Life is always full of encounters with the unexpected... but lately, I’ve started to feel like my unexpected moments are specifically concentrated in places involving hot water.
To be honest, I didn't understand how it happened. Why had the situation turned out like this?
I was soaking in the cottage's wooden bathtub when Lilia-san appeared before me, her face a deep shade of crimson, wrapped in nothing but a single towel.
For a moment, I wondered if I was seeing things. This was so far beyond the scope of anything I could have imagined. Lilia-san was incredibly shy; even though we had been a couple for a few days now, she still turned bright red just talking to me one-on-one. What could have possibly possessed her to walk into the bathroom while I was already inside?
"U-Um, Lilia-san?"
"H-H-H-H-Hi?!"
"W-What in the world are you doing?"
"I-I’ve finally... steeled my resolve..."
Resolve? For what? Wait a minute, just wait a second!
Though she was mostly covered by the towel—or perhaps because parts of her were hidden by it—her fair, delicate skin stood out with vivid clarity.
Lilia-san was the type who looked slender in her clothes, but she was actually quite curvy. More so than I had expected... Wait, what on earth was I thinking?!
While I stood there in a state of total confusion, Lilia-san took several deep breaths, stepped inside, and closed the door. Then, picking up a sponge with a beet-red face, she spoke.
"U-Um, Kaito-san... if possible, please... don't look at me... too much."
"O-Oh, right! I’m sorry!"
At her request, I hurriedly turned around in the tub so that my back was facing her. Shortly after, I heard the sound of water flowing and the movement of a sponge; she must have started washing herself.
This was bad. I was being completely swept along by the pace of the situation. I had no idea what was going on, yet I was just letting it happen.
Moreover, this was more dangerous than anything I’d faced before. This wasn't a hot spring, so the water wasn't cloudy or opaque... and the tub wasn't very large to begin with. Which meant... that meant...
"S-Sorry to keep you waiting."
"!"
The situation didn't wait for my thoughts to settle. Along with her trembling voice, the water shifted, and I felt a presence directly behind me. We sat back-to-back in the tub, which felt incredibly cramped with two people in it. I felt an overwhelming, suffocating sense of tension.
"K-Kaito-san... p-please turn this way."
"Eh? Wha—?!"
"I-I-I-It’s okay. I-I’ve steeled my resolve."
I wanted to scream, asking what exactly she had steeled her resolve for. Was I dreaming? Was I just lightheaded from the heat? Yes, that had to be it. A dream...
Or perhaps I was hearing things because I was exhausted. If it was just a hallucination, there was nothing I could do.
"Kaito-san?"
"!"
It was a hallucination. It had to be. There was no way such a dream-like situation, where Lilia-san was sitting behind me completely naked, could actually happen in reality.
That was it. Even if I turned around as she asked... there wouldn't be anything there... right?
"?!?!"
"I-It’s... embarrassing..."
"~?!"
What was this? Had I died? Was this heaven? A beautiful woman, looking exactly like a princess from a fairy tale, was in the water with me without a single stitch of clothing on.
Seeing Lilia-san blushing furiously, her eyes moist as she shyly used her hands to hide only the most essential parts of herself, my mind went completely blank.
The words wouldn't come. I couldn't process the situation, yet I couldn't tear my eyes away. Whether it was from the hot water or the sheer tension, her skin was faintly tinged the color of cherry blossoms, and her curves shifted where she pressed her hands against them. I felt like I could hear the sound of my own heart pounding in my ears.
Looking at Lilia-san, who was close enough that our skin might touch if I shifted even an inch, I desperately mobilized every ounce of my rationality. I managed to squeeze out a voice.
"L-Lilia-san... w-why... would you do something like this?"
"Eh?"
In my mind, Lilia-san was not the kind of person who would do this of her own volition, which was exactly why my brain had stalled. I hadn't even thought to stop her beforehand.
Perhaps Lilia-san was actually much more aggressive than I had assumed, but looking at her now—hanging her head with a crimson face, desperately enduring the shame—it was obvious that wasn't the case.
Humans are capable of processing information much faster when faced with a crisis. My head was spinning at high speeds, searching for a way to resolve this.
The answer I arrived at was that Lilia-san must be misunderstanding something. She was incredibly naive when it came to romance, so perhaps she was acting based on some bad advice she had heard.
Lilia-san looked bewildered when she heard my strained question.
"B-But... you and I... we’re... l-lovers... aren't we?"
"Y-Yes. That is true, but...?"
"L-Lovers... must always go mixed bathing... right?"
"Pardon?"
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Lovers must go mixed bathing? Was that some kind of romantic tradition unique to this world? No, that couldn't be it.
Admittedly, I had experienced mixed bathing with my other lovers, Kuro and Isis-san... However, I hadn't done anything like that with Sieg-san, and I had never heard of a rule that lovers had to do it.
"Lilia-san? This idea about lovers having to go mixed bathing... where did you hear such a strange thing?"
"Eh? B-But Luna said... that once you become lovers, you must always go mixed bathing... and that you can't be called true lovers unless you do..."
She had gotten her information from the absolute worst possible source. That was the one person she should have trusted the least! And to think she actually believed it... She was so pure it was almost painful.
Seeing my reaction, Lilia-san seemed to realize that something was wrong. Her beet-red face rapidly began to turn pale.
"Lilia-san, um, I feel terribly sorry for you, but... that's a lie."
"Eh? But... that’s... I-I... I just wanted to properly become your lover, Kaito-san... so... even though I was terrified, I summoned my courage... Eh? Wait...?"
"L-Lilia-san?!"
"B-But if that’s the case, then I... Eh? N-N-Naked... A-Aaaaaaaaaah..."
"Wait?! Lilia-san!!"
Realizing her fatal misunderstanding, Lilia-san’s face went white. She began to break out in a cold sweat, and her blue eyes darted around so violently it looked like there were whirlpools inside them. Then, she simply lost consciousness.
I repeat, she fainted... and we were in a bathtub.
"Lilia-san, pull yourself together!! ...?! P-Please excuse me!!"
With Lilia-san unconscious, I didn't have the luxury of worrying about where her hands were. I hurriedly grabbed her before she could sink into the water.
Feeling my heart leap violently as I touched her soft, smooth skin, I moved my hands to her back and under her knees, lifting her in a princess carry. I desperately forced myself not to look down as I climbed out of the bath.
I set her down on the floor of the changing room and threw a large bath towel over her. I hoped she would forgive me for the fact that I couldn't help but see a little bit during the process.
But now what? At this rate, she would catch a cold. Did I have to dry her off myself?
No, that was a last resort. I had to try waking her up first.
"Lilia-san! Lilia-san!! Please wake up!"
"Ugh... mmm..."
If this continued, things would get disastrous—mostly for my self-control. When I desperately called out to her, my wish was granted. Lilia-san stirred and slowly opened her eyes.
"Thank goodness... You’re awake."
"Huh? Kaito-san? I—?!"
Lilia-san started to sit up, but then she froze, her eyes wide with shock.
"......"
"......"
I realized then that I had committed a grave oversight. I had been so focused on carrying Lilia-san that I hadn't thought about my own state at all.
To put it simply, I was currently buck naked.
Lilia-san stared at me, completely paralyzed. A split second later, her face turned so red I thought her head might actually explode.
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAH!!"
"!!!!"
With a scream that could have pierced stone, she bolted from the changing room at an incredible speed.
Dear Mother, Father—they say that travel is always full of surprises, but this one was exceptionally intense. I don't know if it's because Lilia-san is too pure or if Lunamaria-san is entirely to blame. Regardless, the image of Lilia-san is burned into my mind... and I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight.