An Awkward Bath with Claire
The vicious rod that had so obscenely adorned Claire's lower body was safely dealt with. The cleanup was a bit... tough, but with Claire now free to move, we managed to handle it somehow. ...The awkward atmosphere was unavoidable, though. I'd tried to keep it as clinical as possible, but Claire kept letting out suppressed moans while reciting prayers to steady her mind. Even I felt weird about it, so I can only imagine how she felt. From this angle, it almost seemed like I was the one doing something nasty to her.
No, wait—I didn't force her to take the potion or anything. Why should I feel this way? If anyone's owed some comfort, it's me, right? My body suddenly changed, and I had to deal with these bizarre rods I'd never even heard of before.
...Not that dwelling on it would change anything, so I let out a sigh and shoved the thought aside. Better to focus on research instead of sighing. When Claire asked with a face that mixed refreshment and lingering unease if I wanted dinner, I shook my head. My stomach felt bloated anyway, but more than that, I just had no appetite. What I needed was a bath and sleep. Eating now would probably just feel like chewing on guilt. If anything, maybe after washing up.
Claire nodded understandingly and led me to the bathhouse, bringing a change of clothes too.
"I'll be right back, so go ahead and wash up first."
"...Okay."
Still... was she planning to join me? ...Not that it mattered much at this point. I'd already seen all the important parts. It wasn't like I wanted to look, but there was no avoiding it. Now, blushing at the sight of a woman's naked body just felt exhausting. Every time I bathed, it was a woman's body staring back at me. And a pretty one, at that. What the hell am I even thinking?
I shook my head, stripped off the sweat-soaked nun's habit and undergarments, folded them neatly, and stepped into the bathhouse. The interior was spotless. Aside from the white decorative elements scattered around like outside, it felt just like the bathhouses from my past life. Well, the temple wasn't poor, after all. Just look at the stack of paperwork Claire had handled today...
I chased away the stray thoughts filling my head, soaped up my salty skin, scrubbed thoroughly, and rinsed off vigorously. Washing my hair took time, but I was used to it now. Once all the soap was gone, I headed to the tub. Sinking into the lukewarm water felt so good, easing the fatigue and stress I'd accumulated without realizing it. Renting out the whole place to myself, I dunked my mouth under too, blowing bubbles until the surface rippled.
That's when I noticed water pouring from one spot. A statue resembling the goddess from the one outside—pouring water from a jar in a benevolent pose. It suddenly felt irreverent, so I straightened up. ...Now I feel like I'm being watched.
I stared at my hair floating on the surface, lost in the water. Claire's voice pulled my hazy awareness back up.
"What are you doing?"
Blinking through the steam, I looked toward the voice. Claire was walking over, not a stitch on her. Slightly shorter than Claudia, with a surprisingly toned and smooth body. Her breasts were... smaller than Claudia's, but her thick hair cascaded down to her waist. ...I'd already seen it all, but I turned my head anyway, a beat too late.
"Just tired."
"...Want me to take a look?"
"If it's holy power, I'm good."
"Wait just a sec."
Then came the sounds of her washing behind me. Toweling off, wetting her hair, wet skin slapping against water. ...Familiar noises, sure, but hearing them from someone else—especially a friend I hadn't seen in ages—stirred something odd. My face burned; was it the hot water or those sounds? Hard to say.
Soon the splashing quieted, and her footsteps drew closer. Bare skin on wet tile. Splash, splash. They stopped. A hand slipped between my armpits. Before I could speak, I was lifted out of the water. My view shot up.
"W-what are you doing?"
"You've been in too long, haven't you? Your body's all hot."
"...T-that's true, but why treat me like luggage...?"
Claire let out a soft puhuhu laugh.
"Sorry. Just felt like teasing you."
She plopped me on the edge of the tub. Her head bobbed as she crouched. Then she grabbed my foot.
"Like you did for me—I'll give you a massage."
"...I'm fine."
"Stay put."
Her hands pressed firmly into my sole. A sharp pain shot up my spine.
"Eek!?"
"...You must be really worn out."
I twitched as she worked the knots out, starting from my feet, up my calves, thighs, then to my lower back and shoulders. Her hand lingering on my abdomen felt... a bit strange, but the tension melting away was too good to complain. I went limp.
"Not bad, huh?"
"...Yeah."
With my legs still shaky, she helped me back into the tub. This time, she joined me. Earlier, the vast tub felt like my private domain, but now, pressed close together, it seemed wasteful—and weird. This wasn't just for Claire; why was it empty at this hour? Not that I wanted to see other women naked, but wasn't it odd? Everyone would want to bathe after work.
Just ask. The head honcho was right there.
"Claire."
"Yeah?"
"Why's the bathhouse so empty?"
"...What do you mean?"
Her face suggested a misunderstanding, so I waved it off.
"Not whatever you're thinking—it's just the timing and the size. Feels weird with no one here."
"Oh."
Claire, sunk to her shoulders, shrugged casually.
"Told them to clear out for a bit because of you. You're... a guy, right? Can't send you to the men's side either."
"...They just accepted that?"
Was that okay? But Claire shrugged again.
"I work my ass off normally—no perks? 'Clear out for a bit' is all it takes."
"I see..."
"And... the other nuns... nah, no need to say."
"Huh?"
"Pretend you didn't hear."
Fine, whatever. Nice that she saw me as a guy, but was it okay for her to bathe with me? If they were that strict about separation, shouldn't she avoid it?
"What about you, then?"
"Huh?"
"You okay bathing with me?"
"...W-well, not really. It's a woman's body anyway. W-we're friends, right?"
"Yeah?"
She said it so offhand... guess it was fine. Visually, it just looked like a saintess and nun bathing together. Kinda hypocritical keeping others out, but hey, it suited me. Glancing over, her cheek looked a little flushed. My body felt plenty warmed up—time to get out.
"Shall we head out? Others need to use it."
"You go first."
"Not together?"
"I came late, so I'll stay a bit longer. Go change where you did earlier."
"Got it."
I nodded and left the bathhouse. Drying off and dressing proved tricky—the underwear Claire brought didn't fit. After a moment's thought, since it was already soaked, I just slipped into the fresh habit. I'd ask her for others later. But walking back... was tough. The passing nuns seemed to stare. Probably imagining it, but their gazes prickled. Heat rose to my cheeks; I clutched my chest and hurried. Still felt like silent scoldings. I knew it was paranoia, but the shame wouldn't fade.
It only stopped when I reached the room Claire mentioned.
"Hoo... why does this keep happening?"
Lately, controlling my emotions felt harder. The cause? Probably... this changed body. What Claire said about me changing didn't seem tied to that. Feeling down, I climbed into bed. Only one, but she'd wake me if needed. I didn't want to stay awake anyway. To forget the gloom and helplessness, I closed my eyes and exhaled. Even breaths came easy; exhaustion and warmth pulled me under fast. So deep, I wouldn't notice if someone carried me off.