I entered the bathhouse first, rinsed myself off with a bit of warm water, and then settled into the tub to wait for Lilliwood-san.
...Why had the scenery changed since yesterday? How exactly did this place work?
Rows of trees with leaves of a brilliant, dazzling green lined the area, making it feel as if I were soaking in a hot spring in the heart of a forest. It was a refreshing atmosphere. I could definitely get used to this.
"I am sorry to have kept you waiting."
"Ah, no... Huh?"
As I was relaxing, Lilliwood-san’s gentle voice reached my ears. I reflexively turned toward her... and froze.
"Wh-wh-wh-wha—"
"Is something the matter, Kaito-san?"
Lilliwood-san had appeared with her pale skin—usually hidden beneath her poncho-like ethnic attire—liberally exposed to the air. She seemed to be glowing with a faint, ethereal light.
But more than anything, my eyes were drawn to those massive, melon-like twin hills that boasted an overwhelming presence... and the perfectly shaped peaks at their centers...
"Why are you stark naked!?"
"Eh? Isn't bathing something one does without wearing anything?"
"Please wrap yourself in a towel!!"
"H-Huh... But I am a tree..."
"I don't care about the tree thing right now! Just hurry up and wrap a towel around yourself!"
"A-Ah, y-yes!?"
I screamed, hurriedly averting my eyes from her. I had been completely caught off guard. I’d felt a sense of cognitive dissonance ever since she so easily agreed to the mixed bath, but I never imagined this. Lilliwood-san had absolutely no sense of shame.
Or rather, because she strictly viewed herself as a tree, the idea that a man might feel lust upon seeing her naked hadn't even crossed her mind.
I couldn't believe it. Lilliwood-san, the person I thought would be the safest to be around, was actually the one with the least defense. I felt like I’d been hit with a literal knockout punch the moment she walked in.
That body of hers possessed an incredible destructive power, and the image was now burned into the back of my mind. This was bad—really bad.
"Now then, I shall join you... If I recall, the etiquette is to not let the towel touch the water, correct?"
"No, that’s not allowed!"
"Eh?"
"The water isn't cloudy today, so you absolutely cannot do that!"
"E-Err..."
"Please, keep the towel wrapped around you even in the water. I'm begging you. I'm really, really begging you!"
"I... I understand..."
At this point, I didn't care about proper hot spring etiquette. If I had to keep looking at Lilliwood-san’s incredible body, my self-control would be ground into powder.
Though clearly bewildered by my intensity, Lilliwood-san nodded and stepped into the tub, keeping the towel wrapped around herself.
"Haa... This feels wonderful. It is nice to soak in warm water once in a while."
"E-Err, do you not usually soak in the bath?"
"I generally take cold water baths. Since they also serve as my meals..."
As a tree spirit, Lilliwood-san didn't eat regular food; she apparently sustained herself primarily on water.
I tried to keep the conversation going to distract myself, all while being careful not to look directly at her.
"However, fufu... It has been a long time since I bathed with someone like this. I have only shared a bath with Isis and the others a few times."
"Is that so? It's a bit late to ask, but were you really okay with doing this with me?"
"Yes. I am happy to have the chance to deepen our friendship like this, Kaito-san."
"..."
There was no ulterior motive. There was no hidden meaning. Calm down, me. Don't let your imagination run wild.
"If anything, were you truly alright with this, Kaito-san? For a tree like me, I would be little more than a supplement to the scenery, wouldn't I?"
"N-No, not at all. Lilliwood-san... you don't feel like a tree to me. You seem like a normal woman."
"Do I? But, you see, my hair is actually made of leaves."
"...That’s about the only part, though."
It was true that her hair consisted of many layers of green leaves, but honestly, that was the only plant-like feature she had. Otherwise, she looked like a human woman. It was impossible for anyone to look at her and see only a tree.
"No, there is more... See?"
"Wh-wha!? What are you doing!?"
"Heh? No, I was just showing you that my toes are actually roots..."
"Please don't spread your legs! I can see everything!"
"See everything? Ah, you mean my private parts? Certainly, that might have been a bit unseemly. My apologies."
"Don't say the words out loud! And that’s not the only problem here!"
This person was far too "no-guard." Did she really not realize she was a beautiful woman? And did she truly understand that I was a man?
"Haa... However, even if you were to see my body, as I am a tree, it isn't as if you would become sexually aroused, Kaito-san..."
"I would! I definitely would!"
"...Heh? I-Is that so? But, I am..."
"Regardless of how you see yourself, Lilliwood-san, to me, you are a beautiful woman!"
"..."
I shouted, my face feeling hot enough to boil. Lilliwood-san stared at me with a stunned, wide-eyed expression.
"...I see. You truly are a strange person."
No, my reaction was definitely the normal one. Lilliwood-san had only ever shown herself naked to people like Isis, so she just didn't know. Any other man would have reacted exactly the same way.
It seemed my admission that her body could excite me was a genuine shock to her. She continued to gaze at me, her eyes wide with surprise. Then, after a long silence, her expression softened into a smile as beautiful as a flower in bloom.
"...You really are a strange person. However, being told such a thing... I do not quite understand why, but I find myself feeling happy. Perhaps I am a strange one as well."
"E-Err..."
"My apologies. I shall make sure to be mindful of my behavior and act properly as a woman in your presence, Kaito-san."
"Ah, y-yes. I'd appreciate that."
"Yes, fufufu..."
Lilliwood-san straightened her posture and looked at me with an elegant, refined smile.
Dear Mother, Father—
I don't know what it is, but maybe because of that conversation, my heart is pounding like crazy. My initial assessment was far too naive. Mixed bathing with Lilliwood-san—is not going to be straightforward at all.
Lilliwood is even more "no-guard" than Isis.
Serious-senpai: "I-Impossible! How is the sugar level this high when they aren't even lovers yet!? Is she a monster!?"