Had I offended the God of Baths in a past life? If not, why was I being pushed into a corner in the bathroom like this every single time...?
A bath was supposed to be a spiritual reset, a place of healing. It certainly wasn't meant to be a high-stakes psychological standoff, nor a place where I had to wring out every drop of my self-control until my brain felt like it was starting to boil.
Behind me, as I sat on a wooden stool, Lilliwood-san was essentially naked. Her only cover was her leafy hair... Wait. Somehow, covering the vital spots with nothing but hair felt even more erotic than total exposure.
Actually, could hair alone even hide those melon-sized breasts? Even if it did, wouldn't they be so heavy that everything below them was still exposed...?
"Kaito-san."
"I’m sorry!"
"...Eh? Why are you suddenly apologizing?"
"A— No, it’s nothing! Nothing at all!"
Calm down. Don't get flustered. If I let my imagination run wild, I’d only be tightening the noose around my own neck. I had to empty my mind and think of nothing... Wait, what?
Why was there a tree growing right next to me?
"U-Um, Lilliwood-san? If my eyes aren't deceiving me, there’s a tree sprouting here."
"Yes. The fruit of this tree is soft and quite suitable for washing the body."
"I-I see."
A loofah? No, those were more like scrub brushes.
Following Lilliwood-san’s explanation, I reached out to touch the fruit growing on the newly sprouted tree. I felt a pliant, soft elasticity. The surface was a bit rough, which gave it a sponge-like texture that seemed practical.
"Now then, I shall wash your back."
"P-Please do."
"I do not have much experience, so please let me know if I am doing anything wrong."
As Lilliwood-san spoke those words in her characteristically gentle tone, the fruit I had just touched was pressed against my back and began to move with a slow, tender rhythm.
Mmm. The elasticity was just right; it felt quite pleasant. I could feel a lather forming, too. This plant was actually pretty impressive.
Just as I was surrendering myself to the comfort of having my back scrubbed... for some reason, the elasticity against my skin increased.
Wait, was she using another sponge? I felt a silky, smooth softness. But it was strange. This one wasn't moving much. It shifted up and down slightly, but not with the vigor of the first sponge. Also, it felt... remarkably large compared to the fruit.
"...Um, Lilliwood-san?"
"Yes? Is there an itchy spot?"
"A-No, it’s not that... I’m sorry if I’m mistaken. But, um... are your breasts touching me?"
"Yes. I apologize. I cannot change my physical size like Kuromueina or Shaltier can, so..."
"..."
The casualness with which she admitted it made the blood rush to my face all at once. Wait, so... this smooth elasticity was her leafy hair and... L-Lilliwood-san’s...
"Let me see, the basin for rinsing is... ah, there. Oh, excuse me."
"!?!?"
Lilliwood-san reached out to grab a wooden bucket sitting a short distance away, and a heavy, squishy sensation was pressed firmly against my spine.
Aaaaaahh! It’s touching! An incredibly soft, elastic mass is being squashed against my back!
"I shall rinse you off now."
"...Yes."
"...Kaito-san?"
"I'm fine."
Focus on the void! Become the void! Think of nothing! The thing that hit my back was just a soft volleyball! It definitely wasn't a breast!
The power of suggestion was a formidable weapon. I had to keep telling myself that, deceiving my own thoughts. If I allowed myself to be clearly conscious of it, it was over. My body would enter a state of total catastrophe.
In times like these, I had to resort to the ultimate defense: imagining something terrifying. Recall the object of absolute terror!
——My beloved child.
...Okay, I’ve calmed down a bit. It was incredibly rude of me, but the first scary thing that came to mind was Eden-san when her "switch" was flipped. But thanks to that, I felt the blood drain from my face instantly. It really saved—
"I have finished with your back. Next, I shall wash your front."
"The front is fine!"
"Please, do not be so reserved."
"No, no, it’s not about being reserved... Ah."
"...Eh?"
Just as I thought I had found my footing, she delivered a request like a death sentence. I hurriedly tried to decline, but Lilliwood-san moved in front of me with a smooth, flowing motion.
It seemed she had used her hair to hide her chest and wrapped a towel around her lower half, so the initial shock of total nudity didn't repeat itself... but the situation was actually worse.
I was a man. In a situation like this, no matter how hard I tried to remain stoic, a certain part of me was going to react.
I was hiding it with a towel, of course. However, the fact that part of me was making a strong claim for attention was obvious even through the fabric, and Lilliwood-san’s gaze was fixed directly on that very dangerous area.
"...A-No, um, t-this is..."
"..."
"U-Um, Lilliwood-san?"
"...So you truly do find me attractive. I thought you were just being polite..."
"Eh?"
"No, it is nothing. My apologies. Kaito-san, would you prefer to wash your front yourself?"
"A-Y-Yes! I’ll do it myself!"
"I understand. Then, I shall return to the water ahead of you."
I didn't quite grasp why, but Lilliwood-san nodded with a satisfied expression, gave a faint smile, and moved away. Unlike her persistence a moment ago, she left the task to me and stepped back into the hot spring.
Left completely baffled, I stood dazed for a moment before picking up the fruit-sponge she had left behind and slowly began to wash myself.
"...I see. So this is what it feels like to be bashful... Hehe, it seems there is no doubt that I, too, am a woman."
Hearing that faint murmur, I felt my head—which had just started to cool down—begin to boil all over again. I don't think I can be blamed for that.
Dear Mother, Father——Lilliwood-san’s guard was truly down, and my heart wouldn't stop pounding. It was likely because she viewed herself as a tree, and in a way, it was just a quirk of her race. However, those last words she whispered felt very... womanly.