kscans

Chapter 765 - Three Sources of Heat

My name is Haru Kasuga. A perfectly ordinary male university student… is something I can no longer claim to be, having ascended to the supremely idiotic position of a de facto non-standard eighteen-year-old male.

My hobbies are cooking and making sweets, and my special skill is my ability to see anything I’ve resolved to do through to the bitter end, no matter what it takes. I’m fully aware that I have various other quirks that make me a little off-kilter as a person—but still.

Even so, I strive to hold on to the “ordinary” side of myself. In terms of my mental yardsticks and way of thinking, I’m just an eighteen-year-old guy, not much different from any other healthy young man out there.

Yes, I am a healthy eighteen-year-old male.

While a few things here and there have made me a bit timid when it comes to “romance,” I do have a normal level of interest and curiosity, as I’ve demonstrated through both my words and actions.

If you’re asking what this is all about, well, it’s about—

""……………………………………………………………………………………""

A gentle, pleasant breeze scatters the faint wisps of steam that are just barely visible if I strain my eyes.

From somewhere, the sound of birdsong reaches my ears, a tranquil chorus.

And above, if I look up, there’s a sky so deeply blue it feels like it could swallow my consciousness whole…

Naturally, the bath is built the same as the one in the men's section. As always, the water is a perfect temperature—not too hot, not too warm—a blissful embodiment of a silent plea to ‘stay here forever.’ And as I soak in it, clad only in a pair of swim trunks I’m not used to, sinking into silence, I am truly a victim.

That’s right, a victim. A victim of the person next to me, who is also a victim, frozen in silence… and who also happens to be radiating a criminally potent presence, in more ways than one.

I’m just one pathetic, foolish, idiotic guy whose emotions are currently being thrown into a blender.

"………………"

"………………"

Like hell I can have a conversation. Are you kidding me?

To be honest, my memory of how I got here is incredibly hazy, and I’m having trouble even grasping the current situation. However, I do remember the one scene that sealed my fate, that made this happen.

—A-Are you… interested… by any chance…?

—I am.

It was an instant reply. An instant reply.

A dead-serious, instant reply.

If you ask who was the most surprised, it was obviously me. I’m not even kidding; it was like my mouth was moving on its own, completely disconnected from my conscious mind.

Looking back on that idiot from moments ago, there’s only one thing I can say to myself.

Can’t be helped. I’m a guy, after all.

No matter how much I try to act like a gentleman, I can’t betray my biological instincts and nature. When a girl I not only don’t dislike but am so close to I could openly declare ‘I adore her’ asks me, “Do you want to see?” there’s no way I could possibly shake my head.

My name is Haru Kasuga.

When it comes to this sort of thing, I really am just a perfectly normal eighteen-year-old guy—

"…………U-um…"

"YES!"

The moment her voice from beside me tickled my eardrums, a sharp, reflexive reply burst from my mouth, a product of tension, agitation, and a whole lot of other things. It was beyond uncool.

The ripples from her shifting body lapped against my shoulder, and while I was screaming internally, I obeyed the request I gleaned from her voice and turned my gaze toward her.

"………………………………………………"

"………………………………………………, ……!"

Nope, can’t look at her directly. Give me a break.

Even setting aside the feelings of elation, guilt, and immorality being sent into overdrive by this situation—a hot spring, mixed bathing, a scenario utterly mismatched with common sense in every way—she is, quite simply, far too dazzling.

The maid’s choice is just too criminal. Seriously, at this point, I’m convinced. Itsuki-san, that woman is absolutely insane. Insane (and that’s a compliment)—

"—…………, heh, heheh…"

Well, it was bound to happen.

After continuing to expose my utterly pathetic state, I was finally laughed at by the younger girl. It was probably because my reaction was just that ridiculous, but I don’t think I’m imagining the slight easing of tension in her voice.

It’s pathetic, but honestly, I’m relieved. If we both just stayed frozen in this situation, it would have been true hell.

"Um, I’m sorry. This might sound strange, but…"

"…Y-yes, what is it?"

And yet, even in heaven, the hell continues.

"I feel a little… relieved. …So, Haru, you really are a boy, huh?"

"…………………………"

Well now, there’s something I learned back in my part-timer days. ‘When it counts, girls are creatures who can become unbelievably bold and show incredible courage.’

It turns out that what Miyoko-san (33), the divorced manager of the ice cream shop, told me was the truth. I can’t help but be deeply impressed—

"Wha—? …Hey…"

While I was busy with my foolish escape from reality, the water stirred. Ripples formed.

Sensing her approach, I tried to turn my face away and make an emergency retreat, but it was too late. I couldn’t feel her body temperature in the hot water, but a distinctly soft sensation captured my hand.

My hand was caught.

"Wait, seriously, Sora-san, not right now. C-can we just call a timeout—"

"You’re being too self-conscious… It makes me happy, but it’s also a little troubling."

"I’m troubled too. I’m in serious trouble right now, please let go—"

"Thinking of it as mixed bathing gets embarrassing, so maybe we could just think of it as a heated pool. That way, it doesn’t feel so… improper."

"Doesn’t that just imply that right now it does feel ‘improper’—"

"…Well, yes, of course it does. Isn’t that obvious?"

And with that, a heat hotter than the bathwater itself, a temperature that felt like it could burn, seared my left hand.

"There’s no way… I could tell anyone… about this… ever…"

"…………………………………………"

I’m pretty sure, right at that moment, I died.

Her voice was tinged with a sensuality I couldn’t believe belonged to a fifteen-year-old girl. Her tone, her breath, it all felt like it was hitting me with a lethal dose of passion.

"………………Haru…"

"Y-yes…"

"…Your impression…"

"………………"

"If I just… wait like this… will you tell me?"

"…………………………………………"

I wanted her to just let me be.

How many more times would I have to die? And yet, I had a conviction I wanted to uphold, even if it meant pushing through the impossible, the unreasonable, the reckless.

It’s a feeling I’ve embraced, a burden I’ve shouldered.

—I will grant my partner’s every selfish wish, no matter what.

And so, I once again turned my eyes to the side. We were both submerged, but since the water wasn't cloudy and it wasn't nighttime, I could see everything all too clearly.

The girl was wearing… a simple bikini-style swimsuit, white with light blue accents. The bottom was a skirt type, giving it a modest touch, but if I’m being perfectly honest, my reaction was pretty much ‘so what?’

I’d known it all along. Whether it was the result of the maid’s production or her own natural gifts, Sora-san possessed a distinct femininity for her age.

So, it was just… simply—intensely stimulating.

…And you know, on top of that, the finishing blow.

"……………………………………Sora-san."

"Yes?"

When I looked back at her, her face was one that matched her age, still so innocent.

"…Your face is redder than I've ever seen it before."

"—N-ngh…! H-how could it not be…?!!"

Contrary to her words and actions, it seemed she was still thoroughly and completely embarrassed. That bashful expression was, well, truly beyond words…

"…………You’re… …insanely… cute."

"…!………………!!!!!"

It was so charming I couldn’t put it into words, so I had no choice.

All I could do was hope she would forgive me for the childish compliment, a product of my vocabulary having died a sudden death.