"So… what now?"
I muttered with a wry smile.
We were in the dressing room, and thanks to Hisui-san's rather generous "service" earlier, things had escalated quickly. To be specific, a group hug while naked led to everyone metaphorically "dying" from the excitement—leaving behind a battlefield of lifeless, blissed-out bodies.
Everyone was completely naked, so all I could see was skin tone.
Thanks to the floor heating, it was pleasantly warm—not hot or cold—so at least no one would catch a cold.
"Jeez, you two weaklings over there…"
For now, I tried waking up the two familiar faces.
"That was quite the experience…"
Kotori murmured with a strange sort of reverence.
"Maybe this time it worked~?"
Kiyora giggled as she rubbed her belly. Honestly, we didn't even get to that part, so that's just wishful thinking—but pointing that out felt needlessly cruel.
Not that it'd be impossible. I could technically scoop out what's still inside me and reuse it, but… yeah, no. That's horrifying on multiple levels.
"Whoa. This is… something."
I turned to the voice.
It was Suzume, holding an empty tray.
As usual, the room still looked like a mass grave.
"Looks like everyone's a bit overheated. Dangerous, maybe? Let's hydrate everyone just in case."
Speaking casually, Suzume held up her IC card to the vending machine and started pressing buttons to buy sports drinks in bulk.
"Hachikuma-neesan, help out."
Each time she pushed a button, a can clattered into the tray. I started handing them out.
"How many people are there again?"
Eventually, the machine ran out of sports drinks and started dispensing oral rehydration fluids instead.
"Okay, that's everyone. Go ahead and pass them out."
Suzume didn't hesitate when it came to delegating tasks—this was her element.
"No charge, please drink up."
Her tone was oddly flat, like she was reciting a speech.
The others were still sluggish—either from heatstroke or lingering bliss.
"If you end up dehydrated and get heatstroke, or worse—like a brain hemorrhage—we'll lose Hisui-san's mixed-bathing services, you know!"
Instantly, everyone bolted upright and chugged their drinks like soldiers in a drill.
"And what do we say?"
"Thank you for the drink!"
"You're very welcome."
Suzume nodded with approval.
What was this energy?
"You can look at him with naughty eyes if you want, but keep it respectful! No injuries, no making him feel unwell!"
"Yes ma'am!"
This was turning into some kind of school event.
"Can we touch him?"
"Ask him first and get permission! Without that, it's a no-go!"
That raised the bar a bit. Everyone's faces clouded over.
"But don't worry! he's a massive perv, so he'll probably say yes!"
…Not the most reassuring clarification.
"Woohoo!"
The crowd cheered.
"How far can we go?"
"As long as he doesn't object, the sky's the limit!"
"Woohoo!"
"When's the green light?"
"Give it a month or two for all the paperwork and prep!"
"Can we post it online?"
"Not until the official announcement. Please wait for updates on the official site!"
"Aww…"
"If you want to express yourself, just say, 'he's amazing!' That's all!"
"Woohoo!"
"What if we want to marry him?"
The question froze the air.
"Just confess to him directly! We won't get in your way!"
"Woooo!"
The place erupted into wild cheers.
"Is this really okay?"
Once things settled down, I leaned in and asked Suzume in a whisper.
"It's fine. Yata-grandma said stirring the pot a little is okay, and it's all Hisui-san own decision anyway. Worst case? We just end up with more employees, long-distance housewives, or hardcore fangirls. No big deal."
"…Yeah, I guess that makes sense."
She was surprisingly chill about it.
"Honestly, I think it'd cost the same either way. Might as well make the fan club official."
"…You're way too ready for this."
I couldn't help but bury my head in my hands.
"So yeah, if you want to go for Kiyora and Kotori, go for it. Don't overthink it."
Suzume gestured subtly toward the two women.
"…Sheesh."
A deep sigh escaped me.
Why was I even worrying so much in the first place?
"Falling in love makes you dumb, huh?"
Suzume grinned knowingly.
She was younger than me but already acting like a sage.
And still a virgin, the cheeky little…
"Shut up. You go get laid already, Suzume."
I snapped back before I could stop myself. Yeah, go get your brain scrambled for once.