We entered the bath area within the Relaxation Room. It looked exactly like a massive super sento or a Hot Spring Land; just looking at all the options made my heart swell with excitement.
Illness-san stood beside me in her swimwear. I was painfully conscious of her presence, but I tried to convince myself that she was only here for bathing support and had dressed this way for efficiency. That being said... what exactly did "bathing support" entail?
"Kaito-samaaa, which one shall we start withooou?"
"Ah, right. To start with... I'd like to wash up before we get into the water."
"Understoooood. This waaaay, pleaaase."
Firm in my belief that one should always rinse off before soaking, I headed toward the shower station. The space was remarkably large, built to accommodate multiple people at once.
"Now then, pleaaase take a seeeat right heeeere."
"Okay... wait, what? Um... Illness-san, are you going to wash me yourself?"
"Yeees. It is part of the suppooort, after aaall."
"I-I see."
Apparently, bathing support extended to physical scrubbing. Well, I’d heard that public baths used to offer services like washing someone’s back in the old days, so I suppose it was a classic tradition.
It was strange. She was just going to wash my body, and we were both wearing swimwear, so why was my heart pounding against my ribs like this?
"Well then, I shall begin nowww."
"Ah, right. Please, go ahead."
"Pleaaase let me know if I miss any spooots."
With that, Illness-san began to scrub my back with a gentle touch. As I’d noticed during her massages, her hands were soft yet firm in all the right ways; her pressure was exquisite, a testament to her mastery of her craft.
Once she had thoroughly rinsed the soap away, she spoke in a soft, soothing tone.
"Shall I wash your hair nextooou?"
"Please, if you would."
"As you wishhh."
She took care of my hair as well, displaying the practiced ease of a professional stylist. Since Illness-san usually handled my haircuts anyway, I was accustomed to her washing my head, which helped settle my nerves.
"There we gooo. You are all clean nowww."
"Thank you. In that case, next... let me wash you, Illness-san."
The words slipped out almost before I realized I was speaking. I wasn't entirely sure why I’d blurted it out. Perhaps the deep relaxation brought on by having my back and hair washed had caused my mental guard to drop.
I realized my mistake the instant the words left my mouth. But what could I do now? I couldn't exactly take it back or claim I was just joking. Positioned as we were, I couldn't see her expression, and the ensuing silence felt heavy. I worried I might have genuinely creeped her out by suggesting something so forward out of the blue.
"In that case, I shall gladly accept your offerrr."
"...Eh? Oh, okay."
Wait, really? She accepted that easily? No, no, Illness-san... I can’t help but feel like your guard is a little too low...
No, I had to look at it as a sign of her immense trust in me. Besides, it was just washing her back. I’d experienced mixed bathing before, and we were both in swimwear this time, so it should be fine.
"Is it alright if I sit heeeere?"
"...I-I-It’s fine."
Ah, this was bad. The sheer impact was far greater than I’d anticipated. Yes, she was wearing a swimsuit—there was no doubt about that—but somehow, it looked even more suggestive than if she weren't. Perhaps the sheer novelty of washing someone while they were dressed in swimwear was making me focus on it more than I should.
Regardless, I couldn't just stay frozen. I was the one who had opened my mouth, even if it was a total accident.
"Okay, I'm going to wash you now."
"I’m in your haaaands."
Wrestling with my nerves, I began to run the sponge over her back. Even through the material of the sponge, I could feel the incredible smoothness of her skin. I carefully washed around the straps of her bikini, trying my best not to disturb them. Given her height, I remained seated while I worked; because she’d pulled her hair into a ponytail, the nape of her neck was exposed and clearly visible.
How should I put it? She was just... purely beautiful. She was competent, kind, and lovely. She really was an incredible person. The thought that she trusted me enough to offer her back like this filled me with a strange, fluttery sensation that was both comforting and, quite simply, made me very happy.
"Kuhihi... Even though I was supposed to be the one suppooorting you, it seems I’m the one being pampered nowww."
"It’s fine once in a while. You’re always looking after me, Illness-san, so I want to return the favor whenever I can. Though I’m not sure if this really counts as repayment..."
"At the very leaaast, knowing you feel that way makes me so happy and blessed, Kaito-samaaa."
"I'm glad to hear that."
The tension still lingered, but knowing Illness-san was happy allowed me to relax a little. I still questioned if this small gesture was enough to balance the scales, but I resolved to find another way to express my gratitude for everything she did for me.
Serious-senpai: "—(Stop flirting right in front of me! And someone stop this Mad God!! Don't just act like you're about to eat her so casually!)"
Machina: "I wonder... if I roast her with fire, will she melt?"
Serious-senpai: "—(Don't you dare try to melt me?! ???, do something! She's your Best Friend, isn't she?!)"
???: "Sorry, I can't hear the voice of a chocolate statue, so there's nothing I can do."
Serious-senpai: "—(She totally hears me!!)"