Wonderful Onsen at Yunohana Ryokan Inn (4)

"Huh? Don't tell me you want to play too?" Shouichi responded, surprised, as Momo nodded.

"Well, if that's the case, it's two against one. Majority rules," Ayane concluded with a clap.

"I know you're up to no good, but my luck isn't that bad. Bring it on, Ayane!" Shouichi fired up, pointing at her.

"Fufufu, don't blame me if I make you strip if you win, okay? Pervert-san," She teased, her words making Momo second-guess whether it was a good idea to join after all.

"A~Aya! You wouldn't do that, would you, Shouichi-kun?!" Momo gasped, hugging her body, looking terrified.

"Of course, I'll make both of you strip until there's nothing left, Hahaha!" Shouichi jested, laughing menacingly, causing the two girls to recoil in disgust.

"You've been hit again, Shouichi-kun," Momo said gleefully, tapping the screen to spin again. It landed on Ayane's name, meaning she'd be the commander of this round.

"Hehehe, truth or dare?" Ayane chuckled, eyeing Shouichi's barely covered body. He had lost every round, now stripped down to his last piece — his boxers.

"Dare!" Shouichi shouted, his voice booming, making both girls look at each other, puzzled.

"Woah? Shouichi-kun! You really don't have anything left!" Momo appeared flustered. "Please don't dare him to strip anymore, I can't take it!" She begged Ayane, but Ayane ignored her pleas.

"I dare you to strip, Shouichi!" Ayane commanded sternly, her devious grin widening.

"…Alrighty then!" Shouichi sprang to his feet energetically, a grin plastered on his face.

"Eek! I didn't think you were an exhibitionist!" Momo squeaked, covering her eyes in embarrassment.

Bam! Shouichi slapped a piece of clothing on the table.

"Eh? That's not your underwear!" Ayane was flabbergasted. "That's a sweatband! You're cheating!" She objected.

"Hahahaha! You didn't specify what type of cloth, so technically, a sweatband is clothing too," Shouichi retorted smartly, clearly pleased with himself.

"Fufufu, that's actually clever, Shouichi-kun," Momo giggled like a little kid, her gaze briefly lingering on his naked body. His toned physique was somewhat alluring, but She quickly snapped herself back to reality.

"Tsk!" Ayane crossed her arms and pouted, clearly exasperated by his antics.

"What's with the sweatband? You always wear it," Momo asked curiously.

"Oh, it's a scar from when I was a kid," Shouichi replied, showing her the scar on his left wrist. Momo gently touched it, examining it closely.

"Does it still hurt? It's pretty big," Momo inquired.

"No, it doesn't hurt anymore," Shouichi replied, shaking his head.

"That's good! You don't need to hide it. It's not ugly. It's part of you, right?" Momo said sincerely, looking at him with soft eyes. "Dang it! She's so cute, I might die right now!" Shouichi thought to himself, his mind in turmoil.

"I don't mind it either…" Ayane mumbled, though loud enough for Shouichi to hear.

"Come on! Let's spin the wheel," Shouichi suggested, trying to lighten the mood as he tapped on the phone.

"It's Ayane!" and the commander was "Shouichi!"

"I've been waiting for this moment! Time for payback!" Shouichi declared, itching for his revenge.

"Dare!" Ayane said confidently. "Ayane-chan! You know he's going to make you strip too," Momo thought, her mind momentarily blank. She hadn't realised just how far Ayane and Shouichi had taken things together.

Bam! Ayane slapped her shirt onto the table, leaving her blue bra exposed. It didn't faze Shouichi much since he'd already seen her in a bikini earlier; it was just all in good fun at this point.

"I… I think we've played this game completely wrong!" Momo shrieked in second-hand embarrassment, her eyes darting between the two topless friends. They both turned toward her with mischievous grins, almost as if saying, "You're next!"

Eventually, Momo lost the game and was pressured to join the 'primitive tribe.'

"One of us! One of us! One of us!" The three of them clinked their cups, enjoying the forbidden liquor. It got better after a few shots, the burning sensation fading as they went.

"Shouichi-kun! Let's go into the onsen with me!" Momo suddenly said, her face and earlobes flushed bright red. Her shy personality was completely gone, replaced by boldness. She even leaned in so close to him that her chest brushed against his upper arm.

"My! Tomako-san, I didn't think you'd be this bold," Ayane remarked, clearly taken aback.

"No! Shouichi, you're coming with me!" Ayane tugged at him, pulling him to her side.

The tug-of-war between the two girls, with Shouichi caught in the middle like a rag doll, was hilarious.

"Ay! You two!" Shouichi lifted his hand in the air, gesturing for a stop. His stern and calm demeanour halted the girls in their tracks. "Let's all just go together!" He suggested. Even he was surprised by the words coming out of his mouth. In that moment, he realised why teenagers weren't allowed to drink alcohol. But it was too late for regrets.

The hot, earthy steam engulfed the private hot spring in the back of their VVIP suite. The three of them soaked in serenity and tranquillity, the peaceful atmosphere providing a much-needed break for Shouichi's tired body and mind, his towel covering his eyes.

"Really? Yours looks bigger than mine," Momo's excited voice broke the silence.

"Can I touch them?" Ayane asked casually.

"Eek! It's ticklish!" Momo yelped.

"Hey! You girls better stop with the lewd stuff! I'm a guy here, in case you didn't realise!" Shouichi yelled at the two girls, who were deep in their girly conversation. "Sigh... I doubt they see me as a man at all. They're way too comfortable around me," He lamented.

After they finished soaking, Ayane and Momo hopped onto Shouichi's bed, exhausted from the wonderful trip. They fell asleep almost instantly, leaving Shouichi, who had just finished exiting the hot spring, standing in a dazed state at the edge of the bed.

"Sigh… I guess I either sleep on the floor or with them. It'd be improper to do so, though…" Shouichi thought long and hard, before realising he could just use their bed. He quickly walked over to Ayane's side.

"Ayane! Where's your keycard?" He leaned in close and whispered into her ear, the faint scent of lavender soap filling his senses.

"Hmmp…" She mumbled, still asleep, but her arms reached out, pulling him into an embrace. His face ended up buried in her soft, warm chest.

"Eh?! I'm dead! She's choking me!" Shouichi panicked, but after a few seconds, she released him.

"Woah! She's still asleep… That's odd," He muttered to himself. Stepping back, he pondered, "I need a new strategy, but man… I'm so pooped. Can't think straight anymore."

It was clear that his consciousness was slipping away.

"Guess I'll sleep at the foot of the bed then!" Shouichi decided after seeing there was enough room at the foot. He honestly couldn't care less about sleeping near their feet.