Rustle, rustle...
In the changing room, I start undressing, half-hoping and half-assuming no one will actually be there. Still, the sheer population density is insane.
The moment I step into the bath area, it's just a sea of women—dozens of them—all with sharp, gleaming eyes, clearly waiting for him. Needless to say, they're all after the same person: Hisui.
I mean, camping out in the hallway would probably be more efficient, but hey, we're at a hot spring. Might as well enjoy the bath, right? No harm in that.
So I give myself a quick rinse and slip into the tub.
Totally normal behavior. No ulterior motives at all—
Okay, sorry, huge lie. I've got plenty.
I'm here for that classic hot-spring "lucky pervert" moment—accidentally getting an eyeful, maybe casually starting a conversation, some light skinship... And if the stars align, maybe we even promise to make babies and head straight to marriage. Now that would be ideal.
In my head, it all plays out perfectly, and I nod to myself in satisfaction.
"You really think it's gonna be that easy?"
A merciless jab interrupts my fantasy.
"Yeah, I know. Just let me dream a little, will ya?"
We're both naked in the bath, trading quips like this, while everyone else sighs in unison. They're all thinking it—there's no way a guy would just waltz into this lion's den of ogling women.
But we can't admit that. We refuse to!
We're going to power through with sheer determination!
Every time the door to the changing room creaks open, all eyes snap toward it. But it's always just another girl stepping in. One glance, a collective sigh, and back to pretending to relax. The tension in the air is thick—like, slice-it-with-a-knife thick.
Silence...
Suddenly, a strange hush falls over the bath. Just moments ago, it was all noisy chatter, but now—nothing.
What's going on?
I glance around. Everyone's eyes are fixed on the entrance from the changing room.
The moment is here. Anticipation and anxiety hang in the air. Is it a boy? A girl? In my head, a drumroll starts. I bet I'm not the only one hearing it.
And to be honest, even I'm starting to think this atmosphere is a bit too intense. If I were a guy, I'd take one look at this mob of eager women and do a 180 outta here, no shame.
There's no way anyone has the charisma stat high enough to defuse this vibe.
The first one to step in is a tall, muscular woman—gorgeous, but with that unmistakable aura of someone who works out. There's a moment of collective disappointment.
Then comes a petite girl, super cute, wearing a smug little smile. But then she tilts her head and glances back over her shoulder.
Our eyes follow hers—
And then the room erupts.
A small-statured boy steps in. It's him. It's Hisui—the one we've all been waiting for, just before our minds overheated from anticipation.
He's far away, but we all instinctively widen our eyes to drink in every detail. At this point, manners go out the window. We're starved for the sight of an actual male body.
He looks a little overwhelmed but smiles awkwardly—and he's not even wearing a towel.
Bless you.
I strain my eyes, desperate to see what's going on down there, but the distance and the way he moves make it tricky. Plus, the two girls walking ahead of him do a decent job blocking our view.
Glance.
Gasp.
Our eyes meet.
I freeze.
He smiles.
Thump.
Something flutters deep in my stomach. Holy crap. Okay. That was lethal.
I get it now. Instant crush? Totally justified.
He and his companions start washing up. Even though I can only see his back and side, it's enough. For most of the girls here, this is our first time seeing a real guy, naked.
No wonder we can't look away.
All those past rumors and attempts to catch a glimpse? Total bust. Like playing the lottery and never even getting a consolation prize.
This novel has been lovingly translated by https://www.patreon.com/Jenuinez_translation