked Ginko's soft cheek.

Leaving her alone here wasn't ideal. Although they were deep in the mountains with little human activity, there were still safety concerns.

"I really hope I don't pass out from exhaustion tomorrow…"

Hakuto silently prayed. To avoid falling into the same mental state as before, he activated his computational ability, clearing his mind of distractions. 

Then, he took a fresh set of clothes from the luggage and dressed Ginko.

After finishing everything, Hakuto jogged a few laps around the campsite, using his ability to eliminate all possible risks. 

Only then did he feel at ease enough to deactivate his power.

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