I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"If we stay in the bath until people can't stand it anymore and come to urge us to leave, it won't look good for either of us."

"And if you soak for too long, you'll easily get dizzy."

Tu Fang emphasized the word "dizzy".

At the same time, he glanced at Qingdeng, intentionally or unintentionally.

"Don't get carried away like Souji did."

"If you get dizzy from soaking, remember to get out of the bath promptly and lie down in a cool place."

"Speaking of which... a while ago when I went to Mancho 2-chome to buy medicine because I caught a cold, I happened to see that Mancho had medicine for treating heatstroke and dizziness from soaking in water."

"Ah, now that the weather is hot, these medicines for treating heatstroke and dizziness from soaking in water are becoming increasingly popular."

"That herb shop is also a rather magical pharmacy. It stays open until midnight every day."

At first glance, Hijikata's words seemed like just a casual reminder.

But to Aoto, who was currently back-to-back with the dazed Souji, Hijikata's words carried a different meaning.

Aoto raised his gaze and gave Hijikata a grateful look.

—Hijikata, you're really something...!

At this moment, Qing Deng was absolutely certain that Hijikata had already figured out what had happened! Hijikata's words just now were specifically meant for him!

After speaking, Tu Fang Bian did not hesitate or linger any longer, and led Yongcang and the others out of the bathhouse in quick succession.

With Hijikata and the others gone, the once noisy bathhouse suddenly became quiet.

From the moment Hijikata suddenly got up and asked Nagakura and the others to go with him to his house to retrieve the collectibles he no longer wanted, Kondo and Inoue had been looking completely bewildered, not understanding what Hijikata was trying to do.

It wasn't until Hijikata and Nagakura's group disappeared from the bath that the father and son finally realized what Hijikata was trying to do.

The two men, who looked as if they had just realized something, quickly turned around and faced Qingdeng.

"Orange-kun".

Kondo asked cautiously in a low voice, using a tentative tone:

"Could it be that Souji is... behind you right now?"

Upon hearing Kondo's words, Aoto couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

—Great…you guessed right…! Kondo and the others really knew Okita-kun was a girl!

"I can't let Nagakura-kun, Saito-kun, Harada-kun and the others find out that I'm a girl"—Souji blurted out these words unconsciously as Kondo and the others were about to enter the bath, fearing that her true gender would be exposed.

It only mentioned Nagakura and others... but not Kondo, Hijikata, and Inoue.

Considering the close, almost familial relationship between Souji and these three people... Aoto boldly guesses: Kondo, Hijikata, and Inoue know that Souji is a girl!

Based on this conjecture, Qing Deng fabricated the whole lie he had just told about "taking a bath with Okita-kun."

Souji is a girl, how could she possibly bathe with you in the men's bath? If Kondo and the others knew Souji's true gender, they wouldn't be able to remain unmoved after hearing Aoto's nonsense.

Fortunately, Qingdeng guessed correctly.

These three people, who have a brotherly relationship with Souji... no, a sibling-like relationship, do indeed know Souji's true gender.

Fortunately, Kondo and his group were sharp enough to realize in time that Aoto's words had a hidden meaning and were hinting at something to them.

Hijikata made three great contributions in a year!

Thanks to his successful diversion of Yongcang and the others, Qingdeng and the others no longer need to worry about the true identity of Souji's daughter being further exposed.

Moreover, judging from Hijikata's performance just now, he was also the smartest and most astute one—he guessed from Aoto's few words that the drunken Souji was probably hiding behind Aoto, reminding Aoto, "If you get drunk, remember to get out of the bath in time, and if necessary, go get medicine," while also mentioning that there are still pharmacies open at this time of day.

“Yes.” Aoto nodded vigorously at Kondo. “Okita-kun is right behind me right now. She’s drunk.”

After saying that, Qingdeng turned his head slightly and glanced behind him out of the corner of his eye.

"Okita-kun, are you alright?"

"Um...uh...it's...it's alright..."

A weak, dreamlike groan drifted out from behind Qingdeng.

Although Souji could still communicate normally with people, his tone was quite weak.

Upon seeing this, Aoto, Kondo, and Inoue all showed expressions of alarm and worry.

"The situation is not good, your voice is so weak!" Inoue stammered.

"We need to get Souji out of the bathhouse right away!" Although Kondo didn't stutter like Inoue, the anxiety and worry written on his face were no less than Inoue's.

Taking Souji away from the sweltering bath and letting her rest in a shady place is the most important thing to do right now, without a doubt.

The task at hand is clear... but a rather serious problem is currently facing Aoto and the other two: how are the three of them, as grown men, going to get Souji... this girl who is currently naked, out of the bath?

Men and women are different. They cannot look at Souji's naked body for both reason and emotion, and at the same time, they must try their best to avoid any overly ambiguous physical contact with Souji.

But if you're going to take Souji, who's already a bit dazed, away from the bathhouse, how can you not look at her and touch her body intimately?

The three, realizing the problem, looked at each other...

For a moment, the atmosphere at the bathhouse was incredibly awkward and uncomfortable.

First of all, it's definitely not advisable to ask someone from Chihiro-ya for help.

Firstly, it's inconvenient to explain why a girl would suddenly appear in the men's bath.

Secondly, doing so would allow more people to know that Souji is actually a girl, which is something Souji herself would definitely not want to see.

"Kondo-kun, Genji-kun, do Master and his wife know that Okita-kun is a girl?" Qing Deng asked quickly. "Could Master's wife come and help take Okita-kun away?"

“Father and Mother both know that Okita-kun is a girl…” Kondo said in a deep voice, “but this is the men’s bath… Mother can’t come in…”

"Tsk..." Qing Deng smacked his lips forcefully—he almost forgot that they were in a men's bathhouse, a place where no woman was allowed to enter except for the bathhouse staff...

Qingdeng and the others were anxiously trying to figure out what to do next, like ants on a hot pan—running around in circles in a panic.

Unfortunately, someone's sudden appearance made Qing Deng and the others' expressions even more unpleasant...

"Good evening, Tachibana-kun! Hmm? Yu, Mr. Inoue, you're here too?"

Qingdeng stared blankly at the tall figure who was swaggering through Shiliukou and into the bathhouse.

"...Mr. Jutaro?"

*******

*******

It's been so long since I posted such a short chapter... My bad, my bad! (Leopard dead.jpg)

Yesterday, the lock on my bedroom door broke, and I had to go out overnight to find a locksmith to fix it, which greatly delayed my writing time. I was originally able to give this "Aoto and Souji getting intimate" scene a nice ending in one chapter, but now I have to split it into two chapters (crying). I'll try to write more tomorrow...

The last time I released such a short chapter... was several months ago, back when the story was about the Aizu-no-Gi sword tournament... The author is usually quite diligent (slaps leopard belly.jpg)

Chapter 212 Souji's Overwhelming Pressure and Souji's Past

Due to limited space and dense population, the cost of building bathrooms was high, and fire safety was a concern. Of the nearly one million people in Edo, only a very small number of families had the financial means to build private bathrooms. The vast majority of townspeople and samurai had to go to public bathhouses to bathe.

Therefore, in the Edo period, when entertainment was scarce and convenient means of communication were lacking, bathhouses were not only places to cleanse the body, but also the most important social venues, almost without exception.

Gathering with family and friends to share a moment of tranquility in the bathhouse... this was a common scene in bathhouses during the Edo period.

Therefore, in the eyes of many people, the bathhouse is a place with a very special significance.

It represents relaxation, family affection, everyday life, friendship, equality... It is the closest "community" that retains a strong sense of human warmth and everyday life. Inviting friends to bathe together can enhance the relationship between each other and bring "hearts" closer together - Chiba Jutaro is a person who holds this view.

So for Chiba Jutaro, the moment he learned that Aoto was taking a bath in the public bathhouse was a good opportunity.

A great opportunity to further strengthen the relationship with the young man on whom I have placed high hopes and with whom I hope to become his brother-in-law in the future!

I don't live with Qingdeng, so I'm not always lucky enough to run into Qingdeng taking a shower.

If such an opportunity is missed, it may be a long time before it can be regained.

Therefore, Chiba Jutaro quickly made up his mind—he was going to the bathhouse to find Aoto!

He hadn't showered yet, so he could talk to Qingdeng while he showered.

Despite Shusuke's reminder that Chihiro-ya was about to close, and Yubaba's distressed reminder at the men's bath counter that it was almost closing time, Chiba Jutaro ignored it all and strode into the depths of the men's bath.

Chiba Jutaro, having successfully found Aoto in the bath, revealed a warm smile as if he had found a long-lost relative.

Just as he was immersed in his joy, he quickly noticed that Qing Deng, Kondo, and the others were staring at his face with expressions of shock, as if they had seen a ghost.

Upon seeing this, Chiba Jutaro revealed an even more enthusiastic smile—"Hahaha, you're really surprised to see me suddenly appear!"

He simply took the astonished expressions on Qing Deng's and the others' faces as a result of their shock at his sudden appearance.

Although Chiba Jutaro keenly noticed the astonished expressions on Aoto's and the others' faces... he failed to realize that deep within Aoto and the others' eyes, a strong sense of tension and a gray, frightened glint were flashing...

……

……

—Why is Mr. Jutaro here?

The moment Aoto saw Chiba Jutaro, his expression was filled with intense questioning.

At this moment, Qingdeng truly understood what "unexpected" and "uninvited guest" meant...

"Mr. Jutaro." Qing Deng quickly composed himself and asked Chiba Jutaro in a rapid voice, "What are you doing here?"

"Mr. Tachibana, the reason I suddenly came to visit you tonight is because there is something very important I want to talk to you about."

Chiba Jutaro succinctly recounted how he had just arrived at the Shieikan and how Shusuke had informed him that Tachibana-kun was currently in the bathhouse.

After speaking, Chiba Jutaro stepped into the bath, immersing his entire body below the chest in the water.

"Wow... this bath is quite big."

Chiba Jutaro didn't come to the bathhouse very often—because the Chiba family belonged to the very few families who could afford to build a private bathroom.

Not only does the Chiba Sword Hall have spacious bathrooms, but it also has a considerable number of servants who are available at any time and can immediately heat up your bath water with just a word.

Therefore, everything in the bathhouse was quite novel to a scion of a wealthy family like Chiba Jutaro.

Aoto was quite curious about the matter that Chiba Jutaro had mentioned wanting to discuss with him.

She went to the trouble of coming to find him overnight... this matter must be very important.