I am somehow maintaining my sanity. At this point, I suspect I'm only a step away from reaching total spiritual enlightenment.
"Please teach us."
"I'll do my best to learn!"
"...Please take care of me. I don't really know how to use this either."
Aslin and Filia are fine—no problem at all. They've just got childlike bodies. It's basically like an adult helping kids bathe.
But Labyris... she's got two melons.
Calm down. I'm not into that. I'm a proper gentleman.
"I feel bad for Onii-san, but since you know the most, I'll leave these three to you~ The rest of us are going to have our hands full just taking care of ourselves."
Ratz pushes the three little ones toward me. Every other member is, of course, naked. Ah, forget it. It'll be easier on my conscience if I treat this as a professional duty.
"Alright, no point being embarrassed now. It'll be worse if someone catches a cold."
I stopped trying to cover myself. I'm not an exhibitionist; I'm just being practical.
"Whoa~ Onii-san, you've got your work face on... No fun teasing you~ Well, you're right, catching a cold would be bad, so I guess it can't be helped."
"Sorry about that. Let's save the teasing for later. Now, first, you have to wash your bodies before getting into the bath over there."
I head toward the shower area and turn the faucet.
"Amazing... if you twist this, hot water comes out, and the blue one gives cold water..."
Led by Eris, everyone lines up at the faucets and gasps in surprise.
"Adjust the temperature to whatever is comfortable for you. Once you've rinsed off, rub the soap in front of you onto your towel to make a lather, then wash your body. Don't wash your hair yet."
"Ara? Aren't we supposed to wash hair with soap?"
Milly asks, her large chest covered in suds as she looks at me.
"Hair uses shampoo and conditioner. First, wash your body with soap. Rinse off the soap, then use this blue one for shampoo and the pink one for conditioner. Start with shampoo... wait, I'll demonstrate, so hang on a sec."
Aslin, Filia, and Labyris are trying to wash themselves, but being kids, they're missing a lot of spots.
"Aslin, wash behind your ears properly, like this. Filia, make sure you get the soles of your feet. Labyris... since your chest is big, it's hard to see, but make sure you wash under there thoroughly..."
Wait, wasn't that borderline harassment?
"Um, like this?"
"Okay~"
"...Help me. My chest is heavy, support it. I don't have enough arms."
...This is legal. No, it's just assistance, so there's no problem.
I have no choice but to lift the two melons with both hands while Labyris scrubs between them. I don't know why, but despite the "perks," I feel like something inside me has ended.
"Alright, rinse off thoroughly."
After seeing the three rinse, I look around.
"Onii-san, we're okay over here too."
Ratz and the others seem to have been waiting.
"Okay, shampoo first. Think of it as soap specifically for hair. First, get the dirt out. Then use conditioner to care for it. You'll understand what 'care' means once you use it."
"...Got it. I'll try."
Kaya replies and begins washing, followed by everyone else.
"Aslin and the others aren't used to this. I'll do it for them."
"Please do."
"Thank you very much."
"...I'm counting on you."
And so, I washed their hair one by one.
"Fuwaa~ it feels good. It smells nice."
"It feels strange. But I'm happy."
"...My hair is so smooth... amazing."
That was the kids' feedback. Meanwhile, for the others...
"Onii-san!! This is incredible!! Let's sell it!! It'll definitely sell!!"
"Hee~ this is wonderful."
"...It's so good I feel like it's going to ruin me."
Those were the reactions from Ratz, Eris, and Milly.
As for the beast-kin group...
"Haa... I can't find any words other than 'amazing'."
"This is a first for me too!!"
"...Hair is silky. Feels good."
Tori, Riel, and Kaya seemed to enjoy it as well.
But now comes the main event!!
"Alright, the real thing starts now! We're entering the open-air bath. The temperature is usually pretty high, so don't jump in."
At those words, three people froze mid-motion.
They were about to jump in, weren't they...?
"Splashing is strictly forbidden. Enter slowly. Aslin, since you guys are shorter, use that stepped area over there."
"Understood. Let's go, you two."
"Yeah!!"
"Wait for me."
They head to the spot holding hands. I have to follow them. While I'm doing that, the ones already in the bath start shouting.
"Kuaa~ what is this? Onii-san, my body is melting."
"You aren't melting, I promise."
"But it's wonderful. Just soaking in the water feels great."
Everyone seems satisfied... but I have one more finishing move.
"Sorry, could you keep an eye on these three for a bit?"
"Sure, but where are you going?"
"To get the best part of an open-air bath."
I go to grab some drinks and juice.
"Ohhh~ Onii-san, you're adding even more luxury to this luxurious bath. I've decided!! I'm going to be your wife!! I don't care if I'm not the first wife, even a concubine is fine!!"
"Just calm down. An open-air bath is meant for enjoying the scenery and the stars with a drink on a tray like this."
I distribute the drinks on floating trays. For Aslin and the kids, I decided on juice.
"This is... is it really okay to be this indulgent?"
"For some reason, my heart feels at peace."
Eris and Milly relax while enjoying the alcohol and the starry sky.
"Even a warrior like me can have moments like this..."
"I feel strange too. Not in a bad way."
"...Feels good."
Tori, Riel, and Kaya are also relaxing.
"Yuki-san, thank you sho much..."
"I'm sho glad you took me in..."
"...I misunderstood you, Yuki. I'm sorry."
The three little ones are crying buckets while thanking me.
...They're crying over something like this, huh?
I guess this world is just that harsh. I'll do my best for them.
As I'm soaking, I hear a voice from the men's bath.
"O~i, Yuki! We're getting out first!! We'll be relaxing in the changing room!!"
"Got it! We'll be out soon too!"
I look at everyone.
"You can come back here anytime, so let's head out even if it's hard to leave. You'll get 'bath-drunk' otherwise."
"Bath-drunk? What's that, Onii-san?"
"Ah, it's like a sickness from staying in the heat too long. You'll get dizzy."
"Ah, I see. Moderation in all things, right? Can't be helped. Let's come back later."
Everyone gets out of the bath.
...So many breasts.
"Wring out your towels and dry off properly before going to the dressing room. Otherwise, the floor gets soaked."
"""Okay!"""
And so, our bath time came to an end.
* * *
"Alright, food time!! Knowing you, Yuki, you've got everything prepared, right?"
"You bet. This way."
I lead the way.
"Hey, do you have that 'Sashimi' stuff? It's delicious."
"Yeah, it goes great with sake."
"I was surprised by raw fish at first, but it's tasty once you get used to it."
"Yeah, I've got some. If the ladies find raw fish off-putting, feel free to leave it."
I said as we arrived at the banquet hall.
"S-So much...! Onii-san, is this really okay!? This is a feast!!"
Ratz was shocked by the servings laid out for each person.
"This is just normal here."
"I swear I'll serve you forever!! I'll follow you anywhere!!"
"Just eat already. I've set out chopsticks, but since you probably can't use them, use the spoons and forks."
Everyone starts eating the Japanese-style dishes.
"This is delicious... I've never seen food like this before."
"...I feel like my common sense is slipping away."
"This Soy sauce is amazing!!"
"This seasoned rice is delicous too!!"
"...Fried tofu... this is the ultimate food."
Amidst the chatter, the three kids approach me.
"Um, I'm sorry!! I can't finish it all..."
"My tummy is full, sorry."
"...You're very skilled with those sticks."
"Aslin, Filia, don't worry about it. These are adult portions. Labyris, these are called chopsticks. They're very handy once you get used to them."
Meanwhile, Mobu and the guys are already busy partying.
"Well, you're probably tired today, so we'll talk details tomorrow. Eris, here's the key. It's the room next door. There are futons for ten people, so lay them out and get some sleep. We'll gather here again tomorrow."
"Ah, yes. Understood."
"...Where are you going, Yuki?"
"To my own room to sleep, obviously."
"...I'm coming with you. Is that okay?"
"Hmm, Eris, what do you think?"
"I think it's fine. I don't think there's any problem if you lay a hand on Labyris either."
"...I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. Fine. Labyris, this way."
"Ah, I'm coming too!"
"Labyris-chan, I'm coming too!"
* * *
So in the end, I end up taking care of the three kids.
On the way to my room, Labyris spoke to me.
"...Hey, Kazuya. Why are you calling yourself Yuki?"
"I see. You knew and stayed quiet, huh? Thanks."
"Eh, Yuki-san isn't your real name?"
"What does that mean?"
"There are some complicated circumstances. Please keep this a secret from the others."
"...Got it."
"I understand."
"I won't tell."
Their responses were a little worrying, but whatever. I'm exhausted, so it's time to sleep.
