Shiro-san was sleeping in the nap room.
She was mumbling strange sleep-talk, making it hard to approach.
Why was she sleeping here?
I asked Mounieka about it.
"Shiro is sleeping in a place like that?"
"Wait, Shiro-san was here to begin with?"
"I wouldn't know. I haven't been told anything."
"Do you think the witch would know?"
"Hard to say. Whether she knows or not, the witch doesn't really care."
"That's certainly true."
"If she's in the way, couldn't you just move her? Or sleep together with her or something?"
"I can't do that!?"
What is this person saying.
"Shiro wouldn't mind something like that."
"I would mind! And honestly, waking up to find someone sleeping next to me is terrifying!"
Super terrifying. Actually, just creepy.
"Then how about my room or something?"
"If I need a place to sleep, the living room sofa is more than enough!"
I set my backpack down on the black sofa in the living room.
"If that works for you, then so be it, Master. In that case, I'll start preparing dinner, so please go take a bath. You smell sweaty."
"O-Okay."
The witch's house has a bath. The witch is lazy about most things, but she loves her bath.
She takes it up to three times a day, which is why she often walks around naked after bathing.
I strip down in the changing room until I'm completely nude. Feeling a little embarrassed, I wrap a towel around my waist.
When I open the door to the bath, steam billows out.
The witch's bath is full of meticulous touches.
First, the bath is underground.
Right after entering, I descend a curving stone staircase with a gentle slope.
The steps have been specially treated so they don't get slippery from the steam.
And we've arrived. The witch's pride and joy — the bath.
Thick steam drifts through a large bath that easily fits ten or more people.
In the back, there's a huge black and white pot. Water perpetually bubbles inside it.
The pot bath came from memories of my past life.
When I shared the idea with her, she loved it, and it was built in less than a week.
There was a time when the bath broke and I had to frequent a health spa for a while.
That's when I got hooked on pot baths.
After bathing, the beer and fried chicken set meal at the attached restaurant was always a solid choice.
The witch got hooked too, for what it's worth.
Jumping straight into the pot bath is something you have to work up to.
First you wash your body, then the pot bath.
Time for the washing area. It's not just a single large tub like in my room or anything.
Thanks to incorporating ideas from my past life's memories, it's a proper washing area.
First, there's a vanity with a mirror in front. There's no shower, naturally, but there is a barrel filled with hot water.
A bath stool and a washbasin. And shampoo, scented oil, and soap.
"Huh, there's no soap."
"Ah, sorry, sorry. Here you go."
"Oh, thanks."
I take the soap and lather it on a towel. After working up a good lather, I start with my back.
"Oh, you start from the back?"
"Yeah, more or less. And you?"
"Me? Hmm, let's see. From the front, I guess. I'm not really conscious about my chest or anything—"
"I see."
Starting from the back is unusual— I noticed.
I immediately looked beside me. There was a girl with grey hair.
She was shorter than me, with fair skin. Completely naked.
Well, obviously. This is a bath. It's a bath. If she weren't naked, what would she be?
Her small, slightly rounded body was partially hidden by soap suds, but I could see the bones of her ribcage.
A rather unhealthy kind of thinness.
This is what happens when you shut yourself away in dark, damp places for too long.
Her eyes were grey with reptilian retinas, and she had dark circles under them.
Her features were delicate and refined — undeniably pretty.
She had no chest and a small behind, but her body was absolutely not something a boy could pull off.
She suddenly turned toward me. A wide grin spread across her face.
"Ooh, nice bod you got there~"
"Ch-Ch-Ch-Chaib!?"
She says something like an old man and laughs.
"Ooh, it's Chaib~"
She waves cheerfully. I'm stunned.
"Wh-Wh-Why are you here!?"
"Why? Well, because I'm here, obviously~"
"And also, aren't you embarrassed!?"
When I practically bark the question, Chaib tilts her head.
"Hmm~ You know, I'm not exactly attractive as a woman, right?"
She says this while showing off her sudsy, naked body.
What utter nonsense.
"You have plenty!"
"Ehhhh?"
Without thinking, I grabbed both her shoulders.
Chaib flinched.
"Chaib, you're incredibly cute!"
"W-Wait, hold on, Wof!?"
Chaib's face turned beet red.
I kept holding her thin, small shoulders and spoke.
Clearly and firmly.
"Chaib, you're incredibly charming! You're cute, kind, you worry about me, you're playful, you're fun, and you have a great body!"
She has no chest and a small behind. She's also unhealthily thin.
But Chaib's body was unmistakably that of a proper girl.
Her whole body had a pleasant roundness to it. There was something appealing about it.
"Nyah! Ahh—wa—wah—wah wah—wah wah wah—wah wah wah wah!!!"
Her eyes spin in circles as she lets out a strange cry.
Not just her face — her entire body turns the color of a boiled octopus.
"A-Are you okay?"
She looked like she was about to collapse, so I supported her.
Had Chaib gotten dizzy from the heat? Then she murmured weakly:
"...S-Sorry... I'm sorry... I happened to be in the bath, but... I was planning to tease you, Wof... I'm sorry... And, um, I'm really begging you here... I'm incredibly embarrassed right now, so please let go... I'm sorry... Please..."
"I-I'm sorry!"
I hurriedly let go. Then I remembered the state of both myself and her.
What am I doing?!
"Uuuu... so embarrassing..."
"I-I'm getting out now."
"No!"
Chaib barked.
Her feverish grey eyes stared right at me.
"You just got in, Wof~"
"But—"
"I'm the one at fault... so you're not allowed to get out."
"Y-Yes."
There was an overwhelming force that brooked no argument.
I could almost see the faint outline of a black beast clad in armor behind her.
"Sit next to me."
"Wha—"
"You haven't washed your body yet, have you~"
"B-But—"
"I can't help it. It's my fault... So... this is my punishment... my atonement... I'm the one who tried to tease you, so... if you want to look... you can look at my body as much as you want..."
What... did she just say...!?
No no no. No no, even I wouldn't do that.
But yeah, teasing isn't cool, is it.
I sat down next to her as a show of contrition.
I'm not telling myself this gives me the moral high ground or anything.
"This is my first time... being seen by a guy..."
"And yet, even if it was a coincidence, you still decided to tease me?"
"S-Sorry..."
"You really shouldn't do that again. No, you absolutely should not."
"Mm..."
"I won't be held responsible if you try it on someone else."
"I w-won't! Never again! Right now I'm insanely embarrassed... uuu, so embarrassing... I never thought it'd be this embarrassing... Usually being naked or whatever is totally fine... but just having Wof here suddenly makes it... so embarrassing..."
Chaib curled up as if trying to hide herself.
I started washing myself while sighing at her.
Then I washed while keeping an eye on Chaib beside me.
Chaib quietly washed her hair while stealing glances at me.
When I finished, I got into the pot bath I'd been longing for.
Into the black pot. Ahh, this is it, this is it.
"Ahhh..."
"Ah, this feels so good~"
A voice came from beside me. It looked like Chaib had gotten into the white pot.
I glanced over for just a moment. My eyes met Chaib's perfectly.
She slowly turned away, her cheeks flushing red.
I felt awkward too.
"...Hey... Wof..."
"Wh-What is it?"
"...You'll keep today a secret, right?... Please."
"Of course."
For the record, I can't imagine what benefit there'd be in spreading it around.
If anything, I'd be the one put on trial.
"If the witch finds out... she'll steep me in herbal tea..."
"..."
What does "steep in herbal tea" even mean?
Chaib mumbled shyly:
"If you keep quiet... I'll choose you, Wof~"
"I told you, I won't tell anyone."
Choose me? What does that mean?
A question suddenly pops into my mind. She said she was teasing me, but I have a feeling that wasn't really the case.
She probably said that because once I showed up, she couldn't leave.
Well, Chaib is the one at fault for barging in without telling anyone.
Still, what a day.