Chapter 7.2: Is That a Bathtub!?

Sera (quietly, almost whispering to herself): "You… you did well out there."

The words sounded foreign in her mouth.

Kael blinked. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

Kael blinked in surprise. A small, crooked smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

Sera (instantly recoiling, her voice snapping back to normal): "D-Don't get the wrong idea! I-It's not like I was worried about you or anything!"

Rosa, from the side, gave a low, knowing whistle.

"Oh wow, an actual praise from Queen Seraphina herself? What a miracle."

She wiggled her fingers theatrically before tossing a white medkit toward Clara. "Here, Miss Medic. Fix our reckless knight before he passes out."

Clara caught it with both hands, her fingers tightening as she turned back to Kael. Her eyes went wide at the dried blood across his ribs, partially soaked into the vault suit. She flushed.

Clara (Her cheeks flushing) "I'll n-need to clean these properly. You'll.. you'll have t-to... remove your suit."

Kael felt his own face heating up. "I... okay. But maybe you should all..."

"Turn around?" Rosa's voice came from the bathing area, rich with amusement. "Sweetie, we're all adults here. I think we're past such formalities."

She peeked her head around the divider with a playful grin. "Unless you're hiding something scandalous under there~"

"Besides," Sera added with a hint of her irritated tone, "someone needs to make sure you don't pass out from blood loss."

Kael's hands trembled slightly as he began to unfasten his vault suit.

He winced as he raised an arm, feeling the tug of an open cut.

Kael (mumbling): "Ugh… why do these suits stick so much…"

A lean, surprisingly muscular torso, his physique sculpted from years of training he no longer remembered, was revealed when the fabric peeled away.

His arms, abs, and chest were well-defined, and every movement caused the corded muscle to shift beneath his smooth skin, even though he had always looked slender in the suit.

And all three of the girls saw.

Initially, Clara stood motionless, holding an antiseptic cloth. Her eyes widened behind her lashes and her cheeks turned a deep crimson. She covered her face with both hands in a panicked, flustered state.

Clara (mumbling through her fingers):

"Ah—I-I'm not looking! I'm not! I-I… oh no…"

But in spite of what she said, she peered through a tiny space between her fingers, her eyes darting over Kael's shoulder curves and the ridges of his abs. She squeaked and turned away, her face practically steaming, when she realized she had been caught staring.

Clara (voice cracking): "S-so-sorry! I didn't mean to stare… it's just… you're… very… well-structured..."

Kael (scratching his head, utterly lost): "Eh? Structured?"

Rosa, on the other hand, didn't try to conceal her curiosity or her laughter. With her elbow resting on her knee, chin in her palm, and a smirk on her lips, she leaned forward from her perch by the bath unit.

She looked like a cat who'd just caught a bird off-guard.

She let out a low whistle.

Rosa (grinning): "Well, well, hero. Is this what you've been hiding under that sad jumpsuit all this time?"

Kael (genuinely baffled): "Huh? What are you talking about?"

Rosa (laughing): "Oh no. He's modest.

Asha (flat, in Kael's neural feed): "They are responding to your upper body's biological and aesthetic symmetry. To put it simply, the way you look is causing hormonal reactions.."

Kael (talking mentally): "H-Hormonal—what?"

Asha: "Your physical attributes point to a mesomorphic build; your muscle tone and density are higher than typical men. According to statistics, you currently rank among the top 1.2% of attractive people..."

Kael blinked, completely unaware of what she was referring to.

Sera, on the other hand, was motionless as a statue, her arms crossed over her chest, her gaze briefly darting to Kael's bare back before averting it. Then back again.

A small vein twitched at her temple, and her cheeks were slightly flushed.

Sera (through gritted teeth): "Honestly... who needs that many muscles anyway? Show-off…"

She turned sharply, muttering something unintelligible. Her stance was stiff, her foot tapping rapidly, but every few seconds, she cast quick side-eyes over her shoulder at the sharp lines of Kael's collarbone, the smooth planes of his back.

Sera (muttering): "Not impressed. Nope. Totally not impressed.."

Kael (confused whisper to Asha): "W-Why is Sera mad?"

Asha (with the faintest amusement): "She is not angry. This is known as tsundere behavior. My algorithm predicts she would faint if you complimented her hair right now."

Ignoring Asha's ridiculous comment, Kael grimaced as Clara applied more antiseptic to a deeper wound.

Kael (gently): "Y-You're very gentle." He closed one eye and bore the pain.

Clara's whole body tensed at the compliment, and her hands hesitated for a moment.

Clara (her voice shyly whispers to him): "Y-you saved me… It's the least I can do."

The slightest smile tugged at the corners of her lips, but she didn't look up at him.

Clara: "T-These are deeper than I...I thought," she murmured, leaning close enough that he could smell her hair, somehow still carrying a faint scent of something floral. "This is g-going to sting."

Kael hissed as an antiseptic of ripped flesh, but her fingers were soft as they cleaned the wounds. He found himself observing Clara's face as she worked, her touch careful. The way she bit her bottom lip while concentrating had a certain beauty to it.

Sera had stepped forward, supposedly to watch Clara's clumsy medical technique, but really just to be close to them. Every movement was followed by her amber eyes, and Kael noticed that she repeatedly looked at his chest.

Kael: "What?" he asked, feeling self-conscious.

"N-Nothing, Hmmp!" Sera said quickly, but her blush betrayed her.

The other girls kept their gazes on him while Clara continued her tender caretaking.

"T-There," Clara said finally, stepping back to admire her work shyly. "A-All cleaned up. But you should rest."

[STATUS UPDATE]

Injury Report:

*Lacerations (Ribs): Cleaned and sterilized

*Bruising (Left Shoulder): Minor tissue damage, stabilized

*Surface scratches: Mostly healed

Physical Stats:

HP (Health Points): 82/150 → 135/150

Stamina: 23/100 → 78/100

Asha: "Wound stabilization complete. Stamina has recovered to 78%. HP has risen significantly. You are no longer a bleeding liability. However, you still require proper sleep and caloric intake.""

"We should all rest," Sera said, though she made no move to leave his side. "And... clean up. We're all filthy."

The fatigue that had been suppressed by adrenaline finally started to show as the reality of their circumstances weighed heavily on them.

Rosa stretched, drawing attention to the way her torn clothing clung to her curves.

"So," Rosa said, moving toward the bathing are "who's brave enough to join me for that bath?"

Clara (blushing): "B-brave?"

Rosa (grinning): "My towel's waiting."

However, a sudden weight changed the mood just as Rosa vanished behind the tinted divider. Kael blinked slowly, still sitting on the edge of the bed.

Kael (murmuring): "I..I think I'll just… close my eyes… for a minute…"

Asha (softly, inside his neural feed): "You've exceeded biological limits, Kael. You need to sleep, your body is demanding it."

His vision blurred at the edges. He tried to respond to Asha, but no words came out of his mouth.

Asha: "Your vitals are stabilizing. You did well. Rest now, Kael... I'll keep monitoring."

Suddenly, his body gave way to fatigue and he slumped sideways.

Rosa reappeared and assisted in guiding him down after Clara squeaked and lunged to catch him, her arms flailing. Silently, Sera adjusted a pillow under his head while the two girls gently placed his body on the mattress.

Clara (whispering): "H-he just passed out…"

Sera (kneeling beside him): "The idiot pushed himself too hard…"

Rosa (softly): "Poor hero... not even enough strength left to enjoy the view."

As Kael fell into unconsciousness, his lips slightly parted, his brow furrowed, and his breathing evened out. The faint blue color of the med-gel pulsed in the light, making his wrapped wounds appear better.

For a moment, the three girls watched him sleep quietly by the bed. He had defended them when it mattered, thrown them to safety, and fought like a beast.

Clara (quietly): "H-He saved us."

Sera (barely audible): "…Yeah."

A soft chime echoed from the bathing module. The steam was still rising.

Rosa (breaking the silence): "Well then. We can't let the bath go to waste."

She turned with a flick of her pink hair and a wicked grin.

Rosa:

"It's Girls night"

The girls exchanged glances—tired, and dirty. With a nod from Clara and a roll of the eyes from Sera, the trio headed toward the steaming haven.

The lights dimmed slightly in the chamber behind them.

[TO BE CONTINUED…]