"Horikita-san! There you are!" Karuizawa called out, practically glowing as she approached, still linked arm-in-arm with uneasy Hirata in tow. "Finally, we found you!"
It had been some time since I last interacted with her, and I no longer felt as open as I had previously. I tend to think of myself as a rather awkward person, and when I go too long without talking to somebody, I instinctively retreat into the nearest metaphorical shadow. Still, I needed to maintain a Horikita-like façade, so I took a steadying breath.
"Karuizawa-san," I replied, nodding politely to maintain my sharp demeanor. Her cheerful smile showed that maybe my efforts in raising her points were paying off after all. At the very least, she wasn't hostile toward me.
Oh, Mii-chan was with them too, though she was pouting, clearly upset. I waved at her, but she barely reacted, arms crossed tightly. I wasn't surprised.
Hirata, on the other hand, looked like he had a unique kind of crisis. He was caught between Karuizawa's firm grip on one side and Mii-chan's silent glare on the other. It seemed Mii-chan wasn't pleased with the fox aka vixen clinging to him so freely. The half-chinese called Karuizawa that, not me.
"Horikita-san, it's good to see you," Hirata said, his tone as polite as ever, despite being sandwiched between their contrasting energies. "I must admit, I didn't expect you'd invite us somewhere like this."
"Right? Horikita-san is full of surprises." Karuizawa added.
"Thanks for agreeing to come," I said, maintaining my composure. "Otherwise, Ayanokouji-kun would've been here alone."
"Alone in a bathhouse with you, Horikita-san? No way I'd let that happen!" Karuizawa giggled, nudging at me. "I didn't even know the campus had one!"
"Give it a rest, Karuizawa-san," Hirata chastised gently. "It's nice of Horikita-san and Ayanokouji-kun to invite us."
"Oh, I know, Yosuke-kun. I'm just teasing her," she replied, but her hold on his arm didn't loosen in the slightest.
Meanwhile, Mii-chan's expression darkened when she heard Karuizawa use Hirata's first name so casually. She clenched her jaw, her frustration practically radiating toward Karuizawa who either was unaware or simply didn't care.
And here I was, mentally stuck between rooting for one of them or trying to smooth things over.
Not wanting the tension to escalate further, I decided it was time to speak up.
"Ayanokouji-kun should already be inside with Sudou-kun, waiting for us. We should head in now."
"Sudou-kun?" Mii-chan repeated, her voice betraying a hint of nervousness. She knew Sudou's reputation for being a bit rough around the edges.
"You invited that delinquent?" Karuizawa asked, her tone laced with incredulity. "So, Sudou-kun gets an invite, but Shinohara and Satou-san couldn't come? How the heck does that work for us?"
"K-Karuizawa-san..." I knew Mii-chan couldn't help me now.
I could sense Karuizawa's argument escalating into something that could easily derail the mood. In truth, I had my reasons. This was meant to be a more controlled event, one that Ayanokouji had suggested but that I could take advantage of. If too many classmates showed up, it would ruin my chances of improving my image.
"There's no need to be upset, Karuizawa-san. I'm sure Horikita-san will explain shortly," Hirata interjected, flashing her a pacifying smile. His charisma stat must be off the charts if he could settle Karuizawa's anger in an instant.
What a powerful character.
Though I appreciated her company, I wasn't exactly accustomed to dealing with someone like Karuizawa.
"Look, Karuizawa-san, I didn't mean to exclude anyone, but with Satou-san and Shinohara-san here, this place would be the talk of the entire campus by Monday. And, well, we only have a reservation for six: Ayanokouji-kun, Hirata-kun, and Sudou-kun, along with Mii-chan, you, and me. Do you know what I mean?"
Karuizawa stared at me for a moment, weighing my words, before giving a resigned shrug.
She narrowed her eyes, letting a moment of tension hang in the air before sighing dramatically. "Fine… whatever."
I blinked, slightly taken aback by her sudden compliance. She noticed and crossed her arms, tilting her head in an exaggerated show of defiance.
"What?" she asked, her tone almost daring.
"Nothing," I replied, maintaining a steady gaze. "I just didn't expect you to agree so easily. You looked like you were gearing up for an argument, so I was… concerned."
Her eyes widened briefly before she let out a sharp laugh. "Geez, Horikita-san, you're brutally honest, huh?"
Not entirely. I'm full of lies.
"You don't need to think so negatively of me," she continued, her tone almost teasing. "I know when something isn't worth fighting over."
Her words, though casual, carried a hint of sincerity that caught me off guard. Karuizawa has the ability to surprise me a lot.
The brief pause that followed was broken by Hirata, who gave us a polite smile. "Shall we head inside? They're waiting for us."
As we approached the entrance, Ayanokouji greeted us with his usual calm demeanor. "Hey," he said, his voice neutral, though his eyes briefly locked on mine before scanning the rest of the group. "We're good to enter. You can head to the dressing rooms now."
Behind him, Sudou leaned against the wall, looking awkward with Hirata and Karuizawa nearby. When I waved at him, he returned the gesture with a small, bashful smile. For all his bravado, I could tell he wasn't entirely comfortable in this setting.
"Wait a second! The bathhouses aren't connected, right?" Karuizawa interjected, narrowing her eyes. "I'm fine with you guys being here, but I'm not about to be seen by anyone except maybe Yosuke-kun."
I blinked when I couldn't tell whether she was joking or not.
Ayanokouji looked at her with mild confusion, as though the question itself was baffling. "The areas are separated, so there's nothing to worry about. I'm sure the owners are meticulous about ensuring seclusion."
Satisfied with his assurance, Karuizawa nodded along as he spoke, her concern visibly dissipating. Seclusion clearly mattered to her more than most, though I couldn't blame her—no one liked the idea of being peeked at.
With a decisive tug, Karuizawa grabbed Mii-chan's hand. The latter let out a startled 'eep!' but didn't resist as Karuizawa confidently led her inside. I watched them go, the sound of their steps fading as the door clicked shut behind them.
"That was the surprise, wasn't it?" Ayanokouji asked once they were out of earshot. His tone was casual, but his gaze lingered on me longer than it should have. "I didn't think you'd manage to bring them along. Hirata, maybe, but Karuizawa? How did you pull that off?"
I tilted my head slightly, pretending to ponder his question before responding with a small, knowing smile. "Why don't you figure that out yourself? If I told you everything upfront, where's the fun in that?"
He raised an eyebrow, I imagined the faintest hint of a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. "You're keeping secrets now, Horikita?"
"Not secrets," I replied smoothly, folding my arms. "Let's just say I prefer leaving some things to your imagination. You're sharp enough to figure it out."
"You give me too much credit."
The corner of my lips quirked up in response, though I quickly schooled my expression back to neutral.
"Or maybe I don't give you enough," I shot back lightly, catching him slightly off guard.
"You're quite devilish today. Should I be worried?"
"Hardly." I paused, feigning a thoughtful expression. "Although, if you're starting to notice, maybe I'm slipping."
"Or maybe I'm paying closer attention than you think."
I blinked at that, I don't know if he was teasing or not. Before I could think of a retort, he added, "At least Hirata will be happy. He thinks we're all best friends now."
A quiet laugh escaped me despite myself, "I try my best if it means our class gets better."
"Well, you're doing a decent job at it. Even Karuizawa seems less prickly around you."
"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" I asked.
He shrugged. "Take it however you want."
There was a quiet pause between us, not awkward, but charged in an almost imperceptible way. I turned toward the entrance, breaking the silence. "See you later. The others might start wondering."
"Later," he said, his voice carrying a strange note of finality, as though there was more he wanted to say but decided against it.
I didn't look back, though I couldn't shake the feeling of his eyes on me as I walked away.
ㅤ
Skip.
Skip.
Skip.
ㅤ
"You should relax, Horikita-san," Mii-chan's voice broke through my mind as I opened my eyes to see her leaning back, relaxing in the steaming bath.
It seemed I'd stumbled into one of those stereotypical bathhouse moments you'd see in dating sims or light novels—where girls gather to gossip about their crushes or the current state of the "plot." Except, of course, I wasn't the protagonist. Being the serious side character in a moment like this felt weird,
"Horikita-san will sink if she keeps making that serious face!" Mii-chan teased, her grin broadening.
"What are you—!" Before I could retort, she grabbed my arm and dunked me under the water. Splash! Sputtering as I resurfaced, I glared at her, only to be met with her giggling uncontrollably. My irritation melted away before I knew it, and I found myself retaliating by splashing her back.
The bathhouse erupted into a miniature water war. By the time we were both out of breath, the tension in my shoulders had completely eased.
"In the end, you were just too strong... Horikita-san." Mii-chan leaned back dramatically, letting the water buoy her. "I never stood a chance."
"Don't act like you lost to your arch-nemesis," I replied dryly, before glancing at Karuizawa. She was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, watching us with half-lidded eyes. "Aren't you going to join us?"
"Nope," she said with a lazy smirk. "I'm good right here. But it's hilarious watching serious Horikita-san act like a kid splashing around."
Her laugh was anything but ladylike, which only made her teasing sting more.
"You're not exactly relaxing quietly," I shot back, but she just shrugged, unfazed.
"Anyway, you should let loose once in a while," Karuizawa continued. "It's not every day you get to hang out at a hot spring."
"It's a bathhouse," I corrected her.
Karuizawa huffed, closing her eyes. "Who cares? What's the difference, anyway?"
Deciding not to waste energy arguing, I let myself drift further into the soothing heat. If I thought about it, a bathhouse was kind of a hybrid between a sauna and a pool, if one squinted hard enough. It wasn't the worst idea someone had ever come up with.
"Still, it was your suggestion, wasn't it?" She asked amused.
"Actually, it was Ayanokouji-kun's idea," I corrected her.
"Ah right, him, that explained the oddity of the situation."
"Wait, Ayanokouji-kun suggested this?" Mii-chan piped up, her cheeks slightly red. She wasn't informed of this. "Horikita-san, you just agreed to that? You should think more like a maiden in these situations!"
"What's wrong with it?" I asked, genuinely confused.
"It's not normal, you know!" Mii-chan stammered. "It's not every day a guy asks a girl to a bathhouse of all places!"
"It's separated, I checked that."
Mii-chan reddened, "It's about a message!"
"Finally, we agree on something, Mei-san," Karuizawa quipped.
"It's Mii-chan!" Mii-chan growled, glaring at her.
I sighed and mulled over the situation. "Is it really that strange? Wouldn't you agree if Hirata-kun invited you?"
Karuizawa's grin widened into something downright predatory, her teeth practically gleaming. "Are you saying, Horikita-san, that you're thinking of Ayanokouji-kun the same as we think of Yosuke-kun?"
Her tone carried a dangerous edge of tease, and to my dismay, Mii-chan seemed to be on the same wavelength.
"Okay, that was a bad comparison. Forget I said anything," I offered weakly, waving a hand.
They didn't forget.
I hope Ayanokouji uses this chance to befriend Hirata and Sudou while I suffer here.
ㅤ
ㅤ
"Ayanokouji-kun seems to be having a good time, doesn't he, Sudou-kun?" Hirata remarked with an awkward smile, his gaze flickering toward me.
"Uh, yeah. I guess."
I could sense the curiosity in his tone, but it didn't particularly bother me. At this moment, I was too absorbed in my own world to care about appearances.
The warm water enveloped my body like the gentle embrace of the Aegean Sea I read about. A calm, inviting, and deceptively endless. It reminded me of a trip I once heard, where tourists float effortlessly in the Dead Sea due to its unique buoyancy. This bathhouse, though less grand in scope, had its own charm.
At present, I was imitating a water strider, carefully adjusting my limbs to maintain balance. It wasn't the most dignified posture, but it allowed me to drift aimlessly while the soothing sound of water filled my ears. Occasionally, a wave would lap dangerously close to my face, but I had mastered the art of tilting just enough to avoid disaster.
Hirata's attempts at conversation floated somewhere in the background, as Sudou muttered something about me. None of it penetrated my current state.
I think my ultimate form would be called Inner Peace.
The idea to scout the campus for the best relaxation spots had been a stroke of genius. True, I had invested more effort in this than in most school-related activities, but the payoff was undeniable. I had successfully discovered the bathhouse, ANHS's greatest hidden gem. If there was a top value this school could offer, this was it.
As I glided along the water's surface, I couldn't help but wonder how Horikita was faring. Knowing her, she was likely caught up in some unnecessary debate or lecture.
For now, I let that thought fade, focusing instead on the small ripples my movements created. Each ripple represented a fleeting moment, much like my experience at this school—seemingly trivial, yet strangely significant when viewed in a larger context.
I closed my eyes and contemplated the future.
