Inverse System

Chapter 52 - Bathhouse Bonding

The three in the living room ran back into the bedroom, seeing a wet-haired man standing in the center.

"Wha… How did you..? But we didn't…" Core couldn't speak out of shock.

"Yeah, I noticed that there wasn't a signal. Would've been nice of you to warn me beforehand," Rein quipped.

"Rein…" Clyde looked at him, meeting eyes. He was about to ask him something, Rein interrupting him before he could.

"Wow wow wow, let's save the explanations for later. You guys are dirtying my floors. Let's head to the baths and freshen up," Rein proposed, which they did.

Chloe giddily dragged Xenia into the girl's bathhouse and the rest of the girls, who followed excitedly. Chloe, Xenia, Emria, Saphrilla, and Raxo all entered the large hot spring.

The boys also headed to their own respected bathhouse. Quint, who had just finished his treatment also entered with them. It was Rein, Clyde, Core, Quint, and Reggie entering the slightly smaller hot spring.

"Throw your clothes in the basket over there Clyde. It should be clean by the time we're done," Rein informed, Clyde following his instructions.

"Wow… Technology truly is remarkable," Clyde remarked, impressed with the mundane object.

They showered before entering the spring, all of them feeling the restorative properties of the water.

"Ahhh. Man, this feels good!" Core exclaimed as he dipped his body in.

"I agree. I can feel my fatigue melting away," Clyde said, letting himself relax.

"Seriously. Whoever's idea it was to install this thing in the luxury room is a genius!" Reggie exclaimed, even though the room wasn't his.

"I'm pretty sure it was the principal. Apparently, she's a hot spring fanatic," Rein informed.

Suddenly, everyone in the room was startled by a sudden movement near them, hearing a loud splash in the water. Quint got down on his knees submerged himself in the shallow hot springs, dipping his face into the water.

"Quint? You thirsty or something?" Rein asked, confused.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled while under the water, making his sentence inaudible.

"Hm?" Rein reacted.

Quint pulled his head out from the water and looked at him in the eyes.

"Ever since that time you sent Weiss packin', I've been suspicious of you. I was distrustful of you, and never really held you in high regard. Honestly, I still don't even know what Weiss did, but I'm sure it must've been something shitty. Didn't really like that guy that much to begin with honestly. But seriously man, thank you for saving my sis… If there's anything I could do to repay you, just call for me," Quint spilled what was on his mind, inducing weird looks from everyone in the bath.

"Hm? Why are you all lookin' at me like that? You got somethin' to say?!" He tried acting threatening to the rest of the guys, but all of them began laughing instead.

"Maybe don't say that while we're all naked in a bath dude. If anyone heard you sayin' that shit, they'd totally get the wrong idea," Core explained, continuing to laugh.

"Aw dude, don't go skewing my words!" Quint blushed angrily.

"What do you mean by 'everything'..?" Rein spoke in a jokingly suggestive tone.

"YOU KNOW WHAT I MEANT!" Quint yelled at the top of his lungs, echoing in the entire room and throughout the halls, the girls hearing his loud outcry.

"Geez, that Quint is so loud. So embarrassing…" Xenia put her hand on her forehead out of embarrassment, the rest of the girls starting to laugh.

"I was really surprised to hear that you and Raxo were already friends. When'd you meet?" Emria asked.

"Oh right, we didn't tell 'em, did we? Two days before the entrance exam, I heard that there was an incurable patient staying at the hospital in town. That was when that orange-haired dunce Quint came charging into my workshop, beggin' me to come and cure her. After that, I'd come nearly every day to try something new, and we eventually became really close. Dunno how Quint heard about my Spring, but it was probably through that witch of a principal," Raxo said, biting her teeth.

"Oh? And who are you calling a witch?" Julianne burst through the door, wearing her bath towel over her well-endowed body.

"WHAT! The hell are you doing here you big-breasted mongrel!" Raxo freaked out, jumping out of the hot spring and pointing out her in shock.

"Oh, is that jealousy I hear in your voice? Don't worry, you still have time to develop," she laughed, insulting the red-haired girl's flat chest, who then became enraged.

"But really principal Julliane, what are you doing in our room?" Chloe asked.

"Haha, I would be remiss if I missed a hot spring party," she laughed as she sat down on a stool to shower, Emria and Saphrilla offering to wash her back. "Thank you girls, that would be lovely."

"Did you not say that you would turn the cameras off after Rein's return? How did you know that we were entering the bathhouse?" Saphrilla asked while scrubbing her back.

"Hahaha, I don't need to have a camera to know that!" She said, leaving much to be inferred by the girls in the bath. It was almost as if she had a sixth sense when it came to things like this.

Once her back was scrubbed, she entered the hot springs with the rest of them.

"So you must be Xenia Vossen, Quint's sister? It's a pleasure to meet you," Julianne exclaimed.

"O-oh no the pleasure's all mine! I'm a huge fan of yours! I've been following your Ranger career ever since you used to adventure with the Snowy Dusk! You're just amazing!" Xenia spoke, trying to keep her excitement in check.

"Ah… That is quite a long time," Julianne spoke, her voice coming out quieter than usual.

"The Snowy Dusk? Somehow that name feels familiar…" Chloe said, going into a thinking pose.

"No matter! Xenia, you are still unenrolled in the academy, is that correct?" Julianne asked with an eager grin on her face.

"Yes… Quint and I can't afford the tuition. But it's fine! I'd already given up hope on ever becoming a Ranger…" She uttered, exhibiting sheer sadness from her voice.

"But you were given a second chance at life, weren't you? Wouldn't the person who gave it to you want you to make the most out of it?" Julianne said, making Xenia think of Clyde and the promise she'd made to him. She furrowed her eyebrows and clenched her fists.

"Yes… I'm sorry for being an idiot… Even now, I still want to be a Ranger… I know that might be selfish of me, but I just can't give up on that dream. And now, I even have a promise to fulfill," She confidently spoke, with a slight inkling of sadness coming out of her voice. Julianne heard her resolve and fire herself up.

"That's the spirit! I have a proposal for you, Xenia Vossen," she proclaimed, sternly placing her hand in the water on its elbow, outstretched upwards with her hand open.

"If you beat me in an underwater arm wrestle right here and now, I'll officially enroll you in the academy!" The girls all recoiled in surprise and excitement.

"Hold on you crazy principal! Yeah, that would be amazing, but are you even allowed to declare that?!" Raxo inquired.

"Oh don't worry about it. Wallace will deal with all the logistics. Well, miss Vossen? Care to try your luck?" Julianne smiled at the girl sitting in front of her, as she wore a face of sheer determination, placing her arm in the same position as the principal, grabbing each other's hands in starting position.

"Let's do this."