While the bathtub was filling with hot water, I sat on the bath chair as Sasaki washed my back.
“Makishima, your back is surprisingly big.”
“Really?”
“Yeah…”
Only the sound of water dripping into the tub echoed through the room.
Sasaki had been acting strange for a while now.
Her voice sounded oddly soft and dazed…
“...Hey, Sasaki. Don’t tell me you’re suddenly getting embarrassed about all this now?”
“I–I’m not embarrassed!”
I see. That denial basically confirmed she *was* getting embarrassed.
“Didn’t you say it was fine because you’re wearing an undershirt?”
“Shut up! C’mon, raise your arm.”
“My arm? Oh… okay.”
The moment I lifted my arm like she told me to, Sasaki’s hand slipped into my armpit.
Surprised, I couldn’t help letting out a small “Ngh!”
“What’s wrong, Makishima?!”
“M–My armpit is fine! I’ll wash it myself!”
“Really?”
“Yeah, the armpit is, y’know…”
“What about it?”
Does she really need me to explain everything from one to ten?
“The armpit is… well… kinda lewd.”
“Is it?”
…Good grief. Former ‘pure idol’ types are terrifying.
Sasaki has knowledge about *adult stuff* (judging from certain items I found in her wallet once), yet she knows nothing about the basic concepts.
“Want me to wash your hair too?”
“Nah. I need to be careful with the injury on my head, so I’ll do it myself.”
“Okay.”
With nothing to do, Sasaki sat on the edge of the tub and hummed a tune.
The song was a popular Genesistars commercial jingle from about two years ago.
“You really are good at singing.”
“Obviously. I was an idol. There’s no way I’d be bad at singing.”
“Is that how it works?”
“Yep. No matter how cute you are, if you can’t sing, you’ll never become center of Genesistars with ninety members.”
Hearing that made me realize again how amazing Sasaki Ayane really was.
“If that’s the case, you could’ve gone solo after quitting the group, right?”
“Solo? Like becoming an actress?”
“Y–Yeah. I’m not an expert, but idols often change careers after retiring.”
“And do those people become top of their new industries?”
“W–Well…”
“Once you retire, the top idol Kiraboshi Ayane ends there. Even if you move to a new field, people will lose interest sooner or later.”
Now that she mentioned it… I’d never really seen a retired idol who dominated another industry afterward.
“Kiraboshi Ayane the idol died two years ago. That’s why the gravure you bought… looks like a memorial portrait to me now.”
“H–Hey, don’t say stuff like that! Now every time I look at it, I’ll think about that!”
“Well, it’s true. Besides, I’m glad I left the entertainment world. I found a new ‘goal’ after all.”
“A goal?”
“Hmm? Though Makishima, you’ll probably never figure it out.”
Right after saying that, Sasaki grabbed a wash basin full of hot water and suddenly dumped it over my shampoo-covered head.
“Bwah! H–Hey! What was that for?!”
“You were taking too long with the shampoo. Hurry up and soak in the bath or you’ll catch a cold.”
“Y–Yeah…”
After rinsing my head, I lowered myself into the bathtub.
Sasaki sat on the edge again, dipping just her feet into the water, silently watching me.
“Do you really have to stare at me like that?”
“I’m worried. If you suddenly pass out, that’d be bad.”
For someone who said that, she quickly got bored and began splashing her legs around.
I’m usually a long-bath guy, but maybe I should get out soon for her sake.
“…Hey, Makishima.”
“What is it?”
“Can I get in too?”
“I mean, I don’t mind. I was just about to get out, so you can go after—”
Before I even finished talking, Sasaki slipped into the tub in a seated squat, saying nothing.
The water overflowed as she entered, and her clothes floated around her.
The white practice shirt turned slightly see-through, revealing the black undershirt she borrowed from me underneath.
“It’s fine together.”
We sat there in the tub, both hugging our knees, staring at each other.
Whether from the hot water or the tension, sweat that wasn’t bath steam began to form on my skin.
“F–Feels kinda like we’re doing something naughty, huh?”
“You’re the one who started this!”
✳︎✳︎
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