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Wow… Yuugi's stayed out of trouble for quite the few chapters now… Hmmm…

Ch. 35: Jealousy, love and outright immodesty

"Orin…" Satori simply called out to the red-haired girl.

"Meow!" Rin, or Orin as she was most commonly known, gave a cheerful cry in response to her master's call. That, and the "drama" she had just witnessed had made her feel good at the moment.

"Everyone, this is my pet cat and close companion Kaenbyou Rin," Satori gestured to Orin. "You can call her Orin for short."

"Heeello!" Orin said in a drawn out manner, stretching out her arms lazily before them as she kneeled at the pool's edge. She was dressed in a loose yukata with a short bottom that that the group had come to learn was the standard uniform for staff around the hot spring pools. But unlike the others' which was blue, Orin's was green, resembling somewhat her usual gothic outfit she wore minus the frills. Her hair was done up in a bun similar to the one Suika and Yuugi were sporting, although one could still see the stubborn curls at the sides indicative of the twin braids she usually had. Her eyes gleamed fiery red with a mischievous passion.

"When I'm not around, Orin's the one in charge," Satori continued, to which Orin shyly blustered, "Oh… I'm not really that important around here… hehe…"

"Hello Orin," Kogasa was the first to greet the Kasha, and the others followed suit.

"Hi, hi everybody!" Orin waved around, but then her eyes settled on Suika. "Hmmm…" she squinted as she leaned in flexibly, stretching her torso clear of the edge of the pool with her arms held straight out behind her at her sides, "Have I… Have I ever met you before?"

"Huh?" Suika gave a scratch of her head. Now that she mentioned it… Orin did look familiar. Oh! That's right…!

"Yup, I've met you before," Suika said, "Although you wouldn't have seen me."

"Oh?"

"I was the voice that accompanied Reimu when she first went down into hell and met you, remember? During the Subterranean Animism episode…"

"Oooh… So that's where I've heard your voice…" Orin grinned. "I was wondering why you were so familiar, even though I've never seen your face before…" She leaned in closer, her body even more parallel and closer to the water's surface. The steam was rising up below her and gently fluttering her yukata, its y-front flapping enticingly. "Heh… You're really cute, aren't you- Oops!"

Orin had drawn back immediately, as at that point Kogasa had made a sound not unlike a cat's hissing. Suika eyed her nervously.

"Orin… Please behave yourself…" Satori lazily reprimanded her.

"I'm just playing around, Satori-sama," Orin smiled sheepishly, then mocked disappointment in her expression as she sulked, "Ah… But I see the two-horned one has already been taken… Perhaps the handsome one-horned Oni-"

Parsee literally did a cat's yowl. Yuugi's expression mirrored the uncomfortable one of Suika's

"Ahhh…" Orin reclined back at the edge of the hot spring with her bare legs to the side, unfazed. Apparently and unsurprisingly, this was all intentional…

"Well… I suppose that's the drawback of couples, isn't it?" Orin airily mused out loud, "The girls always bring their boyfriends, but of course they would be engaged already…"

"Orin…" Satori repeated herself quietly but firmly and said no more. Her message was clear though: Stop fooling around. And just as well, Satori thought, because she had noticed that Parsee and Kogasa were seething hotter than the hot spring. Suika was looking rather offended too, and Yuugi was mouthing "Boyfriends?" to herself in a confused manner.

Ah… But Satori-sama, they're so cute! Orin thought, as she looked at her master in the eye, evidently communicating to her via thought alone. In response, Satori tsked in good nature at Orin, then turned to the group.

"Do forgive Orin, she can forget herself at times," Satori apologized, "But truly, if anything bothers you, and I'm not around, you may approach her for help," she said. "Especially during your on-job training, Kogasa," Satori addressed Kogasa, "She'll be the one you'll be paired with."

"Pleased to meet you…" Kogasa greeted, although not entirely enthusiastically.

"Pleased to meet you too!" Orin smiled brightly, then stood up. "Come on! Time to get out of the bath! If you stay any longer you'll faint!" she rallied. "Come on, come on! There are other facilities you can enjoy!" and Orin turned on her heels. Everyone looked at each other, shrugged, and got out of the pool to follow their new neko guide.

"But!" Everyone except Suika, that is. "But I just got in!"

"So! What do you think of the resort, Kogasa?" Orin said smiling as she looked straight ahead while leading the group back to the main building.

"Erm… I-I think it wouldn't be a bad place to work in…" Kogasa said a little unsurely.

"Personally, I think it's great!" Orin grinned, now pushing open a door that opened into a long, warmly lit corridor. "It's really relaxing here, and the atmosphere's great… Oh, but of course, it'll require quite the bit of interaction with strangers, which quite frankly I think you might have a little trouble with," Orin smiled at Kogasa, though not unkindly.

"A-Ah…" Kogasa looked down and mumbled something non-committal, but otherwise said no more.

"Hey, where are you leading us?" Yuugi quipped from the back.

"Well… I know you've just had a nice soak in the hot spring, and your muscles are all relaxed," Orin headed up to a wood and frosted glass double door, behind which shone a rosy light. "But I don't suppose you wouldn't mind going through an additional body massage, would you?" she pushed opened the door and immediately a faint but pleasant scent hit Yuugi and Parsee's nose. "A little firming of the arms, shoulders and thighs and your body will feel like absolute bliss," she motioned the two in with a wink.

"W-Wow… This is a little too much isn't it?" Parsee peered in nervous. She had never been to a massage parlour before, but her short experience so far told her that everything at this particular resort was good, and she was a little afraid of having too much of a good thing, to be honest.

"Wh-What? Haha… Don't be silly Parsee, sounds great!" Yuugi grabbed the hesitant Parsee by the arm and started pulling her after herself, turning to glance back at Orin.

"Nah… You guys go up ahead, Yuki, that'll be the blonde one, will take care of you two," Orin waved at the two youkai cheerily. "Enjoy yourselves!" and with that, Orin closed the door after the two.

"Wait… I'm not going in with them?" Kogasa was a little surprised. I suppose that means my free sample is over… I'm going to have to work seriously from now on…

"Oh dear Kogasa, don't fret just yet… We're not starting your work shift now," Satori reassured Kogasa, who jumped a little. She had yet to get used to the fact that the mind-reading youkai was a mind-reading youkai.

"Orin, thank you for giving Kogasa and I a little privacy," Satori said.

No problem! Thought Orin, and she gave a little curtsey, transformed back into her black cat form and trotted off back down the way they came.

"Now…" Satori turned her attention to Kogasa, "I decided to hold you back because I have several things to discuss with you in private," Satori pushed open another door to an empty lounge. "In here please," she motioned Kogasa in gently.

"Ahhh… Ah-Ahhh… Oof! Hah…" Yuugi grunted and sighed as her shoulder blades were being worked on by another cat-youkai (in humanoid form) not unlike Orin. The short, straight black-haired catgirl was having a rather hard time of it though. Yuugi's shoulders were really tough, and for some reason the catgirl was having trouble focusing on her task.

"So… You worked here for long?" Yuugi asked conversationally.

"W-Well… N-Not really…" the catgirl proceeded down Yuugi's spine. Damn… this was one fine looking Oni… Usually, most customers were not that good looking to be honest…

"Heh… Really? I couldn't tell at all!" Yuugi grinned as she lay face down on the massage table. "Your techniques one of the best I've experienced! Mind you… I've not had that many massages before, to be truthful…"

The brunette catgirl blushed and giggled a little, and she found herself involuntarily trying out more advanced massage techniques despite not having really mastered them. A good thing then that each massage booth was separate from the other, with Parsee being attended to by the parlour's in-charge, Yuki, in the next one.

Not that Yuugi was guilty of anything. But then again, Yuugi does not have to be to face her wrath…

"Mmmm… This is the best…" Yuugi continued with her long string of naturally unending compliments.

"Ah…I-It is really that enjoyable?" the catgirl asked, happiness tingeing her voice.

"Yup!" Yuugi said. The catgirl's breath became slightly haggard; strangely, she found herself running her hands along Yuugi's body rather than massaging it.

"I wonder if Parsee's enjoying it as much as I am though…" The massage paused abruptly.

"P-Parsee?" the catgirl's hands had frozen with a slight twitch at the small of Yuugi's lower back at the mention of another girl. Wh-Who the hell is this Parsee?

"Yup… My girlfriend, she's right next door," Yuugi continued unawares. "Oh… Have I not told you about her? She's really great! Well… she can be downright feisty too… but she's really great!"

"Feisty, huh…?" the catgirl echoed without thinking, and immediately the massage resumed in a normal, standard manner, although it was a little slower and less enthusiastic than before. She also had to take care not to accidently scratch Yuugi's back, because the thought of a rival was making the claws within her fingers itch. I'll show her feisty…

"Oh? Still not done with your massage?" a sharp voice came in from the next booth, which was followed by Parsee walking into Yuugi's booth, her body wrapped in a simple robe. The catgirl looked up, finger tips itching, and was immediately met with the icy cold, deep sea green stare of Parsee. Parsee, catching what must have been a rude and hostile glance from the catgirl, narrowed her eyes coolly.

The neko's claws retreated back up as far up her digits as they could.

"Come on Parsee… Take your time, there's no rush…" Yuugi murmured face down, blissfully unaware of the frost in the air. "It's rare to be able to enjoy such things you know…"

"Well… I suppose you're right but…" Parsee's brilliant green eyes remained trained on the catgirl standing over her.

"H-Hi…" The catgirl said meekly. S-So this is Parsee…

Apparently, Parsee could detect no wrongdoing going on between Yuugi and the unnamed brunette neko, and after awhile she left Yuugi and her alone with nothing more than a "Don't take too long Yuugi… I'm hungry and I don't want to eat alone."

"Okay!" Yuugi replied after Parsee, then turned her head to look up the catgirl. "So… What do you think of her? She's sharp, but she's a beauty, eh? Am I lucky or what?"

The catgirl thought it would be best for one's luck to stay on her good side.

"Have a seat," Satori proffered a large, cushy armchair to Kogasa, who took it rather hesitantly, unsure what was so secretive that Satori had to discuss with her in private.

"Oh… Don't be so worried," Satori smiled kindly, "It's nothing serious, just some light discussions about your future prospects… Oh, don't worry, don't worry… I'm already prepared to accept you under my employment… Hmmm… Well, it's exactly about that that I wish to discuss now, you know? Oh?" Satori forced herself to stop. Kogasa's expression had just gone from anxiety to ease to a strange conflict of happiness and sadness, and now it was coloured slightly with irritation.

Oops… Satori reprimanded herself in her head. I've done it again…

"Heh… Do forgive me Kogasa," Satori said as she seated herself opposite the heterochromatic girl before she had a chance to say anything. "I sometimes forget that it annoys people when I read their minds directly before they can even express themselves. I find it much more efficient and quick, of course, but it doesn't make the act any less intrusive," Satori inclined her head to Kogasa, seeking her pardon and understanding.

"Uh… Um… I uh… I don't really mind so much…" Kogasa nervously clasped her hands together.

"Thank you for your understanding Kogasa," Satori smiled. "Now, about what I wanted to discuss with you. Yes… That… That particular conflict of thought in your mind. Your indecisiveness… That won't do Kogasa," Satori said, although not unkindly. "You do realize that if you come to work here, you will have to be away from Suika, right?"

Kogasa's eyes widened at Satori's accurate reading of her mind, then dimmed as she looked down into her lap sadly. "Y-Yes… Yes I… I understand," Kogasa said. "But!" she looked back up again fiercely, "I! I can't… I can't inconvenience her…" Kogasa looked at Satori, unable to go on. Her eyes however, conveyed all that her tongue could not to Satori.

"You… don't want to work here because you can't bear to be away from her, can you?" Satori urged gently, her eyes closed calmly. Unbeknownst to Kogasa, Satori was actually trying hard to stay composed in her presence; Kogasa's mind was so full of conflict now that her thoughts were actually lashing out at the mind-reader. Argh… This girl… She really is rather passionate isn't she…?

"You… You want to stay and work for her sake… But you can't bear to leave her side…" Satori continued, her eyes still closed. "You don't want to throw away all of that effort she and her friends have made to keep you safe… But… Sigh…" Satori opened her eyes a little wincingly and was offered respite. Kogasa before her had collapsed back into the chair, her face upset, her breathing shallow, as if having all her thoughts expressed for her forcibly had exhausted her.

"Kogasa…" Satori tentatively called out, but at the point Kogasa just shook her head.

"No Satori-san," she said sitting up, an even fiercer expression on her face than before. "No, I'll stay. I'll stay and I'll work here," she said with determination. "I won't… disappoint her…"

"… Okay," Satori accepted the karakasa's offer, then got up and extended a hand in the direction of the door. "Well then, Kogasa," she said, "Why don't you hurry back to Suika and try to spend a few good days with her?" Satori smiled kindly at her. "Not that you won't be able to go back and visit her, of course… Or we could even… uh… invite her here if uh… if that's what you want-"

"O-Okay! I will, thanks!" Kogasa got up and immediately bounded out of the door to rejoin Suika at her side.

Satori stared after her, then closed her eyes again and sighed… Hah… If only I had the ability to read hearts like you, Koishi… I'll bet reading hers would be something beautiful…

"… On a side note, I hope she doesn't really invite her here again…"