"Cheers!"
Everyone gathered at a hot spring inn.
Proper balance of work and rest—that was the key to living. The busier the mule, the more it needed to find moments of relaxation. Once a phase of work ended, they needed somewhere to rapidly recover their strength and relieve stress.
This entire inn had long since been reserved by Kikuchihara Aki—truly, it was great having authority and connections.
Matsubara Takashi took a sip of sake, gloomily muttering, "Ah…this has got to be the most stressful hot-spring trip I've ever taken."
"Bathing together with Mirokuji, Charon, and Kanoya is just too damaging to one's confidence…"
Nakanogane Masaaki nodded heavily in agreement.
"Honestly, I've got my own troubles…"
Kanoya Rui lowered his eyes, his voice filled half with resignation, half with frustration. "When I went into the men's changing room, the attendant grabbed me and said I'd walked into the wrong place—that the women's changing room was on the other side… Do I really look that much like a girl?"
But in truth, Kanoya Rui really did have that sort of highly deceptive appearance—the type you'd swear was drawn as a girl but was officially a boy; even his voice actor was female.
Easy enough to understand: when piloting a mecha, Rui had to wear a form-fitting pilot suit, emphasizing a slim physique. Such suits were visually appealing only when worn by slender figures, definitely not musclebound men. Hence, many creators deliberately gave male characters slender builds and androgynous features.
For example, if you put Kinoshita Hideyoshi and Joseph Joestar into EVA plugsuits, it was obvious which one audiences would find more acceptable, right?
Mirokuji Yūya also had something to say. He wore an irritated expression and grumbled, "Ever since we got here, those girls keep following me around—it's super annoying. Oi, you feel the same, right?"
The last sentence was aimed at Charon, who responded only with a puzzled look.
"Hm? Is that so? I didn't really notice…"
Unlike Kanoya Rui, Mirokuji Yūya was the epitome of masculinity. Beneath his deceptively slim frame lay a body surprisingly packed with muscle.
Charon, meanwhile, fell somewhere between these two extremes. Though certainly handsome himself, girls always seemed to cluster more around Mirokuji… Could it be that girls preferred Mirokuji's bad-boy type?
Bathing with these three was genuinely a form of torment.
"Damn it all!"
Nakanogane Masaaki's face flushed red, his eyes glaring jealously at Mirokuji. With his single abdominal muscle, Masaaki was desperately envious of Mirokuji's physique and popularity. "If only envy could kill…"
"Hah, just work harder then, fatty."
"Damn you!"
Compared to Charon, Masaaki's resentment toward Mirokuji was obviously stronger, especially since Mirokuji had repeatedly mocked his figure with that aggravating smirk. Charon's personality was far more polite and modest by comparison.
Yatouji Ryou felt no envy. On the contrary, he looked rather proud.
"See? As expected, the character from my series is still the coolest and most popular."
"What nonsense! Charon's great too, you know!"
Matsubara, unwilling to be overshadowed, immediately shot back at Yatouji.
"Mirokuji Yūya!"
"Charon!"
Perhaps due to the sake, Matsubara and Yatouji soon began squabbling again.
"Argh… I thought these two would settle down a bit when we weren't working."
Watching them, Kanoya Rui was unsure what kind of expression he should show. "Still, being completely overlooked like this feels awful. Is the title of 'most popular and handsome guy' limited to just Mirokuji-san and Charon-san? Won't anyone speak up for me?"
Nearby, Hoshikawa Hikayu picked up a piece of salmon sashimi with her chopsticks, curiously examining it before popping it into her mouth. After chewing a few times, her eyes lit up instantly.
"Wow! This is delicious!"
Though she hadn't started eating yet herself, seeing the happiness on Hikayu's face, Selesia couldn't help but smile too.
"Hoshikawa-san, your world's setting should be quite similar to this one, right?" Shimazaki Yuna asked curiously. "Have you never eaten salmon sashimi before?"
"No… Well, this world does have foods mine doesn't, but we definitely have salmon…" Hikayu's cheeks turned a cute shade of pink as she shyly covered her mouth. "It's just that the salmon in my world isn't nearly this delicious… it doesn't have such a rich taste."
"This world really is special," Meteora nodded earnestly. "Not just food—even the seasons, the wind, the soil, and even the light itself carry unique fragrances."
"Exactly. The scent of the sea, trees, sunshine—even the steam when we were soaking in the hot spring earlier had fragrance," Selesia added. "My world doesn't have anything like that. Forget scents—there aren't even delicious foods. I wish my Creator would add coffee into my world's setting…"
When Selesia first arrived here and saw coffee, her expression had been extremely strange. She genuinely couldn't fathom why anyone would drink something so dark and opaque. Seeing everyone else enjoying it made it seem tasty—but when she finally tried it herself, she immediately fell in love with its rich flavor.
Bitterness and fragrance blended together, with hints of creamy milk lingering on the tongue—her own world held nothing with such complexity.
"At a time like this, Van Gogh…should probably be curled up in her room, alone…or maybe painting together with Yuna… hehe… As long as she can paint, Van Gogh will always be happy…"
Van Gogh sat next to Yuna, trying to diminish her presence until she nearly blended in with the floor. Her hands gently cupped a glass, and she wore a dark yukata patterned with morning glory flowers. Her orange hair, still damp from bathing, seemed brighter than usual.
"But, but… hehe… This is a friend's invitation, a warm and kind invitation… Ah, Van Gogh…so nervous…but…it actually feels rather nice…"
Marine suddenly threw herself energetically onto Shimazaki Yuna, causing the girl to fluster in panic.
"M-M-Marine-san?!"
"Honestly, Yuna, you're way too shy! Since we're bathing together, we should be open and honest. Why'd you and Van Gogh sit so far from us?"
"It's exactly because of how you act, Marine-san, that I didn't dare sit close."
Blushing furiously, Shimazaki Yuna avoided Marine's teasing gaze. "Marine-san…you'll frighten Van Gogh if you keep acting like this."
"But your skin is so soft and white, Yuna! Do you have a beauty secret?"
Marine wrapped her arms tightly around Yuna's soft body, refusing to let go, making Yuna even more embarrassed by the girls' affectionate closeness.
Fortunately, salvation soon arrived.
"Marine-san, you're troubling Yuna-san."
While calmly persuading Marine, Selesia gently pulled her away. Meteora also leaned in toward Yuna and Van Gogh, asking blankly, "Would either of you like something to drink?"
"Hmm…" Cheeks still rosy, Yuna glanced at Van Gogh before replying softly, "Not particularly… but definitely no absinthe."
"We wouldn't let either of you drink alcohol in the first place," Marine said matter-of-factly. "You and Van Gogh are still minors, Yuna."
In Japan, drinking alcohol under twenty was illegal.
"That's true… Then, do you have elderflower cordial?" Yuna asked tentatively. "That'd be best. If not, then cola or milk will do."
"Let me go ask."
Selesia stood up and went out to find the inn's staff.
After confirming Selesia had left and closed the door behind her, Meteora, her face expressionless, immediately reached toward Selesia's untouched food—just as she was about to succeed, the door suddenly reopened. With a stormy expression, Selesia fixed her eyes firmly on Meteora, who was caught red-handed.
"Me-te-o-ra!"
Performing a flawless about-face, Selesia swiftly returned, fiercely tugging at Meteora's cheeks as she loudly accused her, "Last time, you soaked my salmon sashimi in wasabi for half an hour—I still haven't forgotten about that! Now you're stealing my food again!"
Meteora might have a monotone voice and blank face, but she actually enjoyed harmless pranks and jokes.
Earlier, in the hot spring, Meteora had arrived early, hidden underwater, and emerged blowing bubbles to frighten the girls as soon as they entered.
"I wanted to surprise you. Life needs surprises."
This was Meteora's explanation—delivered with her typical deadpan.
But Selesia clearly wasn't buying it.
"Surprise? More like shock! One bite into salmon soaked half an hour in wasabi sauce nearly sent me straight to heaven!"
Selesia tugged harder, stretching Meteora's surprisingly elastic cheeks into all kinds of shapes.
"Ah, Van Gogh, wasn't that your third piece of salmon sashimi?"
Yuna took away the salmon from Van Gogh's plate, replacing it with sushi and pizza. "You shouldn't eat more. You've had enough salmon today. Eat some sushi instead."
"Oh…" Van Gogh obediently nodded, truly an unpicky child.
Hoshikawa Hikayu was thoroughly enjoying her food, unaware of someone approaching behind her.
"Hikayu…"
Turning around curiously, Hikayu saw Yatouji Ryou standing stiffly upright, his face beet-red—not clear if from alcohol or something else entirely.
"Um, um… rare opportunity…um, could…could I shake your hand?"
"Eh? A handshake?"
Hikayu tilted her head, puzzled.
"Sure enough…he's played that game, hasn't he?" Matsubara whispered knowingly.
After a reprimand from Yuna, Rui whispered to Masaaki and Matsubara, "I even saw him secretly ask Ohnishi-san for an autograph."
Masaaki widened his eyes. "Who'd have guessed…"
…
Night fell, and everyone settled in for the evening.
Yuna and Van Gogh walked hand in hand along the polished hallway, heading toward their room.
"You full, Van Gogh?"
"Mm-hmm…very full. So full I don't want to walk anymore… It's a bit uncomfortable…hehe…"
As they walked, suddenly a blade flashed through darkness, hurtling toward Yuna's back.
Neither girl noticed it—until a sharp clang sounded, sparks flying as the saber was deflected.
Standing protectively before them, Mirokuji Yūya grinned fiercely, eyes gleaming with savage intent at the suddenly appearing Altair.
"An uninvited guest—with malice!"
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