"Mmm~"
Though it was midwinter, the open-air hot spring didn't feel cold at all—if anything, it was warm and steamy.
After a long while, Darkness tipped her head back, throat bobbing, a thoroughly satisfied look on her face.
Shichen sat up, shuffled over, and slipped into the pool.
The water wrapped around him; warmth and ease spread through his body. He couldn't help leaning against the edge and letting out a long, contented sigh.
Of course, maybe that was just a temporary bout of post-clarity talking.
"N-not going to keep going?" Darkness licked her lips, eyes hazy on him.
"No rush—let's rest for a bit," Shichen said, dead serious.
"B-but what if Megumin and the others come by later?"
"You're that impatient?" He gave her a funny look.
As a guy, he wasn't in that much of a hurry—could've been the post-clarity, too.
"I-it's just… you've kept me waiting for more than half a month," Darkness murmured, shy.
"Then don't scream the place down this time, okay?"
Remembering Darkness's uninhibited shouting last time gave him a headache. She never cared who might hear—she just followed her heart and belted out whatever felt good, like she was afraid he wouldn't notice otherwise.
Granted, it did work—gave him even more motivation.
Good thing he knew barrier magic to block sound; otherwise the whole area around the villa would've heard Darkness's wanton "singing."
"I-I couldn't help it. I can't control myself. What am I supposed to do?" she said, blushing.
"You think I'm buying that? Who sings like that?"
"B-but I really can't hold it in… you're just too good."
"Fair point."
Since she put it that way, he couldn't be bothered to argue—it was praise, after all.
He reached out, pulled Darkness over, set her on his lap, and wrapped his arms around her.
"Shichen?" Darkness's breathing quickened.
"Still no rush." His arms moved slowly up and down.
"Why?" she asked, baffled.
He didn't answer, but she figured it out soon enough.
She rose, then slowly sat back down, head tilted up, eyes closed, back straight.
It was the fullness she'd been craving for over half a month.
Before long, the pool rippled into waves; the splashing grew louder—joined by "singing."
No one outside could hear a thing, though.
Shichen had already set up a barrier; otherwise, with Darkness's voice climbing higher and higher, the entire inn would have heard.
Barrier magic really was handy.
Megumin and Yunyun finished their soak; with damp short hair hanging loose and cheeks flushed, they headed to Shichen's room.
Without knocking, Megumin pushed the door open.
The expected scene wasn't there—only Aqua and Frieren still reading manga.
"Where's Shichen? Don't tell me he's in the hot spring?" Megumin asked as she walked in. She couldn't help glancing toward the pool, but heard nothing.
"No. He went out," Frieren replied.
"Went out? Where to?"
"No idea."
"Aren't you two going to take a soak?"
"No rush—we'll wait for Shichen and go together," Aqua said.
"What? You're going to bathe with Shichen? Seriously?"
"What about it?" Aqua looked up at her, genuinely puzzled.
"Men and women are different, you know? And what if he, uh, tries something?" Megumin asked, flustered.
"It's fine. It doesn't matter with Shichen."
"That's not okay! You're a goddess!"
"So what? Shichen likes that even more."
"What about you, Frieren?"
"Me? I'm easy. It's not like I can resist him anyway. If he wants to do something, I can't stop him."
"Do you two have any sense of modesty at all!?" Megumin scolded.
The two ignored her and kept reading.
"Hey! Are you both planning to bathe with Shichen together? Are you trying to—uh—a threesome with him?"
"Megumin, where did you even learn that word?" Yunyun asked, surprised.
"Isn't that exactly what this looks like right now?"
"B-but Shichen isn't like that. He wouldn't."
"You're still too naïve, Yunyun! He's a man—if he bathes with Aqua and Frieren, how's he supposed to keep it together!"
"R-really? Then can I join too?"
"...?" Megumin stared at her.
"Ahem, I didn't say anything. I mean—you should trust Shichen."
"I don't, unless he's not a man."
"You're noisy, Megumin. Don't bother us while we're reading. If you don't believe us, you can join us," Aqua said.
"Huh? With you two? C-can I even…?"
"Megumin?" Yunyun murmured, puzzled.
"Ahem—kidding," Megumin said, embarrassed.
"For real? You think I'd buy that?"
"Fine, I want to soak together. What of it?" she said, throwing caution to the wind.
"Nothing. I'm just saying—can we bathe with Shichen together?"
Megumin sneaked a glance at Yunyun's chest beneath her yukata and shook her head. "No."
"Huh? Why not?"
"I get dizzy from… extra meat."
"W-what 'meat'—Megumin, what are you even saying!" Yunyun huffed.
"Tch~"
"Ignore her, Yunyun. Whether we bathe with Shichen is his call. Megumin's word doesn't count," Aqua said.
"Fair point." Yunyun happily sat down beside Aqua and picked up a manga.
"Yunyun, just don't chicken out later and refuse to bathe," Megumin said, taking a seat beside Frieren.
"I-I won't!" Yunyun shot back, face red.
"We'll see."
"Hmph! Who's afraid of who? Make sure you're not the one blushing."
"I definitely won't. Shichen gives me a massage every—"
"He gives you what?"
"N-nothing."
"Super suspicious."
"Ahem—anyway, where did Shichen go? He didn't sneak off to those other hot-spring hotels to find a mixed bath, did he?" Megumin frowned.
"Eh? N-no way, right?" Yunyun panicked.
"Relax," Frieren said. "Shichen isn't like that. If he mixed bathes, it'll only be with you two."
"Really?"
"Oh."
Megumin and Yunyun looked a little pleased.
"Right, where's Darkness?" Megumin asked.
"Should we call her?"
"Forget it. She's probably training."
"True."
In Darkness's room, Shichen scooped up the utterly spent, drowsy Darkness and carried her back.
He evaporated the water from her skin, laid her gently on the bed, and pulled the blanket over her.
"Sleep well," he said, brushing her cheek.
"Mm~" Darkness's face flushed; she closed her eyes and fell asleep at once.
She was exhausted—Shichen hadn't been gentle at all, like a horse at full gallop.
Good thing it had been in the pool; if it had been on the bed, the sheets would be a lost cause.
Only she could handle that—most people couldn't.
And because it was her, he hadn't held back.
Seeing her out cold, Shichen got dressed and left for his own room.
He didn't go straight back. At the door, he sensed Megumin and Yunyun's presence, dispersed his own scent, dried his hair, then pushed the door open.
"I'm back."
"Welcome back, Shichen~" Yunyun answered sweetly.
"What took you so long? Where were you?" Megumin demanded.
"How's that any of your business?" Shichen walked up behind her and gave her a light bop on the head.
"Of course it's my business! We're a team. You can't just run around doing whatever, okay?"
"Doing what, exactly? What's that little brain of yours imagining? I was just out marking this town," he said, rubbing her head, face straight.
"Really?"
"You tell me."
"Hmph~" Megumin huffed, but she believed him.
"So why are you two here?" he asked, changing the subject.
"W-we were bored and came to hang out. Right, Yunyun?"
"Huh? Y-yeah, that's it."
"Suspicious…"
"What's suspicious? What else would we be doing—asking you to soak in the hot spring with us?"
"I wouldn't mind."
"They actually did come to ask you to bathe," Frieren said suddenly.