Chapter 41: Bath with Master (2)

 

Ninomiya Aika barged in while I was washing up.

 

If the roles were reversed, it would have been a crime, and even without that, it was still inappropriate.

 

Regardless of the teacher-student relationship, it was odd for a man and a woman to bathe together.

 

But she seemed unfazed.

 

“I might not know much since I’ve always been self-taught, but doesn’t this happen often in manga? The master washes the disciple’s back.”

 

Although Aika preferred novels, especially Chinese martial arts novels, over childish manga…

 

Washing a disciple was something frequently seen in kids’ cartoons. Plus, she was a woman.

 

In her eyes, this level of contact between a master and disciple was acceptable.

 

It was a major disaster caused by a misguided notion.

 

“And… it’s a bit annoying. No reaction at all.”

 

Additionally, there was a slightly lewd intention hidden within her actions.

 

Hadn’t Yu-jin been so excited on the first day he saw her?

 

And now, just one week later, he seemed completely nonchalant?

 

She was only wearing a bathrobe, and had even climbed on top of him, yet there was no reaction?

 

…Was she that unattractive as a woman?

 

Aika, who was secretly scratched by these thoughts, felt foolish.

 

“I’ve banned hypnosis, so he can’t run away. It’s a showdown, my disciple.”

 

She didn’t want him to get overly excited upon seeing her…

 

But she wished he’d at least show a natural male reaction. Even just a little bit.

 

With this thought in mind, Aika acted a bit more boldly.

 

As a result, only Yu-jin was left to suffer.

 

“I knew Master was unexpectedly naive, but I didn’t think it would be this bad. I’m going to die.”

 

***

 

At the moment, I had only a towel wrapped around my waist.

 

Barely covering, really.

 

If I accidentally revealed myself now?

 

It would be a disaster, to say the least.

 

I had to hold it in.

 

However…

 

In the humid bathroom, with the woman I loved wearing only a bathrobe, could I hold it in?

 

It was naturally making me anxious.

 

“I have to endure…!!!”

 

“Let’s see how long you can endure.”

 

As a result, a tense psychological battle between master and disciple began.

 

“First, I’ll pour some water on you. Tell me, is it too hot?”

 

“Could you use cold water, please? It’s hot in here.”

 

“Request denied. Warm water is better for relaxing the muscles at times like these. Cold water is out of the question.”

 

Round 1. Yu-jin, trying to calm down with cold water, was met with Aika’s quick counter.

 

Aika won the round decisively.

 

“Now, let me wash you. Here….”

 

-Scrub scrub.

 

“I’ll relieve your tense muscles, so don’t move even if it hurts.”

 

Round 2. The actual washing started.

 

Her soapy hands moved freely over his bare skin.

 

It took less than a minute for Aika to feel awkward.

 

-Push push.

 

“What now? Washing him like this doesn’t seem to be affecting him.”

 

Aika wanted to boost her confidence by seeing his reaction, but she had no intention of doing anything lewd.

 

She simply hoped he would get excited on his own.

 

As a spinster, she was quite greedy.

 

Meanwhile, Yu-jin?

 

-Determined.

 

“Think of the Chairman’s face. If I picture her bare face without makeup, even this will…!!!”

 

He continuously pictured the face of Seol Ha-yeon, the 60-year-old Chairman.

 

Thanks to his brutal mental self-abuse, Yu-jin remained composed.

 

Round 2 went to Yu-jin.

 

Additionally, Seol Ha-yeon, who clicked her tongue thinking about her broken ginseng wine, suffered a complete defeat.

 

Aika’s eyes turned cold.

 

“———Now turn around.”

 

“…Excuse me?”

 

“I said turn around. I’ll massage your front muscles too.”

 

“What!?”

 

She insisted he turn around.

 

Yu-jin’s composure was shattered.

 

Considering their current attire, facing each other directly was unimaginable.

 

This was beyond fleeing and into the realm of involuntary manslaughter, Master.

 

For the first time, Yu-jin resisted.

 

“That’s really not possible, Master! No matter how you look at it, we can’t face each other dressed like this….”

 

-Poke.

 

“……Ack!!!?”

 

“The arm I massaged is this tense. What about the other muscles? Stop talking and turn around.”

 

“Th-Then at least let’s do it after we finish here! We don’t have to do this in the bath!”

 

“Why sweat twice? And, I need to give you a hot water compress.”

 

“……Sigh. Yes.”

 

But Yu-jin had no choice but to turn around reluctantly.

 

Listening to his master was ‘common sense.’

 

Moreover, she was saying it for his benefit.

 

He couldn’t defy her.

 

Of course, he turned around with his eyes tightly shut.

 

Thanks to that, Aika could thoroughly enjoy the view.

 

-Gulp.

 

“Seeing it like this, I feel like I’m doing something wrong…? I don’t think even kids’ cartoons show scenes like this?”

 

A newfound sense of guilt struck her.

 

Despite the guilt, Aika moved her hands.

 

It was too late to back out. Hesitating now would only make things more awkward.

 

Her hand, tinged with blue energy, moved towards Yu-jin’s lower abdomen.

 

“Your abdominal muscles are in a bad shape. I’ll use energy to loosen them up, so move your hand.”

 

“…Yes. Please take care of me.”

 

-Push push.

 

After removing the hand that was holding the towel,

 

For a while, the only sound was that of skin brushing.

 

Their faces rapidly reddened.

 

“Th-This is… If she moves her hand a little lower, she’ll touch it?! If I just tap her with my fingers, she’ll see it!!?”

 

Aika’s hand kept hesitating.

 

She couldn’t help but imagine what might happen if she moved her hand just once.

 

Just imagining it made her

 

feel parched.

 

Yu-jin felt similarly.

 

“Seol Ha-yeon, Seol Ha-yeon, Seol Ha-yeon….”

 

-Rustle.

 

“The rustling of her robe is breaking my concentration!!!”

 

Desperately trying to picture the Chairman’s face, Yu-jin found it hard to concentrate.

 

Whenever he tried to immerse himself in the thought, Aika’s robe sleeve would rustle gently.

 

It felt like he was being force-fed the sight of his master wearing only a bathrobe.

 

Moreover, their posture was rather compromising.

 

He was seated quietly on a bath chair.

 

His master, kneeling in front of him, respectfully reaching out her hands.

 

If he lost control and got aroused in this situation?

 

“I can’t become a pervert who commits wrist cutting on my master!!”

 

The technique of targeting the opponent’s wrist in kendo, known in Japan as ‘koteuchi,’ was now being metaphorically executed.

 

In a desperate bid, Yu-jin gritted his teeth.

 

-Crunch.

 

“……!!!!?”

 

“Disciple, why is your face so red? Were you that embarrassed!?”

 

Thanks to this, Aika’s reason began to return a bit.

 

A sudden realization struck her.

 

Although Yu-jin was simply holding back with all his might…

 

With his face red and gritting his teeth, he appeared to be enduring great embarrassment.

 

Ah! No matter what, this was too much!

 

Realizing she had crossed a line, Aika let out a sigh.

 

She hurriedly withdrew her hand.

 

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t realize a boy would be this embarrassed. This was indeed inappropriate.”

 

-Fumbling.

 

“The washing is done now, so I’ll leave. Take your time and come out!”

 

She hastily stood up and retreated backward.

 

Her dignity as a woman aside, her disciple was the most important to her, so she acted accordingly.

 

If things had ended there, it might have been a happy ending, but…

 

———Unfortunately,

 

-Slip.

 

“……!!!!?”

 

The bathroom floor was slippery with water and soap.

 

Moreover, Aika had nearly sprung to her feet.

 

Unable to control her momentum, she fell backward.

 

A common safety hazard in bathrooms: slipping and falling.

 

That misfortune befell Aika as well.

 

Of course, even in decay, she was still the number one S-class.

 

A supreme awakened being who could maintain her balance in any situation…

 

“I need to adjust my posture….”

 

-Glance.

 

“…My disciple is showing a slight reaction?!!”

 

Just at that moment, Yu-jin’s patience was nearing its limit.

 

Unable to regain her balance, she fell.

 

For the first time since becoming an awakened being, she landed on her butt.

 

-Splash!

 

“…Eek!?”

 

A foolish moan escaped her.

 

It wasn’t due to pain.

 

Aika was confident that she could survive even a nuclear blast.

 

She was just startled by the sudden splash of water.

 

…However, the sound was enough to make Yu-jin open his eyes wide.

 

“A falling sound!!?”

 

-Snap.

 

In the world, his master had fallen?

 

The number one S-class, Ninomiya Aika?

 

How much energy did she expend massaging me?

 

What if she hurt herself falling?

 

Worried, he immediately looked towards her…

 

“Master, are you okay…?”

 

“…I’m fine. I just slipped for a moment.”

 

“Oh my.”

 

———An earnest young man, crushed by an 8-ton truck.

 

It was a fortunate death.

 

“……? ………!!!!!!? I-I’m sorry. You must have seen something you shouldn’t have!!”

 

-Hastily.

 

Realizing her situation, Aika, on the brink of dying from embarrassment, rushed out.

 

Surprisingly, the two of them, with their faces red, were thinking the same thing.

 

“I-I hope he didn’t see…?!”

 

“I-I hope she didn’t see?!!”

 

They were indeed a well-matched master and disciple.

 

* * *

 

Although an inappropriate incident had occurred, we proceeded with dinner as if nothing had happened.

 

“D-D-Disciple. How is it? This dish called ‘Chicken Nanban,’ I made it because you said you like chicken….”

 

“It’s d-delicious….”

 

…Of course, something had happened in reality.

 

Our flushed cheeks didn’t cool down easily.

 

Moreover, I was dying from being conscious of Master’s reaction.

 

If it was just because she saw something inappropriate, that would be better…

 

But what if she actually saw it?

 

I was so worried that I couldn’t tell if I was eating or snorting my food.

 

This strange tension continued until we finished doing the dishes.

 

“I’ll wash the dishes.”

 

“I’ll do it, so you just step aside….”

 

-Pause.

 

“……In that case, you should do it.”

 

For a master who believed ‘housework is a woman’s job’ to insist on making me do the dishes, the situation was quite serious.

 

As I washed the dishes, I deliberated intensely.

 

Should I bow my head as I did on the first day, or not?

 

‘I should apologize for showing her something she shouldn’t have seen. I can be vague about exactly what it was. Yes.’

 

After much consideration, I decided to start with an apology.

 

Wiping my hands on the apron, I turned around with determination…

 

“Master….”

 

“W-What… What is this….”

 

“……?”

 

I was met with Master’s bewildered expression as she looked at her phone.

 

Her eyes were wide open, reminiscent of the day she first saw my ‘Yu-jin-do.’

 

“Why are you like that…?”

 

“Look at this! I don’t understand it either, but in Japan, the top trending search term is….”

 

[1. 二宮愛佳ユジン結婚]

 

“This is circulating!!”

 

“The top trending search term? The first part seems to be your name. What does the rest mean?”

 

“———Ninomiya Aika, Yu-jin. Marriage!!”

 

“……!!!!?”

 

I wore a similar expression.

 

…Seriously, Japan, why are you spoiling my life?