A bath is a cleansing for the soul. The people of old certainly had a way with words. The warm water washed away the fatigue of a noisy, exhausting day, and I felt the tension leave my body. Hot springs really were a wonderful thing.
"...Still, putting that aside, what is actually going on with this bath? The type of water changes every single day."
"That's because it's straight from the source!"
"Then where is that source?! Besides, flowing straight from a spring shouldn't have that kind of effect!"
I tilted my head at the water, which changed its color and scent daily, and gave a wry smile as I retorted to Kuro’s airheaded answer. Today’s bath was a milky, opaque white. The unique mineral scent was pleasant and soothing.
Kuro was currently in the bath with me because of a mysterious rule: whoever was scheduled to accompany me to the festival the following day also shared a bath with me the night before. Since the water was cloudy enough to hide everything, her presence was a blessing. I was nervous, of course, but I had enough presence of mind to enjoy the soak.
As I sat there, Kuro produced a yellow rubber duck from thin air—the same one I had seen on the first day—and set it afloat.
"...Kuro, did you take a liking to that thing?"
"Yeah! It’s kind of cute. Oh, I have one for you too, Kaito-kun! Here!"
"I was expecting a goo— Wait, is that some kind of legendary bird!?"
With a lovely, beaming smile, Kuro manifested a massive bird from the empty air. It was nearly a meter long, with every single feather rendered in meticulous detail. It had four vibrant wings and a sharp, dignified face that exuded a sense of majesty.
No, wait... this was nothing like the rubber duck Kuro was playing with. Couldn't they have stylized it a little more? It didn't look like a toy at all—it looked like a high-end sculpture floating in the water.
"K-Kuro? What is this incredible thing...?"
"It’s the Kaito-kun Dedicated Duck Toy!"
"You're really going to insist that this is a duck!?"
"W-Well, I had my doubts too, but... Isis said, 'Kaito’s duck... must be... the strongest,' and Shaltier went along with it... so it turned out like this."
"Ah, yeah... I see..."
Isis-san... rubber ducks don't really have a 'strength' stat. And as for Alice... well, she was just being her usual self. I decided to stop questioning the circumstances behind the birth of the Legendary Spirit Bird AHIRU.
"Mnh!?"
"Hmm? What's wrong?"
"Sorry, Kaito-kun. Just wait a second..."
For some reason, Kuro’s expression suddenly turned dead serious. She pulled her right hand out of the water and swung it toward a black vortex that had appeared in the air before her.
It was a punch backed by Kuro’s common-sense-defying power. Normally, a strike like that would have vaporized the entire hot spring, but she must have controlled the impact perfectly, as not even a ripple reached me.
What on earth was she doing?
"There, that's that..."
"Kuro? What did you just do?"
"Eh? Oh, the Earth God was trying to sneak in again... This time she tried to enter from the same space by shifting her phase, so I blew her away!"
"...Thank you. Please, keep doing whatever you have to do to make sure that person doesn't intrude."
That goddess... was she really wasting her divine powers on something like this? I was truly glad Kuro was here. If Eden-san actually managed to barge in, I couldn't even imagine what kind of ordeal I’d face. The mere thought was terrifying.
Since Kuro was likely the only one capable of stopping her, I prayed she would keep up the good work.
After repelling Eden-san’s intrusion, Kuro leaned her head against my shoulder in one smooth, fluid motion.
"Yeah. I won't let anyone ruin our precious time alone together."
"Ah, right..."
"Hey, Kaito-kun. Do you want some sake?"
"Um... sure, just a little."
For some reason, I was becoming acutely aware of her. Come to think of it, while this was the third time I’d bathed with Kuro, it was the first time we were truly alone. The first time was with Isis-san, and on the opening night of the festival, everyone had been there. Thinking about that made me feel strangely embarrassed.
I felt the soft touch of Kuro’s cheek against my shoulder. I was too shy to look her way, so I simply stared at the scenery while my heart pounded in my chest.
A tray appeared before me, carrying what looked like hot sake. Kuro handed me a sake cup and poured the liquid for me.
"...Here you go."
"Th-Thank you."
I thanked her and took a sip. The dry sake had a sharp, rich flavor that stung the throat pleasantly, leaving a comfortable aftertaste.
I risked a glance to the side and found myself making eye contact with Kuro as she leaned against me. She gave me a soft, tender smile.
She really did have a mysterious charm. Sometimes she had a bright, childlike smile that made everyone around her happy. At other times, she looked like a mature woman who saw through everything, accepted it, and offered her warmth.
It was an exquisite blend of the two. That charm was incredibly potent; when she smiled at me just now, I felt my face turn bright red. I could certainly see why she had so many devoted followers throughout the world.
The fact that someone like her directed such unreserved affection toward me was truly...
"...Hey, Kaito-kun?"
"Yeah?"
"...I'm so happy."
"Yeah..."
At the exact same moment, we both felt it. I suppose this was what it meant to have hearts that were connected. For now, I decided to stop worrying about the details and just savor this happiness.
Dear Mother, Father—Between being healed by her childlike cuteness and captivated by her mature beauty, the time I spend with Kuro is truly wonderful. And how should I put it? Seeing that Kuro feels just as happy as I do... it made me feel happier than anything else.
Sugar Phase Start
Serious-senpai: "Why?! We could have gone so much further! There were at least five... no, at least three more chapters of serious mood left in this arc! Why did you stop it there?! Right there!!"
???: "Actually, at this exact moment in the story, Eden-san was busy talking to Alice-chan. She really is a world-class god. I thought she was just tinkering with causality, but to think she was doing this on the side..."
Serious-senpai: "I didn't want to know that! Wait, what? She was trying to break into the bathroom while having that super serious conversation? What the hell is wrong with her!?"