Kuro had brought along a new set of shampoo, conditioner, and body soap. They all shared a refreshing citrus scent, and I felt wonderfully clean after finishing my wash.
It was exactly the kind of scent I preferred. In fact, I liked it even more than the shampoo I was currently using. I made a mental note to ask Kuro where her company’s shops were located so I could pick some up later.
After that, we swapped places. She’d requested it, so I gave her back a good scrub and even took a shot at shampooing her hair. It was my first time washing someone else’s hair, and I was a bit nervous about the whole thing, but Kuro seemed satisfied, which was a relief.
With the cleaning out of the way, it was finally time to sink into the tub.
"Phew... this feels great, doesn't it?"
"Baths really are wonderful," I agreed.
"I get the feeling you’re quite the fan of baths, Kaito-kun."
"Yeah, I guess I am. Back in my original world, I used to buy bath additives and the like all the time."
"Bath additives? Oh... I think I've heard of those. They’re the things that change the color of the water, right?"
Now that I thought about it, I hadn't really seen anything like that in this world. I'd heard that noble families sometimes used herb-filled scent bags or floated rose petals in their baths, but Lilia-san’s mansion didn't use them, so I hadn't had much exposure to the concept here.
"Color is part of it, but there are so many varieties. Some have specific scents, and others are meant to recreate the experience of famous hot springs."
Kuro seemed genuinely interested, so I began explaining everything I knew about them. She listened intently for a while, but eventually, her expression shifted into something more pensive.
"Kuro? I think your inner CEO is showing."
"Yeah, it sounds interesting. I’m already thinking about trying to manufacture some... I was just wondering how I’d market them if I did."
"Wouldn't simply calling them a 'Recreation of Famous Hot Springs' work?"
"Hmm. Based on what you’ve described, bath additives should probably be targeted at the general public, but hot springs are a bit niche here. I mean, the people who like them really love them, but..."
"Ah, right."
I’d been speaking with the sensibilities of a Japanese person, but it was true that hot springs were a very specific part of that culture. While I didn't know every tourist destination in this world, I hadn't come across any that revolved around them.
Still, if she said they were "a bit niche," it probably meant those places did exist.
"Take the people you know, for example. Isis loves hot springs. She even built one in her own home—though in her case, I think she was mostly drawn to the idea of a bath where everyone can soak together. And Noin is a huge enthusiast; she occasionally travels to the remote regions of the Demon Realm just to visit the ones there."
A hot spring in the remote regions of the Demon Realm? I was a little curious about that. I’d have to ask Noin-san for details next time I saw her.
"Anyway, because of that, most people wouldn't really get it. Even if I marketed it as a recreation of a hot spring, it wouldn't really click with them."
"I see. Since the concept of a bath additive hasn't taken root here yet, you need a hook to grab people's interest first."
"Yeah. Well, there are a lot of things to consider, like production costs, so I can figure that out once I've actually tried making some."
Looking at Kuro as she laughed, I suddenly remembered a thought I'd had earlier.
"Hey, Kuro... what if you tried a different angle?"
"Oh?"
"What if you pitched them as a 'Recreation of a Noble's Bath' or 'Royal Palace-style'? I've heard that some nobles use scent bags or flowers in their baths, so there's already a precedent."
"Exactly! That’s a great idea. The word 'noble' is easy to understand, and plenty of commoners admire that lifestyle. That’s a solid direction. Maybe I could even get some famous figures from the Demon Realm to help out and label them as 'Supervised by ●●.'"
"Yeah, that sounds like it would definitely sell."
Lilia-san had a Heavenly Dragon Model Pen, and there was plenty of merchandise for famous figures on the level of the Six Kings' Executives, so the idea felt very viable.
"To keep costs down, the materials would be... Oh."
"Kuro?"
"Urya!"
"Wait! Why the sudden hug?!"
Kuro had been wearing a serious business expression, but her face suddenly lit up as if she'd realized something important, and then she lunged at me.
Startled, I reflexively hugged her back. Even with towels wrapped around us, we were both basically naked. The sheer level of physical contact was overwhelming.
"Ahaha! No, I just realized that since I’m finally in the bath with you, Kaito-kun, I should save all that work-related stuff for later."
"What does that have to do with pouncing on me?!"
"Well, when I thought about how much I want to treasure my time with you, the feeling that I love you just surged up... Did you hate it?"
"Seriously... asking it like that is just playing dirty."
"Fufu, maybe so... I love you, Kaito-kun."
"I'm telling you... that kind of thing is... unfair."
The happy smile on Kuro's face as she confessed her love was so adorable that I found myself unable to argue.
Actually, I was certain my face was bright red right now. I just couldn't win against her.
Serious-senpai: "How! In the world! Is this! A White God Festival Epilogue?! You're just flirting!"
???: "Well... I suppose it's only the title that fits, ssu."
Serious-senpai: "Don't just agree with me! At least try to make an excuse! You're basically admitting there's zero festival content left in the story!"