Chapter Eleven: Bathing

This must be the medicine Amemiya Sayo has been taking all along. With this thought, Anhe ignored the incessant narration in his mind and casually slipped the medicine into his own pocket.

He rummaged through a few more pieces of clothing, and after making sure there was nothing else hidden, he tossed the lot into the washing machine. Water, detergent, timer set.

Once everything was done, Anhe didn’t leave the bathroom right away. Instead, he turned, wary as though preparing for battle, and glanced at the spot where the clothes had been piled up before.

There, lying quietly, were two white undergarments—one large, one small.

Never in his wildest imagination did Anhe expect that Amemiya Sayo, without being provided with any spare underwear, would remove all her own. Which meant, at this very moment, she was wearing nothing beneath her clothes.

The realization sent a rush of heat through his nose. Flustered, Anhe shook his head, banishing the inappropriate images from his mind.

Taking a deep breath, he looked again at the undergarments, hesitated briefly, and finally picked them up.

The panties felt exquisite, smooth as ice silk beneath his fingers. The bra was more ordinary, its fabric unremarkable—except for a faint, lingering scent of milk.

Anhe’s expression grew stranger.

Shaking off these thoughts, he tossed both pieces into a basin and poured in some clean water. Such intimate garments weren’t suitable for the washing machine, so he would have to wash them by hand.

He scrubbed them thoroughly, dipping and rubbing them dozens of times until they were fully soaked. Then, he poured milky-white detergent over them, spreading it evenly before working up a lather. Only when both pieces were covered with white foam did he stop.

He rinsed away the suds, wrung the garments dry, and hung them on the hooks on the wall. When all was finished, Anhe massaged his aching hand, confirmed the washing machine was running smoothly, and finally left the bathroom.

A glance around the room revealed no sign of Amemiya Sayo in the living room, and the television had been turned off. From the kitchen, however, came the steady rhythm of a knife chopping against a cutting board.

Raising an eyebrow, Anhe headed over.

At the kitchen doorway, he saw her at once: Amemiya Sayo, busy at the cutting board, apron tied neatly around her waist, long hair looped up at the back of her head. With her back to him, she held a knife in one hand and pressed a carrot with the other, slicing rapidly and evenly—clearly no stranger to the kitchen.

Anhe didn’t call out. He waited until she finished with the carrot shreds and set down the knife before speaking.

“So Sayo-chan knows how to cook too, huh?”

Startled by his sudden voice, Amemiya Sayo’s delicate figure gave a little shudder, but she quickly recovered.

Turning around, she tucked a stray lock behind her ear and explained softly, her gaze averted, “I noticed you didn’t eat anything this afternoon, so I thought I’d make something for you.”

“Thank you,” Anhe replied with a smile. He stepped forward to stand beside her, rolling up his sleeves. “Let’s do it together, then. I want you to try my cooking. They call me the ‘runaway chef from New Orient,’ you know.”

New Orient? Sayo wondered inwardly, puzzled, but said nothing.

It’s said that men and women working together makes the job easier. With Sayo’s help, it wasn’t long before Anhe had prepared four fragrant dishes.

Since Sayo had only just recovered from a fever, he made sure the dishes were all on the lighter side.

Once the food was on the table, Anhe and Sayo found themselves sitting down together for the first time since entering the apartment.

“The chicken soup still needs a bit more time. Let’s eat first,” Anhe said, not waiting for Sayo’s response as he handed her a bowl brimming with rice. “Eat up and try my cooking. I learned from a top chef in China.”

“I won’t be able to finish all this,” Sayo protested quietly, but she still pressed her hands together in a polite gesture. “Itadakimasu,” she murmured, then picked up the bowl.

Dinner was eaten in near silence, the only sounds the soft chewing and the thud of the washing machine from the bathroom.

Afterwards, Anhe brought out a steaming bowl of chicken soup and set it before Sayo. She pursed her lips, whispered a thank you, and bent her head, sipping quietly, both hands cupping the bowl.

Watching her soft pink tongue dart in and out between her lips, Anhe realized if he stayed any longer, he might lose control. He stood abruptly and strode to the bedroom.

“I’m going to take a shower first. There’s more soup in the pot if you want it.”

With that, Anhe entered the bedroom, quickly grabbed two changes of clothes, and hurried into the bathroom, barely sparing Sayo a glance.

He turned on the shower, and the cool water drenched him, helping him calm down at once.

“Does Sayo really have no idea how dangerous she’s being to a man?” he muttered, recalling the earlier scene with a sigh.

Turning off the shower, he slipped into the bathtub. The hot water, prepared earlier while doing the laundry, was just the right temperature. Steam swirled around him, and water sloshed over the edge as he settled in.

“Now this is the life.”

He found a comfortable position and relaxed. Soaking in the bath had become his favorite pastime since arriving in this new world.

Say what you will about life here, but people certainly know how to live well. No matter how small your apartment, you could always count on having a real bathtub to enjoy every day.

“If only there were a pretty girl here to give me a shoulder massage, it’d be perfect.”

Just as he was thinking this, the bathroom door suddenly swung open from the outside—and in stepped Amemiya Sayo.

Startled, Anhe slipped lower into the tub, submerging himself completely.

Thankfully, he’d used plenty of body wash, so the surface of the water was covered in bubbles, keeping what was beneath hidden from view.

Even so, Anhe’s face burned with embarrassment as he glared at the girl standing in the doorway. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Sayo glanced at the head poking out from the bubbles, then calmly entered and locked the door behind her.

A chill ran through Anhe. A bad feeling crept up his spine.

Surely she didn’t want to offer herself to him again...

He was about to say something, but Sayo spoke first.

“I just want to take a bath.”

Her voice was gentle, as if nothing were amiss—except that as she spoke, she began to undress.

She was only wearing two pieces to begin with, so it took no time at all for her to strip completely.

Pale skin, a face as delicate as porcelain, a voluptuous figure, and legs as slender and flawless as ivory columns—all were revealed, bare and unguarded, before Anhe.

Fortunately, he had the presence of mind to turn away before she was fully naked.

He was terrified he’d give in to temptation—especially since her affection hadn’t yet reached seventy. He’d had his eye on those three master-level martial arts skills for ages.

I cannot let her stay here any longer!

His resolve had barely formed when he felt something slip into the tub, sending water spilling over the edge.

Then came the sensation of a soft, pliant body and two delicate hands.

Warm breath tickled his neck, and the girl’s unique, fresh scent wafted from behind.

Gulp.

Anhe couldn’t help but swallow hard...