Chapter 29 Taking a Bath The temperature in the bath here is much warmer than the last time…
The temperature in the bath here is slightly higher than the last time I soaked in it.
Considering that you had sweated a lot during your morning exercise, you first went to another place to take a shower to wash away the sweat and dust, and then chose a warm pool in the Hero Bathhouse, intending to spend the morning there.
—But clearly, this was not a simple bath.
The treatment at the Heroes' Bath is much better than that of ordinary bathhouses. There are fresh fruits and snacks, and rows of seats in the water for the weary heroes to use.
Ah, what a peaceful atmosphere, what a wonderful environment—if you weren't facing two muscular men and feeling awkward being sandwiched between them, you would probably really love this place.
Now, Bai E is sitting next to you, and Wan Di is sitting opposite you.
Bai E was alright; at least he was wearing a complete bathrobe, with his arms casually draped over the chair, looking quite relaxed.
...But he didn't tie his bathrobe properly!
You remember this bathrobe vividly from when you took a bath with Aglaia and the others, because he did the same thing that time, not wearing his clothes properly, and his chest was exposed with every movement.
But since there were many people around, he couldn't act arrogantly and could only silently tighten the strap under your glaring gaze. Now it was just the three of you sitting there. You tried to move away, but he shamelessly stuck to you, and in the end, the two of you were forced to sit very close together.
As he drew closer, the heat became even more pronounced, emanating continuously from the area where his arm rubbed against hers. The damp sleeves of her yukata clung tightly to her skin, faintly revealing glimpses of the flesh beneath.
The opening on his chest was quite obvious. Although it wasn't very big, Bai E wasn't sitting up straight. His waist was hunched back, and his robe bulged outwards, not fitting his body properly. It looked like a deep V-neck, and if you looked down a little, you could see his abdominal muscles directly.
Wan Di... Even though he usually doesn't wear a shirt, you know he has a really great physique. Before getting to the bath, you mentally prepared yourself: Seeing him normally is enough; I should be desensitized by now, hahaha...
But when you actually sit down in the bath, you realize with despair that you overestimated yourself.
The way the muscles... trembled under the water droplets... those clearly defined grooves, those distinct abdominal muscles... so generous... a little too generous!
Moreover, Wan Di's physique was more robust, and the red markings on his body added a touch of wild beauty to him. The ends of his hair were also completely wet; he hadn't dried it properly while showering because he was thinking about taking a bath later, and it stuck to his face with the rising steam.
Wait, why are you comparing this... I feel so hopeless, what am I even saying... It's all because of this wretched pool water, it's making it impossible for me to open my eyes.
Bai E was dressed in what appeared to be nothing on her upper body, barely covering her, while Wan Di had his chest completely exposed.
It's so hot, isn't it a bit too hot? Did Bai'er lead you to the wrong hot bath?
You quickly lowered your head, covering your face as if trying to hide something, feeling the heat on your face was comparable to the scalding water that had risen above your waist.
"Partner?" Bai E didn't understand why you suddenly stopped talking. "What's wrong? Is the water too hot?"
As he got closer, the heat and moisture he carried became even more intimate.
You immediately let out a terrified scream, closed your eyes and leaned back, only calming down a little when your body touched the cool pool wall.
"..." Wan Di realized something.
But he always does this when he showers, and even when he walks around the city. It's just that he was sitting a little too close today, and Bai E usually covers himself up completely, so the impact he had on you today was too great, which is why he was also affected.
That being said... he coughed lightly, feeling a little embarrassed, and moved a bit to the side, trying not to sit directly opposite you.
"Bai'er, can't you put your clothes on properly?" the kind-hearted Crown Prince Xuanfeng reminded him.
Bai E blinked in confusion.
It wasn't until he saw your bright red ears hidden beneath your hair that he suddenly realized something.
"Splash!"
"No, no, I'm so sorry!!!"
Amidst the sudden surge of water, Bai E was propelled to the side.
He seemed even more embarrassed than you, quickly pulling his clothes up and wrapping himself up, as if he hadn't been the carefree person just moments before. "...Partner, let me explain, I didn't mean to! I just usually do this when I take a bath..."
...But then he suddenly remembered something, paused, pursed his lips, and smiled, "However, actually I don't mind..."
Wan Di on the opposite side instantly revealed an expression as if he had swallowed a fly.
"I mind." You paused for a moment.
Her face was still burning hot, but her mind was a complete mess, and she even started rambling incoherently, "I'm mainly afraid I won't be able to control myself..."
Bai E: ?
Wan Di: ...
Water was flowing continuously down from above, the sound so loud that Bai E couldn't hear it clearly. "What?"
You blurted it out, and you almost wanted to slap yourself. Luckily, the sound of running water saved you. You took a deep breath and said, "It's nothing, nothing at all, I didn't say anything."
When Bai E stopped clinging to you, you tentatively opened your eyes.
Within sight of Wan Di and Bai E, one was resting with his eyes closed, and the other had his arms crossed in front of his chest, at least maintaining their usual social distance.
You breathed a sigh of relief.
However, it didn't even stay quiet for two seconds.
"But to be honest, I'm better trained than Wan Di, right? He drinks goat milk every day, but he's still not that great."
"...HKS, nobody wants to compete with you on this. And who knows if you've mixed anything into my goat milk?"
"—Don't compete at a time like this!"
*
King Mimi thinks that something big must have happened to you.
At this very moment, she is in your mind's eye, feeling your emotions rising and falling, like you're on a roller coaster, causing the fur on her body, which is connected to your heart, to stand on end and then smooth out.
Mimi played with her tail for a while, but found that she couldn't straighten it no matter what she did, and it had even started to shed fur. She couldn't help but worry. How could a beautiful girl shed fur? She had to find out why you were so emotionally unstable!
And, and... you're very important to Mimi too!
She pulled out a pair of sunglasses from somewhere, and pretended to be all dazed, like a stand-up comedian in many Japanese anime, dividing her mind into many parts and holding an internal meeting:
The enthusiastic fan slammed his hand on the table. "Someone must be trying to frame her...! Why didn't she call us out? Aren't we best friends?"
Lazy Mimi yawned, "...Yawn, I don't know, but she must have her reasons for not calling us out..."
Calmly, she braced herself on the table with both hands and adjusted her non-existent glasses. "I think we should find a loophole in the [memory] and see if we can observe the situation outside before we talk about it."
The remaining fans readily agreed.
Then, they scattered and began searching through your mind. In an instant, your mind was filled with fluffy little fairies, their fluffy seeds fluttering in the air like pink dandelions.
"Found it! Found it!" the enthusiastic fan exclaimed. "There's a loophole here!"
The fans immediately pushed their way through, shouting, "Let me see! Let me see! Oops, don't push, you stepped on my tail!"
Mimi's perspective can only follow yours. What you see is what they can only see.
Therefore, when the obstacles in front of them cleared up, they were surprised to find that what lay before them was—
...It's the scene where Bai E, wearing a wet bathrobe, eagerly peels a grape for you and hands it to you.
"Is it delicious?" Bai Er asked with a smile. "It's grape season right now, and they're all fresh."
The camera panned slightly, and you nodded. "Delicious, sweet."
You accept the grapes he keeps handing you. But the grapes are so small that it's inevitable that your fingertips will touch each other while passing them around. Every few seconds, your fingertips are forced to brush intimately in the air, creating an awkward atmosphere.
Mimi caught a glimpse of Wan Di's figure out of the corner of your eye.
He crossed his arms, seemingly unable to bear it any longer, and said strangely, "Bai'er, let's not even talk about her being able to peel them herself—couldn't you just peel them, put them on a plate, and then hand them over together? Why make it so complicated? Have you lost your mind?"
Bai Er gave a subtle smile. "...Medemos, you don't understand."
Mimi's gaze returned to Bai E.
What does he mean? Mimi's little head was a bit confused. But they probably weren't arguing, right? She remembered that when they went to seize [Conflict] before, although they childishly competed everywhere and teased each other, they actually had a good relationship.
...But aren't the two of them dressed a little too lightly?
You were dressed quite normally, in a white, straight-cut short robe, the kind of thing you see everywhere in the bathhouse. But it was a little wet, clinging to your waist and outlining your curves, and your skin was slightly red from the steam.
Bai E... well, Bai E is smiling with a satisfied look on his face, but I don't know what he's laughing at. Peeling grapes is tiring enough, and if Mimi could only peel grapes for others without getting a single bite herself, she would have quit long ago. Why is he so happy even though he's so tired?
Humans are so strange. Mimi glanced at Wan Di again.
This demigod of [Conflict], who was about to embark on his journey, was probably also soothed by the gentle flow of water, and looked very relaxed.
The fans arrived a few seconds late. If they had found the loopholes any faster, they would have seen you squeezed into a corner by Bai E, silently chanting "Don't look at what you shouldn't see" while not daring to look up.
The enthusiastic fan suddenly realized, "--So it really was because the pool water was scalding hot! If it were someone else, they would have exclaimed 'Wow!' in comfort when they first soaked in!"
Lazy Mimi was so sleepy she could barely keep her eyes open. "Whatever, I want to sleep... This bath looks so nice to sleep in, I want to snuggle up in my friend's arms and sleep..."
Calmly, she took one last look at the slowly closing leak, wrinkled her nose, and seemed to have thought of something. But the thought was too quick, flashing through her mind, and she couldn't grasp it.
“…Alright,” she said, “but why is Bai Er going to such lengths to peel grapes for his companion? Is it because he didn’t get enough of the fighting the other day and has no energy to spare?”
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The author's note: Why? It's so hard to guess.
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