Probably because most people were still out sightseeing at this hour, the changing rooms were empty. No other voices could be heard either.
The small compartments for storing clothes were also completely vacant.
Nijika glanced around and commented with some surprise,
"Looks like we're pretty lucky—we've got the place to ourselves."
"Yeah, now we don't have to worry even if we mess around a bit," said Ryo as she took off her top, revealing an adorable white bra with lace trim and a pink bow in the center.
The contrast between such a cute design and her usual aloof personality drew more than a few glances.
"What are you planning to do?" Eriri asked with a grin as she undid the buttons on her own top.
Her bustline was clearly more prominent than Ryo's, and her light green bra used noticeably more fabric.
In fact, just six months ago, Eriri's bra size wasn't all that different from Ryo's. The fact that she had developed so rapidly in such a short time was… striking.
To borrow a rather unorthodox reference from the famous poet Bai Juyi's Pipa Xing—"plucking gently, slowly stroking, again and again"—one could say it explains everything quite perfectly.
A certain someone definitely deserved credit.
There was some scientific basis to it, too.
That kind of activity could indeed cause an overproduction of estrogen in Eriri's body, which naturally led to the further development of her feminine features.
At this rate, she'd likely continue to grow even more in the future.
Ryo's gaze lingered on Eriri's face, then inadvertently dropped downward.
"I've actually always wanted to try swimming in a hot spring since I was little, but every time I've gone, there were other people around. I didn't want to disturb them, so I never really got to do it."
"I see. Well, it looks like today's the day," said Ikuyo, joining the conversation.
Her underwear was a stretchy one-piece type—typically worn by middle and high school girls still in their growth stages.
Which also spoke volumes about her development… or lack thereof.
There was no need to overthink it—she was undoubtedly the one with the most potential in the room.
That saying, "small is cute too," couldn't be more appropriate for Ikuyo.
"Yeah, we should get moving—who knows, someone might show up later."
"But let's not get too carried away," Nijika warned from nearby. "You might overheat and feel faint."
Unlike the others, she first sat on a bench to take off her shoes and pants, revealing blue-striped underwear and her soft, pale feet.
"Got it," Ryo nodded.
"You all want to come too?"
"Might as well give it a try…"
The four of them moved quickly—after undressing, they wrapped themselves in large white towels.
The three girls with long hair tied it up into buns to keep it from getting wet. After greeting the others, they eagerly stepped out the other door toward the bath.
Hmph. Flat.
Utaha withdrew her gaze from them, silently grumbling in her heart.
That "flatness" was in comparison to the three still in the changing room: Hitori, Utaha herself, and Seika.
Judging from the dazzling yet bottomless sight once their clothes came off, the meaning was clear.
"Mmm—"
Seika grabbed the hem of her top with both hands and pulled it over her head.
Sitting on the bench as she took off her pants, she struck up a casual conversation with Utaha beside her.
"Nijika said you're a famous writer, Miss Kasumigaoka."
"No, I wouldn't call myself a writer. I just got lucky and happened to write stories that appealed to a broad audience.
At best, I'm just a light novel author," Utaha said modestly, shaking her head as she unbuttoned her top, revealing curves that rivaled even those of Seika, an adult.
"You're too modest. To have achieved this much at your age is amazing. I'm sure your family must be really proud of you."
"They don't have to worry about me much, that's true. But honestly, most of what I've achieved is thanks to their guidance and support."
"Even so, your own talent and hard work played a huge role."
"Oh, it's just a bit of fun in my spare time…"
It was polite small talk. For people who hadn't known each other long, that level of conversation was enough.
Still, perhaps because she had just seen Eriri become so close with the Kesshoku Band girls in such a short time, Utaha felt a sudden sense of competitiveness well up inside her.
She didn't want to fall behind, so she genuinely began to feel like she should deepen her connection with the other two in the changing room.
"…No need to add any honorifics deliberately. If it's alright, I'd like to call you 'Sister Seika' just like Chisato does."
Utaha's sudden burst of warmth caught Seika a bit off guard, but she still nodded in response.
"Then you can just call me 'Utaha' as well, Sister Seika. After all, I'm your junior, and I'll be counting on your guidance from now on."
"I understand."
"And Hitori too… um…"
Utaha turned to face Hitori, but for a brief moment, she seemed visibly stunned.
The reason was that Hitori, who always wore clothing that concealed her figure and looked unremarkable, now revealed a shockingly voluptuous body the moment she undressed and bared herself without reservation.
What's more, her waist was still incredibly slender, and her whole figure was like a ripe fruit hanging from a thin branch—visually striking and a bit overwhelming.
At that moment, she vaguely understood one of the reasons why Chisato was so obsessed with her.
She quickly snapped out of it and, meeting Hitori's confused gaze, finished what she had left unsaid earlier.
"Hitori, you should also just call me by name from now on. Don't add 'classmate' or anything so formal."
"Ah, o-okay."
Hitori was a bit pleased to hear that.
For Chisato's sake, forming a good relationship with Eriri and Utaha was a necessary step.
She felt that things were going so smoothly now thanks in part to her earlier initiative of inviting them to go sledding together.
With that in mind, maybe she could invite them to try out some other activities later?
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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