The Beautiful Girl Who Asked Me to Pretend to Be Her Boyfriend Didn’t Want to Break up With Me for Some Reason - Chapter 9

“Come on, Hakuto. Let’s go take a bath already.”

After finishing our shopping, we returned home, spent the afternoon, and now it was night.

Having just finished dinner in my room, Luna tugged at my sleeve, looking impatient.

“Don’t pull; you’ll stretch the fabric. Anyway, there’s no way we’re taking a bath together.”

“If we’re going to show off, we should do it at the same time, right?”

“Can’t we just take turns and meet up after?”

“Nope, that kills the sleepover vibe.”

Oh, really now.

…But what am I supposed to do?

Naturally, this room only has one bathroom. So we’d have to take turns, making it impossible to debut our new pajamas at the same time. I figured Luna could take a bath in her own room and come back, but she didn’t like that idea either.

Sure, I could change before my bath so we’re both ready when she’s done, but I’d prefer to change after.

In short, there’s no good solution.

“Hakuto, let’s bathe together.”

“Are you nuts?”

“This isn’t going anywhere if you don’t give in.”

“How about you give in instead?”

“Depending on the conditions, it’s not entirely off the table.”

Hmm, let’s hear it.

“Hakuto, you put on a blindfold and get in with me.”

“Absolutely not.”

I quickly rejected Luna’s ridiculous suggestion with a sigh.

“For starters, it’s obviously inappropriate for us to bathe together.”

“It’s only a problem if you look.”

“And how am I supposed to bathe with a blindfold on?”

“I’ll wash you. Every inch of you.”

“…That’s totally not okay.”

In the adult world, they’d probably call this some kind of blindfold bathing service or something.

As a guy with normal urges, I honestly couldn’t promise to keep my cool in a situation like that.

“It sounds like you’re saying I’m free to go after you if I want.”

“If that’s what you’re thinking, then go ahead. But if you do, you’ll have to take responsibility.”

Responsibility.

I’m not dense enough to miss what she means by that.

“…I’m not reckless enough to do that with a fake relationship.”

“Some people think being fake is exactly why they can be reckless.”

“That’s just selfishness.”

“Actually, a lot of people are like that. That’s why I trust you enough to even suggest bathing together.”

“…I’m only showing you my best side. No matter how old we get, guys always want to look cool.”

That’s the honest truth in response to her offer.

Not the whole truth, but no lie either.

“…Anyway, about the bath. How about we just go to the nearby public bath?”

“Sounds good! Plus, we can go for a night walk. But—”

“I won’t let go of your hand or leave your side.”

“Now you’re getting it.”

With trust and expectation conveyed in a slight smile, she knows.

After all, if I let Luna walk alone at night, trouble would surely find her with a smile.

So, we packed what we’d need in a bag and headed outside together. The sky past eight at night was dark, a softly glowing half-moon faintly rising. Holding hands, we walked, glancing up at the scattered stars blending with the city lights.

Our footsteps echoed louder than usual, and the people passing by seemed a bit different from the daytime crowd.

“This is my first time at a public bath. What’s it like?”

“It’s kind of like a variety of hot springs. There are regular baths, outdoor baths, saunas, jet spas, and sometimes even arcades or restaurants inside.”

“But we won’t be able to bathe together, right?”

“The only places we could would be at home or a private bath in an inn.”

“I think you can in love hotels, too.”

“…I deliberately didn’t mention that. Why did you?”

“It’s important.”

I felt a bit awkward, but Luna kept her usual composed expression. I’m the only one feeling self-conscious, which makes me feel a little foolish.

But more importantly…

“Luna, are you acting strange tonight? I don’t mind if you’re just excited for your first sleepover, but if this becomes a habit, I’ll start to get self-conscious.”

“I think it’d be good for us to act a bit more like a couple.”

“This is exactly what people mean when they say you always have a comeback for everything.”

“If it really bothers you, I’ll stop. Even if it’s a fake relationship, I don’t want you to hate me.”

“…It’s not to that extent. Just understand how it might be confusing.”

Honestly, it feels a bit too late for that.

No way could I ever say I hated her, and I know this is just harmless teasing.

While we were talking, we arrived at the public bath nearby. The place had various facilities, and Luna, unfamiliar with it all, gazed around curiously.

At school, Luna is often called perfect, but she actually has a lot of things she doesn’t know or can’t do. She’s more like a bird in a cage than a sheltered young lady.

After we paid the entrance fee, we headed to the bath area.

“Alright then, be careful. How about we meet up at nine-thirty?”

“Got it. See you then.”

After a quick nod, Luna and I parted, each going to our respective changing rooms.

I was a little concerned, but since it was a women-only area, she should be fine.

I borrowed the towels we needed, stowed my clothes and bag in a locker, and headed to the bath area with just a hand towel. The warm air brushed against my skin as I opened the door.

The faint steam lingered in the air. There were a fair number of people, but no one paid me any attention.

I washed up first, using the provided shampoo and body wash. After a thorough scrub, I considered my options.

There were regular baths, electric baths, jacuzzis, outdoor baths, and saunas. I figured I’d start with the regular bath.

As I headed over, I heard a familiar voice from the bath.

“Huh? Hakuto?”

I looked around, finding my friend Rin in the bath, smiling and waving, as if he’d only just noticed me.