Spring slowly came by. The snow covering the whole city started disappearing, and the temperature was rising slowly. The city was more animated than usual, thanks to this seasonal transition. My relationship with the girls also got better, and the distance between each other shortened. We were like close friends at this point. Even Mirai stopped being so tensed up against me, though she seemed to have taken the habit of reading what I write in order to not leak any informations about them.
"Come on, we're on our 4th lap. You can't be tired just yet." (Homura)
One month passed in the blink of an eye since I started living with these girls. Every day is filled with excitement, and today is not an exception. 3 days ago, I mentioned how I was interested in what kind of training must shinobis follow. Because of that, although it isn't the way they used to train since it is 'too dangerous for me', I started running around the city block every morning, coached by Homura. Seriously, how much stamina does this girl have? I ran like a madman through the city blocks 4 times, and felt like dropping on the floor, but she didn't seem to even break a sweat. Or perhaps I should say 'as expected of a shinobi'.
After I went through a running hell, along with stretching exercises that made me feel like my joints were on fire, we finally went home, where I was supposed to be writing. But my will to rest got the better of me and I went for a quick shower before that. There was no strange meaning to this action, since I only wanted to erase the smell of sweat, but the situation quickly turned into that of an eroge's when I heard the door behind me open.
"Ah…"
"Ah…?" (Kureno)
Behind me was Homura, holding her towel around the chest to hide herself, who was looking at me washing my hair, sitting on a stool. My body tensed up and I took a defensive stance when I was about ready to hear a scream and to take a large hit, but nothing came. I took a peek back in her direction, and Homura was beet red, trying to hide more than what the towel did. I also reflexively looked away to avoid her gaze that basically said 'don't look'.
"Um, I believe I've put up the sign that I was using the shower, right?" (Kureno)
For the sake of privacy, we had nailed a small sign that you can flip onto the bathroom's door. The idea was actually from Haruka herself, so as to avoid dangerous situations like this one right here. Such said accidents happened once, where it was my first time feeling so close to death. I almost thought I'd become an eunuch.
"…sorry, I didn't see it. I thought it was also one of the other girls. So it was you, huh." (Homura)
"Yeah." (Kureno)
The atmosphere turned awkward when we both stood silently. I was hesitating if I should continue washing myself or leave, but I guess Homura knew why my hands stopped.
"Well, you don't have to leave. It'll be awkward if you got out with shampoo in your hair. So how about I wash your back?" (Homura)
"Just what are you saying now? I'll just take a quick shower and free the bathroom for you, so you'll just have to wait for a bit. It won't take long." (Kureno)
"Are you expecting me to stay there doing nothing in such a shameful state when there's a man nearby?" (Homura)
"Huh? No, I didn't mean that." (Kureno)
"Then hurry and let me in already." (Homura)
"Ha, yes?" (Kureno)
I just replied on the spur of the moment, but this experience was a first and extremely bad for my heart. I am still just a simple bachelor, and yet here I am, with a beautiful girl washing my back. I tried to calm myself down as best as I could.
"Idiot, calm yourself. I can feel your heartbeat through the towel. I'm warning you, this is the first and last time something like this happens, got it?" (Homura)
"I already know that. But what do you expect from me, when I don't have any experience with girls? Of course I'm bad at this." (Kureno)
"Well, it's the same for me after all. Being so close to a man is kinda embarrassing." (Homura)
The silence resurfaced for a few seconds, before I felt the touch of something else on my back than a towel. It was her hands though.
"Your muscles aren't building up yet, I see." (Homura)
"It's only been a week since I started training, what did you expect? I'm not the type of guy who's good at sports anyways." (Kureno)
"I guess we'll have to intensify the training." (Homura)
"Please don't, you'll kill me." (Kureno)
"A man shouldn't cry like that." (Homura)
I received a light tap on my back, but I just laughed it off. Just then, something went through my mind, and I think I spaced out for a solid minute before being shaken.
"You're not going to wash my back too?" (Homura)
"Do you want me to die of embarrassment?" (Kureno)
"Fufu. You're so tame right now, it's actually cute. I thought all men are beasts, but you are more like a pet instead." (Homura)
"Hey, I do have my pride, you know?" (Kureno)
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding." (Homura)
I turned around while she was looking my way, and when our eyes met, we both suddenly went silent, looking at each other with our eyes wide open. A very short silence, before we both looked away at the same time from the embarrassment.
"A-anyways. I think I'll go outside. I'm done anyways, so see you later!" (Kureno)
I got out directly to change clothes, closing the smoked glass door separating changing room and actual bathroom, and then dry myself before changing. I go out feeling rather hot even though I did not take a bath or a real shower. It was just that my face was beet red because I caught a glimpse of it. I calmed myself down by breathing slowly, before opening the bathroom door with a slightly flushed face. I checked the small sign, but it was indeed noted "occupied" on the visible side, so it couldn't be my mistake that she entered while I was in.
"Now that's quite the flushed face." (Haruka)
"Hm?" (Kureno)
Outside the bathroom, Haruka was standing there, her arms crossed like she was waiting for me.
"Haruka-san?" (Kureno)
"Did something happen inside, perhaps?" (Haruka)
"...was it your doing?" (Kureno)
"Mhm? Me? No way. Homura decided to come in by herself." (Haruka)
In the one month I lived with her, I started to know Haruka. She is the scheming type, and I won't start mentioning how she often uses condiments and weird products to make strange concoctions. The problem was how I couldn't really grasp what she is thinking.
"What did you really do?" (Kureno)
"It just so happens someone forgot to switch the sign and I forgot to warn Homura about it." (Haruka)
"I forgot to flip the sign? No, I believe I did it. You flipped it back, huh?" (Kureno)
"But did you not enjoy the surprise? You also didn't end up half-dead like before, since it was Homura's fault this time." (Haruka)
"It wasn't even her fault now if you switched the sign on purpose." (Kureno)
As I say that, the image of Homura back then just returned to me. Just the image made me pretty embarrassed again, and I looked away from Haruka.
"Fufu, I'll stop teasing you now. But I can notice you have developed an interest in our leader, and have worked pretty hard lately. So I just believed a small reward wouldn't hurt from time to time." (Haruka)
"…just please don't do this again." (Kureno)
It was hard to reject her words, but I just didn't know what to think anymore. I just shook my head and headed towards my desk, where I sat heavily on my chair. Hikage was lying down on her futon right besides it, eating potato chips with the bag on her stomach. Yomi was nowhere to be seen, probably out to do the shopping with Mirai this time. A sigh escaped from my mouth.
"You sure are slow." (Hikage)
Hikage was a girl of few words, but when she speaks, it's usually for something she believes is important, or just to shut someone up. But what surprised me was that I was scorned somehow, by her.
"Homura wouldn't be so nice to someone she dislikes or holds no interest in. She had trust issues in the past, but she opened up lately, and she's even starting to be more and more happy since we're here. She's starting to like you. Be a man…" (Hikage)
"…Am I that easy to read?" (Kureno)
"It's just too obvious to not notice it." (Hikage)
I looked over to the calendar, then looked at my window before thinking. And then, I decided…
"Yosh, I'll ask her out on a date tomorrow." (Kureno)
"Mhm." (Hikage)
As a sign of approval, Hikage lift her thumb up without looking at me.