Hachiman reached out and pinched Kaede's cheeks that were about to puff up again, then hugged Asou Miyuri and Suzu in his arms, and together they began enjoying this large bath.
He wanted to meet the members of the school idol group μ's, but he wasn't in a rush. He could go see them when he had time.
Since μ's existed, the idol groups from the Love Live series must also be around.
Though he wasn't very familiar with the school idol groups from the later Love Live series, he was much more familiar with MyGO!, who, like Bocchi the Rock!, played in a band.
"That's true. If you can't take this request, I'll introduce you to other requests."
Asou Miyuri smiled and nodded. Looking at the group beside her whose faces were all flushed and ready, she stuck out her tongue and slowly licked her tender lips. Her arms tightened around Hachiman's waist as she leaned against him, feeling the scorching water temperature, and winked with a playful grin.
"Compared to this troublesome request, I have some much easier ones. I'll sort them out for you later."
"But… this time I can't give them to you for free anymore."
"You'll have to pay me a little reward too~"
———
"Going to the bath in the apartment next door?"
"There's a big bath in the apartment next door?"
Hearing Komachi's words, Ijichi Nijika, Yamada Ryou, Gotou Hitori, and Yurikawa Hana grabbed the change of clothes that Ichinose Honami had just found and followed Komachi out toward the next apartment.
Ichinose Honami, along with Yotsuya Miko who had been in the middle of a bath, also followed them toward this so-called big bath.
Though Ichinose Honami had just bathed, this bath was truly beyond her expectations.
Weren't they supposed to be discussing the sale of the apartment with the landlady? How did it turn into everyone bathing in the bath of the apartment next door?
But wasn't this supposed to be an old apartment? How could it have something like a big bath?
She had never heard that the apartment next door had a big bath.
Still full of doubt, Ichinose Honami and the tense Yotsuya Miko reached the second-floor apartment that looked old on the outside. When they saw Ijichi Nijika and the others walk into a certain room with Komachi and suddenly let out startled cries, they quickly stopped in their tracks.
"N-Nijika? Are you all okay?"
From both sides of the doorway, Yotsuya Miko and Ichinose Honami poked their heads out and looked down in shock at the large bath filled with hot water and swirling steam.
They really hadn't expected that entering the bath meant falling down. And although this was the second floor, the drop looked far more than two or three meters.
"We-We're fine… It seems everyone's here…", Just like Hayasaka Yuuko and Miyamoto Enka from before, Ijichi Nijika and the others found that the changes of clothes they had been holding in their hands had disappeared, and their school uniforms had vanished as well.
Looking around, they found Shion and Ayano scattered not far away.
Except for Hachiman.
"Huh? Where's Hachiman?"
Ijichi Nijika blinked. Just as she was about to ask where Hachiman had gone, she suddenly saw Komachi, who had brought them in, already swimming toward Shion.
At that moment, seeing that Ijichi Nijika and the others seemed unharmed, Ichinose Honami grabbed the still-hesitant Yotsuya Miko and jumped down, splashing up waves of water.
Yotsuya Miko realized that jumping down didn't hurt at all. The flowing hot water wrapped around her body, and her tense nerves instantly relaxed.
"Um… did Hikigaya-kun go back to bathe? Or is there another bath next door?", After half a minute of enjoying the incredibly comfortable bath, Yotsuya Miko suddenly opened her eyes and looked at Ichinose Honami, Ijichi Nijika, Kita Ikuyo and the others beside her, hesitantly voicing her question.
Even though the bath was huge, something she could never enjoy at home, large enough to actually swim in, she hadn't forgotten the reason she came here tonight.
A little physical comfort couldn't compare to her worry about the ghosts and spirits that normal people couldn't see.
Though it was embarrassing to admit, when she was frightened by Ghosts, Hikigaya-kun's arms were safer and warmer than any bath.
If the bath weren't filled entirely with girls, and if Hikigaya-kun's protective range weren't so large, she felt she might have already been scared enough to want to pull him in to bathe with her.
But that was just her imagination. The others definitely wouldn't accept that.
Even if Ijichi and the others were very close to Hikigaya-kun, being close didn't mean they would bathe together.
"Uh…", Hearing Yotsuya Miko's question, Ijichi Nijika, Yamada Ryou, and Ichinose Honami exchanged glances and suddenly fell into a brief silence.
Yes, they wanted to know where Hachiman was too.
But most of them knew he had invisibility magic, so they really couldn't bring themselves to ask that question.
Without seeing him, they had no way to tell if he had already left or was soaking right beside them.
They could see Shion, Komachi, and Ayano, but what about Kaede and Suzu?
Had Hachiman finished bathing and gone to Kaede and Suzu's place to rest, or was he still bathing?
"Why don't we just go ask the girls over there? They came earlier, so they must know where Hikigaya-kun went."
Kita Ikuyo didn't understand the looks the others exchanged and assumed everyone was simply clueless, so she made the suggestion immediately.
They had all come together; if she didn't know, Nijika and the others wouldn't know either.
But Komachi had just brought them in, and with so many people bathing here, someone surely knew where Hikigaya-kun had gone.
"Uh, Kita, wait for me here a moment. I'll go ask," Seeing that Kita Ikuyo was about to go, Ijichi Nijika stiffened slightly and was forced to go to Ichinose Ayano and the others to get information.
She had a feeling Hachiman was in this bath, right near them.
Just like when they "bullied" Hachiman openly in the classroom during lessons, anyone outside that range couldn't see Hachiman's true situation.
Only when she got close to Ichinose Ayano's group would she be able to tell whether Hachiman was invisible there beside them.
"Huh? Nijika, you're going alone?"
Hearing that Nijika wanted them to stay put while she went alone, Kita Ikuyo looked puzzled.
"Kita, let Nijika go ask by herself. We'll wait here for her."
Yamada Ryou shook her head, signaling Kita not to get involved in the special relationship between Nijika and Hachiman.
"Ryou, you're coming with me!"
Seeing Yamada Ryou calmly watching instead of helping, the self-sacrificing Nijika grabbed her arm expressionlessly.
She didn't want the clueless Kita to get dragged into her complicated relationship with Hachiman, nor did she want Yumiko to gain another rival.
But Ryou was different. This girl had already used Nijika to get plenty of benefits from Hachiman, and now she didn't even care what would happen to Nijika after going.
"I was wrong. Let Bocchi go with you. I'll stay here with Kita."
Yamada Ryou sensed Nijika was serious and immediately changed tone, bowing her head in apology.
One Nijika was enough; letting Bocchi go too wasn't a problem. Bocchi was so clingy to Hachiman she didn't even need to sell anyone out.
The only regret was that she had hoped to sell out Nijika tonight to get a good price from Hachiman.
But in any case, it was better than her going too.
After all, Nijika was so shy she might not meet Hachiman's expectations. In that moment, Ryou could step in, help Hachiman, and ruthlessly sell out her friend for money!
Just like tonight, next time Nijika didn't go home and stayed at Hachiman's house, she could earn money covering for her.
"Okay, Nijika, I'll go with you!"
Gotou Hitori nodded vigorously. Last time she faced Hachiman she'd been overwhelmed with nerves, but this time she was mentally prepared.
She was Hachiman's friend, his future wife, being honest with him was only natural.
Princess Iris and the others could already do things with Hachiman. If she didn't, then wasn't she being a useless friend?
But she really didn't have experience and didn't know how to do it right. Her learning ability was terrible too, so she hoped Nijika could go first. She wanted to experience it up close before trying it herself.
"No! I want you to come with me!"
Ijichi Nijika rejected Gotou Hitori without hesitation, forcefully dragging Yamada Ryou along to face Hachiman with her.
She didn't need to look to know Ryou was plotting something shady.
Ryou was a shameless person. Selling a stranger to Hachiman might make her hesitate, but selling her? She wouldn't hesitate at all.
Especially since Ryou had already tasted the sweetness of being rewarded by Hachiman, she would definitely sell her out again.
Since that was the case, Nijika would send Ryou to Hachiman this time and let her experience what it felt like to be betrayed.
Not just Ryou, also Yumiko! She would make them all regret betraying her.
"???"
Watching the two suddenly grappling with each other and splashing water everywhere, Kita Ikuyo stared blankly, then looked at Gotou Hitori in confusion.
They were just going to ask where Hikigaya-kun was, why were they so embarrassed?
Could it be… both Ryou and Nijika liked Hikigaya-kun?
But they were friends, so they couldn't leave the other behind.
Otherwise, why would even asking his whereabouts become so complicated?
While the four band members were still fighting, Yotsuya Miko, afraid that Hachiman might accidentally go too far and his protective aura couldn't cover them, was already pulling Yurikawa Hana toward Komachi and the others.
The bath was large, with everyone scattered around.
Since Komachi, Hikigaya's sister, had brought them here, she was more likely to know where he was.
"Um… Komachi, Shion… I want to ask, where is your brother Hikigaya-kun? Did he go back, or did he go somewhere else?"
Reaching Komachi and Shion, Yotsuya Miko and Yurikawa Hana slowed their strokes and quickly asked about Hachiman's whereabouts.
"Well… Miko-onee-san, Yurikawa-onee-san, are you two very close with Onii-chan?", Komachi looked them up and down. Seeing their figures and looks were on Shion's level, she asked with a complicated expression.
She didn't know when it happened, but she had developed immunity to the beautiful girls who appeared around Hachiman.
These two girls were pretty, definitely the type who would get hit on outside.
But next to Hachiman, they didn't hold much of an advantage. Only in front of Vignette-onee-san, Gabriel-onee-san, and Nijika-onee-san were they outstanding.
"Komachi, just call me Miko-nee. Actually, Hikigaya-kun and I only met today, but…", Being suddenly asked about her relationship with Hachiman made Yotsuya Miko a little embarrassed. Her ears reddened as she stammered.
Normally, if someone came to another person's house, they'd be fairly close.
But she had only officially met him today, everything before that was just hearing rumors about him.
"But?"
Hearing that they weren't familiar with her brother, Komachi was about to say that Hachiman wasn't here anymore, but she noticed Miko's reddened cheeks and deep blush and immediately sensed something was off.
"Miko-nee, do you like Hachiman-nii?"
Shion blinked and helped ask.
"No, no, no, that's not what I meant! I meant I'm really grateful to Hikigaya-kun. We only met today and he's already letting me stay for the night. Without his help, I honestly don't know what I would've done."
Yotsuya Miko panicked, her face burning as she waved both hands.
She had only just met Hikigaya-kun, how could she like him so easily? If anyone liked him, it would be people like Ijichi Nijika and Gotou Hitori, who had known him far longer.
Ijichi and the others sounded so close to him, and the way they hugged him was practiced and natural. Unlike her, she only clung to him because she was terrified of Ghosts.
Still… she had to admit she felt very safe around him.
Ordinary ghosts were harmless, drifting aimlessly. As long as they weren't Ghosts, they posed no danger to people who couldn't touch them.
But she wasn't like normal people, she could see them. And sometimes they noticed that she could.
At school it was easier; Hikigaya-kun's classroom was near hers. As long as she didn't wander into the corners of the school, she could stay within his protection.
But at home? On the way to and from school? During vacations?
Her home wasn't right next to Hikigaya-kun like Student Council President Kaede's. And her relationship with him was normal, she couldn't keep staying over and troubling him.
After tonight, she didn't know what she would do.
[T/N: I have continued all the novels that were paused due to account being susp*nded, in a new account. All the reason and such are in disc0rd with the l!nks to new novels as well. I have also pinned one of the books below, in this chapter, so that you can access others through that account.]