Episode One Hundred and Thirty-Six

Following the arrow marked ‘Private Bathhouse’, we stepped outside once. We proceeded down a corridor enclosed by bamboo sliding doors.
We arrived at a small, detached hut.
A sign hung on the wooden door reading ‘Unused’. The reverse side read ‘In Use’.
We flipped it over, opened the door, and locked it from the inside.
　Inside was a fairly spacious changing area.
There was a relaxing space, with a glass bottle standing in a bucket filled with ice.

“Local spring water, apparently.”

Watching Ibara’s excited back, I briefly wondered if this was really the right thing to do.
This was the third time I’d bathed with Ibara.
　The first time was one thing, but the second time… well.
Just remembering it made my face flush fiercely.
Right then.
That sort of thing… wasn’t good.
Today, we weren’t alone. I couldn’t afford to get carried away.
I had to make sure things didn’t get awkward.
I swiftly removed my make-up and hastily pulled off my clothes.
Ibara was still admiring the interior.

“I’ll go in first, then.”

“Eh? Ah, right.”

There was one reason for my defeat (?) last time.
I let Ibara wash my body. If I let that happen again, she’d definitely try something naughty.
So, I’d better finish washing first. Strike first, strike hard.
　Opening the glass door wide, I caught the scent of rising steam.
Two or three unit baths. A square tub about that size, and two washing areas with showers.
Sitting on the non-slip mat in the washing area, I squeezed the bottle.
And then.

Squish squish squish squish…!

　I lathered my body with fierce intensity. A bit rough, but it’ll do for a day.
Behind me, the glass door slid open.
Hehe.
Too late now, Ibara.
Grasping the shower nozzle, I rinsed the foam from my body.
All that remained was to soak in the bath.

“Ah! Shigure-san, you’re already done washing?”

“Well, yes.”

“Ehh? That’s cheating!”

Pouting, Ibara sat down on the adjacent washing area.

“I was going to wash it for you.”

“But you touch me weirdly, don’t you?”

“But you were really into it, Shigure-san.”

That wasn’t the case.
It wasn’t… it shouldn’t have been. Probably. …Probably.

“I’m going in first.”

“Ah, wait, wait!”

“What?”

“Wash my back.”

Eh.
Ibara turned her back to me.
A flawless, unblemished back. From shoulders that seemed to be caressed, to the curve of her shoulder blades, the shadow of her spine. All the way down to the crease between her waist and bottom, everything was exposed to the summer sunlight.

“…You can wash it yourself, can’t you?”

“I can, but I want Shigure-san to wash it for me.”

She gathered her long flaxen hair over her shoulder and said in a sweet, pleading voice, “Please?”
An emotion very similar to irritation welled up inside me, making my throat tighten.
I thought she was being cheeky, and yet, I also thought she was adorable.

“Besides, Shigure-san was being mean. This much is okay, right?”

“…Right, right.”

I knew I couldn’t resist.
In the end, I just wanted to spoil this girl endlessly.

“I’ll just wash your back.”

“Ehh?”

Ehh?

“You won’t wash the rest?”

“…The rest?”

“My hair, for example.”

Oh, her hair.
　Not ‘that’, though.

“Fine, I’ll do your hair.”

“Yay!”

I ran my fingers through the shower-dampened hair, working up a lather.
The provided shampoo didn’t lather up particularly well, but in the mirror, Ibara looked pleasantly content, her eyes half-closed.
I had to concentrate hard on my fingertips to avoid glancing down at the zone below her face.

“Shigure-san, you’re quite skilled at washing hair, aren’t you?”

“Is that so? Perhaps because I used to wash Shizuku’s hair back in the day.”

After saying it, I thought, ‘Oh dear,’ but Ibara didn’t seem particularly bothered.
Perhaps she treats Runa and Shizuku differently.
I washed it thoroughly and applied conditioner too.
“Right then,” Ibara straightened her back.

“Next, the back.”

“…Mm.”

There were no sponges or suchlike in this washing area.
Trying not to let my nervousness show in my movements, I applied the lather to her back with smooth, light strokes.
Ibara’s skin was smooth and slippery, with hardly any texture beneath my fingers.

“Hyah!”

When I stroked the skin near her side, her body jerked.

“There… that tickles.”

“You’re ticklish, aren’t you, Ibara?”

“Am I?”

I’m quite sure of it. The last time we were fooling around in bed, she reacted in a way that was incredibly satisfying to tickle.
Speaking of being ticklish, back in the day at a university drinking party, Hibari-san, who loved dirty jokes, said…
　You see, Ame-chan. Girls who are ticklish, well, they’re usually… in bed too—

“Wah!”

“Shigure-san⁉︎”

Ibara spun around, startled.

“What’s up? Why the sudden facial shower?”

“Sorry, just needed to cool my head a bit.”
　I wiped my wet face with my hands.
Rubbing my water-filled eyes and lifting my lids, I saw Ibara standing before me, having turned around.
Everything I’d deliberately, self-consciously avoided looking at was now laid bare.
Her skin, flushed and faintly coloured by fever. The beautiful line of her décolletage.
And below that, the curves that inevitably drew my gaze.

　────Oh, for heaven’s sake, showing no consideration for others.
Fool!

“Hyaaah!”

I aimed the shower nozzle at Ibara.