Chapter 185 - 185: She’s Sneaking Off Again

Words : 1767 Updated : Oct 14th, 2025

After taking some scenic photos of the hot spring inn for his friends, Haru made his way back. Since he hadn't planned to be out long, he hadn't bothered locking the door. Back inside, he chatted with a few of his classmates online for a bit before stripping down, ready to soak in the hot spring. The room was already warm, and the bath area in the back was filled with swirling steam. Not even bothering with a towel, Haru headed over and pulled open the curtain. A wave of thick steam rushed out, immediately fogging up his vision. He squinted, took two steps forward—and froze. His legs stiffened like they'd been filled with cement, locking him in place. Am I seeing things?Or did I open the wrong door? Haru stood dumbfounded. Through the mist, he could make out the silhouette of a person in the bath. From the rippling water, he saw the smooth, pale skin of a woman's neck and shoulders. A towel covered her face as she reclined in a relaxed, comfortable position. Whoever she was, she was clearly enjoying herself. Haru snapped out of it quickly. He couldn't see the woman's face, so he had no way of knowing who she was. Had he gone into the wrong room? But no—this was definitely Room 104. He double-checked in his head, and there was no mistake. Then who is she? Did she enter the wrong room? Haru turned, ready to retreat before he was noticed—but at that moment, the woman removed the towel from her face. Her cheeks were flushed from the heat of the bath, her features mature and alluring. She had the kind of refined beauty that only came with age and confidence. Her eyes, a little glassy from the drinks she'd had at dinner, carried a lazy intoxicated glow. Even her long lashes trembled slightly, drawing the eye. But Haru wasn't in the mood to admire her looks. Wait—Hiratsuka-sensei?!Why is she here?! In that instant, she looked up and met his eyes. They both froze. For three full seconds, the bath was utterly silent. Then, with a face rapidly turning red, Shizuka finally reacted. Haru was just about to flee back inside when she suddenly stood up from the water with a splash. What the hell?! Why would you stand up?! Haru almost choked on air.In this kind of situation, aren't you supposed to sink deeper into the water to hide yourself?! "Amamiya?! What are you doing here?!" she yelped in panic. Haru turned around swiftly. "Sensei, would you please sit down first?!" Shizuka blinked—finally realizing the gravity of what she'd just done—and sat back down quickly, this time keeping only a small part of her face above water. Of course, that didn't change the fact that Haru had already seen everything. Still flushed with embarrassment, Hiratsuka snapped, "So you were planning a secret rendezvous in the hot spring with Yukino, weren't you?!" Her words were tinged with frustration and regret.Why did I come over and ruin the mood for these two lovebirds? But Haru was just as baffled. "Excuse me? What are you talking about? This is my room." "…Huh?" She clearly didn't believe him. "You must've made a mistake. Isn't this the room Yukino and the others are using?" "Why would I lie about this right now?" Haru replied, exasperated. Shizuka went quiet. So… all this time, she'd been wrong? She'd misjudged the whole situation? The realization hit her like a freight train. Haru turned and walked back toward the indoor room. "Anyway, enjoy your bath. I'll just sit out for a bit." Hiratsuka watched his retreating back, her cheeks burning. She realized that in this cold weather, he had probably been really looking forward to soaking in the warm water—only to be driven away because she had barged in. Was it the alcohol? Or just her own pride trying to salvage the situation? Either way, she suddenly called out, "Wait." Haru stopped in his tracks. What now? he thought warily. Then came her voice—oddly calm, trying hard to sound composed: "…You don't have to leave. This was my mistake. You can come in and enjoy the hot spring too." "…Sorry, what did you just say?" Haru asked, thinking he must've misheard. Shizuka forced a laugh. "What? Getting shy now? It's just mixed bathing. Haven't you ever heard of that? It's pretty common at hot springs, you know." "Of course I've heard of mixed bathing," Haru muttered. "But normally people wear swimsuits." "I really don't mind skipping the bath—" he began. "Just get in here already!" Shizuka snapped, clearly annoyed by his reluctance. Whether it was the alcohol or something else, she seemed unusually insistent on keeping him there. "Could you lower your voice?" Haru quickly added, "I'm not sure how good the soundproofing is in these rooms. Yukino and the others are just next door." "I know that," she grumbled. "But it's not like you're going to sneak into their bath, right? I already took over your spot—it'd be terrible if that ruined your whole hot spring trip." "…Are you drunk?" "Nonsense! I can handle my alcohol just fine!" The conversation quickly turned into a back-and-forth, and it didn't take long for Haru to realize that Shizuka was absolutely tipsy. With a sigh, he gave up trying to argue and walked back towards the door. "You little—!" Shizuka hissed under her breath, glaring at the towel beside her. She wanted to stand up and drag Haru back, but the tiny thread of sober reason left in her told her not to do anything reckless. So instead, she shut her eyes tight, frustrated and embarrassed, trying to pretend nothing had happened and enjoy the bath for a little longer. But the moment she closed her eyes, her mind was filled with one image—Haru. He definitely saw me! …Though, to be fair, I saw him too… Her cheeks burned. That guy's build… was surprisingly good. His muscle definition, the clean lines of his physique— No, stop! Don't go there! But a tipsy brain has no brakes. The moment she thought about his body, she couldn't help but compare it to her own. Would Haru think her body was still attractive? Sure, she was in her late twenties, but she'd taken good care of herself. Even someone like Utaha—famous for her dangerous curves—probably couldn't beat her in overall balance. "…Ugh, my head's a mess." She muttered to herself. Meanwhile, in the other room— Haru, known for his iron self-control, forcibly pushed away the mental image of Shizuka standing up in the bath. To distract himself, he picked up his handheld console and started playing Monster Hunter. He didn't mind the idea of mixed bathing—in fact, he would've enjoyed it under different circumstances. There were no strangers here, after all. But if he were to bathe naked with someone, it had to be Yukino… or Utaha. Not a perpetually single woman in her thirties like Hiratsuka-sensei. No offense. "Man… what a mess. Drunk women are seriously a handful." He shook his head, slipped on his headphones, and dived into a world of monsters and hunting. Meanwhile, next door— Yukino and the other girls were enjoying their soak in peace. After a while, Yukino opened her eyes slowly, sighing contentedly. "…Does anyone else feel like someone's missing?" Utaha was almost fully submerged in the water and clearly couldn't be bothered to respond. Megumi's cheeks were a healthy pink as she softly said, "Hiratsuka-sensei's not here." Yukino narrowed her eyes. "That's strange. If she promised to join us, she usually keeps her word." Utaha finally spoke, her tone lazy, "Maybe one of her coworkers dragged her out for drinks. Didn't we see some of them back at the restaurant earlier?" Yukino considered that possibility and nodded. Seemed likely. So she didn't say anything more and leaned back to enjoy the warmth again. Still, in her heart, she couldn't help but compare.Even this perfect bath in the cold can't beat the feeling of relaxing beside Haru… The strange power of the [Drugging] skill meant that even someone as sharp as Yukino didn't notice anything wrong with her shifting feelings. Just then, a light splash broke the silence beside her. Yukino and Megumi both turned to look. Utaha had already stepped out of the bath. "Leaving already?" Yukino's gaze flicked down across her chest before she asked. Utaha lazily picked up a towel, making no attempt to hide her body. "Going to buy some chilled juice." "…Cold juice?" Yukino raised an eyebrow. "Yep. You should try it. After a hot bath—or even during—a cold juice or ice cream just hits different." Utaha spoke with conviction as she sauntered toward the showers. "That's not good for your health," Megumi said quietly, turning her head away. Ever since she realized Haru was something more than human, Megumi had become stricter about maintaining her own body.Her physical capabilities had steadily improved, and she was both proud and cautious of that. "Going from hot to cold isn't ideal," Yukino added. Utaha rolled her eyes. "Ugh, I knew you two would say that. Can't you just enjoy life without killing the mood?" Yukino's gaze drifted down Utaha's back and hips. "We're just stating facts." She also took a mental note—despite Utaha's alluring proportions, she realized she wasn't losing in every area.Sure, she couldn't match Utaha's height or bust, but her waist, hips, and legs were every bit as graceful. "…Whatever, I'm too lazy to argue." Utaha pulled the curtain open, then glanced back. "You want me to bring anything?" Yukino shook her head. Megumi, noting that it was still early, said, "Maybe some snacks? Whether we're watching TV or gaming later, they'll come in handy." "Got it." With a casual wave, Utaha stepped into the shower, rinsed off, changed, and left. But she wasn't going to buy juice. Instead, she quietly made her way to the door of Room 104. Soaking in a hot spring is always best… with the person you love. Her lips curled into a sly smile. She was sneaking off again. What she didn't know was… there was already another woman in Haru's room.

Chapter 185 - 185: She’s Sneaking Off Again

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