NOVEL NEXT Episode 23: JK and the Water Bath
Wake up in the morning and stretch your body.
It’s become a daily routine, but I might feel a little lonely without Mystia.
By the way, today I was woken up by Matsukaze for the first time in a while.
Matsukaze also attacked the tent that was made for Chigusa.
“Nnyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-!?”
There are screams.
“…Maybe I should go see it, huh?”
However, is it okay to go and wake up a (fake) high school girl?
I was confused, but Chigusa came out of the tent while I was still confused. She is being chased by Matsukaze.
There’s no need to wake everyone up, Matsukaze.
“Ah, I’m going to wake up. I’m going to wake up, so I’m serious…I’m sorry for sleeping even though I’m a lowly person…”
“Good morning, Chigusa.”
“…Ah, eh, ah, it’s me, isn’t it? It’s Chigusa! Ah, good morning.”
Chigusa was smiling fondly. Hide your sour face when you wake up.
“I’m sorry, it’s been too long since I’ve been greeted. — Geho!”
“Your throat is dry when you wake up… there’s drinking water over there, so drink it.”
Chigusa drank a glass of water and revived as she was told.
“Geho, ah, I’ll come back to life. It’s amazing to have safe water…”
After saying that, Chigusa tilted her head.
“Does your brother do radio gymnastics?”
“My brother is not a radio gymnast.”
“Hmph, I miss Natsu.”
When I retorted like an elementary school teacher, the high school girl burst out laughing.
I guess that’s what kids are saying these days too.
“We’re going to stretch in the morning. Would you like to do it with us?”
“Ah, I’ll do it. I’ll do it.”
“I feel like I’m forcing myself to be independent…Okay, I understand. Go stretch.”
“Ah, yes.”
Despite being ordered, Chigusa looked relieved.
I tried to do it by watching and imitating it, but no matter how I looked at it, I couldn’t do it, so I decided to do some radio exercises.
After all, this comes with being Japanese.
After relaxing my body after waking up, I went for a walk and bathed as usual.
“Then, let’s go take a bath next time.”
“Ah, yes.…Eh, yes?”
“Do you have a change of clothes, Chigusa? If you’ve been wearing your uniform for three years, then you must be particular about it.”
“Ah, Musubi-san just gave me, erm, a uniform.”
“That’s amazing Musubi. Did you make it?”
A Musubi came flying by, its antennae erect and proud.
“It sounds like you’re saying it’s a luxury, but if possible, I can’t get you some pants…?”
Come to think of it, I was still eaten by a bear.
“…Musubi?”
The fluffy white silkworm had its antennae erect.
Accidentally. A reaction like that.
That’s right. Musubi doesn’t wear underwear.
“I’m sorry I didn’t notice.”
“Ah, it’s okay. Um, I felt a sense of freedom. Wow.”
You don’t have to say that.
“I’m sorry I didn’t notice. Well then, let’s go take a bath.”
I pretended I didn’t ask and repeated it. By ignoring him and asking him to move on, he prevented him from saying the same thing again.
“Ah, yes.”
After being prompted, Chikusa nodded and the two of them headed towards the river.
“……yes?”
Chikusa tilted her head every once in a while.
Is there something wrong?
There was Chigusa, still undressed, looking down and not moving.
“Ah, that’s it…?”
“Oh, I didn’t give you the claw. If you wrap it in a cloth and rub it lightly, it will act as a substitute for soap.”
I hand over something that looks like an oval, smooth stone.
It is made from a storm griffin’s claw. It seems that it has a sterilizing effect even if it is reduced to a certain size, so I thought that it would not be possible to handle it with its dangerous claws, so I processed it.
“Ah, thank you…”
“As you can see, there are stones piled up over there, so please wash your body in them.”
There are places in the river where banks are built to block the flow and slow down the flow of water for bathing.
It’s a safety measure to prevent drowning.
“N-no, are you taking your clothes off…? Wow, is this okay…?”
Chikusa grumbled as she headed towards the river.
Chigusa couldn’t stop talking to herself.
Well, since you probably don’t want to hear what I’m saying, I deliberately ignored it so as not to understand what he was saying.
“No, but adventurers certainly do it well…!”
You should do it too. Before Mystia comes back. I have to make a good impression.
As expected, I can’t say it out loud.
I’ve been wandering in the forest for a long time, so it’s been quite a while…
No, even thinking about it any further might affect my dignity.
Let’s stop it.
“…Ah, a feeling of freedom…”
After refreshing herself after bathing and changing out of her dusty clothes, the high school girl looked much refreshed. Even if it’s cosplay.
“Bathing in the water takes a lot of physical strength, so I thought I couldn’t just go in there all of a sudden.”
“I’m glad you noticed…I want to disappear…”
After soaking in the river and cleansing herself with Griffin’s claws, Chigusa regrets not washing herself all day yesterday.
It’s like when you’re covered in sweat, you don’t realize you’re soaked, but when you take a shower, you realize it.
Right now, I’m sitting Chikusa down and combing her hair from behind.
Chigusa, who had noticed the symptoms, did not resist the comb.
“Wow…”
She also makes a sound that seems subtly pleasant.
I feel like it’s the second day of the cat I found. It’s like giving them water and food and then washing them in the bath.
While combing her freshly washed black hair with the wooden comb he had made while waiting to take a bath, he kept it a secret that he was actually checking for lice, but comforted her.
“Well, you see, I was also rather forcibly invited by the elf, so the same thing might have happened with Chigusa…or maybe not…”
After I said that, I started to worry about what I would do if that was true.
“Oh, brother, it doesn’t smell bad, so it’s okay.”
“Hehe,” he said, still smiling with his shy expression on his face.
I was trying to comfort her, but it turned out to be the opposite.
“Thank you very much for that.”
Even if it’s a fake, it’s a little reassuring if a high school girl approves of it.
“Well, we shouldn’t let our guard down. Let’s create a more civilized living space.”
I’m feeling motivated.
“…It’s an unexplored area where you’re close to death if you step into it, and it’s dangerous for humans to enter the ‘Forest of Divine Trees.'”
On the other hand, Chigusa looked slightly unconvinced.