...
"Suzuka, why aren't you talking~? Do you not like to speak?" Seiun Sky was like a fly, constantly chirping "Suzuka" over and over.
Even Special Week next to them couldn't take it anymore and spoke up for Silence Suzuka: "Seiun, you're so lewd, especially 'lewd'."
"Spe-chan is insulting me, punishment time!" Seiun Sky immediately turned and clung to Special Week.
"Seiun, don't come over here!"
The two of them playfully tussled, disturbing the calm water and splashing droplets everywhere.
Silence Suzuka finally had a moment of peace. "You two have fun," she said, then stepped out of the hot spring.
"Suzuka, not soaking anymore?" Seiun Sky stopped tormenting Special Week.
"No, I can't spend the whole afternoon in the hot spring. I want to go out for a walk."
"Suzuka, I'll go with you."
Special Week, clutching her chest and keeping her distance from Seiun Sky, quickly offered.
But to her surprise, Silence Suzuka refused. "No need, Spe-chan. Spe-chan probably still wants to soak a bit longer, right? I'll go by myself."
"Eh... but—"
"Spe-chan, take this!"
Special Week wanted to say more, but Seiun Sky pounced on her again.
Seizing the opportunity, Silence Suzuka wrapped herself in a towel and left.
...
"So, by 'going for a walk,' you mean walking from the women's bath to the men's bath?"
Lucian had been leisurely dozing off, sipping red wine.
Who would've thought that when he opened his eyes, he'd see Silence Suzuka unwrapping her towel and stepping into the water? "Suzu-chan, you're serious?"
Silence Suzuka didn't answer, simply swimming toward him.
"I was feeling wronged, so I wanted to find Lucian-kun." Silence Suzuka clung to one of Lucian's arms, half her face submerged in the water as she blew bubbles like a goldfish before resurfacing. "Seiun bullied me. Lucian-kun, what should I do?"
"I dunno," Lucian blurted out reflexively. Seeing Silence Suzuka narrow her eyes, he quickly corrected himself, "How do you want me to help you?"
"Then later, you're not allowed to help her... only me."
"Huh? I haven't been helping her." Lucian's furrowed brow was full of confusion as he replied, half-amused, half-exasperated, "Wait, I haven't been helping you either. Suzuka, where did you learn these weird 'lessons'?"
"A book told me."
"What book? It couldn't be..."
"Don't say it." Before Lucian could finish, Silence Suzuka covered his mouth. "Don't worry about what books I read. Lucian-kun just needs to promise me."
Lucian raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright, I give up."
Silence Suzuka traced circles on Lucian's chest, clearly still hung up on it. "Lucian-kun, do you boys really like that kind?"
"Who said that? Don't generalize. I think small is also cute."
(Lucian was actually an equal-opportunity admirer.)
"Oh? Really?" Silence Suzuka shot him a skeptical glance and tentatively asked, "Lucian-kun, you don't like Seiun's type?"
"Suzuka, I think you shouldn't overthink these things."
"What about Spe-chan's type?"
"Suzuka, being yourself is best. There's an old saying in my Country: 'Our bodies—every hair and bit of skin—are given to us by our parents.'"
"Teio, Urara, Rice-chan?" Silence Suzuka felt these three were probably on par.
"Suzuka, it's not like bigger is always better. As they say, 'The gifts of fate are always priced in advance.' That's the truth." Lucian spoke earnestly, sticking to his principles.
"What about Little Bailey's type?"
"Suzuka, listen..."
"Shuttle-chan?"
"Uh..."
"Daiwa Scarlet?"
Lucian: "..."
...
The examples kept getting more extreme, and Lucian's responses grew fewer until he fell completely silent.
This conversation was impossible to continue.
Watching Lucian's flustered expression, Silence Suzuka covered her mouth and giggled softly.
"Ah, so Seiun bullied you, you couldn't handle her, so you came to bully me instead?" Lucian pinched Silence Suzuka's cheek. "Still laughing? What if they hear you?"
"Not quite, Lucian-kun. I've already taken the lead." She wouldn't let Seiun Sky's teasing get to her.
Besides, if Seiun Sky provoked her, she'd just take it out on Lucian.
"Yeah, yeah, our Suzuka's 'runaway' tactics are truly unmatched."
"Hmph, more nonsense and sarcasm."
...
The two chatted quietly, completely unaware of time passing or that the women's bath had fallen silent.
Just then, a pair of fair, pink-tinted legs appeared at the curtain of the men's bath.
"Trainer, aren't you done washing yet?" Seiun Sky's voice drifted in.
She was the last to leave the women's bath and, on a whim, decided to check on him.
Since everyone here—whether chefs or staff—was female, Seiun Sky felt bold enough to try her luck.
"Seiun!?" Lucian exclaimed.
Silence Suzuka, panicking, hid behind him and submerged herself. "What do we do, what do we do?"
When faced with the possibility of being caught, even Silence Suzuka wasn't as composed as she imagined.
Especially in this situation.
"Trainer, who were you talking to just now? I heard murmuring."
"Ah... I was just on the phone with family. Why?"
"Oh, is that so?"
"Are you all done washing?"
Lucian gradually calmed down, realizing Seiun Sky wouldn't dare come in—otherwise, she'd have barged in like Silence Suzuka.
So he quietly reassured Silence Suzuka, "Don't panic, stay calm. I bet she won't come in."
"I-I'm not panicking," Silence Suzuka insisted stubbornly.
Outside the curtain, Seiun Sky's voice came again.
"Yeah, we're all done. Didn't expect Trainer to still be washing~"
Even through the curtain, she couldn't resist teasing Lucian from a distance. "Trainer~ are you clean yet? Do you want... me to come in and help you?"
"No need."
"Eh~ is Trainer getting shy?"
"Shy? Should I come out and carry you in?"
While Lucian was busy fending off Seiun Sky, Silence Suzuka slowly regained her composure.
So Seiun Sky wasn't as bold as she thought—just a small-time troublemaker.
With that in mind, Silence Suzuka resurfaced, now calm, and wrapped her arms around Lucian from behind.
Noticing the red wine beside him, she leaned close to his ear, her breath warm as she whispered, "Lucian-kun, let me feed you wine."
After saying this, Silence Suzuka took a small sip of wine and pursed her lips toward Lucian.
...