Chapter 2: Plum Wine and Mousse

At this point, they should probably actually put on the yukata, Riko thought. But then …

"Sempai, one more thing. Hmmm … in her purse was a tiny bottle of hair mist, for touch-ups. She had Nico brush out her hair and part it in the middle. Then brush her bangs out to the sides and spray hair mist on them. She could see Nico already smiling, amused.

She shuffled away from Nico and shook her butt, then turned around and put her hands together over her head.

"Dancing, dancing, don't stop my dancing!" she sang. Her voice and Erena's were quite close, so it wasn't difficult. Holding her hand up invitingly: "Dancing, dancing, let me do it …" Reaching out to Nico: "… Shocking Shocking Party hajimeru junbi wa dou!"

Although Nico wasn't "dressed" for it, Riko was pleased to see that although she laughed, her sempai played along. Pointing at Riko, she sang, "Saa kite koko ni kite!" And then, pointing up: "Come here, right over here!"

Then Riko grabbed her.

"Oh, Tsubasa, I've always hungered for your tiny but lovely flesh! I can't bear it anymore!" Nico heard her say. She continued to play along.

"Of course it's fine, Erena! Why do you think I make you wear such tight leggings? Ah .. it's probably too early to talk about a threesome, I suppose …" they both laughed. It was well in keeping with Tsubasa's flirty image.

"It certainly is, Sempai!" Riko said, pouting and putting her hands on her hips. Then she hugged Nico closely and kissed her. "Your kouhai is all you're going to need, after all," she murmured. She pressed them together so their bodies were in contact almost from head to toe. She took Nico's hand and rested it on her breast, and rested hers on Nico's. As they kissed, she simply let them be. Each of them had their free hands on the rear end of the other. The kiss got more and more passionate. Then Riko whirled away and grabbed their yukatas, and silently handled Nico's to her. Nico was bewildered, but after staring stupidly at Riko, she saw the girl nod to the yukata and dutifully put it on.

"Rambunctious, aren't they!" Yuriko thought. The way they were teasing and laughing and even singing, punctuated with silences, led her to think the romantic atmosphere and the plum wine were doing their job already.

She thought about them singing. It sounded like something they were comfortable and familiar doing together. She felt like maybe they were almost recognizable. If she had to bet … high school, singers … and high school idols were still somewhat popular, though not nearly as popular as when the Love Live! contest had started, ten years or so ago … … perhaps one or both of them were "famous" in their high school circuit. That would explain why they had to go far afield to have a night together. Probably the older one was more well-known? That would explain her fake name, nicely.

"If the fans knew what they get up to behind closed doors…" she said aloud. Then laughed. The fans would be overjoyed, most likely. In fact, she and her wife had watched the Love Lives sometimes simply to take in the cute girls in tight, revealing clothes dancing and singing their hearts out. When you knew you both liked girls, you could spot each other the occasional girl-watching session. She remembered that one Akihabara group that won the second year, and how, watching the girls, they'd shipped the flashy redhead and the short little girl on the end …

Come to think of it, the sempai looked a great deal like that girl, didn't she? Probably a younger sister or a niece or something. So she probably didn't want any scandal falling on her elder from her little relative having an affair. A love of girls with red hair, an ability to sing, she was clearly following in the footsteps of the older girl. Yuriko hadn't really paid much attention to her, but her wife had declared her "cute," and pointed out how often she and the redhead looked at each other and how much skinship they had during the performances.

But what would explain the other girl? Probably also a school idol. When her wife got back they would amuse themselves by going online and looking for a group with two girls like this, she decided.

She had prepared the women's side. But she felt it needed a touch. There was one nook in the baths you could see immediately on your left as you entered the women's side and most of it was out of sight of the rest of the bath. If they were there for what she thinks they'd be bound to explore it. How cute! She thought of the touch. She fetched a small tray and put more plum wine and cups on It, and left it on the shelf near where towels were hung. She'd written a short note when she fetched the wine:

"To our honored high school guests,"

it read outside. Unfolded, it said,

"With our compliments. It is rude, but we could not help overhearing you singing together. You sing as beautifully as the school idols we see on TV. You two would do well with "Love Live." Warm feelings, your fans, Yamayuri Ryokan."

Yuriko laughed to herself. That should put the fear into the overly timid sempai. Of course, realistically, announcing in writing you were giving extra plum wine to high school girls was a bit troublesome, but this ryokan was old, out of the way, and normally ran by its own rules.

As she'd faintly hoped she would be, Riko was very, very excited. She didn't even feel much like lying back and soaking, looking up at the stars snuggling with Nico-sempai. That would be too much patience for her current mood. That would be fine after. After what, she wasn't quite ready to specify. And lo and behold, to the left and a little ahead was an obvious nook in the stone surrounding the bathing area. She dragged Nico over, and they commented to each other about how it was like a tiny room that curved out of sight. There were two pegs for towels, and below them was a shelf - which - well, it looked like it was occupied already. There was a little bottle of plum wine and a note. Prepared for one of the couples, who'd .. wait, this was the women's side, not a mixed bathing area … so unless the man was very bold … was there another female couple? Her curiosity got the better of her, and she looked more closely at the note in the very dim light.

"To our honored high school guests?" She exclaimed. Well, that clinched it. The staff here knew very well what they were here for. "At least they're treating us like another couple, Nico-sempai," she said, turning to Nico.

Nico looked anxious but had to agree that it was better not having to explain anything. They hung their towels on the pegs and snuggled, and shared the warm wine. Then Riko came up with another, more dubious, 'cute' couple idea.

Suddenly, Riko's hand twitched, and hot plum wine spilled down Nico's front, starting at the base of her throat. "Oops, sempai!" she said. Then: "Well .." and she stood up, moved in front, and quickly licked it off of Nico, following it down to her breasts, licking them clean and continuing down to her navel, crouching down to do so. Her tongue went a little lower, then she suddenly stood up and pulled Nico closer for more passionate kissing and fondling. They sat back down, still necking. Nico was predictably stirred.

Riko's hand 'twitched' again. This time some of the wine spilled across Riko's front. "Oh what a clumsy kouhai I am, sempai! And now I've made a mess. Someone help me!" She looked at Nico with puppy eyes. Nico imitated Riko, licking the wine off her body. Riko gasped and moaned unashamedly the whole time, turning Nico bright red with embarrassment. Was this what a young girl was like? If so, she and Maki would probably have been caught their first time … and, thank goodness, she was able to drive that thought away almost effortlessly. Riko was Riko, she reminded herself. Maybe it really was better to think of her as a young Erena. But still herself, not just some general young girl. And definitely, definitely not Maki.

Riko's final trick was transferring the rest of the wine to each other by mouth, and they finished the second little clay bottle quickly.

It was high time to get more serious. "I think Nico-sempai's strawberries are as delicious as plum wine, so let me taste them again, okay?" She looked at Nico briefly before moving to her chest. As she stroked the berries in question with her flicking tongue, she guided Nico's hand as she had earlier, this time boldly to her middle, concealed under the sulfur water in the dim light of the baths at night, and followed suit with her own.

The sensation of having first one, then the other nipple stimulated along with her area under the water was so overwhelming, it was at first hard for Nico to understand what Riko suddenly asked. "Does sempai wish to have strawberries as well?" she repeated. Imitating Riko, Nico teased her while being teased and moved her mouth to Riko's front.

"We're … alone … and the staff … knows what's what, sempai. This is our first time .. giving each other pleasure … we can't be afraid to make sounds … it won't be half as enjoyable."

Miraculously, Riko convinced Nico not to hold back anymore. She was sure this would be, as she promised, their first time giving each other their moment.

And so it turned out.

And then, Nico read the inside of the note.