The Witch Trial Begins with the OO Buckethead Zombie

But now, it's a good time to take her to take a shower.

“…Ah, it’s Hoshino.” Snapping out of his daze, Noah Kinosaki turned his head and replied, “And Heero.”

"Is it time to eat? Noah will be right there."

Oh, and there's also mealtime. If you call her at that time, she'll obediently follow you to the cafeteria.

She will still obey when her most basic physiological needs are met.

“No, let’s take a shower first.” Hoshino Utsunomiya got straight to the point.

As soon as she finished speaking, Noah Kinosaki paused slightly. She looked at Hoshino Utsunomiya and then at Hiro Nikaido beside him.

His eyes seemed to understand something.

"...If I don't wash...can't I?" she protested very weakly.

"Noah is very clean. Noah is not dirty at all."

As if to prove this point, Noah Kinosaki raised his hands.

The tiny, delicate hands opened and closed, then clenched tightly.

Although nothing could be seen under the thick clothes, her desire to prove herself was evident.

“It will stink,” Nikaido Hiro said coldly.

“Noah doesn’t smell bad.” Noah’s face fell, and she muttered, “It’s Hero who smells bad.”

I thought that saying such things to Nikaido Hiro would elicit a rebuttal.

But to Noah Kinosaki's surprise...

Nikaido Hiro nodded:

"Yes, I smell bad too."

"If you don't shower, you'll smell bad."

She spoke of the natural order of things.

“If Hero smells bad, let Hero wash himself.” Noah Kinosaki turned his head away: “Anyway, Noah doesn’t smell bad, so Noah doesn’t need to wash.”

A resistance to bathing, an attitude of refusing to bathe.

As Nikaido Hiro had said, Noah Kinosaki was extremely unwilling.

So, it was his turn to speak.

"Noah." The soft call made the girl turn her head back naturally, and only then did Utsunomiya Hoshino speak:

"Dirty and smelly is one issue, but why do people take baths? The fear of getting sick is another."

"Whether it's physical or mental health, not washing properly can easily lead to illness."

Cleanliness and hygiene are linked to health, especially for someone like Noah Kinosaki who spends a lot of time in the studio, where daily showering is even more necessary.

Moreover, in a place like a prison, taking a shower is something that can help regulate one's mood.

In fact, using the universal excuse of deducting points would probably be enough to convince Noah Kinosaki, but Hoshino Utsunomiya didn't want to overuse it.

If the necessity of everything is linked to deducting points, will Noah still obediently take a bath after the seven days are over?

Hard to say.

"Ugh..." Noah Kinosaki lowered his head: "But, but..."

She doesn't seem to have fully accepted it yet.

"If you don't take a proper bath, the witch will deduct points from your score." But if that still doesn't solve the problem, then let's explain it by deducting points.

Hoshino Utsunomiya is still quite agile.

You can't really think of yourself as Noah Kinosaki's father and act like a parent, can you?

If a better solution can be found, then use that better solution; if not, then using a temporary fix is ​​fine too.

"But, but..." Even so, Noah Kinosaki still seemed to have something to say.

"But what?" Hoshino Utsunomiya decided to let her speak first.

"...Noah doesn't know how to take a bath," she muttered softly.

This is a problem that isn't even a problem.

Hoshino Utsunomiya thought she could come up with some excuse, but if this was all she could say...

"It's alright." He smiled gently. "Hiro will help you—"

"Hoshino will help you wash."

The moment he uttered those words, Nikaido Hiro, standing beside him, spoke almost simultaneously, uttering words that were similar yet completely different.

Utsunomiya Hoshino: "...?"

He looked up at Nikaido Hiro, a puzzled expression on his face.

What does it mean?

My girlfriend.

Nikaido Hiro didn't reply, but simply returned his gaze.

You promised me you'd help Noah take a bath.

He read a similar meaning in her eyes.

But I still don't understand.

When I say "help you," I don't mean helping you trick Noah into the shower, do I?

Should I go in with them?

Is it really possible?

Ever since making a mistake with someone due to a lack of distance, Hoshino Utsunomiya has now clearly defined the appropriate boundaries between herself and different people.

The only distance between us and strangers is the distance of words.

The distance between you and an acquaintance is such that you can occasionally shake hands, bump fists, or pat each other on the shoulder.

The distance between friends is such that you can sit together, give each other a brief hug when the other needs comfort, and then quickly let go.

The distance between you and your lover should be compared to the distance between you and Emma and Heero.

Only when you're deeply in love can you be less concerned about the differences between men and women and casually help someone else wash up in the shower.

Although he did treat Noya Kinosaki as a child, how could he really treat her like a child?

Hoshino Utsunomiya knew very well that Noah Kinosaki was not a real child, and even if she was, a little girl should be washed and groomed by a woman.

Instead of letting him come—

"Really?" Noah Kinosaki stopped turning his head, stopped stammering, and his voice became louder, his muttering expression disappearing.

She stared at Hoshino Utsunomiya with her big eyes wide open.

"Noah can go take a shower now."

she says.

On one side is Noah Kinosaki's gaze, and on the other is Hiro Nikaido's gaze.

"..."

Hoshino Utsunomiya remained silent for a moment.

Choose to surrender.

"Then go wash up."

If Hiro doesn't care, why should he care?

All things considered, he should be the one who benefits from this situation, as a man.

Wash, this is the bath I'm going to take!

......

So, when everyone else seemed to arrive at the cafeteria right on time...

Utsunomiya Hoshino and the other two went to the shower room.

"Click..."

Nikaido Hiro casually locked the door.

Hoshino Utsunomiya paused slightly, but did not utter a question.

It's better that it's locked. If someone sees it, especially if Emma sees it, then there will be no way to explain it.

Without saying a word, Hoshino Utsunomiya turned on the hot water first.

You need to fill the bathtub with water first.

Hot water continued to accumulate in the bathtub, and rising steam began to fill the shower room.

Actually, if it's just about helping Noah take a bath, one person should be enough.

However, Nikaido Hiro also came in.

I suppose it's keeping an eye on me so I don't cross the line.

Having found an excuse for Hiro, Hoshino Utsunomiya turned around and pulled Noah Kinosaki to the showerhead.

"Come on, sit down, let me wash your hair first."

No need to take off your clothes.

So what if it's wet? Anyway, these clothes will be thrown into the incinerator to be replaced with new ones later.

In that respect, it's quite convenient.

"Hmm." She simply nodded in response.

Noah Kinosaki, however, deftly revealed his smooth shoulders and back.

His already worn-out coat and beret had long been set aside, and as if following the common sense that one shouldn't wear too much while taking a shower, Noah Kinosaki readily removed the obstructions from his body as he sat down.