Back in the restaurant, everyone sat down again.
Himeko elegantly crossed her legs, the beer can in her hand lightly tapping on the table.
"So, can someone explain to me what exactly happened in the forest just now?"
After that, Kiana vividly and dramatically recounted what had happened these past few days.
From Ai-chan's video, to the dream labyrinth, and then to last night's "therapy meeting."
Ivana occasionally added details from the side, watching the show without fearing the matter getting bigger.
Fu Hua just sat quietly, but when everyone mentioned the "wardrobe incident," she clearly seemed a little uncomfortable.
After listening to Kiana's story, Himeko thought that if she had known it would turn out like this, back then she should have been more forceful, cooked the raw rice into cooked rice, then there would have been nothing left to worry about.
She looked across to the other end of the restaurant, only to see Van wedged in the middle between Kevin and Kalpas.
Kevin expressionlessly drank his coffee, while Kalpas occasionally gave him a disgusted glance, muttering "so annoying," yet still refused to move away.
On the other side, Van, seeing the two men beside him radiating such a strong sense of security, also let out a long sigh of relief inside.
Still that old saying, although escape may be shameful, it is useful.
On another side, Bronya silently ate her little cake.
Seele thoughtfully poured her a glass of juice, yet her gaze still kept drifting unconsciously toward Van.
Even though Kiana and Raiden Mei were sitting beside her, their minds clearly weren't here either.
Bronya put down her fork and silently made a note in her heart, 'In the future, I absolutely must keep far away from Van, this guy is too dangerous to be around.'
———
After the meal, Van originally wanted to continue following Kevin and the others, to avoid that terrifying harem battlefield.
But whether intentionally or unintentionally, each of them actually had their own things to do.
Kevin said he wanted to accompany Mei for a walk, Kalpas was going to prepare barbecue ingredients, and Su and Kosma each had their own matters.
Just as Van was considering whether he should call and contact a certain "green-colored cult leader," Ivana suddenly appeared from nowhere and wrapped an arm around his neck.
"Old man, don't be sad. Even if your good brothers don't bring you along, you still have me, your sweet little cotton jacket~"
'It's exactly because I have you that I'm even more worried!'
'A sweet little cotton jacket, huh? In this scorching summer, not being suffocated to death by a cotton jacket is already a blessing!'
Van gave her a sidelong look, full of vigilance. "Brat, what are you up to this time?"
Sure enough, the brat revealed her dagger hidden in the painting.
"We heard the resort has just opened a mixed hot spring area, how about we go later… mmmphhh…"
Before the brat could finish, Van immediately covered her mouth.
Last time he had nearly died in the hot spring, and now she dared to tell him to soak in a mixed bath?
'Throwing the sheep into the tiger's mouth, is that it?'
'Don't even think about it!'
However, what surprised Van was that, when he proposed soaking in separate male and female hot springs, all the girls actually agreed unanimously.
"Well~ separate soaking isn't bad either~ then I can fully enjoy the feeling of being surrounded by beautiful girls~" Elysia raised her hand first with a smiling face in support.
Mobius only gave a light snort, but didn't object either.
Even Ivana, who always loved to go against things, unusually didn't make trouble this time.
This abnormal situation instantly put Van on full alert.
He knew these girls too well, abnormality always meant trouble.
"Fine, you girls have fun then, I'll head to the men's bath first."
Van pretended to be calm as he spoke, then turned and chose the most crowded public bathhouse.
Looking at the tourists coming and going all around him, Van finally let out a sigh of relief.
With so many people watching, it should be safe, right?
He comfortably sank into the hot spring, the warm water soothing his tense nerves.
The tension and fatigue of recent days were finally released in this moment. His eyelids grew heavier and heavier, until unconsciously he closed his eyes.
No one knows how long passed. When Van opened his eyes again, the bathhouse was already shrouded in thick fog.
Even stranger, the once lively bath pool was now completely empty, only the sound of flowing water remained.
Van rubbed his eyes, warily scanning the surroundings.
Just now there had clearly been so many tourists, how could it be that in the blink of an eye…
At this moment, suddenly a "splash" sounded from within the mist.
Van sharply turned his head, only to see Mobius, who at some point had appeared at the edge of the hot spring, her body wrapped in just a bath towel, long dark-green hair wet and draped over her snowy shoulders.
"Found you, little mouse~"
"Mobius?! How are you here… no, wait! This is the men's bath!"
"So what?" Mobius stepped into the water without any shame, slowly moving closer to Van.
"Wait, this is a public place… if someone comes later…"
"Don't worry, I already arranged everything. No one else will come in for a while…"
Hearing this, Van instinctively glanced at the main door. There, a faint silhouette stood guard.
'Well, well, well, you really have some nerve, Snake!'
'What sins did Klein commit in a past life? Not only forced to be exploited by you at work, but now she even has to guard the hot spring door for you?'
Just as the situation grew critical, another splash suddenly sounded from the other side.
"Aiya~ what are you two playing here, can you let me join too~"
Elysia emerged from the water, her long pink hair spreading like petals across the surface.
She too wore only a bath towel, but wrapped even more casually than Mobius, exposing large stretches of snowy white skin in the steam.
Mobius glanced at the main entrance, then at the direction Elysia had come from, her eyes filled with coldness.
"Elysia, do you really have to stick your nose into everything?"
"How can this count as sticking my nose in?" Elysia blinked innocently. "I just wanted to play with you two~"
Elysia's shamelessness made Mobius so angry her chest heaved.
Van, stuck between the two, felt like prey stared down by two lionesses.
He carefully edged backward, trying to escape this dangerous triangle zone.
"Where are you going?" Mobius grabbed his wrist.
"Van wouldn't be trying to abandon us, would he?" Elysia at the same time wrapped her arm around his.
Just as the two pulled at him, suddenly a commotion sounded from the hot spring entrance.
"I told you I heard girls' voices over here!" Kiana's voice came closer and closer. "Klein, what are you doing here… I knew it!"
"Kiana, don't run so fast…" This was Raiden Mei's voice of persuasion.
Van's face instantly changed, if they saw this, he'd be doomed.
He suddenly tore free of their hands and dove under the water with a splash.
Bang!
When Kiana and Raiden Mei rushed in, they only saw Elysia and Mobius standing together, the water surface calm and unbroken.
"Huh? Only you two? Where's Van?" Kiana looked around.
Underwater, Van held his breath, his lungs about to burst.
Suddenly, a pair of slender hands scooped him up and pulled him out of the water.
"Cough cough cough!"
Van gasped for air, raising his head only to meet the gazes of a whole circle of people.
Ivana immediately stirred things up, "Eh? Old man, they were soaking in the hot spring above, so what were you doing down below?"
The air instantly froze solid.
At that moment, Pardofelis weakly raised her phone in the crowd and said, "Um… Ai-chan just updated the video again…"
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