Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 328, Section 14: This work starts with a hot spring chapter as soon as you don't know h

Chapter 328, Section 14: "This work starts with a hot spring episode whenever the plot becomes unclear."

Light brown hot water flowed into the bathtub made of stacked tiles.

Soaking in hot springs is a very easy thing to do in Japan.

It is said that there are nearly three thousand hot spring sites nationwide—this figure refers to hot springs that have been developed for tourism and have accommodation facilities nearby.

Among them, the most famous are Hakone, Kusatsu, Arima, and Atami, which have been tourist destinations since ancient times and are located in densely populated and well-connected areas of Kanto and Kansai.

Dogo Onsen in Ehime Prefecture is also a highly popular hot spring resort. After enjoying this ancient hot spring, the group visited a traditional Japanese inn in Takamatsu.

You can enjoy the hot spring water drawn from underground at the large public bath.

Masumi sat alone in a bathtub several times larger than the one in the coffee shop, stretched out her legs, and soaked her entire body from the shoulders down in the hot water.

Since they hadn't booked a private family bath, and the hotel didn't have any private baths available for reservation, he and the women each took their own baths.

Following the rising steam, he looked up at the black-painted wooden ceiling, putting everything else out of his mind and letting his body rest.

Suddenly, I felt as if all my worries and anxieties dissipated with the heat.

Separated by a wall, the girls should be soaking naked in the hot spring right now, but that has nothing to do with Masumi at this moment.

He just wanted to relax and enjoy the pleasure of taking a bath.

"...A hot spring where there are no other people is so comfortable."

The satisfied sigh that escaped his mouth mingled with the warm steam that filled the surroundings.

At 9:30 pm, the bathhouse of the Japanese-style inn, a large bath that can accommodate more than a dozen people at the same time, is now occupied by only five women.

Ah, that feels so good!

After quickly washing her hair and body, Mami immediately soaked in the bathtub and took a deep breath.

White steam swirled around the clear hot water. She wore an expression of utter bliss.

"Asami-nee, you're so fast! Your hair is so long, and your body is... a multifaceted shape."

To avoid getting the towel wet, Chiai put it on her head and also soaked in the bath.

After immersing her feet in hot water, she closed her eyes comfortably.

"It's so warm... Taking a bath like this makes me feel like the day is almost over."

"Hey, Chiai's thoughts sound like those of a corporate slave."

"S-Society animals?"

"Uh-huh."

Mami smiled and nodded, her eyes narrowed.

"For an otaku like me, this is clearly a purification ritual to restore myself to my best state so that I can enter my nighttime life."

Chiai was somewhat dumbfounded when she said these words to Mami in a serious tone, and sighed, saying:
"It's very much in Asami's style, but soaking in the hot spring like this is really relaxing..."

I feel my mood gradually becoming calm and comfortable.

"Yeah, taking a bath after a good workout that makes you sweat is the best reward... Ah~ all the fatigue flies away~"

"Sweating-inducing exercise?"

For some reason, I felt inexplicably uneasy.

"Well, look, you've been wearing a kimono all day, walking around and climbing up and down slopes, so you're all sweaty, right..."

Asami definitely felt that her body wasn't covered in water droplets, but rather sweating.

Fortunately, being soaked in hot water explained the blush on her face.

"Is this so?"

Senai sensed that Mami was clearly being perfunctory, so she gave up on pressing the matter. Perhaps it was her brain's instinctive protective mechanism at work, but she told her it was best not to ask any more questions.

"...What are you talking about?"

Suddenly, a third voice rang out, and Qian Ai reflexively raised her head.

Rinne, just like her surname, possessed a flawless and beautiful body, like that of a deity.

Her skin was fair and firm, her calves were straight and slender, her thighs were fleshy, her long, vertical navel was beautifully shaped, her waist was incredibly thin, and her breasts were excessively large.

If they were gods, they would probably be drawn to her just as they were to Ame-no-Tsurugi-no-Mikoto, unable to resist fixing their gaze upon her.

No wonder Masumi-nii would...

"Qian Ai?"

Feeling being stared at so intently, Rinne tilted her head slightly in confusion, even if it was a friend of the same sex...

Moreover, because of what happened that morning, the lingering aftertaste still made her feel quite satisfied.

"Um, sorry..."

Qian Ai suddenly snapped out of her daze and shyly submerged everything below her mouth in the hot water.

She watched as Rinne took Haiyue's hand, reminding her to watch her step and not slip on the floor tiles, and the mother and daughter soaked in the bath together.

"I always feel that Rinne and Mizuki have a really good relationship, just like a real mother and daughter."

Chiai sighed sincerely, which made Rinne's expression freeze for a moment, then she shrugged and looked helpless.

"This word shouldn't be used to describe a good relationship between girls, right?"

"Rinne, Chiai wasn't serious, she was just joking."

"is it?"

"Ah."

Qian Ai nodded, then said in a sigh-like tone:
"Rinne and I have been friends since our first year of high school~"

"Huh? Why does that tone sound like she's jealous? Has Chiai fallen for someone else?"

Mami chimed in with a teasing comment from the side.

"No~"

Qian Ai quickly denied it.

"I was just thinking that the relationships between people are really incredible. For example, Rinne and Mizuki have only known each other for less than a year, but now they are as close as mother and daughter."

"I've already told you not to use those kinds of words..."

Rinne sighed wearily, and Haizuki buried her face in the heir's chest and called out naturally.

"Mom~"

"Don't call me that."

"You can only call me that when you're having fun with Masumi...?"

"Not even when you're with Masumi!"

Rinne blushed deeply with embarrassment.

"Also, I don't want to do that kind of thing together again!"

As Rinne remained adamant about the form of address, bubbles began to rise slightly from the surface of the hot spring, accompanied by the splashing sounds of people wading through the water.

Asami smiled radiantly, waded through the hot water, raised her hands above the surface, and suddenly wrapped her arms around Chiai's shoulders from behind.

"So, Chiai is still jealous."

Chiai trembled as if startled, turned her head, and saw Mami regain her composure, then say in a knowing tone:
"Chiai is upset because she knew Masumi the first, they were childhood friends, but she watched helplessly as her beloved Masumi was snatched away by other men, right?"

"Asami-neechan, aren't you one of those 'fish-stealing cats' yourself?"

"Oh? So Chia is going to challenge me to a duel?"

Mami solemnly assumed a fighting stance, as if she were ready for battle.

"No way~ In terms of physique, I definitely can't beat Asami-nee."

Chiai retreated repeatedly, afraid that Mami would really pounce on her.

"...Mami-nee, stop fooling around, or I'll really get angry."

"Good good."

Asami smiled gently, as if to reassure her.

"Speaking of enhancing feelings, I think if two people have a connection, even if they haven't known each other for long, they can quickly become close."

"Is that right?"

"Yes, when I first met Chia, I really wanted to be friends with her. It must be because we feel a lot alike." "Is that so?"

Chiai hesitated, her gaze shifting between the two floating islands in front of Mami and her own figure, whose view was excellent and whose patterns at the bottom of the bathtub were clearly visible.

"How are they the same!"

"Sigh, Chia is so shallow, she can only see a person's appearance."

Asami said in an exaggerated, theatrical tone:

"I recently learned a line of waka poetry from a manga/book: 'In the morning, beauties boast of their lives on the road to the world; by evening, they are nothing but white bones decaying in the wilderness.'"

"Mami, stop pretending to be a Zen master. Besides, this waka poem is completely out of place."

"Huh? Is that true?"

Mami chuckled softly.

Chiai suddenly realized Mami's good intentions from her flippant attitude, feeling that Mami was comforting her like a child. Chiai couldn't help but feel ashamed of her own words.

"Does Asami-nee really enjoy her current life?"

"That's right, I really enjoy the time I'm spending with you all right now."

Mami smiled broadly.

"I like seeing everyone happy together. This kind of life is not stressful and is very enjoyable... Uh, I wish Masumi-kun could be a little gentler to me."

"That's it."

Her moist eyelashes trembled slightly, and Qian'ai's gaze fell on the water's surface as she pursed her lips.

Mami's teasing voice rang out from above.

"So, how about some kind of interaction like an anime girl, Chiai?"

Qian Ai looked up, puzzled.

"Interactions between anime girls...? Um, Asami-nee, what's it like...?"

"Hmph, if we're talking about hot spring scenes in anime or visual novels, that's definitely it!"

Mami gave a suspicious smile, her venomous gaze fixed on the girl in front of her.

"Wait, wait a minute! Asami-nee... your eyesight is terrible! Have you been secretly drinking again?!"

"No, Mami, I'm perfectly clear-headed right now. Speaking of those hot spring episodes in anime, it's the kind of light, fluffy, relaxing conversations the girls have, like, 'Eh! Chihiro loves soft things~'—like cotton candy!"

"Where are you relaxing? This will only make people more nervous!"

"Please! Just for a second!"

"I reject!"

"Just... just let me poke you once! Just with my finger! Okay!"

Asami lowered her standards, but the whole thing only became more obscene.

"no!"

Qian Ai refused decisively.

Only Masumi-nii can touch my body.

"Huh? Is Chiai trying to say that only Masumi-kun can touch your body?! You awful! You super lewd slut!"

"..."

Chiai was speechless, realizing that her thoughts had been so easily guessed by Asami's joke. It must have just been a fluke.

And she's not some perverted woman... she's perfectly normal!
"Then let me scratch your itch."

Mami revealed a mischievous smile, her fingers opening and closing.

Qian Ai shifted her body slightly.

"No! Asami-nee! This...this will make me itchy..."

"Hmm? Is Chiai being a little sensitive? What if I do this?"

"No...! Don't do this, I told you it was itchy!"

Rinne finally broke free from Kaigetsu's clutches, turned to look at Mami, who was brandishing her claws and flashing a sly smile, and said helplessly:
"Sister Mami, if you still have back pain, you shouldn't do anything strenuous."

"Hey!"

Asami instinctively let out a mournful cry, her lips opening and closing:
"How did Rinne know? Could it be..."

"It's nothing, I just noticed you kept putting your hands behind your back and lightly pounding."

Rinne didn't dare look her in the eye when she answered.

"This, like this."

Mami nodded, unsure whether she believed it or was trying to convince herself.

The conversation in the bathhouse remained on a delicate line, much like the constantly swaying water of the bathhouse, the surface of the water maintaining a level that seemed about to overflow but didn't.

Until the last person joins.

After washing her dazzling blonde hair, Mio wrapped it up with a towel, stepped barefoot into the bathtub, placed the towel on the edge of the tub, and slowly immersed her body in the hot water.

Hot water overflowed from the edge of the bathtub. She submerged her shoulders in the water, enjoying the warmth for a moment, before suddenly uttering something startling:
"Should we go next door to find Masumi?"

"what!"

All the girls present were drawn to this sentence.

Mio spoke amidst the girls' varied expressions—some surprised, some shy, some expressionless, some eager…:

"Why are you looking at me like that? I just feel so lonely without Masumi's hot springs. At this time of day, it wouldn't be bad if we went to a mixed-gender hot spring together, would it?"

"No, no, no! There will still be some risk involved."

Chiai swayed her body as if she felt uncomfortable.

"Although the men's and women's baths are super close to each other, and it seems that only a handful of rooms are available at this hotel tonight, and it's almost closing time for the public bath, so I guess no one will come... Uh, and also... the staff who clean the bath are all elderly women, and the cleaning time is after 11 p.m."

"Aren't all the factors you mentioned favorable?"

"I'm seriously thinking of a counter-argument!"

Qian Ai blushed and said:
"Speaking of which, if you suddenly go to the men's bath to see Masumi-nii just because you can't stand being lonely, wouldn't that make you look like a pervert? Won't Masumi-nii dislike you?"

"..."

After a moment of silence, Mami turned to the expressionless heiress.

"What do you think, Rinne-chan?"

"Given that boy's terrible personality, his excitement will probably take over."

Rinne sighed, as if recalling some unpleasant memory, a blush of shame creeping from her cheeks to behind her ears and the base of her neck.

Even if there are hot springs, it seems difficult to fool them.

Like her, there was also Mami, who asked the question earlier.

"……makes sense."

She sighed, as if she were exhausted.

"Let's forget about it today."

"The two thieving cats actually backed down? That's rare."

Mio blinked, looking at the two who had backed down and were showing signs of retreat, her expression as if she were observing a rare animal.