The Hot Spring's Gentle Flow
The warm water envelops my body, melting away the accumulated fatigue in the most pleasant way. A relaxed sigh escapes my lips, making me forget for a moment that I'm still on duty. The seventy-ninth floor beneath the art museum. So there really is a hot spring here. The sulfur smell that had made me frown at first now feels like it adds to the atmosphere. If it's Founder, nothing seems truly impossible, but I still wonder how she managed to recreate even this scent.
When I mentioned it was my first time at a hot spring, she insisted I go in right away. Before I knew it, I was enjoying an early-morning soak. It really is wonderful.
Tong... Water trickles steadily into the bamboo tube until it tips over, spilling its contents and striking the stone floor with a resonant sound before returning to its original position. I was idly watching the tube slowly tilt again, waiting for the next sound, when a voice suddenly came from behind me.
"How is it? Nice, right? Right?"
Startled, I turn my head. Founder has already appeared, her long hair trailing behind her. She stands there with sparkling eyes, fists clenched and raised to chest level in an adorable pose, clearly waiting for my answer.
Of course it's nice, but—
"Ah, wait, why are you naked?!"
I quickly look forward again before the steam clears, so I'm safe, but she definitely wasn't wearing even a single towel.
"You have to take your clothes off to get in the bath. You can't go in wearing clothes. Are you an idiot, Oppa?"
"...There were plenty of other baths. Why this one...?"
Splash. After dipping a foot to test the temperature, Founder slips into the same bath as me without answering. Once seated, she gathers her long hair and pushes it all into the water. Thanks to her short stature, only her shoulders and head remain above the surface, so I don't have to worry too much about where to look. Still... mixed bathing? No, this won't do.
Her apparent age seems even greater than the President's, but her outward appearance is that of an immature child. I absolutely cannot show any sign of being conscious of it, whether through actions or reactions. I mustn't get flustered in the first place.
"Ah! That reminds me, Oppa. How did things go with that jealous cat?"
"Ah... You mean Nero? With Nero, what..."
"I mean mating. You still haven't done it?"
"..."
She tilts her head, wearing an expression that clearly asks why not. My mind goes completely blank. Is the water too hot? A single shock is enough to make my head spin.
"Founder, first of all, we don't usually call it mating. Sharing love with someone isn't something you can do so lightly or casually."
"Is that so...? But you two clearly like each other a lot."
"That's true, but... well, the more you cherish and care for each other, the more carefully you tend to approach that kind of act. It's also Nero's precious first time."
I try my best to calm my racing heart while speaking as if giving sex education to an innocent daughter. Even so, my face must be burning bright red right now. The heat on my cheeks confirms it. At least I have the excuse that the bathwater is hot.
"...You really do overthink things. I thought if the two of you were alone, she'd just approach you in that form and you'd mate right away."
"Founder?!"
In the brief moment my eyes close and open, Founder has already transformed into the mature woman's body I remember seeing once before and has drawn right up beside me. She presses her smooth shoulder against mine without hesitation.
"Then all that effort to clear the place out for you two was meaningless, wasn't it?"
"Y-You're touching..."
"Still, if this kind of closeness helps build that precious feeling toward each other, maybe it isn't so bad... Hehe."
The sensation of bare skin against my arm and shoulder. The gentle sound of water. Her voice, made even more resonant by the surrounding steam. If it had ended there, it would have been fine. But—
"Ehe, but right now there's only me here, so this spot is mine, right?"
She rises slightly. The destructive power of her now-exposed upper body makes me hurriedly turn my head away, but then—splash. That sensation, that weight...
She's straddling my lap.
"Wait, if you sit there right now—"
"Hm? Something's touching my back..."
"...Ah."
She's not facing me directly; she's simply climbed on as usual to lean back comfortably against me. Even so, the mature woman's body sends blood rushing downward at the mere contact of skin.
"Ehe... Does this mean Oppa sees me as a mating partner?"
"N-No, of course not..."
"...And the fact that you're holding back like this means you cherish me too, right?"
I have no idea how to handle this situation.
"I do cherish you, but this is a little different."
As she turns her head slightly toward me, her lower body rubs softly against my thigh. I barely manage to swallow the foolish moan that threatens to escape.
This is simply a natural reaction from a healthy body and mind. A very natural reaction. Her hair is draped over one shoulder, leaving her straight, beautiful back and smooth, rounded shoulders completely exposed. Even from behind, the ripe curves of her breasts peek out from under her arms. Though I can't see them, I can feel the soft weight of her buttocks and thighs pressing against me. My hands have started to tremble.
"You look like you're suffering, but you also look really happy... I don't get it."
"...That's exactly what it is."
Of course I'm happy. Even with the awkward overlap between her usual appearance and this one, the simple fact that a woman with such an ideal figure—something only possible through natural talent and consistent care—is sitting on my lap is enough.
But I can't touch her freely. Being satisfied with just the sensation and sight of her pressed against me feels like torture.
"You can touch, you know...? You pet my head so easily, so why hesitate here?"
"Huh?"
I was about to protest that the head and chest are completely different, but... I can't. Splash...Drip, drip, trickle...Plop, plop. She cups her alluring bare breasts from below, the water droplets glistening under the dim light, then twists her waist to offer them to me. I suck in a sharp breath.
I quickly look up, but the sound of water droplets falling from her gathered breasts is already too stimulating. I've been suppressing my desires at home with Nero and at work during counseling sessions with Scarlet. If she shows me something like this...
My hands... move on their own...
"Ah, there you are."
"..!!"
In this wide bath, she's deliberately pressed right up against me, one of us straddling the other, holding her own breasts out toward her partner. I was just about to place my hands on them.
"Team Leader?! No, this is...! I mean..."
The Team Leader stands there in her usual suit, completely out of place in the hot spring, wearing her clown mask. There is no room for excuses; something was clearly about to happen, and of course she didn't miss it.
"Hmm? Were you doing something indecent?"
"No, not yet— I mean...! I haven't done anything!"
"Not yet... I must have terrible timing."
I realize I've made a verbal slip, but thinking about what would have happened if she hadn't arrived in time leaves me with nothing more to say.
"Watching Oppa's reactions is always so entertaining."
"A... Aah..."
Ah... She was just teasing me. Founder has already returned to her girl form, giggling mischievously as she rests her head comfortably against my chest. My mind is still spinning from the shock, but at least things have calmed down below. ...Thank goodness. At least this won't cause any major misunderstandings.
"I came to inform you that the equipment installation for Counseling Rooms No. 13 and No. 18 at the end of the hallway has been completed."
"...I see. Thank you."
"Don't mention it. If we can draw out more cooperative behavior from No. 18 this time, I imagine counseling with No. 13 will see some progress as well."
That's right—No. 13. I had hoped to finish her counseling at least a week ago. By bringing her delicious food every day and talking with her, the distance between us had narrowed somewhat. At the very least, she no longer suspected I had ulterior motives for providing meals. Now that she's gained a little weight and no longer looks like skin and bones, she doesn't show any aggression. I've even given her time to bathe properly and helped tidy her hair, so her outward appearance has changed completely.
But even after that small improvement, we've made no further progress. For over ten days now, we've been stuck in the same place. That's the summary of recent counseling sessions. She's let down her guard, but she still won't open her heart. There must be a reason, and Scarlet might know something that could help. I asked the Team Leader to move the counseling location to the seventy-ninth floor for Scarlet's sake, but I also brought No. 13 down for this very reason.
"W-Well then... I'll be heading out now, Founder."
"You're leaving already? You haven't even petted me yet."
"I'll be staying here without going home for a while starting today, so there should be plenty of time in the evening. Please wait until then."
"Tch..."
Nero had ground her teeth in frustration. It might not seem fitting to describe someone grinding their teeth while looking disappointed, but that's exactly what happened. Even though I said it was for counseling, Nero knew exactly who the subjects were, so she had grumbled about "another woman" with a pout. Still, the fact that she obediently waited after I asked her to... I should probably just be grateful.
"..."
Once this matter is settled and I have some breathing room... I'll be able to pay Nero much more attention.