Chapter 64 - A Student's Heart III - Chinatsu
...
After my bath in the open-air, I went to sleep in one of the many rooms for the night. It took a while to get to Red Winter and most of the afternoon was spent coming to the hot springs place and bating, so I fell asleep pretty quickly.
I woke up the next day, getting dressed in a fresh robe. I came to a recreational room to get something to quench my thirst, remembering this one had a vending machine.
Quickly, I pop in a coin and get a can dropped from the machine. As I open it and take a sip, I hear a familiar voice coming from a nearby massage chair, just out of my sight.
"I feel healed." The voice says, letting out a relieved sigh. "The hot springs in Gehenna are great, but these hot springs aren't half bad either."
Moving to investigate, I find Chinatsu, practically melted into the chair. She's clad in a grey yukata decorated with black patterns resembling branches with small leaves. Her hair is done up, or rather down, to the side, held by a small band as the low, side ponytail rests on her shoulder. The black headband she wears is still in place, as are her glasses. The new hairstyle really lets me see just how long her ears are as well.
"Looks like someone's havin' fun." I comment, causing her eyes to snap open.
"S-S-Sensei?!" She shrieks, golden eyes wide.
"You didn't even give me a heads-up when you arrived? You hurt me, girl." I tease, feigning injury.
"I-I'm sorry, I-"
"Chinatsu, I'm just teasin' ya." I interrupt, smiling. "You didn't have to text me."
"Geez." She groans, before looking down at the chair's controls. "The cancel button should be around here somewhere..."
"Done already?" I ask.
"Well, it would be rude to speak with you while lying down like this." The elf girl argues, her face red.
"It's fine. This place is meant for relaxation, after all." I shrug.
"W-Well, I have to get up and work anyways." Chinatsu continues.
"I thought you had the day off." I point out, taking a sip of my drink.
"I do, but there's still a lot to be done for the Eden Treaty." She explains. "To top it all off, I have something else unrelated to that which needs to be done."
"Oh?" I ask, sitting down at an empty chair next to her and whispering. "What's so important?"
"Sensei, do you know the Hot Springs Development Department of Gehenna?" She asks.
"Can't say I do." I say.
"Well, as their name implies, they're a club that develops hot springs It's notorious even among the problematic clubs of Gehenna because they frequently cause major accidents using their heavy equipment." Chinatsu explains, serious. "Not too long ago they caused a big commotion as they insisted on mining a hot springs near the ocean. Their only redeeming factor was that they were only causing trouble within the Gehenna district... at first."
"Then they came here." I surmise.
"Then they came here, and, for some reason, developed at hot spring within the Red Winter Academy." She confirms. "In principle, any club activities within the district of another academy is a serious violation of the school rules. Since this could potentially instigate a fight between the Gehenna Academy and the Red Winter Federal Academy, I came here not only for a day off, but also as a member of the Prefect Team to see if there was anything I could do."
"Ever responsible, huh, Chintasu?" I ask. "Though the massage chair seems to be helping you relax, so that's good."
The elven girl blushes from my words. "Yes, well... I've been following traces of the Hot Springs Department all day and felt really tired. I decided to take a bath and then the message chair seemed really inviting..."
I chuckle at bit at her words. "Still, nothing's wrong with the resort itself, from what I've seen."
"Just because it seems peaceful now, don't be reassured." Chinatsu says seriously, eliciting a raised eyebrow from me. "The Hot Springs Development Department is an irrational organization that'll commit any kind of eccentric behavior if it's for the development of hot springs. If anyone interferes with their development, they wouldn't hesitate to run the Red Winter and Gehenna academies against each other to get what they want."
"Okay, you had my attention, now you have my concern." I say, very worried now. "But even if they like hot springs, to do something as stupid and dangerous as that...?"
The elven girl lets out a telling sigh. "You just haven't seen the true nature of the Hot Springs Development Department yet, Sensei. When I think about all the things they've done to develop hot springs... It wouldn't surprise me if the entire resort blew up right now."
"I'll hold off on any options 'til I meet them, then." I say, even more worried than before.
"Their determination is beyond imagination." She says, serious. "However, I don't see them around here, and it doesn't seem too wise to aimlessly wander around the Red Winter Academy without any strategy to protect against the cold, so for the time being, I'll have to wait patiently for them to return."
"Smart." I say, smiling approvingly.
Before our conversation can continue, a familiar, drowsy voice calls out.
"Hey~ Sensei!"
"Don't yell, Hoshino."
Sure enough, in walks two very familiar girls. Hoshino, wearing a white yukata and a rather fitting pink jacket. Yuuka, clad in a black yukataand a white jacket, almost mirroring her normal outfit. Interestingly, Hoshino's pink hair is done into a small bun like Nodoka, and Yuuka's hair is unbound, allowing the purple strands to flow freely.
They both look really beautiful.
"Well, well. Look who decided to show." I grin, standing up.
"W-Well or course we'd show, you invited us after all." Yuuka says, blushing a bit.
"Y'know, I really like what y'all have done with your hair." I compliment. "I like the different style."
Both girls' faces light up red as a say that.
"Ueeh." The short girl lets out a noise.
"Th-Thanks." The purple haired girl squeaks.
"Sensei, who are your friends?" Chinatsu asks. I turn and see her standing up, a rather disgruntled look on her face.
"Ah." I say, wondering if I should introduce them or not.
"I'm Hayase Yuuka, from Millennium, if you remember" The treasurer greets.
"Ah, right. We fought together the day Sensei arrived in Kivotos." Chinatsu says, remembering. Truth be told, I had almost forgotten as well.
"And I'm Takanashi Hoshino, from Abydos." The pink haired girl greets.
Chinatsu's golden eyes widen a small bit from Yuuka saying what school she's from, but they widen far more after Hoshino says where she's from. Her eyes return to normal, but Hoshino and I both clearly saw it.
"I'm Hinomiya Chinatsu, from Gehenna." The elven girl greets.
"Nice to meetcha." The short girl greets with a rather odd expression in her face. Is she up to something?
My fears are realized when Hoshino speaks.
"Hey, Sensei. Why don't you go somewhere and let us have some girls talk for a bit." The pink haired girl suggests.
"Huh?"
"Eh?"
Two pairs of eyes, one gold and one purple, widen in confusion and surprise at the third-year's words.
"Sure." I shrug, not even a bit curious. "Text me when your girl talk is done."
"Alrighty then." Hoshino says happily. "C'mon you two." She says, dragging the taller girls away by their hands.
I watch the three round the corner. After a moment, I turn and leave, shaking my head as I utter four words.
"I don't wanna know."
As I make to leave the room, Cherino walks in, sporting a different outfit. She's now wearing a white school swimsuit with 'Cherino' in katakana on the front, along with a striped, pink jacket. She also has a large, white bow atop her head, tied in such a way that it resembles bunny ears.
Though, that damn mustache is still on her face.
"Ah, Comrade!" The white haired girl greets. "Just who I was looking for!"
"Oh, hey, Cherino. Haven't seen ya since yesterday." I greet. "You all by yourself?"
"Yes... Tomoe and Marina have been rather taken by this resort and are rather busy." She says, before adding, "Not that I can blame them," in a quiet voice.
"This place is hella nice." I say, agreeing.
"I suppose one could think of this as my long-awaited vacation." Cherino muses. "I'm almost not enjoying it at all since I'm all alone." She freezes, realizing her words. "N-Not that I'm lonely or anything like that! A leader in charge of many people is supposed to be used to solitude. I am the Great Leader, esteemed Student Council president, Beautifier of Lands, Chief of Sanitation, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera." She says, rolling her hands as she repeats 'etcetera'. "Loneliness means nothing to someone like me!"
"I'm sure that's true, but no-one ever did things alone." I advise. "Leaders aren't ever alone when they have people they can trust to back them up. Behind every great Leader is a greater people."
"...Those are wise words, Comrade." The short girl says, her blue eyes wide in awe at my words. "Since you are here and by yourself, I will keep you company." She pauses her smugly spoken words to giggle. "Feel honored, Comrade!"
I can only chuckle in response.
Cherino's smug expression fades as she turns to me, almost slyly. "So, uh... what should we do now?"
"You're asking me?" I ask, eyebrow raised.
"I know I'm the great Student Council president and all, but I've never enjoyed a vacation at a hot springs before." The white haired girl admits. "So tell me, Comrade, what wonderful things can be done only at a resort such as this?"
"There's lots of stuff." I begin, a bit hesitantly. "Have you taken a bath yet?"
"I've done more than enough of that!" The loli snaps. "I get dizzy and tired if I stay in the bath for too long..." She whines.
"Some people just can't handle long baths." I point out. "Still... they have manga here. Are there any ones you haven't read?"
"I do that all the time already. It isn't anything new." She says.
"I would say eating the food here and taking a nap, but we both know that's nothing new." I say, crossing my arms to think.
Cherino growls. "If I new it would be like this, I would have decided on going to a theme park or a pudding factory instead of this damnable place!"
"Then are you sure you even need a vacation? It sounds like you get plenty of rest and stuff already." I ask.
"Silence, Comrade! Do you wish the be purged?!" Cherino roars with all the ferocity of one of those squeaking mouse things I've seen on YouTube a few times. "I can't waste my long-awaited winter vacation like this. Isn't there something else to do?" She whines. "Something extremely fun that I can only enjoy at a hot springs resort."
Both of us become quiet, struggling to think of anything. As a long moment passes, Cherino notices something and breaks the silence.
"What's that table over there in the corner, Comrade?" The short girl asks.
"Oh yeah!" I exclaim, finally remembering something good. "Table tennis!"
"Hmm... Come to think of it, I have seen quite a few students passionately playing the game." The white haired girl muses. "Is there something special about playing table tennis at a hot springs resort?"
"I think it's just tradition." I shrug. "You up to play?"
"Of course!" She says, happily.
The two of us stand on either side of the table, each grabbing a paddle. I grab the ball the start.
"Just know, I ain't gonna go easy on ya." I say, grinning smugly.
"Haha, look at how confident you are." Cherino retorts. "Since you're so confident in your table tennis skills, let us make a bet!" She declares. "The winner gets the loser's pudding. And not just any pudding, L'Oiseau Bleu's highest quality pudding!"
"You're on." I grin.
"Hahaha! There is no better motivator than free pudding!" Cherino exclaims. "Let's go!"
In a quiet hallway, in another part of the resort, as Sensei and Cherino begin their battle, three girls converse.
"Okay, you've dragged us all the way here. For what?" Yuuka asks, a tad upset.
"Ueeh... I just wanted to talk to our new friend here." Hoshino says, nonchalantly.
"Talk about what?" Chinatsu asks, eyes narrow.
"About why you like Sensei." The pink haired girl says.
"Eh?" The elven girl exclaims, her face beet red.
"Huh?" Yuuka follows suit, confused and surprised.
"Ahahaha! You look just like Ayane when you do that!" The short girl laughs.
"Wh-What are you talking about?" Chinatsu asks, feigning ignorance as she averts her gaze from the short girl. "I don't l-l-like Sensei."
"You totally do. When Sensei started complimenting us, you had the really nasty look on your face." Hoshino says, causing the elven girl to wilt. "If that wasn't jealousy, I don't know what it could be."
"Did she really?" The treasurer asks, a tad shocked.
"Eh? You didn't notice, Yuuka?" The short girl asks. "She wasn't hiding it or anything."
"I know I'm not the most observant person, but did you really want expect me to notice that?" Yuuka asks, eyebrow raised.
"Eh... I guess not." Hoshino shrugs. "Anyway-" She continues, turning back to the bespectacled girl. "-, spill it. You totally like Sensei, don'tcha?"
"I... I..." Chinatsu stammers, her face crimson.
"Come on Hoshino, don't tease the poor girl." Yuuka says, attempting to defend the Gehenna student.
"Aww, but I wanna know." The short girl whines.
"Okay, fine!" Chinatsu exclaims, causing the other girls to reel back in surprise. "I like Sensei! There!"
The Millennium and Abydos students blink in surprise for a moment.
"But why?" Hoshino asks.
"H-How could I not?" The elven girl asks, looking as though her face is going to explode from how red it is. "He's such a nice and helpful person, always looking out for others, always putting other people before himself... even someone like me. He's not quiet about how much he hates paperwork, and yet he's willing to do even more of it just to ease my burdens. He's... He's a great person."
The hallways goes silent after Chinatsu's confession.
"So, tell him."
The three words spoken by Yuuka cause the elven girl's amber eyes to widen behind her glasses.
"Tell him how you feel. Don't hold anything back. Hesitating will only hurt yourself." The purple haired girl says, looking right into the elven girl's eyes. "Don't regret not taking that first step."
"Huh... I'm proud of you, Yuuka. Taking the initiative like that." Hoshino compliments.
"Th-Thanks." Yuuka says, her face red.
Chinatsu lets out a sigh. "Alright... I'll... I'll tell him."
Hoshino smiles approvingly. "Yeah, I approve of this one.
"Huh?" Chinatsu asks, confused.
"Look girly, Sensei's a nice guy. A bit too nice, in fact." Hoshino begins, placing a hand on the bespectacled girl's shoulder. "Can ya blame me for wanting to look out for him. I wouldn't want our boyfriend to be hurt, right?"
"I... Wait, 'our'?" Chinatsu asks.
"Yup. Our. There's no way he'll turn someone as sweet as you down. I mean, he didn't turn us down." Hoshino shrugs, taking her hand off the other girl's shoulder.
"W-Wait... Is Sensei dating the both of you?!" The Gehenna student shouts, her eyes wide.
"Yup!" The Abydos student says with a happy-go-lucky smile.
"Yes." The Millennium student says with a sigh. "He and Hoshino began dating. When she found out I liked him, she urged me to tell him, and that it would be fine for us to share." She explains, before turning to the short girl. "Honestly, you could have a bit more tact, Hoshino."
"Ueehehe~" The heterochromatic girl merely giggles.
"I... But...!" Chinatsu stammers, unable to form a response.
"You know as well as we do that there are no human men in Kivotos." Yuuka begins, serious. "Hoshino and I have already decided to share him, but we have to screen these girls to make sure they aren't trying to use him."
"You truly have feelings for him. Honest ones too." Hoshino begins, her face devoid of all the playfulness that's been there since she first called out to Sensei. Chinatsu realizes this with muted surprise. "So go and tell the man how you feel."
The hallway turns quiet again.
"...A-Alright." Chinatsu says, eventually, causing the other two girls to smile.
"C'mon then." Hoshino says, her playfulness returning. "Let's go find him."
"A-Actually, I want to do something first." Chinatsu interjects, catching the other two off guard.
"I can't believe this!" Cherino exclaims. "How could you be so good at the game?!"
I merely take another spoonful of the extravagant pudding into my mouth, before slowly savoring the taste and swallowing. "That's just it, I'm not good at table tennis."
"Huh...?" The short girl's eyes widen in confusion.
"I just have really good reflexes." I explain. "You've never seen me do any fightin', so you wouldn't know just how quick I am."
Cherino is super lazy, it showed with how she played the game. She was slow and sluggish to the point a child could've beaten her. She continued to refuse to admit defeat, so we ended up playing for nearly a half an hour before she gave me, the winner, the pudding that belonged to her, the loser, as per the rules of our bet.
The short girl cutely pouted as I ate the delectable pudding.
"Hey, don't pout at me. You're the one who set up the bet, not me." I say as I take the final bite of the pudding.
"Hmph! Very well." Cherino says. "Mark my words, Comrade, I will beat you next time and I will claim your pudding!" She declares.
"Hehe... I'll be lookin' forward to it." I retort with a challenging grin.
The short girl storms off in a huff as I toss the pudding cup in the trash. I wonder what those three girls are up to? After seeing Hoshino's devious expression, I can only assume nothing good.
A minute later, a rather nervous looking Chinatsu returns to the lobby, her face quite red.
"Um, Sensei?" The elven girl asks, rather shyly.
"Yes?" I ask, taken a bit aback by this sudden change of demeanor.
"I, um... I reserved a private bath and I... I wanted to know if you wanted to join me?" Chinatsu asks, her face practically glowing red.
I merely smile. "I'd like that."
She seems surprised that I'd agree, yet determined for some reason.
Chinatsu turns around and I see Hoshino and Yuuka peeking out from around the corner, the former giving the elven girl a thumbs up before she and the treasurer disappearing around the corner.
I knew she was up to something.
Chinatsu led me to the private bath. I was surprised to find it was another open-air bath, but smaller than the one I went to earlier.
I quickly pull a towel over my lower body and a shirt over my chest while the elven girl changes. I hop in the bath and relax, waiting for the girl to come out.
Sure enough, after a minute she comes out and takes my breath away.
Chinatsu has forgone her glasses, yet her hair is still done up the same way, revealing her long ears. She shyly holds onto a large towel, wrapped tightly around her rather curvaceous body. Her face burns a bright crimson, yet she's smiling with determination.
"Sensei... You're wearing a shirt?" She asks, confused.
"I... I don't want people to see how messed up my chest is. That's all." I say, suddenly finding myself unable to meet her gaze. "My arms are pretty scratched up, but my chest..."
Chinatsu gasps softly, likely noticing my scarred arms for the first time, before nodding. "Very well. I won't pry."
She walks to the bath and slowly, yet elegantly lowers herself into the bath next to me, holding the top of the towel over her large chest, in an attempt to stop it from spilling out.
As if the world wanted me to find her even more beautiful, it began to softly snow as she positioned herself in the water. Many sparse, white flakes of snow, falling slowly, come within my vision.
"Thank you for joining me, Sensei." The elven girl, now devoid of her usual glasses says.
"Well... It'd be rude if me to turn ya down." I say, a tad nervous.
"Truth be told, a part of me expected you to turn me down. I suppose you can never truly know what can happen in life." Chinatsu muses.
"That's life." I say, holding my arms out along the edge of the spring.
"Maybe someday..." She mutters, before shaking her head. "S-Sensei?" She asks, noticeably stuttering. Her face is red and it likely isn't because of the spring we're in.
"Yes, Chinatsu?"
"E-Even though we're teacher and student right now, I..." She pauses, her nervousness overwhelming her. "Even if it would make me happy beyond what I deserve, we... I..."
She swallows hard as she attempts to speak. I merely remain quiet, allowing her to compose herself while not diverting my attention away.
"Sensei. I want... to... be with you." Chinatsu says, her eyes filled with determination. "I... I love you, and... I don't want us to remain just teacher and student. I know I don't deserve your-"
Before she can continue, I cut the girl off by reaching over and placing a finger on her mouth. Her golden eyes widen in surprise at my sudden action.
"Chinatsu, what have I told ya about putting yourself down like that. You deserve to be happy, just like everyone else." I say softly, removing my finger from her mouth. "And besides, I've grown rather fond of you as well." I say with a smile and a soft chuckle.
"Th-Then...!" She gasps.
"You've already talked to Yuuka and Hoshino about the harem thing, huh?" I ask, to which the elven girl nods in affirmation. "Then you know I have no reason to turn you down, Chinatsu."
"S-Sensei...!" She gasps, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Josh." I correct, causing her to blink. "When it's us, call me Josh. You ARE my girlfriend now."
"S-Josh. Thank you." She says, suddenly closing the distance between us and embracing me in a gentle hug.
Our bodies are only separated by thin towels and a shirt now, but that doesn't mean anything to either of us.
After a blissful moment, Chinatsu pulls her head away from me and stares deeply into my eyes, just as I do to her.
Before we realize it, our lips connect. That familiar, soft sensation overrides my mind once again as I hold the beautiful girl in my arms even tighter.
Then, after an eternity, we separate, both of us starting longingly into the other's eyes.
"Ueehehe~"
A familiar giggle breaks us out of our trance. Chinatsu and I turn to see Hoshino and Yuuka nearby, likely having popped out from some hiding area. Both are clad in towels just like Chinatsu, their bodies nearly visible through the outlines of the tight towels.
"You two really are cute together." The short girl teases.
Chinatsu, realizing our company, quickly pulls away from me, her face even redder than before.
"Hey now, there's no reason to be embarrassed. We're all sharing the same guy now." The short girl continues.
"Take it easy on the poor girl, Hoshino." Yuuka chides. "Look how nervous she is."
"But it's so fun! She's just like Ayane with her reactions." The pink haired girl whines.
Huh... Now that I think about it, Chinatsu and Ayane both wear glasses and have elven ears. They're also quite compassionate and busy.
"That still doesn't mean you should tease her like she's this Ayane girl." The treasurer chides.
"Or your boyfriend, for that matter." I interject, smiling.
"Well, it wouldn't be so bad teasing our boyfriend." Hoshino says, deviously.
"I can agree with that." Yuuka adds, smirking.
I just shrug in response.
"Now scooch over a bit." Hoshino says, walking towards us.
I turn to Chinatsu. "You reserved the bath for four." I say, knowing the answer. My new girlfriend shyly nods in affirmation as my other two girlfriends lower themselves in next to us.
"Ueeeeh~" Hoshino makes her trademark noise in relief. "This water feels super good on these old bones."
"After everything that's been happening recently, I can relate." Yuuka adds, practically melting just like the shorter girl.
Chinatsu lets out a soft giggle at their antics. "I admit, a well-deserved break is always nice."
"Oh right, you go to Gehenna. Here I am talking about how busy I am when you've probably been doing a lot more work than any of us." The treasurer apologizes.
"N-No, it's fine." The elven girl defends. "We've all worked hard, some of us more than others, but that shouldn't mean anything."
"The new girl's got the right idea." Hoshino says, having lowered herself into the water far enough that the her chin is submerged. "No fighting, no competitions, just relax."
"No complaints here." I agree, leaning back against the edge of the hot spring again.
"Say, Sensei... why are you wearing that shirt anyway?" Yuuka asks.
"Huh? Didn't you hear us talkin'?" I ask, confused.
"We only got here after you two were already in the water." Hoshino explains. "I'll admit, I AM curious too."
"Well... You all can see my arms and how bad they're scarred up." I begin. I notice Yuuka's eyes widen a bit in shock. Hoshino, however, doesn't react at all, having seen this already. "My chest is... let's just say it's best not to even think about how bad it is."
"It can't be that bad."
"It's worse." I retort to Hoshino's words immediately, not giving anyone a chance to speak. "This place is one of relaxation, a place without worry or anything negative. You seeing my chest will only ruin it."
"Joshua." Hoshino says, sitting up. Huh, I think that's the first time she's ever called me by my full name and not just 'Josh'. "We all love you for you. It doesn't matter how bad it is, it won't change a thing."
"She's right." Chinatsu adds. "Besides, I've seen some nasty injuries, admittedly nowhere near as bad as yours, but I can handle it."
"Indeed. No matter your flaws or scars, we all love you, Josh." Yuuka says, resolute.
Looking between the three girls, I eventually relent, sighing a deep sigh. "Not a minute in to havin' three girlfriends as you're all already gangin' up on me..." I pause, ruffling my hair with my hand.
"Of course. If we don't show you just how much we care about you, who will?" My shortest girlfriend says, her emotional maturity bleeding through once more.
"...Fine." I relent after a long moment. "But you'd better not regret it." I say, with all seriousness.
Reluctantly, I grasp the bottom of my shirt and pull the wet cloth over my head.
"...?!"
"...!"
"That's...!"
All at once, the three girls let out various sounds of shock.
Once the wet shirt is pulled from over me head, I sit it to the side on the snow-covered ground next to the hot spring. Turning back, I see the three girls' faces filled with various emotions while staring at my cicatrix-covered torso.
Chinatsu stares on with concern, worry and something like pity. This is all likely due to her being a healer first and foremost, so she's used to things like this, but clearly nothing to this degree.
Yuuka looks on in concern, worry and horror. Almost as though she's shocked to the core that something like this could be done to another human.
Hoshino locks eyes with my chest, her eyes betraying not concern or worry, but the promise of pain for those who inflicted these wounds upon me. Her eyes show no reluctance in causing the same pain I've felt unto those who dealt it unto me in the first place.
"It's not a pretty sight, huh?" I ask, softly, feeling truly naked for the first time in a long time. Even Arona hasn't seen this.
"Does it... Does it hurt?" Yuuka asks, softly.
"Not anymore. Some of them were real bad, but... that pain's just a distant memory now." I explain, my words not dissuading been concern at all.
"I knew you said it was bad, but..." Chinatsu begins, almost unable to speak. "To think someone could cause so much harm unto another."
"Yeah, well... This wasn't the result of one person's actions. I mean, it WAS, but not directly." I say.
"What?" Chinatsu asks.
"Long story short I had a friend and a girlfriend in high school. I went to her house to propose, found them fucking, I beat the guy half to death and left." I explain quickly. "His rich daddy died, likely was killed by him, and placed a trillion-or-so yen bounty on me and I ran from everyone for five years. That is, until I ended up in Kivotos."
The elven girl's amber eyes widen in shock at my words, before looking down at my ruined flesh once more.
"Greed is a powerful motivator." I growl.
Hoshino, who's been silent all this time, is the first to move. She reaches over and softly traces her small finger across a particularly nasty scar.
One right where my heart is.
"This is a stab wound." Hoshino says, already knowing the answer. "Big enough to have gone clean through."
Two pairs of eyes, one amber and one purple, widen at the short girl's words.
"I've had plenty of near-death experiences these past five years, Hoshino." I say, softly. Slowly, I grasp her small hand with mine. "That was the closest it ever was to the end... Let's just say that my heart is younger than I am. And I don't mean that in a spiritual sense."
None of the girls say anything, how can they? Hoshino and Yuuka knew I've been though hell, I was the one who told them after all, but actually SEEING the proof of it all... that's another story altogether.
Yuuka, her emotions finally getting the best of her, rushes forward and engulfs me in a tight hug, warm wetness spilling onto my body from her eyes. My free right hand suddenly finds itself resting on her back as I hold Hoshino's hand with my left.
Chinatsu places a hand on my shoulder. I turn to her and see a sad smile on her face. "You aren't alone anymore, Josh... Remember that." She says, holding back her tears.
Soon, all three of the girls are holding onto me tightly, their emotions running wild, as the taller girls sob against me. Hoshino lets out no tears, having felt truly painful emotions before, unlike the other two.
Time passes slowly as we embrace. Though their emotions are turbulent, mine are impossibly calm.
I feel as though a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders as I hug the girls back, wrapping my arms around these sweet, kind beings.
These girls...
They truly worry for me.
They truly care for me.
They truly love me.
And I love them back.
Just for that and so much more.
More than they can ever know.
I love them.
Wholeheartedly.
"Ueeeeeeehhhhhhh~!" Hoshino groans as she stretches, fresh out of the bath. "That was super relaxing. I think Uncle Hoshino's got a few less cricks in her neck."
"Uncle...?" Chinatsu asks, confused, as she walks alongside the rest of us.
"I don't know either." Yuuka says, deadpan, causing the elven girl to turn to me.
"Wh-Don't look at me." I defend. I mean, I have a suspicion as to why she calls herself that, but...
No, I'll just leave it be.
"Still, y'all have been workin' hard and now have relaxed hard. Well done." I praise.
"See, Sensei gets it." My pink haired girlfriend adds. "You gotta relax to work and work to relax."
"I... think I get what you're saying." My elven girlfriend says, slowly.
While in the bath, after our little group hug, we continued to talk while we soaked. Chinatsu mentioned her other reason for being here, causing Yuuka to become a bit concerned about those Hot Springs girls as well. Hoshino just told the golden eyed girl to make use of this break and relax, that it'd make working to find them easier than if she was all stiff from overwork.
A sentiment I certainly agree with.
"So, what should we do now?" My purple haired girlfriend asks. "There's still a lot to do around here, right?"
"Oooh! We should play table tennis!" Hoshino offers, her eyes gaining a competitive glint. "I'm sure we'd be able to give Josh here a run for his money."
"Hm. That sounds like a great idea." Yuuka agrees, her eyes also gaining that same glint.
"Y'know I actually was playing that while y'all were talking." I add.
"Really?" Chinatsu asks.
"Indeed. I managed to defeat the Great Leader of Red Winter Academy herself in single combat." I brag, theatrically. "And, as per the rules of our bet, she gave up her most precious of possessions."
"Oh? What was it?" Hoshino asks, curious.
"Pudding." I say, causing all three of my girlfriends to face-fault.
"Seriously? You hyped that up way too much, Sensei." Yuuka grumbles half-heartedly.
I chuckle a bit. "Well, I kinda had to."
We continue to walk and talk happily as we walk towards the lounge with the table tennis table. I wonder if those have an actual name. Once we return to the room, I find Cherino waiting for me by the table.
"Comrade, I have come to bargain!" The white haired girl exclaims, giving me a flashback of a certain movie. "I demand a rematch! This time, I will have YOUR pudding!" She declares.
"I don't have any on me, y'know." I point out. "I'll just have to owe ya one."
"That is acceptable." Cherino agrees.
"Uhh, who's this?" Yuuka asks, a tad confused by this small girl. I can't blame her, she's nearly a foot shorter than even Hoshino, who's just under five feet tall.
"Oh, someone who does not know my majesty?" The white haired loli asks, surprised. "Understandable, you likely go to another school. Well, listen well!" She declares. "I am Renkawa Cherino, the Great Leader of Red Winter Academy, its Student Council President, Beautifier of Lands, Scriber of Minutes, Chief of Sanitation, and uh..." She fumbles a bit. "And a bunch of other titles that are so great, they need not be uttered!"
My three girlfriends just stare at Cherino with odd looks on their faces, none of them filled with anything even resembling awe.
"She's the head honcho around here." I explain in a language they can actually understand.
"Ah." Yuuka says, realizing. "Well, uh... It's nice to meet you. I'm Yuuka, the treasurer of Seminar, Millennium's Student Council."
"And I'm Chinatsu, Head of Medical Duties for the Prefect Team of Gehenna." Chinatsu continues.
"And I'm Hoshino, Abydos' Foreclosure Task Force head." Hoshino continues.
"Wait, I thought you said you were the Council President?" The treasurer asks, confused.
"The Foreclosure Task Force pretty much is the student council at this point." The pink haired girl says with a shrug. "Anyways, what's with the mustache?" She asks Cherino.
"I admit, I am curious about it as well." The elven girl adds.
"I just thought it was a fashion statement." Yuuka adds.
"It is not a fashion statement!" Cherino shouts, causing the other three girls to reel back. "It is the symbol of my power as the Great Leader of this great academy."
"I dunno..." Hoshino muses, a cat-like grin on her face. "It'd fit an old man better than a cute girl like you."
"Wha-?! C-Cute?!" The shortest girl amongst our group squeaks, taken aback by the sudden compliment.
"Yup. Matter of fact..." Hoshino says deviously, up to no good.
"H-Hey!" Cherino cries out as the slightly taller girl snatches the mustache from the former's lips and puts it on her own.
"Hehehe. Now I really am Uncle Hoshino." The pink haired girl declares.
"That's..." Yuuka just deadpans.
"Pfft...!" Chinatsu holds in a laugh at the stupidity of it all.
Even I have to hold back a laugh.
"C-C'mon, give it back!" Cherino cries. "It's MY symbol, not yours!"
"Hey, you look way cuter without it." The second shortest girl argues.
Cherino, who's face is now a bright red. "P-Please!"
"Ueeh... Fine." Hoshino relents, taking off the mustache and sticking it back on the shorter girl's face. Really reminds me of the Flying Sheep sketch in Monty Python, oddly enough.
"Good." The white haired girl says with a satisfied nod. "However, for that slight against my great self, you must play me in a game of table tennis." She declares.
"Hehe~ You're on." Hoshino grins as the two short girls walk over to the green table.
I can only chuckle and shake my head.
"Well, she's certainly..." Yuuka begins, trying to find the words.
"Unique?" I offer.
"Yes, unique." Chinatsu agrees. "Unique is the perfect word to describe her."
"Yeah well, the rest of the Red Winter girls I've met are just as weird." I point out as Hoshino and Chinatsu begin to play.
"Seriously?" Yuuka asks.
"Better get used to it." I shrug, as Cherino loses a round nearly instantly.
"I'm sure they can't be that bad." The elven girl argues. Damn, Hoshino has good reflexes.
"I met a girl yesterday who snuck into the bath to draw me for her doujin." I deadpan. "From her words, I'm pretty sure she drew you too." I say, turning to Yuuka.
"What?! Are you kidding me!" The purple haired girl roars as Cherino loses again.
"Well, it could be worse." Chinatsu says, trying to see a bright side.
"She drew a yuri doujin of Hasumi and Ako." I deadpan, once again, causing Chinatsu's brain to stop working.
"Okay, it really is that bad." The elven girl says, coming to a conclusion.
"Told ya." I say, crossing my arms. "Some of the girls 'round the city are crazy, but the ones in Red Winter are a league above. Now, let's keep watching Hoshino bully Cherino." I add, earning a soft giggle from the two girls.
"Hey! Are you cheating?!" The white haired girl roars as she loses once more.
"Nah, you're just way slower than 'ol Uncle Hoshino." The pink haired girl says, still not exerting any effort. "C'mon, put your back into it this time."
I let out a chuckle as Cherino growls at Hoshino's taunt.
What a fun day this has been.
AN
And that makes three.
Another sappy scene for you all. Please, tell me what you all thought of this chapter in the reviews.
Next time we continue with the actual event, though with the presence of two new girls and Joshua, things oughta be different than in canon.
There'll either be one or two more chapters for this event, depending on how much I write/how much I fit in a single chapter. The last couple of chapters have been 5,500 words, save for the last which was over 8,300. Don't expect absolute MAMMOTHS of chapters at all, think of 10k as a sort of maximum limit.
When I started writing this, I figured 3k per chapter would be a good average, but now I'm leaning towards 6k on average.
Hmm... Maybe I should go back and combine some earlier chapters...
Nah, too much work.
Also, with this chapter we've hit 300k words. Good lord, the number continues to grow. Let's see how long it'll take for 400k.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next!