Infinite Stratos: Volume 10, page 6
“Agreed! He needs to learn his lesson!”
“That was no way for my bride to behave.”
“Maybe he can make it up with a massage.”
“That’ll work. He can be massaging until he can’t even turn a doorknob.” Tatenashi grinned, and snapped open a fan reading ‘service.’
“Ahaha...” He could imagine his fingers snapping off from the sheer strain. But he had no choice in the matter.
“Yes, ma’am...” he nodded dejectedly.
◇
“All right, let’s get started!”
Ichika crossed his arms. Before him, Houki, Cecilia, Ling, Charlotte, Laura, Kanzashi, and Tatenashi laid on a blanket. Each was wearing a yukata—it was the very picture of a scene most guys would love to dive right into.
“Let me guess. You’ve all got your date panties on.”
Gulp. Chifuyu had hit home for at least one of them.
“Go change into your swimsuits, you idiots!”
“Yes, ma’am!”
“I’m surprised you all brought swimsuits this late in the year.”
Ms. Yamada whispered in an obviously grateful Ichika’s ear, “This ryokan has an outdoor hot spring you’re supposed to wear swimsuits in. Everyone was looking forward to—”
“Ahem! Ms. Yamada, let’s go get a drink. The students can handle this themselves.”
Ichika looked at her, confusedly, as she announced her departure.
“Uhh, Chifuyu?”
“Get to work, Ichika. You’d better do a good job, too.”
The girls were overwhelmed with gratitude toward Ms. Orimura. Like an angel had come down from heaven to bless them.
“Ahh, umm. You know. We’re probably never getting another chance like this, so why don’t you give us an oil massage over our swimsuits?”
A round of assenting thumbs up for Houki.
“An oil massage, huh? I mean, I can do it, but won’t that ruin the blanket?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll pay for a replacement out of student council funds.”
Executive privilege, indeed.
“Ahh, Tatenashi! You’re so generous!”
“Ohohohoho! Anyway, it’s decided! Get going, Ichika!”
“Don’t touch me anywhere funny, though!”
“I haven’t had a massage from Ichika in forever.”
“Ichika, you’re welcome to touch me somewhere funny.”
“Uhh, Laura, that’s kinda...”
At least the others could agree with him on that much.
“You’re not too hurt to do this, right, Ichika?”
“Eh, I think I’ll make it through.” Ichika couldn’t shake the feeling that if she were really concerned, she’d let him rest.
“Very well, then, hold nothing back!”
“Can’t I just a litt—”
“Did you say something, Ichika?”
“No! Jeez.”
“Very well then. Do your best, Mr. Masseur!”
“Yes, I’m so exhausted my body feels like mud.”
“Laura, that’s not how that—”
“Let’s just all enjoy this!”
Everyone nodded at Tatenashi’s suggestion.
“Guess I’ll get started, then...” Ichika reluctantly began to oil his hands, and one of the girls gulped in nervous anticipation at the sound. “All right, Houki first.”
“Okay!”
An oil-covered hand stroked over Houki’s thighs. Squish.
“Eeek! Ichika, warn me before you do that!”
“Warn you? But I said I was starting with you?”
“I know, I just meant... Ahh!”
Ichika’s fingertips relaxed her knotted muscles as his hands glided over her thighs. Houki was so entranced by the sensation that she let out a throaty sigh.
“Ichika! Haven’t you already spent enough time on Houki?”
“I guess so. I’ll start on Cecilia, then.”
“Eh? Wait, wait. I’m not rea— Mmm!” Cecilia moaned in pleasure as she felt the oil spread over her back. Ichika could feel her heart pound through his fingertips.
“Now that I think of it, massaging you like this reminds me of this summer.”
“Mmm! Haa... I suppose...”
Ichika worked his way down her spine little by little, his fingers releasing her tension. She felt as if her body and heart were melting all at once.
“Are you okay?”
“Haa... Haa... Mmmm. Yes...”
As Cecilia’s voice trailed off in pleasure, Ling’s cheeks burned bright red. I’m next... I’m next... She couldn’t stop her pulse from racing.
“All right, next!”
Here he comes!
“Tatenashi.”
“Ichikaaaa! I’m gonna kill you!”
“I was just kidding, jeez.” Ichika tickled Ling’s belly to calm her.
“Eek! Ahahahaha! Ichika, sto— stop it, hahahaha!”
“You know, I used to give you massages all the time in middle school.”
As his fingers worked up and down her sides, Ling laughed and laughed, “Stop it, hahaha! Ichika, I’m gonna... I’m gonna kill— Hahahahaha!”
“Hahaha, you’re still so ticklish.”
They were so natural, so open with each other that they looked like the perfect couple. On the other hand, no one else in the room was really enjoying this.
“Ichika, hahaha, let me—hahahaha—let me go!”
“You’re so sensitive, Ling. Anyway, time for the mass—”
“Ichika, that’s enough for Ling!” A thrown pillow caught him in the face. Charlotte was being insistent, for once. “C’mon, Ichika! Hurry it up! It’s my turn now, right?”
“Oh, sure. You don’t have to be mad about it.”
“I am not mad!” Charlotte pouted at Ichika. When she pouted like that, she looked more like a little girl than normal, dependable Charl. Perhaps that’s why Ichika gave her an honest-to-goodness massage.
“Charl, your shoulders are so tense. Are you tired?”
“Mmm... I’m fine... Yawn...”
Her worries melting away under his masterful fingertips, Charl soon drifted off to sleep.
“Zzzzzz...”
“Charl? Did you fall asleep?” Carefully moving so as not to wake her up, Ichika placed a hand on Laura’s hip.
“Wait, Ichika! I’m sensitive the— Mmph!”
Ichika’s fingers kneaded at Laura’s hips. She tried to choke back her gasps, so as not to be heard by Charlotte, but soon she needed to clamp both hands over her mouth.
“Mm! Mmm!”
“Are you okay, Laura? Sure you’re not still hurt from the battle?”
“I... I’m not. Mmm!” It took all her strength not to moan in pleasure. Her blush had extended up to her ears.
“Next, Kanzashi. Have you ever had a massage before?”
“No, but everyone else looked like they enjoyed theirs.”
She couldn’t control her heart—neither its pounding nor the fantasies of what it would feel like. Just as her thoughts reached a fever pitch, Tatenashi murmured to Ichika, “Be careful, there’s some oil there on the floor.”
Sliiiip.
“Whoa!”
It was too late, Ichika had already planted his foot directly in the puddle. Smoosh.
“I-Ichika... You’re so daring...”
As he tumbled to the floor, his hand slid down the back of Kanzashi’s swimsuit, and he could feel his palm wrap around one of her buttcheeks.
“Wait, no, I just slipped and—”
“I-chi-ka~ Whatever are you doing to my little sister, hmm?” Tatenashi grinned a Cheshire cat grin.
This must have been a trap she’d laid, he realized too late.
“Ichika! Don’t move!”
“Ichika! I’m jealous— Uh, I mean, that’s so crude!”
“What are you doing, you creep!”
In a second, he was surrounded. Ichika sighed, knowing he had only one option.
“Run away!” He took off like a startled hare.
“Hold it right there!”
“Ichika, you’re skipping me!”
Ichika pretended he couldn’t hear the complaints. Anyway, I need to get this oil off of me. I should take a bath.
Hoping they wouldn’t chase him all the way into the men’s bath, he ducked under a curtain reading ‘M’ and ran inside.
Not noticing that the following letters were ‘ixed.’
◇
“Ahhhh, this is so relaxing.”
“You sound like an old lady, Maya.”
The two were as naked as the day they were born. And of course, they had the one thing necessary to really enjoy outdoor hot springs—a nice warm bottle of sake.
“Are you sure we shouldn’t have our swimsuits on?”
“I got the staff to close it off just for us. There shouldn’t be anyone else coming in here.” Chifuyu’s gorgeous breasts jiggled as she stretched her arms out over her head.
“Whew, what a sight.”
“......?” Chifuyu shot back a quizzical raised eyebrow at Yamada’s rapt gaze.
Splash. Someone had entered the hot springs. The two prepared for an attack by Phantom Task.
“Oh, is someone in here? I’m coming in—wait, whoa!” Ichika stopped stone-still—and rock-hard—at the sight of Maya and Chifuyu naked. “What the—”
“Orimura?!”
“Ichika, you little—”
Maya and Chifuyu quickly sunk into the water down to their shoulders to hide themselves, while Ichika, panicking, stood straight up. Maya and Chifuyu’s gazes were drawn immediately to one thing that was its own exclamation point.
“Whoa?!” Clasping his hands over his crotch, Ichika leapt into the water. But it was pointless. They’d already seen it. “Wh-Wh-Wh...”
Ichika turned bright red, stuttering so hard he couldn’t even finish a word. The embarrassment of showing that to his sister was too much to bear.
“I-I-I-It’s okay, Orimura...” Just listening to Maya’s voice, he could tell it wasn’t okay at all. Meanwhile, Chifuyu was really starting to feel the sake.
“Hmm. It looks like your IS isn’t the only thing that’s gotten an upgrade. You’re not gonna be a kid forever, Ichika... Glug, glug. Maya, the sake’s gone.”
“Why are you chugging straight from the bottle?! That’s not beer, you know!”
“Hahaha.”
“Stop laughing! That isn’t funny!”
The situation was rapidly spinning out of control, and just then, another dash of chaos got added to the pot.
“Jeez, where’s Ichika hiding?”
“I hear you. Anyway, maybe we can wash the oil off here?”
“I’m sure the student council president will be able to explain it away.”
“Then let’s get in!”
“Hmm. We should probably take our swimsuits off, then.”
“You’re right. They’re soaked in oil.”
“C’mon, everyone, get those swimsuits off! Ms. Yamada already said we have the place to ourselves.” The rolling clump of chaos that was the cadets were having a great time.
Ichika, meanwhile, not so much. He didn’t know exactly what would happen if they realized he was there, but he knew it wasn’t good. What do I do? When can I get out of here? Where can I go? Why did this have to happen? As Ichika worked his way through the five Ws, Maya and Chifuyu pressed in from his front and back, pushing him down into the water.
“Glub!”
“Sssh. We’ve got to keep you hidden.”
“Yeah, yeah. Hahahaha.”
He didn’t really like how much Chifuyu seemed to be relishing the idea, but it’s not like he had any other options.
“Oh, it’s Ms. Yamada and Ms. Orimura.”
“Have you two been drinking?”
“A little bit, ahaha. Having a couple in the hot springs is one of the best parts of being a grown up.”
“Yeah! And we’re all out now. One of you go get me another bottle, hahahaha!”
“Ugh, Chifuyu’s loaded... This is bad.”
“What’s wrong, Ling?”
“Chifuyu’s always a hot mess when she gets into the booze,” as Ling tried to explain to the other girls what awaited them, she heard a voice call out to her from behind.
“Ling! Ling, has your chest gotten any bigger?”
“Ughhh... A little bit, yeah, it has!”
“You used to be an A cup, what are you now?”
“...A-plus.”
“Ahahahaha! That’s a drop in the bucket. Come on, just look around. How long do you think it’s gonna take to fill it like that?”
“Grrr...”
Ling flung a wet towel, and with a resounding smack, it caught Chifuyu straight in the face. Normally, this would be unthinkable, but when she was drunk, Chifuyu could take just as much banter as she dealt.
“Hahaha.”
This was not the situation any of them wanted to be in.
“A-Anyway, I’ll go get another bottle!” Charlotte had latched onto this excuse to make herself scarce for a moment.
“Oooh, you’re a smart one. Though I guess this isn’t the first time you’ve bathed with an Orimura, ahahahah.” The reminder was enough to make the other girls’ eyes glint with jealousy.
“A-Ahahaha... Anyway, here you go.”
“Mm. Thanks a ton, haha.”
The escape was a failure.
“And you! Little Sarashiki!”
“Call me Kanzashi...”
“You’re always so damn gloomy. C’mon, lighten up a little. Ichika likes energetic girls, ahahahah.” Chifuyu was on a roll, hitting a new sore spot every time she opened her mouth.
“Houki. You’re all grown up, aren’t you.”
“Eh...?” Houki was surprised by the straightforward praise. “N-No, I’ve still got a way to go!”
It was a spirited yet thoughtful response, but Chifuyu broke out laughing, “Ahahahaha! Those tits get any bigger and you’re gonna need a wheelbarrow.”
“I see...”
Ignoring Houki, Chifuyu took another swig from the fresh bottle of sake.
“Really, Ms. Orimura, that’s not beer.” Maya tried to stop Chifuyu, but she couldn’t move very far while still hiding Ichika. Meanwhile, Ichika, his face wedged firmly between Maya’s ample breasts, found himself trapped between heaven and hell as he squirmed to avoid asphyxiation.
“And how about you, Laura?”
“Yes, Lehrerin!”
“You’re not gonna get any taller, are you. That’s too bad. Ichika’s into tall girls.”
Wince.
“Ah, uh, I see...” Laura wavered for a moment, before finding a counterargument. “But love conquers all!”
“Yeah, that’s the kind of thing you hear from couples right before they divorce.”
Wiiiince.
“Ugh...” There was no recovering from that.
Someone whispered ‘that shouldn’t sting that badly,’ but it was an obvious lie.
“And you! Cecilia Alcott!”
“Y-Yes!”
Cecilia nervously awaited Chifuyu’s judgment, but only two words left her mouth, “Nice ass.”
Which, well, was obviously true. At least call them ‘child-bearing hips’ or something, someone thought.
“A-Anyway, everyone, if you don’t mind? We have grown up things to talk about.” Maya made it politely clear that the girls were no longer wanted, and in a flash, they disappeared. “Phew. Orimura, are you okay?”
Ichika had been freed from the prison of her cleavage, but his mind was already gone.
“Bwuh.”
Thud.
“Hahaha...”
Chifuyu kept drinking late into the night.
◇
“Ugh, I can’t remember anything that happened yesterday.” Ichika rubbed his head on the train ride home.
“Where did you hide, anyway?” Ling asked as she picked at her lunch of grilled eel over rice.
“I wish I could remember.”
“Ugh. Conveniently forgetful again? You never remember the important stuff.”
“Hahaha...”
“Stop laughing like that! I swear, the both of you...”
Just as Ling was at the peak of her complaint, Chifuyu came walking down the corridor and said, “What do you mean, the both of us?”
“Ugh! Chifuyu...”
“That’s Ms. Orimura to you! Anyway, quiet it down, will you? I’m still hungover.”
Yeah. The both of them.
“Anyway, did you all get something for lunch?”
A round of happy ‘yes’es welled up from the girls.
“Daryl’s and Forte’s orders are going to be leftover, though...” No one had really mentally dealt yet with what had happened.
“All right, I’ll eat them then! I’m a growing boy, I need food.” The girls followed up Ichika’s peacocking with their own suggestions.
“Well, if you’re going to do that, I’ll have the red caviar bowl.”
“Why don’t we all share them instead?”
“Oh, good idea, Cecilia.”
“Yeah.”
“Hey, why don’t we feed it to each other?”
“It’s my duty to feed my bride!”
“I don’t think that’s really a duty...”
“Ichika, say ‘ahh.’”
“Hey, don’t try to sneak in while we’re still figuring things out!” Everyone but Tatenashi managed the same objection all at once.
As he watched them, Ichika couldn’t help but feel that everything was back to normal for now. Between what he’d heard from Chifuyu about when he went berserk, the questions surrounding Byakushiki, what Tabane was up to, and the battle with Phantom Task... There were a mountain of problems to deal with.
But for now... Ichika just wanted to enjoy this moment.
◇
“Your tea, Tabane.” Aboard Tabane’s mobile lab, Chloe poured black tea into a cup. The sound of the tea glugging from its pot brought Tabane to her feet.
“Awesome, I love your tea! Can I have some konpeito too?”
“As you please.” Chloe spread out some of Kyoto’s famous confectionery on a small saucer. Their rattle piqued Tabane’s appetite even further.
“Ahh, it’s so relaxing to have a nice cup of tea. Oh, hey, what happened to the chocolate yatsuhashi Squally brought?”
“It was poisoned, so I disposed of it.”
“Aww, that’s too bad.”
Chloe giggled at Tabane’s visible lack of disappointment and said, “You certainly seem like you’re in a good mood.”
“That was no way for my bride to behave.”
“Maybe he can make it up with a massage.”
“That’ll work. He can be massaging until he can’t even turn a doorknob.” Tatenashi grinned, and snapped open a fan reading ‘service.’
“Ahaha...” He could imagine his fingers snapping off from the sheer strain. But he had no choice in the matter.
“Yes, ma’am...” he nodded dejectedly.
◇
“All right, let’s get started!”
Ichika crossed his arms. Before him, Houki, Cecilia, Ling, Charlotte, Laura, Kanzashi, and Tatenashi laid on a blanket. Each was wearing a yukata—it was the very picture of a scene most guys would love to dive right into.
“Let me guess. You’ve all got your date panties on.”
Gulp. Chifuyu had hit home for at least one of them.
“Go change into your swimsuits, you idiots!”
“Yes, ma’am!”
“I’m surprised you all brought swimsuits this late in the year.”
Ms. Yamada whispered in an obviously grateful Ichika’s ear, “This ryokan has an outdoor hot spring you’re supposed to wear swimsuits in. Everyone was looking forward to—”
“Ahem! Ms. Yamada, let’s go get a drink. The students can handle this themselves.”
Ichika looked at her, confusedly, as she announced her departure.
“Uhh, Chifuyu?”
“Get to work, Ichika. You’d better do a good job, too.”
The girls were overwhelmed with gratitude toward Ms. Orimura. Like an angel had come down from heaven to bless them.
“Ahh, umm. You know. We’re probably never getting another chance like this, so why don’t you give us an oil massage over our swimsuits?”
A round of assenting thumbs up for Houki.
“An oil massage, huh? I mean, I can do it, but won’t that ruin the blanket?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll pay for a replacement out of student council funds.”
Executive privilege, indeed.
“Ahh, Tatenashi! You’re so generous!”
“Ohohohoho! Anyway, it’s decided! Get going, Ichika!”
“Don’t touch me anywhere funny, though!”
“I haven’t had a massage from Ichika in forever.”
“Ichika, you’re welcome to touch me somewhere funny.”
“Uhh, Laura, that’s kinda...”
At least the others could agree with him on that much.
“You’re not too hurt to do this, right, Ichika?”
“Eh, I think I’ll make it through.” Ichika couldn’t shake the feeling that if she were really concerned, she’d let him rest.
“Very well, then, hold nothing back!”
“Can’t I just a litt—”
“Did you say something, Ichika?”
“No! Jeez.”
“Very well then. Do your best, Mr. Masseur!”
“Yes, I’m so exhausted my body feels like mud.”
“Laura, that’s not how that—”
“Let’s just all enjoy this!”
Everyone nodded at Tatenashi’s suggestion.
“Guess I’ll get started, then...” Ichika reluctantly began to oil his hands, and one of the girls gulped in nervous anticipation at the sound. “All right, Houki first.”
“Okay!”
An oil-covered hand stroked over Houki’s thighs. Squish.
“Eeek! Ichika, warn me before you do that!”
“Warn you? But I said I was starting with you?”
“I know, I just meant... Ahh!”
Ichika’s fingertips relaxed her knotted muscles as his hands glided over her thighs. Houki was so entranced by the sensation that she let out a throaty sigh.
“Ichika! Haven’t you already spent enough time on Houki?”
“I guess so. I’ll start on Cecilia, then.”
“Eh? Wait, wait. I’m not rea— Mmm!” Cecilia moaned in pleasure as she felt the oil spread over her back. Ichika could feel her heart pound through his fingertips.
“Now that I think of it, massaging you like this reminds me of this summer.”
“Mmm! Haa... I suppose...”
Ichika worked his way down her spine little by little, his fingers releasing her tension. She felt as if her body and heart were melting all at once.
“Are you okay?”
“Haa... Haa... Mmmm. Yes...”
As Cecilia’s voice trailed off in pleasure, Ling’s cheeks burned bright red. I’m next... I’m next... She couldn’t stop her pulse from racing.
“All right, next!”
Here he comes!
“Tatenashi.”
“Ichikaaaa! I’m gonna kill you!”
“I was just kidding, jeez.” Ichika tickled Ling’s belly to calm her.
“Eek! Ahahahaha! Ichika, sto— stop it, hahahaha!”
“You know, I used to give you massages all the time in middle school.”
As his fingers worked up and down her sides, Ling laughed and laughed, “Stop it, hahaha! Ichika, I’m gonna... I’m gonna kill— Hahahahaha!”
“Hahaha, you’re still so ticklish.”
They were so natural, so open with each other that they looked like the perfect couple. On the other hand, no one else in the room was really enjoying this.
“Ichika, hahaha, let me—hahahaha—let me go!”
“You’re so sensitive, Ling. Anyway, time for the mass—”
“Ichika, that’s enough for Ling!” A thrown pillow caught him in the face. Charlotte was being insistent, for once. “C’mon, Ichika! Hurry it up! It’s my turn now, right?”
“Oh, sure. You don’t have to be mad about it.”
“I am not mad!” Charlotte pouted at Ichika. When she pouted like that, she looked more like a little girl than normal, dependable Charl. Perhaps that’s why Ichika gave her an honest-to-goodness massage.
“Charl, your shoulders are so tense. Are you tired?”
“Mmm... I’m fine... Yawn...”
Her worries melting away under his masterful fingertips, Charl soon drifted off to sleep.
“Zzzzzz...”
“Charl? Did you fall asleep?” Carefully moving so as not to wake her up, Ichika placed a hand on Laura’s hip.
“Wait, Ichika! I’m sensitive the— Mmph!”
Ichika’s fingers kneaded at Laura’s hips. She tried to choke back her gasps, so as not to be heard by Charlotte, but soon she needed to clamp both hands over her mouth.
“Mm! Mmm!”
“Are you okay, Laura? Sure you’re not still hurt from the battle?”
“I... I’m not. Mmm!” It took all her strength not to moan in pleasure. Her blush had extended up to her ears.
“Next, Kanzashi. Have you ever had a massage before?”
“No, but everyone else looked like they enjoyed theirs.”
She couldn’t control her heart—neither its pounding nor the fantasies of what it would feel like. Just as her thoughts reached a fever pitch, Tatenashi murmured to Ichika, “Be careful, there’s some oil there on the floor.”
Sliiiip.
“Whoa!”
It was too late, Ichika had already planted his foot directly in the puddle. Smoosh.
“I-Ichika... You’re so daring...”
As he tumbled to the floor, his hand slid down the back of Kanzashi’s swimsuit, and he could feel his palm wrap around one of her buttcheeks.
“Wait, no, I just slipped and—”
“I-chi-ka~ Whatever are you doing to my little sister, hmm?” Tatenashi grinned a Cheshire cat grin.
This must have been a trap she’d laid, he realized too late.
“Ichika! Don’t move!”
“Ichika! I’m jealous— Uh, I mean, that’s so crude!”
“What are you doing, you creep!”
In a second, he was surrounded. Ichika sighed, knowing he had only one option.
“Run away!” He took off like a startled hare.
“Hold it right there!”
“Ichika, you’re skipping me!”
Ichika pretended he couldn’t hear the complaints. Anyway, I need to get this oil off of me. I should take a bath.
Hoping they wouldn’t chase him all the way into the men’s bath, he ducked under a curtain reading ‘M’ and ran inside.
Not noticing that the following letters were ‘ixed.’
◇
“Ahhhh, this is so relaxing.”
“You sound like an old lady, Maya.”
The two were as naked as the day they were born. And of course, they had the one thing necessary to really enjoy outdoor hot springs—a nice warm bottle of sake.
“Are you sure we shouldn’t have our swimsuits on?”
“I got the staff to close it off just for us. There shouldn’t be anyone else coming in here.” Chifuyu’s gorgeous breasts jiggled as she stretched her arms out over her head.
“Whew, what a sight.”
“......?” Chifuyu shot back a quizzical raised eyebrow at Yamada’s rapt gaze.
Splash. Someone had entered the hot springs. The two prepared for an attack by Phantom Task.
“Oh, is someone in here? I’m coming in—wait, whoa!” Ichika stopped stone-still—and rock-hard—at the sight of Maya and Chifuyu naked. “What the—”
“Orimura?!”
“Ichika, you little—”
Maya and Chifuyu quickly sunk into the water down to their shoulders to hide themselves, while Ichika, panicking, stood straight up. Maya and Chifuyu’s gazes were drawn immediately to one thing that was its own exclamation point.
“Whoa?!” Clasping his hands over his crotch, Ichika leapt into the water. But it was pointless. They’d already seen it. “Wh-Wh-Wh...”
Ichika turned bright red, stuttering so hard he couldn’t even finish a word. The embarrassment of showing that to his sister was too much to bear.
“I-I-I-It’s okay, Orimura...” Just listening to Maya’s voice, he could tell it wasn’t okay at all. Meanwhile, Chifuyu was really starting to feel the sake.
“Hmm. It looks like your IS isn’t the only thing that’s gotten an upgrade. You’re not gonna be a kid forever, Ichika... Glug, glug. Maya, the sake’s gone.”
“Why are you chugging straight from the bottle?! That’s not beer, you know!”
“Hahaha.”
“Stop laughing! That isn’t funny!”
The situation was rapidly spinning out of control, and just then, another dash of chaos got added to the pot.
“Jeez, where’s Ichika hiding?”
“I hear you. Anyway, maybe we can wash the oil off here?”
“I’m sure the student council president will be able to explain it away.”
“Then let’s get in!”
“Hmm. We should probably take our swimsuits off, then.”
“You’re right. They’re soaked in oil.”
“C’mon, everyone, get those swimsuits off! Ms. Yamada already said we have the place to ourselves.” The rolling clump of chaos that was the cadets were having a great time.
Ichika, meanwhile, not so much. He didn’t know exactly what would happen if they realized he was there, but he knew it wasn’t good. What do I do? When can I get out of here? Where can I go? Why did this have to happen? As Ichika worked his way through the five Ws, Maya and Chifuyu pressed in from his front and back, pushing him down into the water.
“Glub!”
“Sssh. We’ve got to keep you hidden.”
“Yeah, yeah. Hahahaha.”
He didn’t really like how much Chifuyu seemed to be relishing the idea, but it’s not like he had any other options.
“Oh, it’s Ms. Yamada and Ms. Orimura.”
“Have you two been drinking?”
“A little bit, ahaha. Having a couple in the hot springs is one of the best parts of being a grown up.”
“Yeah! And we’re all out now. One of you go get me another bottle, hahahaha!”
“Ugh, Chifuyu’s loaded... This is bad.”
“What’s wrong, Ling?”
“Chifuyu’s always a hot mess when she gets into the booze,” as Ling tried to explain to the other girls what awaited them, she heard a voice call out to her from behind.
“Ling! Ling, has your chest gotten any bigger?”
“Ughhh... A little bit, yeah, it has!”
“You used to be an A cup, what are you now?”
“...A-plus.”
“Ahahahaha! That’s a drop in the bucket. Come on, just look around. How long do you think it’s gonna take to fill it like that?”
“Grrr...”
Ling flung a wet towel, and with a resounding smack, it caught Chifuyu straight in the face. Normally, this would be unthinkable, but when she was drunk, Chifuyu could take just as much banter as she dealt.
“Hahaha.”
This was not the situation any of them wanted to be in.
“A-Anyway, I’ll go get another bottle!” Charlotte had latched onto this excuse to make herself scarce for a moment.
“Oooh, you’re a smart one. Though I guess this isn’t the first time you’ve bathed with an Orimura, ahahahah.” The reminder was enough to make the other girls’ eyes glint with jealousy.
“A-Ahahaha... Anyway, here you go.”
“Mm. Thanks a ton, haha.”
The escape was a failure.
“And you! Little Sarashiki!”
“Call me Kanzashi...”
“You’re always so damn gloomy. C’mon, lighten up a little. Ichika likes energetic girls, ahahahah.” Chifuyu was on a roll, hitting a new sore spot every time she opened her mouth.
“Houki. You’re all grown up, aren’t you.”
“Eh...?” Houki was surprised by the straightforward praise. “N-No, I’ve still got a way to go!”
It was a spirited yet thoughtful response, but Chifuyu broke out laughing, “Ahahahaha! Those tits get any bigger and you’re gonna need a wheelbarrow.”
“I see...”
Ignoring Houki, Chifuyu took another swig from the fresh bottle of sake.
“Really, Ms. Orimura, that’s not beer.” Maya tried to stop Chifuyu, but she couldn’t move very far while still hiding Ichika. Meanwhile, Ichika, his face wedged firmly between Maya’s ample breasts, found himself trapped between heaven and hell as he squirmed to avoid asphyxiation.
“And how about you, Laura?”
“Yes, Lehrerin!”
“You’re not gonna get any taller, are you. That’s too bad. Ichika’s into tall girls.”
Wince.
“Ah, uh, I see...” Laura wavered for a moment, before finding a counterargument. “But love conquers all!”
“Yeah, that’s the kind of thing you hear from couples right before they divorce.”
Wiiiince.
“Ugh...” There was no recovering from that.
Someone whispered ‘that shouldn’t sting that badly,’ but it was an obvious lie.
“And you! Cecilia Alcott!”
“Y-Yes!”
Cecilia nervously awaited Chifuyu’s judgment, but only two words left her mouth, “Nice ass.”
Which, well, was obviously true. At least call them ‘child-bearing hips’ or something, someone thought.
“A-Anyway, everyone, if you don’t mind? We have grown up things to talk about.” Maya made it politely clear that the girls were no longer wanted, and in a flash, they disappeared. “Phew. Orimura, are you okay?”
Ichika had been freed from the prison of her cleavage, but his mind was already gone.
“Bwuh.”
Thud.
“Hahaha...”
Chifuyu kept drinking late into the night.
◇
“Ugh, I can’t remember anything that happened yesterday.” Ichika rubbed his head on the train ride home.
“Where did you hide, anyway?” Ling asked as she picked at her lunch of grilled eel over rice.
“I wish I could remember.”
“Ugh. Conveniently forgetful again? You never remember the important stuff.”
“Hahaha...”
“Stop laughing like that! I swear, the both of you...”
Just as Ling was at the peak of her complaint, Chifuyu came walking down the corridor and said, “What do you mean, the both of us?”
“Ugh! Chifuyu...”
“That’s Ms. Orimura to you! Anyway, quiet it down, will you? I’m still hungover.”
Yeah. The both of them.
“Anyway, did you all get something for lunch?”
A round of happy ‘yes’es welled up from the girls.
“Daryl’s and Forte’s orders are going to be leftover, though...” No one had really mentally dealt yet with what had happened.
“All right, I’ll eat them then! I’m a growing boy, I need food.” The girls followed up Ichika’s peacocking with their own suggestions.
“Well, if you’re going to do that, I’ll have the red caviar bowl.”
“Why don’t we all share them instead?”
“Oh, good idea, Cecilia.”
“Yeah.”
“Hey, why don’t we feed it to each other?”
“It’s my duty to feed my bride!”
“I don’t think that’s really a duty...”
“Ichika, say ‘ahh.’”
“Hey, don’t try to sneak in while we’re still figuring things out!” Everyone but Tatenashi managed the same objection all at once.
As he watched them, Ichika couldn’t help but feel that everything was back to normal for now. Between what he’d heard from Chifuyu about when he went berserk, the questions surrounding Byakushiki, what Tabane was up to, and the battle with Phantom Task... There were a mountain of problems to deal with.
But for now... Ichika just wanted to enjoy this moment.
◇
“Your tea, Tabane.” Aboard Tabane’s mobile lab, Chloe poured black tea into a cup. The sound of the tea glugging from its pot brought Tabane to her feet.
“Awesome, I love your tea! Can I have some konpeito too?”
“As you please.” Chloe spread out some of Kyoto’s famous confectionery on a small saucer. Their rattle piqued Tabane’s appetite even further.
“Ahh, it’s so relaxing to have a nice cup of tea. Oh, hey, what happened to the chocolate yatsuhashi Squally brought?”
“It was poisoned, so I disposed of it.”
“Aww, that’s too bad.”
Chloe giggled at Tabane’s visible lack of disappointment and said, “You certainly seem like you’re in a good mood.”
