The sounds of fighting continued into the evening, and eventually the group emerged from the pool.

“Ugh, I'm all slimy. I need a shower,” Reina complained.

Wataru nodded along with her. “Let's shower in the locker rooms and meet up at the entrance.”

“Yup, you got it,” said Ryuko. From there, the groups split up and entered their respective locker rooms, where they proceeded to use the showers.

 “Hurry up, Sato. The girls are probably finished by now,” said a shirtless, towel-wrapped Taitchi as he opened up the locker containing his clothes

“Don't rush me! I'm a growing boy!” came Takeshi’s reply from inside one of the shower stalls.

“Even my sister doesn't take that long in the shower,” Wataru commented as he too began to get dressed. “What are you even doing in there?”

“I'm… being thorough?”

“The hell does that mean?!”

“Alright, alright. I'm coming out.”

“Aw, I didn't know you felt that way about me, man.”

“Not that kind of coming out!” Takeshi shouted as he emerged from the stall wrapped in a towel. “And even if I was, I'd totally choose Yoshida over you anyway!”

“Wha-, seriously?! ...Well, actually me too…”

“Are you two done?” Taitchi asked, unamused.

-----

As the boys left the locker room, it was to see that the girls were once again all done before them. Reina crossed her arms once they approached. “Late again.”

“Blame these two and their confessions to me,” Taitchi answered, jabbing a thumb towards Wataru and Takeshi. All of the girls immediately recoiled in shock.

“Aw, come on! It's not fair if you do it in the boys' locker room! Be considerate of us girls!” Cho complained.

“But don't boys do that kind of stuff all the time in… that kind of manga?” Emi asked as she tilted her head in confusion.

“Bite your tongue~!” Cho whipped around to point at her. “I'll have you speak of my jewels with a modicum of respect, please!”

Ryuko crossed her arms and gazed at them suspiciously. “I'm more worried about the fact that you're aware of that. Emi, what haven't you been telling me?”

“Ahhhh!!!!! I uh…” In her panic, she inadvertently looked at Cho before quickly turning away from everyone.

“Gah! You traitor!”

“Busted,” Takeshi said as he shook his head.

“Koimeeeeee....!”

“W-Well uh, you see, I, um…” Cho frantically waved her arms around, attempting to explain herself as Ryuko marched over to her. After a while, she suddenly covered her face in shame. “K-KENSHIRO-SAMA TOLD ME TO SPREAD THE WORD!!!”

“Don't buy into that ridiculous advertising!”

“Look, I'm getting hungry, so can we hurry this along and find something else to do?” Reina cut in. Seeing the whimpering Cho clapping her hands together in apology, Ryuko sighed, then turned to face Emi.

“Fine. But I'm definitely gonna confiscate it all when we get back.” Her gaze then turned to Cho as she narrowed her eyes. “ALL of it.”

Intimidated by her gaze, Cho could only nod in acceptance of her fate as tears threatened to leak from her eyes.

-----

“So, this place has a restaurant too, huh,” Takeshi said, approval in his tone.

“It's surprisingly well built for being in a Ryokan located in the countryside,” Yuuna said.

“Th-That's what I was saying earlier. How is Miss Yamamuro f-funding all this?” Kaho glanced around suspiciously as she spoke.

“Beats me,” Wataru said. “But she's Miss Sakurai's sister, so I doubt it's anything shady. Let's just focus on enjoying ourselves.”

“And on that note, Yuu-chan! I order you to feed us!” Cho commanded, one hand on her hip and the other pointed towards Yuuna.

“F-Feed you? Well…” Yuuna stammered, looking unsure.

“The pamphlet says that the kitchen can be used by guests as long as they follow the rules,” Wataru explained.

“W-Well in that case... Sure!”

“Yaaaay, Yuu-chan's gonna be cooking for us!”

“If her cookies were that good, I'm sure whatever she whips up in there will be great too!” Emi said.

Takeshi raised a brow questioningly. “Should we really be eating before dinner, though?”

“It's fine. I'll make something light, like a snack for us all. Everyone, please find a seat,” Yuuna answered, a bright smile on her face.

-----

“Ugh, how'd I end up at a table with you two?”

“I think it's destiny~! Right, Masuta?”

“Destiny!”

“Kill me…” Reina groaned as Cho and Ryu continued chatting animatedly. Her gaze traveled to the occupied table farthest from them, where Taitchi sat talking with Takeshi and Wataru.

“She's totally looking at you.” Wataru said as he snuck a glance towards her table.

“No she isn't.”

“Dude, she just glanced this way,” Takeshi said. “Come on man, we wouldn't lie to you about this.”

“Well, even if she did, so what?”

“So what's with all this sexual tension between you guys? Hurry up and make a move!”

“Are you really gonna lecture me about not making a move?” Taitchi stared flatly at Wataru in response to his urging.

“Huh? Whaddya mean?”

“This guy…” Takeshi sighed.

Taitchi leaned forwards, resting his chin on his hand. “So how are things going with Asano anyway?”

“Y-Yuuna? Why're we suddenly talking about her?”

Takeshi suddenly slammed his hands on the table. “Because you're leaving everyone in suspense here! How long are you two gonna be all shy around each other before something happens?”

“Look, it's not that simple, okay? I'm trying my best here.”

“Try harder.”

“Easy for you to say!”

Taitchi leaned back with a sigh, interrupting the two boys’ exchange. “In other words, we're all kind of frozen in our relationships.”

“Well, except Takeshi. He doesn't have any.”

“Hey! I've got relationships!”

“With who?” Taitchi asked as he raised an eyebrow.

“With… Emi! A-And Ryuko!”

“Hah, as if,” Wataru retorted. “Those two spend more time with each other than with you.”

“Hey, screw you!”

“Is he wrong?” Taitchi asked.

“Well…” His thoughts drifting to the two of them, Takeshi found his gaze wandering to the third occupied table.

“Uguuu… my tummy hurts...~” Emi gripped her stomach and let out a pained groan as Kaho and Ryuko stared in contempt.

“Are you a b-baby...?”

“What did I say? WHAT DID I SAY?!” Ryuko nearly leaped out of her seat, slapping both palms on the table as she shouted at Emi.

“Ahh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!!!”

With a sigh, she settled back into her seat. “Ugh… how're we gonna explain to the teachers that you got a stomachache...?”

“I-Is she that bad with sweets? Seems a little overkill if you ask me,” Kaho said.

“Oh yeah, this girl's an enigma,” Ryuko answered, waving her hand casually. “One day she can eat a slice‘a cake no problem, but then another day she pops a hard candy in her mouth and ends up in the hospital. Her dad's always sittin' there on her birthday every year with his phone in his hand, ready to speed-dial the doc just in case.”

“Heh, how p-pitful. I bet it sucks a-always causing trouble for your family like that,” Kaho jabbed with a slight grin aimed at Emi.

“Sorry… uguu…”

-----

“Sorry for the wait, everyone! Everything's ready!”

Soon, Yuuna emerged from the kitchen carrying several plates of sandwiches. With practiced efficiency, she placed all of the plates on each occupied table.

“Oh, are these...?” Wataru’s eyes widened as he inspected the sandwiches.

Yuuna nodded at his unfinished question. “Yep, the same ones I made at Little Big Hero Camp back in grade school.”

“No way! That's where we first met, you know!”

“Hee hee, I know. They make a great snack, so I thought I'd make some for everyone.”

“Seriously? Thanks, Asano!” Takeshi said as he leaned forward to dig in.

“Yaaay, food!”

“Food! Food!”

“Someone please just end it already…” Reina muttered as Cho and Ryu continued cheering.

Meanwhile, Ryuko popped one of the sandwiches into her mouth. “Wow, this tastes pretty darn good for a sandwich. Wonder what's in it.”

Yuuna smiled playfully as she put a finger to her lips. “Ah, I guess you can call it an ‘age-old’ secret, ehehe.”

-----

Having finished the sandwiches, the group were currently walking through the halls of the Ryokan once more. Wataru kept his eyes on the map as he led the way. “I guess we should check out the games room next.”

“Ah, it's you guys.”

““““Eh?””””

The group looked forward to see Takagi and Sakurai approaching from the other direction.

“Wow, Teacher, you look so different in a yukata!” Cho exclaimed, pushing to the front of the group to marvel at Takagi.

Sakurai let out a giggle as she gazed at him from the side. “Doesn't he? I hardly recognized him when I first saw it.”

“You too, Miss Sakurai. Your yukata looks awesome!” Takeshi praised.

“Thank you, Sato. You all look lovely, as well.”

“What are you two up to?” Wataru asked.

“We were just going for a walk to explore. Miss Yamamuro was with us for a while, but left to prepare dinner,” Takagi explained. Sakurai nodded along with him, but suddenly turned to the rest of them.

“What about you guys? Have you been having lots of fun?”

“Oh heck yeah!” Cho answered with gusto. “First we checked out the pool, and then we went to the restaurant!”

“We were just on our way to the games room right now. Would you like to join us?” Yuuna offered with a polite smile.

“Well actually, we'd like to be alo-”

“That sounds like a great idea. Come on, Takagi.”

“S-Sakurai…”

As Sakurai cheerfully clung to Takagi’s arm and pulled him along to join the students, everyone gave a silent prayer for the man as the group then proceeded to the games room.

“I wasn't expectin' the place to be so big,” Ryuko said as she gaped at the interior.

“Ooh, ooh! Look over there, it's ping pong! Let's play!” Cho said, already racing for the table.

“You're on!” Wataru slid the pamphlet page into his yukata pocket and headed over there himself.

“Oh, I've gotta see this,” Ryuko said with a smirk. The group inevitably ended up surrounding the table as Wataru and Cho stood on opposite sides. Once they were both armed with paddles, Cho held her hand out to him, the ball clutched tightly in her grip.

“Careful, Wattan. I, Koime Cho the Level 9 Paddler, will not hold back, even against a beginner.”

“Who's the beginner? You're mistaken if you think this is my first time with a paddle.”

“Oh ho ho, so you've got some experience, huh? What level are you?”

“Heh, try 10.”

“E-Eh?! You're a L-L-Level 10 Paddler?! Impossible! They're all dead!”

“You're right. The slaughter of my comrades has turned me into the greatest Paddler of all time!”

“I-I won't lose! Even against a myth like you! We'll see if you're really telling the truth in battle!”

“Bring it!”

“I will!”

As the two glared at each other hard enough to send sparks flying between them, Reina cut in. “So… can you get to the game already?”

Accepting her words as the starting gun, Cho tossed the ball into the air. “Here I come, Wattan! Don't blink!” The force with which her paddle struck the ball was enough to generate a shockwave that forced everyone to shield their eyes.

“Wh-What the… hell?! So powerful!” Takeshi shouted as he shielded himself.

“M-My body's… shaking...!” Takagi groaned.

Emi, who was behind the group, struggled to see over the shoulders of her taller classmates. “What?! What's happening?!”

“D-Don't look, Akemi,” Kaho said as she put a hand on her shoulder to hold her in place. “You're g-gonna get tainted with whatever th-they've got.”

“Hmph, that wasn't bad for a basic strike. But how about this?! Eagle Swipe!” Unlike everyone else, Wataru remained focused, ready to return the serve. He retaliated with a swing of his own, sending the ball back with monstrous force.

“Already using abilities, Wattan? You're gonna run out of mana at that rate.”

“Why don't you focus on the ball instead of worrying about me?”

“Heh, this is nothing! I just hope you can keep up! Uooooooo!”

Cho's strike triggered the high speed exchange between the two of them. The power of their attacks were enough to kick up the wind in the room, blowing around nearly everything and forcing everyone to brace themselves.

“Whoa! They're movings fast!” Ryu said.

“I can't even see the ball! How many laws of physics are they breakin'?” Ryuko exclaimed.

Taitchi closed his eyes and nodded to himself. “Fighting at this speed... Only two high-level Paddlers could accomplish this.”

Reina quickly swiped him over the head. “Shut up. You're not actually buying into this, are you?”

“Would it kill you to lighten up a little? We're supposed to be having fun, believe it or not,” he said as he rubbed the spot where she struck him.

“This is hardly my definition of ‘fun’. They're just hitting a ball back and forth.”

“Hahaha! Not bad! You're worthy of your title, Level 10!” Cho shouted as they continued smacking the ball back and forth at blitzing speeds.

“Being able to keep up with my attacks like this, I'm surprised you're only a Level 9!”

“The truth is, I was supposed to be a Level 10, but my parents were killed in front of me the night of my exam, forcing me to flee from my home when I was framed for it! Now I wander the land, waiting for the day when I can reclaim what's rightfully mine!”

“Interesting! I myself am the child of the two most famous Level 10 Paddlers in history! I inherited their skills from a young age and have since risen up in the ranks! But they were also killed in front of me, but I've used their deaths to inspire myself to become stronger while I search for the murderer to claim my revenge!”

“Y-You two couldn't have come up with something less cliché?” Takagi asked with an awkward smile.

“I think it's interesting.” Sakurai merely smiled in response. “It helps keep immersion when you know their backstories.”

“I-I agree, but… under these circumstances…”

“Ahahaha! If you want to know the truth about your parents' murder, then defeat me!”

“What, did you do it or something?!”

“Maybe I did! Maybe I didn't! The truth lies in this battle!”

“Grr, you fiend! I will defeat you! HAAAAAHHHHH!”

As their exchange of blows continued, Wataru’s paddle began glowing with a blue energy.

“Th-This is-!” Cho’s eyes widened in shock at the sight.

Yuuna let out a sharp gasp as her eyes widened as well. “It can't be! The famous Tanehara Style!”

“E-Even Asano's going with it...?” Kaho muttered in disbelief.

“Damn you, son of Tanehara! Your parents are the ones who murdered mine!”

“Wh-What?! You're gonna reveal that plot twist while I'm charging my final attack?!”

“Wataru! Don't listen to her and use it! It's the only way to win!”

“Oh Yuuna, my childhood friend who's always been there to support me... Yes! I'll make sure to protect you and everyone else! Tanehara Style Finisher: Wattan Busterrrrrrrr!”

“I-It's named after you?!” Ignoring Cho’s confused cry, Wataru waited for his opportunity to strike. When the ball came within range, he thrusted the paddle out, coating the ball with the blue energy and sending it back towards Cho.

“H-How?! How… can… this… BEEEEEEE?!!!!”

The blue aura enveloped Cho as her wail echoed off of the walls of the room, ending with a massive explosion. When the smoke cleared, Wataru was standing there, breathing heavily.

“Hahhh… hahhh… hahh…”

“He… he did it…” Yuuna whispered, seeming on the verge of tears.

“Hell yeah!” Takeshi shouted, throwing his fist into the air. Along with him, everyone (who was willing to follow the charade) cheered and congratulated Wataru. Soon, Cho stood up and approached him.

“Hmph, I expected no less from a Tanehara. You've bested me at my full strength. As promised, I'll tell you everything I know about your parents' deaths.”

Wataru held up a hand to stop her. “No, it's fine. I've suddenly realized that I'm better off not knowing. All I need to do is honor their legacy, and that's enough for me.”

“Wataru…” Yuuna breathed, smiling gently.

“Seriously...?” Kaho muttered while rolling her eyes.

“Phew!” Cho sighed, breaking the character she’d formed as the impromptu roleplay came to an end. “That was awesome! But now I'm really hungryyyy...~”

Takagi glanced over at a nearby wall clock to check the time. “Dinner should be starting soon. How about we head over to the Dining Hall?”

“Sure thing. Follow me.” Using the map as a guide, Wataru led the group to the Dining Hall, where they met up with Eika.

“Oh, I was just coming to get you all. Dinner is ready,” she said as she ran into them.

“Ah, ramen! I love ramen!” Cho said excitedly once her nose had picked up the scent of the food.

“I feel like you'd say that no matter what it was,” Reina remarked, looking unimpressed.

“Ehehe…”

“Ramen good!” Ryu voiced his agreement with Cho.

“Aw, man. I'm starvin'! Let's eat!” said Ryuko.

“Please, have a seat wherever you'd like.” Eika gestured to the dining table with a polite smile. Per her request, everyone sat down at the large table.

Once she’d claimed her seat, Kaho flicked an empty glass cup in front of her. “This place is f-fancy too. How do you have so much money, M-Miss Yamamuro?”

“Didn't Sakurai tell you? Our family is rich,” Eika answered as she distributed the dishes.

““““EHHHH?!””””

“Sakurai…” Even Takagi looked to be in disbelief. “You're from a rich family?”

“I didn't intend to hide it from anyone.” Sakurai smiled apologetically. “It just never came up. But yes, it's true.”

Eika finally finished setting the food down before finding her own seat next to Sakurai. “Anyway, setting that aside, let's enjoy the meal, shall we?”

““““Thank you for the food!””””

Without any more hesitation, everyone began digging into the food made by Eika. After a while, Takagi eventually noticed Emi not eating.

“Akemi, is something wrong?”

“My tummy hurts again… uguuuu…” she answered while clutching her stomach.

“Hey so get this Teach,” Ryuko started as she poked a chopstick in his direction. “This dummy ate one of Asano's cookies this morning and ended up gettin' sick. Now she can't eat anything.”

“Eh?! Were my cookies bad or something? I'm so sorry, Akemi!”

“Ah, this is my fault. I should have told her not to eat any,” Takagi lamented.

“Me too. I was careless.” Ryuko nodded, guilt lacing her expression.

“N-No! Don't worry about me, I'm fine! Uguuuu…”

“The hell you are…” Takeshi murmured.

Eika, as the only one out of the loop, tilted her head curiously. “What's this about cookies now?”

“Ah, excuse me,” Yuuna said. “This morning I made cookies as a snack for the trip.”

“You said they were something like ‘high in nutrients, but low in calories’ right?” asked Wataru.

“Yes, that's right. My mom helped me make them.”

“I see. Is anyone else feeling sick?” Eika turned to the others.

“Nope. I ate two of them and I feel fine,” Wataru answered.

Ryuko cut in, waving off the others’ answers. “Yeah, it's just her. She has a condition that makes her get sick when she eats sweets. Sometimes. It's random, so we can't really tell when it'll happen.”

“And yet she still insists on eating sweets at any possible moment,” Takeshi said as he rolled his eyes. 

“Are you alright, dear?” Eika asked

“Y-yes… uguuu…”

“Would it be possible to save some for later?” Sakurai asked. “I'm sure she'll be hungry after her stomach heals.”

Eika nodded, smiling softly. “Yes, of course. Feel free to put whatever you want in one of those containers, and take it with you when you're done. That goes for everyone too, okay?”

Everyone voiced their agreement as they continued their meal. Soon, dinner was over and the group found themselves walking through the halls of the Ryokan.

“Oof, I think I ate too much…” Cho groaned, rubbing her stomach tenderly.

“The food gone too quick... Ryu's hungry again…”

“But you ate through 10 whole bowls, didn't you?” Emi asked, looking at him concernedly.

“Th-That's Masuta for you. Eating more pounds of food than he weighs, and s-still wanting more. What a f-fatty.”

Ryuko shot Kaho a glare for her comment. “This coming from the girl who could barely get through a single bowl?”

“How was I supposed to get through that th-thick flavor? It might as well have b-been poison.”

“D-Don't you think you're exaggerating a bit, Okeda?” Yuuna asked.

“Sh-Shut up. You were just making g-googly-eyes at Tanehara the whole time. It m-made me sick.”

“Th-That-! I-I wasn't-!”

“Hey, what's your problem, Okeda?” Takeshi snapped.

“Wh-What's your problem? Nobody cares about you, s-so just stay quiet.”

“You know what-”

“OKAY everyone,” Wataru quickly interjected before the situation could escalate further. “Look, it's getting late, but the hot springs are still open. How about we head there to cool off?”

“You wanna ‘cool’ off at the "hot" springs...?”

“That's exactly what we're not gonna be doing there…”

“You get my point!” he said, ignoring the comments from Ryuko and Emi. “Now come on.”

Following Wataru's orders, everyone headed for the hot springs. When they arrived, they changed into towels and entered.

“A mixed bath? Hell yes!” said Takeshi as he and the guys sat down in the water.

“Don't you see that giant bamboo wall separating us from the girls?” Wataru retorted.

“Yeah, but all we have to do is peek over it and they're right there! We can't miss this opportunity dude!”

“We just sat down, and you're already talking about peeping?” Taitchi asked.

“Come on, Yoshida. Don't tell me you're not at least a little curious about what Fukuoka looks like in the bath.”

“…”

‘Taitchi has joined the Peeping Party’

“And you, Wataru. You already know what I'm going to say.”

“...”

‘Wataru has joined the Peeping Party.’

“And Masuta, Koime-”

‘Ryu has joined the Peeping Party.’

As his numbers steadily increased, Takeshi as he rubbed his hands together deviously. “Excellent…”

“Um…” Takagi started awkwardly. “I get your intentions, but as your teacher I'm going to have to-”

“Miss Sakurai.”

‘Takagi has joined the Peeping Party (reluctantly).’

“Now, all we have to do is get over this wall…”

-----

Meanwhile, in the girls' bath, Reina crossed her arms as she stared at the bamboo wall contemptuously. “Ugh, can you believe that the guys are just on the other side of that wall? Disgusting. They could have at least had the decency to close up that opening at the top.”

“Why, afraid you'll smell 'em or something?” Ryuko asked sarcastically.

“Or that someone will peeeeek~?” Cho teased.

“Why are you both so nonchalant about it? It's a serious problem!”

“It's alright, Fukuoka,” Sakurai said. “Takagi is with them, so I have complete faith that he'll stop them from doing things like that.”

“I don't think there's any need for that in the first place. I-I mean... Wataru wouldn't… p-p-peek on anyone…” Yuuna said shyly.

Emi nodded along with her. “None of them would, they're not like that.”

“Should I feel bad for them or just l-laugh...?” Kaho mumbled.

“Ignorance is bliss, like they say,” Ryuko added.

“That's unacceptable!” Cho shouted. “They have to peek! It's a good thing I came prepared…”

Yuuna turned and smiled as Cho began to approach her. “Ah, Koime. Did you need something from-kya~!” Surprised at the sudden motion of her breasts being grabbed, Yuuna let out a cry.

“There we go! They'll never be able to resist this!”

“Kya, n-not again! K-Koimeeee~!”

“Yeah yeah, just like that! Keep letting out those cute noises, Yuu-chan!”

“S-Stop iiiiit~!”

-----

“““““Gah!”””””

At the sounds of Yuuna's cries, all of the guys that had been climbing the bamboo wall suddenly grabbed their crotches, causing them to plummet back into the water below one by one.

“D-Damn it!” Takeshi shouted as he jumped to his feet. “The girls are onto us. They're employing counter-peeking tactics!”

“Wh-What do we do? We can't climb the wall like this,” Wataru said.

“Looks like we have no choice but to retaliate with a bit of… sabotage.”

-----

“Eh? Why aren't they coming to peek? I could've sworn this would work,” Cho wondered as she continued absentmindedly groping Yuuna.

“L-Let go of me!” Finally able to pry herself free, Yuuna moved away from Cho while tenderly cradling her chest.

Meanwhile, Cho put a hand to her chin in thought. “Maybe they knew what we would be planning and steeled themselves? C-Could they be using ear plugs?! W-We've gotta do something!”

“Or, you know, we could just forget about the boys and focus on relaxing in the bath-” Ryuko started, but was cut off when a strange noise echoed from the other side of the bamboo wall.

“Ahhhhh~” came Wataru’s sweetened voice in a sound not unlike a sensuous moan.

““““Eh?””””

“Y-Yoshida, not so fa-AHHHH~”

“Wh… What is… this..." Yuuna whispered between breaths.

Reina too found herself unable to speak in more than a broken stutter. “N… No way…”

-----

Wataru let out another honeyed groan as Taitchi continued massaging his shoulders. “S-Seriously, how are you so good at this?!”

“I had a part time job at a massage parlor a while ago,” he answered with a nonchalant shrug.

“We're lucky that you did, since this fits perfectly into my plan,” Takeshi said. “Keep going, and make sure to really vocalize it, Wataru. Those girls'll be so distracted by the noises that they won't have time to use their tricks!”

“What about Masuta and I?” Takagi asked.

“Masuta will keep an ear out for any traps the girls might have up their sleeves, and you'll just have to use your acting skills, Teach. We need to get Miss Sakurai on board with this too.”

“What makes you think Sakurai will even be distracted by me?”

“Trust me on this one. Just focus on making some noises and everything will go as planned.”

“And what about you?” Taitchi asked.

“Well we can't all be here making noises or we won't get anywhere. Somebody needs to go and peep while the others are distracting. We'll take turns climbing up the wall one by one. And since I'm the one who came up with this plan, I'm obviously going first! Now, keep it up!”

All of the boys nodded in agreement and resumed their assigned roles.

-----

As the very suggestive noises continued from the boys’ bath, the girls found themselves flustered.

“Just wh-what the hell're they doing over there...?” Ryuko asked, looking slightly disturbed.

“Wataru... Wataru's... Auu auu auu auuuu...!”

“H-Hey Asano, your eyes are spinning in circles!” Reina called worriedly.

Sakurai covered her cheeks with her palm in a panic, a large blush making its way onto her face as she imagined what was going on “E-Even Takagi is... I can't believe what I'm hearing!”

“I can!” Cho seemed to be the only one not affected by the sounds. Rather, she looked more annoyed than anything. “And it's so unfair! How dare they go and get all flirty where we can't see them?!”

“Everyone! It's not what it sounds like!” Emi called. “Those guys aren't like… that!”

“You shouldn't even know what that is! Koime!”

“B-Blame Kenshiro-sama! His gospel is infectious!”

“Is he a shady priest?!”

“A-Anyway, what should we do about… this situation?” Kaho asked, ignoring the banter between Ryuko and Cho.

The latter of whom then slammed a fist into her palm. “It's obvious isn't it? We're gonna peep!”

“You're no better than them!”

“Come on, Ryu-chan. Don't tell me you're not the least bit curious as to what's going on over there?”

“W-Well that's…”

“All these shirtless guys… sliding their hands across each other's bare skin…”

“M-Mnnnnn…” As she listened to Cho, Ryuko unconsciously began rubbing her thighs together and fidgeting slightly.

“R-Ryuko?!” Emi gawked at her.

“Slowly, their careful caresses inch closer and closer to the lower areas…” By now, most of the other girls were shifting uncomfortably with red faces, with the exception of Emi, who looked on in horror.

“And finally… they gently brush against it.”

“I… It, huh…”

“Asano, no!” Emi shouted desperately.

“G-Gehehehe~...”

“Okeda, snap out of it!”

“Takagi's… it…”

“E-Even Miss Sakurai?!”

“Nngh…”

“Fukuoka...!”

“Gahhhhh jeez, fine!” Ryuko suddenly shouted as she furiously ruffled her hair. “Let's go already!”

“Y-Yes. It isn't as if we have much choice in the matter,” Reina said, turning her nose upwards.

“Uh-huh. We're just m-making sure they're okay,” Kaho added.

“Yes… just checking on them... That's all…” Sakurai agreed, half in a daze.

“It... It…” Yuuna seemed to be in a daze of her own as she whispered to herself.

“Muahahaha…” Cho laughed, not unlike a supervillain. “Stage 1 of my plan is now complete!”

‘Cho has converted everyone to her Peeping Party!’

“Now, my forces! March on the bamboo wall at full speed!”

As the army of converted girls prepared to move, Emi quickly waded over to the wall, standing in front of them with her arms outstretched. “Everyone, wait! This is-”

“And eliminate anyone in your paaaaath!”

“E-Eliminate?!!!”

“Kill... Kill…”

“K-Kill?! Wasn't it just ‘eliminate’?!”

“Murder... Murder…”

“Don't murder your friend!!!”

“Slaughter... It... Slaughter... It…”

“I-I think something's seriously wrong with Asano!”

“Torture Emi... Torture the chaste…”

“Why are you getting even more violent?!”

“Ahaha, so how about it, Mi-chan?! Will you stand strong against my pervert army?” Cho asked, hands on her hips triumphantly.

“I don't want to be tortured…” she replied, hands close to her chest and a sullen expression on her face. The expression slowly changed into one of determination a moment later. “But I also can't let you do this! I'll oppose you all to the very end!”

Cho grinned wickedly at her response. “Then to the end you shall go. Charge!” At her command, the girls charged Emi at full force, using her as a stepstool to climb up onto the wall.

“Th-They really… did it…” Emi moaned as she was trampled, vision fading.

“Muahahahahaaa! No one stands in my way and lives! Let this be a lesson to you all!” Having been caught up in her own hubris, Cho glanced around at the now-empty room only to receive no response.

“A-Ahem. Well anyway, me too~!”

As Emi made to stand up, Cho leaped onto her and used her as a stepstool to climb the way like the others had.

-----

Almost… there...!

Finally making it to the top of the wall, Takeshi reached up and pulled himself over, only to come face-to-face with Ryuko.

““Eh? Ah-!”” The two of them ended up smashing their foreheads together in shock, causing them both to fall down, taking all of the other girls down as well.

“Owowowowow…” Takeshi groaned as he rubbed his head. “What the hell just happened?”

“Takeshiiiii...!”

“Eh?” Takeshi looked up to see that he was on the girls' side, surrounded by all of his nude classmates.

Ryuko stood front and center, arms crossed as a dark aura began surrounding her. “What were you doing up there, I wonder...?”

“A-Ahh, well I-... um…” His stammering continued for a while, until he suddenly went silent. After a few moments, he bent down and suddenly gripped his stomach.

“U-Uguuuuu, my tummy hurts~”

“DIE IN HELL, PERVERT!”

“GAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!”

As Takeshi was swarmed by the girls, his screams could be heard from every corner of the Ryokan.

-----

As the group walked through the halls of the Ryokan after their bath, Cho stretched her arms up high. “Hahhhhh~! I feel refreshed!”

Takeshi, whose face was riddled with bandages and bumps, sighed. “I feel the opposite…”

“That's what you get for being a pervert, man,” Wataru said as he shook his head.

“Yeah, I can't believe you were even trying to do that,” Taitchi said.

“As your teacher, I am very disappointed in you, Sato.”

“Sato's a pervert!”

Takeshi’s shoulders slouched as he watched his former comrades abandon him. “S-So you're all throwing me under the bus, huh…”

“Well we did catch you climbing the wall,” Ryuko pointed out.

“Oh yeah,” Takeshi started, turning to the girls. “Now that I think about it, what were you guys doing up there? And what happened to Emi?”

All of the girls except Emi jolted at once, blushes filling their faces.

“O-Oh, nothing!” Yuuna lied.

“N-Nothing at all!” Kaho lied.

“A-As if we'd do something like that,” Reina lied.

“That's right! A-Ahaha…” Sakurai lied.

“E-Emi tripped and fell in the bath, that klutz,” Ryuko lied. “That's why she's a little beat up! Right, Emi?”

“Traitors!” Emi puffed her cheeks out and ran into Ryuko, slamming her against her chest repeatedly.

“Well, alls well that ends well, right?” Cho asked, throwing her hands behind her head carefreely, unaware of the glares she’d gained by speaking up.

““““Somehow I feel like this was all your fault…””””

“N-No way!” she yelled. “Sato wanted to peek in the first place, right?”

“Gah!” In an instant, everyone's glares turned to him.

“W-Well, I... K-Koime attacked Asano, didn't she?”

“Gah!” And like clockwork, everyone's glares turned back to her.

“U-Um...! It was Sato's idea to trick the girls!”

“But you were the one who made everyone climb the wall!”

“But-!”

“OKAY,” Takagi cut in. “That's enough fighting. I think we can all agree that this is indeed Sato's fault.”

Everyone nodded in agreement, satisfied with that conclusion.

“M-Mister Takagi?!”

“Pervert,” Ryuko said, glaring.

“Eh?!”

“I can't believe you would do such a thing, Sato,” Sakurai said, seeming on the verge of tears.

“N-No you're wrong!”

“Should've known,” Wataru said with a sigh.

“You bastard!”

As everyone sent him similarly icy words, the group walked off, leaving him behind.

“...Emi. Comfort me.”

Emi, the only one to remain, gave him a pitiful smile.

“Sorry Takeshi. M-Maybe next time?” she said before running off to catch up to the others.

“Why won't you comfort me in my time of need, damn itttttt!!!!”

To Be Continued.