The Wonderful Culture of Mixed Bathing
Tap, tap.
Sticky carbonation clings to my body.
As if I wasn’t already feeling grimy from not being able to wash properly, now this carbonation gets splashed all over me.
My displeasure rises drastically.
“Hey, did you shake this on purpose?”
Plop.
I set down the bubbling Ramune, seething like an active volcano, and speak to Beatrice.
“Eep! N-no, I swear I had no intention of doing that…”
Beatrice stutters, shaking her head vigorously.
Maybe it’s due to the furious look on my face, but her tone has dropped the whole “cringey middle school” act.
There’s really no reason for her to lie in this situation.
It’s not that I trust her, but I trust the gentle rules of this light novel world.
“Sigh.”
I let out a breath.
Well, mistakes happen.
I’m petty, but I don’t need to be that angry.
It’s not really her fault.
I can’t be that brazenly shameless.
I hand her the opened Ramune.
“Okay. Just be careful not to shake any carbonated drinks next time.”
“Y-yes! Understood…”
Beatrice carefully gulps the Ramune she received.
Ah, but what about my body?
I need to wash somehow before dinner.
Should I shower in the accommodation bathroom?
That feels a bit off.
As these thoughts flicker through my mind, a brilliant idea strikes me like lightning.
“Hey.”
“Y-yes?!”
“Is your bathing time over?”
I had originally planned to go to the large bathhouse at night.
But if most of the others have finished bathing now…
Maybe I could sneak in and enjoy a hot spring bath in the outdoor tub with no one around.
I can just change the sign for bath times to block the entry of any stragglers.
‘Who knows who switched the sign in the first place…’
I can’t fall victim to the convenient rules of this light novel world.
This time, I’ll take advantage of it.
Beatrice nods at my words.
“Eh? Yeah. Hmm. Right. I was the last one to leave. I don’t really enjoy human hot springs anyway…”
“Oh really? Got it. Thanks for the info.”
I’ve gathered all the information I need.
Now, it’s just about enjoying the hot spring.
With sticky hands in tow, I head toward the large bathhouse.
*
“He’s gone.”
Watching the back of Kim Deok-Sung as he leaves, Beatrice gazes blankly at the Ramune bottle.
I stared blankly at it.
Kim Deok-Sung.
Beatrice’s feelings for him were still undecided.
At first, she approached him to use him, but instead, she ended up being caught by him.
They later became mutually cooperative and she opened her heart to him.
It was a false relationship, but she still wanted to live freely.
They had even shared roasted marshmallows in front of a campfire.
“Those marshmallows… were quite good. Hmmm. For human food…”
A smile spread across Beatrice’s lips.
She liked this moment.
She preferred her current life at the academy, disguised, to being trapped in the cult.
She also appreciated Evangelin’s constant kindness towards her.
She hoped this time would continue, if possible.
Beatrice thought so.
“Oh? Trixie? I didn’t find you at the accommodation, so here you are!”
At that moment, a familiar voice reached Beatrice’s ears.
A beautiful girl with full pink twin tails down to her waist.
It was Evangelin Stewart.
“Contractor. To come find you personally, your loyalty is commendable.”
“I was a bit worried when I couldn’t find you. You shouldn’t go off alone carelessly.”
Suddenly, Evangelin grabbed her hand.
Beatrice’s gift unconsciously activated.
Through psychometry, Evangelin’s feelings flowed into Beatrice.
A genuine concern for her, just like she had said.
Feeling a warm heart different from what she had sensed from the cult’s followers when she was trapped in the cult, Beatrice smiled.
“Don’t worry, I’m fine. Your servant.”
“Hawawaw… Trixie, by any chance have you seen Kim Deok-Sung?”
Evangelin’s question returned.
“Hmm. That guy just asked me if anyone was in the large bathhouse, got my answer that nobody was there, and left.”
Beatrice kindly answered Evangelin’s question.
Large bathhouse, no one there, left.
The three keywords combined in Evangelin’s mind.
Also the face of Kim Deok-Sung, who had been flustered and disappointed when he entered the large bathhouse.
‘Kim Deok-Sung must be heading to the large bathhouse now!’
Evangelin realized Kim Deok-Sung’s destination.
He had gone to the large bathhouse.
And she was probably the only one who knew that.
Then.
There was only one thing she could do.
‘Ho, mixed bathing…’
Suddenly, Evangelin’s face turned red.
Thump, thump.
Her heart raced.
But as the latecomer, she needed a bold move to make her advance.
Something like mixed bathing.
Evangelin bit her lip.
‘Y-yes…!’
She clenched her fist.
“Trixie, thank you for the info! I’ll be on my way! Make sure you get back to the accommodation safely!”
Evangelin smiled and left a greeting for Beatrice before disappearing.
As Beatrice watched her go, she tilted her head and muttered.
“That guy and the contractor… is there something special about today or what?”
Beatrice’s words lingered in the ryokan hall, left alone with Ramune.
*
As expected, the large bathhouse was empty.
Unlike before, confirming that no one was there, I quickly changed the bath time sign at the entrance, stripped off my clothes, and immersed myself in the outdoor hot spring.
“Ugh… so refreshing…”
The warm hot spring water, enveloped in rising steam, wraps around my whole body.
The dark night sky is now visible.
Looks like the sunset has already passed, and it’s evening.
With autumn now underway, the cool night air mixes well with the warm hot spring water, creating a pleasant sensation.
The sticky discomfort in my hands from that damn Ramune is now a thing of the past.
Ding ding, just perfect.
For once, that blasted Shishiodoshi sound seems rather pleasant.
This is why everyone loves hot springs.
And since I’m the only one using the spacious outdoor bath, the sense of liberation is outrageous.
Savoring this hot spring all by myself is the best.
I’ll have to come back later when they reopen the large bathhouse at midnight.
“I can’t wait to see what they’ll serve for kaiseki cuisine.”
Isn’t kaiseki the traditional Japanese multi-course meal associated with ryokan?
To think I get to enjoy kaiseki for free.
Life in this light novel world may suck, but this is a nice perk.
Just as I was lounging and closing my eyes in bliss.
“Ha-wa-wa-wa…”
I hear some nonsense in my ear.
Ha-wa-wa?
Must have misheard that.
“Kim Deok-Sung…?”
But when I hear my name being called, I can’t help but admit that I’m not imagining things.
I open my eyes.
Amidst the thick steam, I see a familiar beautiful girl.
Drenched and with her voluminous pink twin-tails cascading down to her waist.
A single towel wrapped around her slim waist and generous bosom on the beautiful girl.
It’s Evangeline Stewart, the Korean spicy chicken cutie.
Wait, why is she here?
This is awkward.
I’m sure they switched the signs out front, right? Did she ignore that and just stroll in?
“Why are you here?”
“Th-that is…”
Evangeline stammers at my question.
The pink hue in her eyes is trembling.
“…I got the info from Trixie.”
Trixie? Beatrice?
I never mentioned to her that I was heading to the hot spring.
But from the conversations between Trixie and me, anyone could easily guess that I was going to the large bathhouse.
But guessing and acting on it are two different things.
If by some chance I hadn’t gone to the bath, Evangeline would have wasted her trip.
And she’s just strolled in, ignoring the sign about men’s bathing hours?
A heroine breaking the laws of light novels, huh?
My head’s starting to hurt.
What do I do with her?
Sending her out now seems a bit too much.
Should I go out instead? I haven’t fully enjoyed the hot spring yet.
That would be disappointing.
Plus, getting up now would mean exposing myself to Evangeline.
That would be too much.
Just as my mind swirled in confusion.
“Ki, Kim Deok-Sung!”
Evangeline shouts loudly.
Ah, geez.
Splash.
She dives into the hot spring water.
The damp towel clings to her glamorous body.
While not as voluptuous as Rin, Evangeline also possesses a well-proportioned figure and quite a sizable chest.
And now, she’s entered the hot spring wearing nothing but a towel.
I can’t figure out where to look.
This is even more stimulating than the summer school days when she wore a bikini.
“I heard that Japan has this wonderful culture of mixed bathing!”
Swoosh.
Before I know it, Evangeline sidles up and clings to my arm.
Evangeline approached and clung to my arm.
Through the almost pointless thin towel soaked in hot spring water, I could feel her soft touch.
Evangeline’s eyes sparkled.
“Girl, I want to have a mixed bath with Kim Deok-Sung!”
What?
An English princess is suggesting a mixed bath to a Korean guy in a Japanese onsen?
What kind of crazy idea is this?
*
As night fell, Beppu city came into view.
True to its identity as a hot spring city, steam was rising like smoke from various places, catching the attention of a huge, red-haired, tanned muscular man wearing sunglasses.
“Is this the destination?”
Berserk, an EX Rank villain of the New World League.
His voice, cold and eerie, came forth as he spoke, taking on the role of the ‘Knight of War’ among the Four Horsemen.
A Bluetooth earpiece was inserted into his ear.
“What a pitiful city.”
Cracks formed on Berserk’s stone-like face.
The strongest opponent among the targets was only the S Rank hero, ‘Destructive Magical Girl’ Mayuzumi Mayu.
Among the students, Rin, Olivia, Kim Deok-Sung, and Kurosawa Yuji had advanced to the stage of breaking their true names, but Berserk himself had already awakened to EX Rank villain status.
S Rank heroes wouldn’t stand a chance even if they came at him with a truck.
On the contrary, their force consisted of two EX Ranks.
Even the EX Rank villain accompanying him, Undertaker, was strong enough to toy with two or three EX Rank heroes.
Undertaker was a monster whom Berserk, a battle maniac capable of handling Omega Rank otherworldly species alone, recognized only along with his master.
It was an overkill to go up against mere rookie students.
‘If it weren’t for the master’s orders, these trash wouldn’t even be worthy enough to mix hands with me…’
Though Berserk was a battle enthusiast, he didn’t just engage with anyone.
Only those at least EX Rank had the qualifications to challenge him.
Trash below that rank didn’t even deserve to see his face.
This was a peculiar case.
The first man he had ever lost to—he would obey his master’s command unconditionally.
That was the pact made between Messiah and Berserk.
Thus, Berserk obeyed Messiah’s command.
Even if it forced him into the most loathsome and worthless fight he despised.
Berserk thought to himself as he spoke through the Bluetooth earpiece to Undertaker.
“Are you ready over there?”
[Ready… y-…]
Undertaker’s role in this operation was to block enemy support.
He was now at a location far from Berserk, communicating with him.
[Muscle idiot… you better not fall for… the rookie kids like other trash… don’t get caught…]
“Caught? Me? I’d rather hope one of those brats is strong enough to scratch me even a little.”
Berserk’s gaze grew heavy.
“Then this dreadfully boring and worthless mission might become a tad enjoyable.”
His cold stare swept over Beppu city.
Only one day remained.
Tomorrow was D-Day.
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