Ichika was walking to the cafeteria for lunch. He was in a good mood as he had an invitation card to a new hot spring that just opened. It had open air baths with special scents that they offered for purchase that you could use with it.
He was excited to tell his harem about it. As it could be something that they can all do. Not by sharing the same bath, but the same place that was providing it.
When he got to the cafeteria, he saw that they were all seated in their normal spot in a booth.
"Hey guys!"
"Ichika, where were you?" Asked Charlotte.
"Checking this out!" He showed them the invitation.
"What's that?"
"An invitation to a new hot spring place that just opened. It's an open air bath, and has special scents that you can purchase to use in them."
"So, you're planning on going there?" Houki asked.
"Absolutely! And I was wondering if you would all want to come too?"
"Y-You mean all of us in the same bath?" Cecilia questioned with her face turning slightly pink.
Hearing this, a wave of awkwardness washed over the group.
"What? N-No, I mean I go in one you all go in the other one." Ichika's face began to turn red as he set the invitation card down on the table causing it to unfold a bit.
Laura could only scoff. "Well, I was hoping me and my bride could get some quality time at this place."
The other girls looked at her with annoyance. Ichika's face only became more red.
Charlotte noticed that the card had unfolded a little bit. She noticed there were more words than what he had shown them. She picked it up and looked closer at it.
As she read it her eyes widened when she saw that it said that it was actually only a mixed bath. Only mixed.
"Um, Ichika…" Her face turned slightly pink. "This says it's mixed."
"What?" He took the card and looked closer at it. His eyes widened when saw that it said that it was indeed a mixed bath. "Oh, I… Didn't see that." He looked away to hide his embarrassed face.
"Let me see that!" Houki grabbed the card to look at what they were talking about. After she looked it over, she flushed even more and looked at Ichika with her red face mixed with embarrassment and anger.
"So you want to share a bath with all of us, Ichika?!"
Ichika slowly started to feel himself being consumed by the embarrassment. "N-No, Houki. I-I didn't notice that part, I swear," he said, trying to calm the situation.
Laura suddenly looked hopeful. "Well, if none of you want to come along, then me and my wife shall have some quality time at this new place."
Once again they all turned to Laura in anger and envy.
"Why would you want to share a bath with him?!" Houki asked her.
Ichika smirked and brought his hands to his hips. "What are you saying Houki? You don't want to go into the bath with me?" He said in a teasing tone.
Houki felt as if lava had run down her face and became red hot as a result. "What the hell are you saying, Ichika?! Why would I ever take a bath with you?!"
The others all turned to him, shocked by that question.
"Ichika, you pervert!" Charlotte said.
He turned to her. "Like this would be nothing like you and I haven't done before, Charl."
"What do you-" Charlotte remembered the day she and Ichika shared a bath. "Well, that's… True." She looked away to hide her flushed face.
"Where are you going with this, Ichika?" Houki asked as she regained her composure.
"Oh, nothing really. This whole thing reminds me of the day me and Charlotte shared a bath that day."
This made them remember the day that Charlotte revealed herself to be a girl to the whole class. And they realized that they had shared a bath together the day before.
"I remember how you all acted afterwards. At first, I thought it was because you thought that I forced her to go with me. Or you were all just jealous that it wasn't any of you who was in the bath with me?"
Their faces all became as red as lava again.
"What?! Don't be ridiculous, Ichika! I would never want that?" Houki said.
"Really? So if I were to take a bath with Charl again, or with someone else all together, you wouldn't care?"
"Well…" She didn't know what to say.
Laura suddenly looked excited. "Does this mean we can go to this place together, my bride?"
"Really, Laura? Will you go with me?"
Laura felt her heart start to take flight. "Yes! I will, my bride!"
"Ichika, you can't be serious!" Houki said.
"What? I thought you didn't want to go with me, Houki."
"I-I don't, but you can't do that!"
"Yeah!" Rin added.
Ichika crossed his arms. "And why not exactly?"
"B-Because…" Houki didn't know what to say. There's no way she could admit that she was jealous. It would ruin her chance with him.
Chifuyu entered the cafeteria, doing her lunch patrol. She noticed Ichika standing next to his harem in one of the booths. She sensed that the atmosphere around them was different, so she decided to see what was going on with them.
"Is everything okay here, Orimura?"
"Ah!" Ichika jumped at the sudden appearance of his sister. "Yes, Chifu- I mean Ms. Orimura."
"Me and my bride are going to the new mixed bath together," Laura stated proudly.
"What!" She looked at Ichika. "What is she talking about?!"
Ichika could only rub the back of his neck. "Well, I got this invitation card." He picked it up off of the table and showed it to her. "To this new bath place and I did notice that it said that it was a mixed one. So, I-"
Ichika couldn't finish his sentence before two fists came down on his and Laura's heads.
"You idiots! A male and female can't share a bath together!" She looked down at Laura who rubbed her head in pain. "And I certainly wouldn't trust you with him."
Laura's heart had now fallen into a void it might never escape from.
Chifuyu took the invitation card and tore it in half. "No one is going to this place now." She then took her leave.
Laura felt as if rain clouds were forming over her. She quickly got up and ran away from the scene.
"Laura!" Ichika called out to her.
"Ichika!"
Ichika turned back to the booth where he saw the rest of them staring him down with anger and jealousy.
What was I thinking?!
A/N: If anyone who's Canadian reading this. Happy Thanksgiving!