Alinea

"You guys are too much,"Ara g.r.o.a.n.e.d as she leaned back against the smooth surface of the rocks behind her, as soon as she dipped into the hot water with the other girls who hadn't recovered from their giggles.

They had touched her c.h.e.s.t, pinched her skin to feel how supple it was, and got the two mounds on her c.h.e.s.t groped to check their firmness. The naughty ladies had even stared at the little midnight forest in between her legs, wondering very curiously why the hair there was so soft like a cat's fur and not at all springy like theirs. Of course, they did that while they measured her long pair of legs.

"Ara-chan that's normal we're all girls," they told her as they laughed.

"Yeah, and we haven't seen a perfect body such as yours so we need to inspect!" one announced and they all dissolved into chortles again.

"Yeah, you can be a model Suzuki-san."

Ara had enough. "Stop it guys, you're so mean," she complained. "Why are you only inspecting me, huh?"

"But it's because you were not here yesterday. We already did each other's inspections last night," another answered as they lined up to show "evidence".

EH?

"Look at my b.o.o.b.s! They're a lot flatter now because these idiots had been pushing at them like buttons."

"You're the idiot, we pushed it so it'd get swollen and rise up even just a bit. That's not even cup A. Your brother has bigger b.o.o.b.s than you."

"They were mean to me too," Yashiro said as she showed her the fat around her stomach and at her h.i.p.s. "They pulled at my tummy a lot; it's bigger now than my b.o.o.b.s."

B.o.o.b.s. B.o.o.b.s. B.o.o.b.s.

These ladies had some serious fetish, Ara thought as she closed her eyes and prayed for patience. She wondered why she ever agreed to join them. But at least, now she knew they were not targeting her.

"Suzuki-san…"

Ara opened her eyes again to look at the girls who were suddenly serious. She regarded them with a question in her orbs, and they suddenly became bashful – it was almost funny since they were so bold just earlier audibly discussing perverted things. She wondered what suddenly happened for them to be like this.

"Well, you already know we were not really nice to you before," Yashiro began, and Ara finally understood the reason.

"We were very judgmental about you, Suzuki-san. We really shouldn't listen to rumors without seeing proof," another continued and Ara almost snorted.

These girls totally forgot that after clearing her name the first time she returned from the hospital, they actually forgot about it, and had ostracized her again, because of Koharu's family's issues. Well, the latter was indeed her doing in a way, since it was Ryuu who had crushed the Okada's businesses, and had her parents removed from their jobs. Still, these ladies forgot that without evidence, they had maligned her behind her back.

But, Suzuki Ara was not unreasonable – not that she really cared about whether they maligned her or not. She simply didn't deem their opinions about her important to be affected by them.

Now, if they were sincerely giving her an apology for something that's so trivial to her, she had no reason to reject it.

"I didn't really mind, "Ara told them nonchalantly with a shrug.

"Really?"

"Yeah," she assured them with a small grin, and the girls finally broke into relieved smiles.

The conversations after that were more relaxed and less perverted. Ara now experienced having a real girl talk with them, discussing different cosmetics products, fashion trends, and of course, boys.

"Suzuki-san, is it true that you have a boyfriend already?"

Ara wanted to laugh. It seemed what she told Kou about girls discussing boys in baths when she had never experienced it before was accurate, after all.

"Yeah."

All the girls' eyes were now on her, big, shining – so much like Rin's when she wanted you to talk about something.

"Is it the archer prince? We heard you met in middle school," Yashiro prompted, eager for gossip.

Ara sighed. Well, as long as she didn't have to tell them his name, it was safe to talk about him. "Yes, we first saw each other in middle school."

"Oh my God, that's a nice love story."

"To fall in love so young…"

"It's love at first sight, right? How romantic!"

"It's so nice to be in love," Yashiro crooned, and Ara didn't have the strength to correct them.

She reckoned it was better to let people think that there was something akin to romance in their story to stop them from prying more about her relationship with Kou. After all, falling in love, regardless that it was a naïve reason in her opinion, was still a more acceptable reason than a simple business transaction between families like her relationship with Kou.

An image of Ryuu's hot blue gaze on her exposed skin flashed in her mind, and she blushed.

Well, business and l.u.s.t. She shouldn't forget the latter after getting nearly eaten inside the car.

"Suzuki-san, you're so red!"

"Yes, are you overheating?"

Ara shook her head furiously. But how could she tell them that it was because she was remembering something naughty?

"You should get out of the hot water!"

The girls pulled Ara up on her feet and helped her out of the hot springs. She didn't bother protesting and just followed them back to the dressing area after grabbing towels to wrap themselves with.

"Let's take a bath again tomorrow after we return from the museum."

Tomorrow their group would be going to the open-air and glass museums and some popular places for souvenirs. Normally, they were supposed to go somewhere else, but the volcano in Hakone suddenly became active, and so, the public was advised not to go near, to avoid injuries or casualties in the event it started spewing lava.

"Sure," they agreed before turning back to Ara. "You too Suzuki. We must know more about your love life!"

Ara laughed at their gossipy hearts. "Alright," she agreed reluctantly as she ushered everyone out of the dressing area, only to suddenly stop, her body tensed, her eyes alert.

"What's the matter Suzuki? Are you still dizzy from the heat?" they asked worriedly, and Ara managed to shake her head as she smiled. "Do you want us to get the teacher so we can bring you to a clinic?"

Ara shook her head again.

"Go on ahead. I just left something in the baths," she assured them and they nodded before leaving.

Alone, Ara's smile dropped, replaced by a fierce expression. She pivoted on her heels as she returned to the open-air baths. As she did, the earlier murderous intent in the air that made her stiffen intensified.

This was bad…

Ara turned her head back to the ryokan where her group and the staff were resting in their respective rooms.

This was bad…

She had no idea how it happened, but she could feel monsters nearby. It was preposterous as this was earth and not Ritz, but she had to make sure she was wrong before dismissing this ill-feeling. She needed to get away from here and find the source of the malice. If not, and it turned out that she was right, everyone would be in grave danger.

"I'm so sorry, but you all have to sleep for now," she whispered her apology before a huge seal appeared on the ground covering the whole ryokan.

ZZZAP!

Sending electricity akin to a stun gun, she had made sure she knocked everyone unconscious before she left. Walking out, she immediately spotted an electric pole and climbed there. She glided on the wires searching for the source of the murderous aura, and before she even realized she was already at its center, a white sticky thing sprung towards her like a party spray.

SQUIRT!

Ara was so surprised she barely dodged, falling off from the electric wire as she did. But as she dropped, her silver-grey orbs locked with eight beady eyes on top of a hairy pincer-like mouth of a huge spider waiting for her eagerly from the ground.

EH? NO WAY!