Novels2Search

Week 15 and 16 - #13

> Information

>

> Nagata’s current stress is 120. (High)

> This can always be viewed in the wiki.

>

> You will spend two days at the resort and return home Sunday afternoon.

>

> Time for activities

> Saturday: Early afternoon, late afternoon, evening, night

> Sunday: Morning, early afternoon

>

> After each selection, the people performing an activity change up.

> For example, Kaiba is having breakfast now, but could be enjoying a massage in the early afternoon.

> Some activities may not be available until later in the day.

>

> Hot spring, sauna, and massages are separated by gender.

>

> Decision (Early Afternoon)

> >1 - Eat lunch with some others (Ichihara Riko, Chigusa Iki, -10 stress)

> >2 - Receive a relaxing massage (Watase Yoko, -30 stress)

> >3 - Play some games in the lobby (Enatsu Mari, Kaiba Aoi, -10 stress)

> >4 - Clean yourself and stay in the sauna for a bit (Matsuno Kojiro, -20 stress)

> >5 - Spend more time in the hotspring (-30 stress)

> >6 - Relaxing in their room (Yokimori Kyoden)

>

> Winner

> >2 - Receive a relaxing massage (Watase Yoko, -30 stress)

After spending so long in the hot spring that your legs feel like jelly, it’s time to get out.

You return towards the washroom, rinse off the water, and move to the lockers to get dressed.

It’s like you’re a new woman. Completely loosened up.

There’s only one thing that could possibly make this better: a massage.

This trip should’ve served as a welcome party for the new idols, but it’s fine to indulge a little, right?

On your way to the massage parlour, you pass by the lobby where Enatsu Mari and Kaiba Aoi are playing some sort of board game.

Enatsu Mari spies you from a distance, “Manager-san!” she shouts, waving excitedly, “You wanna play?”

Both of them are wearing a grey sweater and Enatsu’s sweater is just way too large for her.

It isn’t that warm of a day to begin with, add a generous amount of altitude to that and it’s downright chilly.

Your best guess is that Enatsu, coming from a big family where they likely borrow clothes all the time, simply asked Kaiba if she could borrow a sweater and Kaiba did not have the mental fortitude to refuse.

They’ve known each other for like two hours.

It probably isn’t so much that they bonded in that time, but more so that Enatsu decided they were friends now and there was nothing Kaiba could do.

You approach them and smile, throwing in a little wave of your own, “Hello, Mari-chan, Kaiba-san,” you say.

“Eh,” says Kaiba, panic clear on her face, “First name? Already?”

“Yes,” you say, “Mari-chan said it was okay during the interview, right?”

“That’s right!” shouts Enatsu Mari, “It means truth, reason, clever, or LOVE!“

Kaiba fidgets for a moment, but then looks at you with determination in her eyes, then points with a finger at herself, “M-me too then!”

It’s a small effort on your part, so why not.

”Sure, Aoi-chan.” you say with a warm smile.

Kaiba recoils as if physically shoved backwards, she stares at the ground for a long moment, her hair covering her face, “…ehHeHueheuheuheHuUeeueUEeee…”

Enatsu Mari looks on with concern, “Aoi-chan, is something wrong?”

Kaiba echoes forth a laughter so twisted that dozens of miles away a pair of mental health workers reach for a straitjacket without knowing why.

They just feel like it is desperately needed somewhere.

You place a comforting hand on Enatsu’s shoulder, “That sound means that Aoi-chan is happy.”

Enatsu looks at you in disbelief, then at Kaiba, then back at you with pity in her eyes, “Uwaa….”

“Mari-chan, Aoi-chan,” you say, “Aren’t you gonna make use of the hot spring?”

After a moment of wheezing, Kaiba recovers, “I wanted to, but…”

Enatsu Mari suddenly stands and wags a disapproving finger, “We just ate!” she says, “My mom says you can’t go swimming after you eat. So, we have to wait at least an hour!”

“And that’s why…” says Kaiba, “We’ll be going after this game, I think…”

You nod, “Alright then,” you say, “I’m off to the massage parlour for now, enjoy your game!”

The both of them wave Nagata goodbye as she heads off.

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Much like the hot spring, the massage parlour has a separate section for men and women.

You open the curtain, look inside, and immediately close it again. Of all people…

“Come on, don’t be shy,” says a velvety, yet assertive voice coming from within.

“I didn’t know you had to be n-naked for this,” you say, “I didn’t see anything.”

That’s a lie. Everything was on display. Everything.

“Don’t be weird about it,” says the voice coming from the other side of the curtain, “It’s nothing you wouldn’t have seen if we had bumped into each other in the hot spring.”

Well, that’s true, you suppose.

But the location matters, right?

Maybe it was just a moment of panic.

“Fine, I’ll cover up,” says the voice, going quiet for a moment, “There. Happy?”

You carefully open the curtain and once again see Watase Yoko sitting there.

This should’ve been embarrassing for her, too, but she’s just sitting there – smirking.

Seems like she managed to find a towel, but it’s way too small.

It’s more like a modesty cloth from the hot spring than a proper towel.

“Calmed down a bit?” asks Watase Yoko, then gingerly lifts a corner of the towel, “…or do you want …more?”

“I’m fine! Thank you!” you shout.

A sly smile forms on Watase’s lips, “You’re Nagata-san, right? The one that organized the trip?” she says, “I don’t think we’ve had proper introductions.”

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Watase rises to give you a western greeting, a handshake.

This unfortunately means the small cloth she was using to cover up immediately falls down.

Be strong, Nagata Miho. There’s a chance she’ll try to walk all over you if you flinch here!

Watase probably doesn’t even care that you’re a manager. She’ll do it!

You grab hold of her hand and try your best to retain eye-contact, but you feel a blush coming on.

It’s not because she’s naked or anything, there’s just this weird vibe in the room.

“I’m Nagata Miho,” you say, trying to keep the tremble from your voice, “Manager at Matsuno Inc. I look forward to working with you.”

Stare her in the eyes, Miho!

You can do it! Fighting!

“Watase Yoko,” says Watase, “Likewise.”

Just a few moments more! Until she lets go of your hand!

Watase shifts her weight to the other foot and the light coming from outside reflects on something on her chest.

Ah.

Kitabayashi was right.

They’re pierced.

Slow and robotically, you look back up.

Never before have you seen a person look so incredibly smug.

“My~ Nagata-san,” she says, “Where are you looking?”

“You’re the one walking around naked,” you say, but still look away, “Besides, like you said, we don’t have to be weird about it…”

Then Watase laughs, “I’m just messin' with ya!” she says, giving you a playful hit on the shoulder.

Ouch.

You hardly noticed it was gone, but her Kansai accent is back in full force.

Furthermore, when speaking in her Kansai accent, she rolls her R’s like yakuza might.

“I hope you’ll forgive me,” says Watase, “I just wanted to mess with ya' a bit. Honest!”

Still naked, she grabs a hand of yours in both of hers, “I wanted to thank you for taking me on this trip,” she says, then sighs, “Starting a new job is totally exhausting.”

“Besides,” she continues, “It’s important we become fast friends.”

“Oh?” you say, slightly suspicious, “Why’s that?”

She places a hand on your shoulder and gives you a thumbs-up, “We’re the only women old enough to drink!”

Hah?

“It’s basically required, ya?” she says, waving her hands, “Drinking in yukata after you visit the hot spring? No? We hav’to!”

She folds her arms and nods knowingly, “That’s what being men is all about.”

Men?

Watase gently slaps your shoulder a few times, “I felt this earlier, darn girl, your shoulders are so tight,” she says, “A massage is a good start, but a drink to loosen up would do you good!”

Drinking isn’t exactly the healthiest way to cope with stress, but she’s right that sharing drinks in a yukata, which is a bathrobe to begin with, is the prime hot spring experience.

Besides, as long as you don’t go overboard, it might be a good moment to learn more about what happened between Ichihara and Watase.

A resort employee walks in through a door at the other end of the room.

It’s the same girl that helped you back at the hot spring: Matsudaira Asa

With limited employees they’re probably forced to wear many hats here.

“Thank you for waiting,” she says, with a slight bow, “We’re ready for the next client.”

Watase turns and waves, “That’ll be me,” she says, then turns back to you and hits you with the double finger guns, “So, drinks tonight?”

“I’ll think about it,” you say.

Watase shrugs, “I’ll be at the bar this evening, feel free to join me.”

“Dear customer,” says Matsudaira Asa, “The masseuse is waiting.”

“Yes, yes,” says Watase, then quickly turns to follow the employee.

In one quick movement, she swipes the small towel from the floor.

She might have some decency after all.

Unfortunately she simply holds it in her hand as she brazenly walks towards the other room.

Unlike Watase, you decide to keep your clothes on until it’s time for your massage.

A wide-set woman with large hands standing beside a massage table awaits you in the next room.

It’s a tad embarrassing to undress in front of somebody else, but you manage and quickly lie down.

The massage that follows is divine, but you receive a scolding by the masseuse while she works on your body.

She complains that you should be taking better care of your body, but you barely notice her words – completely whisked away in a feeling of bliss.

Half an hour later you sit up on the massage table and your body feels so good you nearly feel dizzy.

The wide-set women folds her arms and smiles at a job well-done.

According to her it’s always satisfying to work on somebody that’s very vocal as you can immediately tell that your work is being appreciated.

Uwaa…

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You get dressed, gather your things, and walk way with a spring in your step.

Quickly checking your phone for new messages, you see that EmikoDesu55 still hasn’t replied in the app.

Maybe everything will be alright after all.

There’s only one new email on your work account.

You decide to handle that quickly so you can get back to relaxing.

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Hello Nagata-san,

how did i get your email? who knows~

my darling Kaiba-chan can be such a klutz sometimes!

but honestly, that innocence is partly why i like her so much!

and if you havent noticed, she likes me too!

WE BELONG TOGETHER

It seems like you don’t want Kaiba-chan to be happy.

That makes me very sad, y’know? I truly want whats best for her…

But here you are, trying to stop us from being in love…

jealous much? its pretty sad, y’know?

just because you’re gonna die alone doesn’t matter everybody else has to…

it doesnt take a genius to figure out what happened when kaiba-chan WHO WOULD NEVER, EVER IGNORE ME suddenly disappears after saying her manager walked in…

i assume you did something

that’s so bad, very bad, nagata-san

but no worries, you can fix it all!!!

simply give Kaiba-chan access to the account again and accept that im here to stay!

kaiba-chan is mine and I’m hers <3

make sure to tell her that we’re allowed to be lovey-dovey and that she has your blessing!

so please let us be together and then kindly FUCK OFF <3

you are probably overcome with emotion and feel really, really, really bad now

but in case you need further motivation, im happy to provide some!!!!

i made sure a good friend of mine is present on the trip you’re on!

and they’ll be taking MANY MANY MANY pictures of your cutie idols at their lewdest if kaiba-chan isn’t able to wish me goodnight!

i bet they have really cute sleeping faces, too!

you have until this evening before I contact my dear friend~

i really like my pillow talk, you see!

Obviously, if I find out you shared this email with Kaiba-chan in any way then I’ll be very mad~

If I can’t have her then nobody can

xoxoxo,

Kaiba’s girlfriend

PS: dont bother trying to trace this email, ive done this all before

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You just wanted to relax. For once. Why.

There can’t be any mole or something here, right?

You kept an eye out before you left and during the ride here!

It’s a bluff, haha. It has to be!

But what if it isn’t?

Doesn’t that mean that it comes down between choosing between Kaiba and Kaiba’s career?

Do you really have to hand your idol over to this deranged lesbian?

What if… you simply tell Kaiba-san?

That would surely destroy her faith in EmikoDesu55 once and for all.

Perhaps you can ask her afterwards to pretend everything is okay, you did send her on a ton of acting classes…

It won’t just be chat though. They seem to talk on the phone every day.

She’ll have to be convincing in every way.

If she can stall for a bit more time then the trip won’t be in danger of getting flooded by press.

Alternatively, you could show it to Kaiba-san and just let everything blow up.

How much ammunition does EmikoDesu55 really have?

A scandal doesn’t have to be the end.

Like Kitabayashi mentioned back during drinking, it all comes down to how you handle the aftermath.

Where’s Watase Yoko?

You’ll take that drink now…