Part 1
There were three things that Latifa Fleuranza enjoyed every night.
First, she enjoyed cooking croquettes for the guests who would visit the park the next day.
Second, she enjoyed singing with the birds in the sky garden.
And lastly, she enjoyed bathing.
The fragrant plants soaking in the hot water gave off a light aroma. Although Latifa Fleuranza could not see, she did not need any help from others, for she had memorized where everything in the bathroom was. For some reason, the memory reset earlier this month had not included her muscle memory.
Nonetheless, Latifa had stopped using the bath since last week. She no longer had the luxury to heat water for the bathtub, since any excess gas and water used would be a waste of resources and ultimately, money. She had also heard that the staff dormitories had begun limiting the usage of gas to heat their bathing water too.
As such, Latifa brought a kettle of boiling water from the kitchen all the way to the bathroom, and poured it and some cold water into a small washing tub to control the temperature. She took off her clothes and cleaned herself with a towel and soap bar, using the remaining water to rinse herself.
Latifa could only wash her hair once every three days, which could not be considered a luxury.
“…”
Still shivering, she hurried to the dressing room and grabbed a towel to dry herself. She was cold and miserable, and she really hoped she could have a nice, aromatic bath.
But then Latifa caught herself, and reminded herself not to have thoughts like that. Everyone was trying their best, and hopefully hecould create another miracle.
“…K-choo!” She sneezed lightly, continuing to search for her undergarments.
*
Sento Isuzu was using a nearby public bath because her unit bath was unusable. Besides, she could not bring herself to enjoy such a luxury when Her Highness was suffering.
The public bath she entered was 50 years old.
The décor inside resembled the Showa era. The white tile and walls had paintings of Mt. Fuji on them, and the dressing room had an old swinging electric fan. Coffee milk in glass bottles could be seen in the glass refrigerator.
Isuzu had been using her unit bath every day since she came to Amaburi, so the sight of this bath shocked her.
“Hey, Isuzu-san…” Muse, the fairy of water, had come to the bath with Isuzu. She spoke in a polite manner.
“It’s my first time here. Mind guiding me?” asked Isuzu. Muse, in turn, went ahead of her and pulled her in.
“Hey, Isuzu-san, you’ve been staring at that Keroyon[1] frog-shaped wash bowl for quite a while now. You know that does nothing, right?”
“…”
Isuzu, who was stark naked, snorted as she continued gazing at the wash bowl. “Do you think they’re selling this?”
“Here? Probably not. I saw it at Tokyu Hands a while back, though. You’re interested in these kind of things, huh?”
“No, I just feel that using these to advertise could be a good idea, and I kind of considered buying it because it’s cheap…”
How about printing “Amagi Brilliant Park” on a simple wash bowl and distributing them to nearby baths? We could even add pictures of the lead mascots.
“You’re always thinking about work, huh. Don’t forget that it takes quite a bit of effort to ensure the printing doesn’t dissolve in the water. It wouldn’t be cheap.”
“I see…”
No matter what they came up with, it would all come down to cost in the end. It seemed like they had to give up on this idea as well.
Isuzu returned to her usual gloomy attitude and returned the wash bowl. She walked towards the bath and placed her bath towel in the hot water. Just when she was about to get in—
“H-Hey wait…Isuzu-san!”
“What’s the matter?”
Muse grabbed onto Isuzu’s shoulders and picked the towel up out of the water. “Putting your hand towel into the bath is prohibited! Fold it nicely and rest it on your head. Also, you should only enter the bath after scrubbing yourself clean, since others are using the bath too. Otherwise, it’d be unhygienic, right?”
“Unhygienic…?”
Indeed, the park’s financial position had resulted in her being only able to bathe once a day. Isuzu hadn’t had a chance to bathe in 22 hours and 32 minutes, so she couldn’t argue.
She had endured not being able to bathe every 8 hours like usual, but both her body and soul were wilting. How was she supposed to accept the fact that Muse just implied she was dirty?
“H-Hey, don’t make such a sullen face. Anyway, let’s wash up. Over here!”
“…” I only wanted to get in the bath…
Muse brought a rather disappointed Isuzu in front of a mirror, and Isuzu sat down. She wrapped up her soap bar with a hand towel and began to scrub until foam came out. Not wanting to break any more of the unspoken rules in the public bath, she watched Muse’s every action and mimicked them.
I see…so you start by cleaning the right leg, followed by the buttocks and the hips. After that, you carefully scrub the toes on your left leg in small, circular motions.
“I-Is something the matter?” Feeling Isuzu’s intent stare, Muse couldn’t help but stiffen.
“Nothing. Please continue.”
“I would if you weren’t staring at me like that… Wait, don’t tell me you’re into yuri?”
The whole of Muse’s body flushed and contorted in front of Isuzu, who remained silent.
“W-Was that why you invited me? I’m honored, but…I don’t think it’ll work. Having my bare body stared at like that, I…”
“…”
Muse suddenly switched to a neutral tone of voice as she continued. “Honestly, I’ll freak out; I’m not into these things, after all.”
It sounded just like the kind of “one more time and we’re through” warnings given when students in all-girl schools groped their friends to tease them.
Despite that, Isuzu’s gaze did not waver one bit. “…I see. I don’t know what you’re talking about, but please, continue. Otherwise, I won’t be able to enter the bath.”
“Oh, so that’s why you were looking at me like that…my bad. But there’s no need to be so intrusive. Just clean yourself like you normally would.”
“Understood.”
Because Isuzu wanted to get in quickly, she began to scrub her body briefly and rapidly. Seeing that, Muse let out a sigh.
A while later, she called out to Isuzu again. “But then again, Isuzu-san. From a business perspective, we really should be acting a little more yuri at a bath like this.”
Muse suggested this based on some logic from an unknown industry.
“…And what’s this ‘yuri’ thing you’re talking about?”
“You know, just like how I got all flustered when you were looking at me, or being all close and touchy and saying things like ‘Woah Isuzu, your skin is so pretty~’ or ‘Really? Your skin makes me wanna tease you more. Take that!’.”
Isuzu paused, and gave Muse an icy stare. “I never knew you had interests like that…”
“Woah, coming from someone who did that to me earlier? You just betrayed my expectations of you!”
“I don’t get it. Doing that would just be a hassle for both of us. Anyway, let’s talk after we get in.”
“Hey, that’s mean. I just—”
Isuzu interrupted her with a wave of her hand. “I’m going in,” and made her way to the bath. She looked around to check if there were any hostile responses. It appeared that she had the green light this time.
As instructed, Isuzu placed her wet towel on top of her head.
“Ah…” It had been a long time since she’d felt this good. This had to be the origin for the phrase ‘to sink deep into one’s heart’. Indescribable feelings of happiness enveloped her whole body like the water.
Perhaps there were kappas in Isuzu’s bloodline? The ecstasy she felt when she placed the moist towel on top of her head could be proof. Maybe her favorite food being cucumbers had to do with this, too?
At any rate, this was the best sensation she’d felt in a while.
“Sadly, I doubt we can use public baths like this often,” Muse said upon following Isuzu into the bath.
“Yes, you’re right…” Isuzu gazed at the ceiling high above and sighed.
“We’re lacking in funds. At this rate…”
Part 1
There were three things that Latifa Fleuranza enjoyed every night.
First, she enjoyed cooking croquettes for the guests who would visit the park the next day.
Second, she enjoyed singing with the birds in the sky garden.
And lastly, she enjoyed bathing.
The fragrant plants soaking in the hot water gave off a light aroma. Although Latifa Fleuranza could not see, she did not need any help from others, for she had memorized where everything in the bathroom was. For some reason, the memory reset earlier this month had not included her muscle memory.
Nonetheless, Latifa had stopped using the bath since last week. She no longer had the luxury to heat water for the bathtub, since any excess gas and water used would be a waste of resources and ultimately, money. She had also heard that the staff dormitories had begun limiting the usage of gas to heat their bathing water too.
As such, Latifa brought a kettle of boiling water from the kitchen all the way to the bathroom, and poured it and some cold water into a small washing tub to control the temperature. She took off her clothes and cleaned herself with a towel and soap bar, using the remaining water to rinse herself.
Latifa could only wash her hair once every three days, which could not be considered a luxury.
“…”
Still shivering, she hurried to the dressing room and grabbed a towel to dry herself. She was cold and miserable, and she really hoped she could have a nice, aromatic bath.
But then Latifa caught herself, and reminded herself not to have thoughts like that. Everyone was trying their best, and hopefully hecould create another miracle.
“…K-choo!” She sneezed lightly, continuing to search for her undergarments.
*
Sento Isuzu was using a nearby public bath because her unit bath was unusable. Besides, she could not bring herself to enjoy such a luxury when Her Highness was suffering.
The public bath she entered was 50 years old.
The décor inside resembled the Showa era. The white tile and walls had paintings of Mt. Fuji on them, and the dressing room had an old swinging electric fan. Coffee milk in glass bottles could be seen in the glass refrigerator.
Isuzu had been using her unit bath every day since she came to Amaburi, so the sight of this bath shocked her.
“Hey, Isuzu-san…” Muse, the fairy of water, had come to the bath with Isuzu. She spoke in a polite manner.
“It’s my first time here. Mind guiding me?” asked Isuzu. Muse, in turn, went ahead of her and pulled her in.
“Hey, Isuzu-san, you’ve been staring at that Keroyon[1] frog-shaped wash bowl for quite a while now. You know that does nothing, right?”
“…”
Isuzu, who was stark naked, snorted as she continued gazing at the wash bowl. “Do you think they’re selling this?”
“Here? Probably not. I saw it at Tokyu Hands a while back, though. You’re interested in these kind of things, huh?”
“No, I just feel that using these to advertise could be a good idea, and I kind of considered buying it because it’s cheap…”
How about printing “Amagi Brilliant Park” on a simple wash bowl and distributing them to nearby baths? We could even add pictures of the lead mascots.
“You’re always thinking about work, huh. Don’t forget that it takes quite a bit of effort to ensure the printing doesn’t dissolve in the water. It wouldn’t be cheap.”
“I see…”
No matter what they came up with, it would all come down to cost in the end. It seemed like they had to give up on this idea as well.
Isuzu returned to her usual gloomy attitude and returned the wash bowl. She walked towards the bath and placed her bath towel in the hot water. Just when she was about to get in—
“H-Hey wait…Isuzu-san!”
“What’s the matter?”
Muse grabbed onto Isuzu’s shoulders and picked the towel up out of the water. “Putting your hand towel into the bath is prohibited! Fold it nicely and rest it on your head. Also, you should only enter the bath after scrubbing yourself clean, since others are using the bath too. Otherwise, it’d be unhygienic, right?”
“Unhygienic…?”
Indeed, the park’s financial position had resulted in her being only able to bathe once a day. Isuzu hadn’t had a chance to bathe in 22 hours and 32 minutes, so she couldn’t argue.
She had endured not being able to bathe every 8 hours like usual, but both her body and soul were wilting. How was she supposed to accept the fact that Muse just implied she was dirty?
“H-Hey, don’t make such a sullen face. Anyway, let’s wash up. Over here!”
“…” I only wanted to get in the bath…
Muse brought a rather disappointed Isuzu in front of a mirror, and Isuzu sat down. She wrapped up her soap bar with a hand towel and began to scrub until foam came out. Not wanting to break any more of the unspoken rules in the public bath, she watched Muse’s every action and mimicked them.
I see…so you start by cleaning the right leg, followed by the buttocks and the hips. After that, you carefully scrub the toes on your left leg in small, circular motions.
“I-Is something the matter?” Feeling Isuzu’s intent stare, Muse couldn’t help but stiffen.
“Nothing. Please continue.”
“I would if you weren’t staring at me like that… Wait, don’t tell me you’re into yuri?”
The whole of Muse’s body flushed and contorted in front of Isuzu, who remained silent.
“W-Was that why you invited me? I’m honored, but…I don’t think it’ll work. Having my bare body stared at like that, I…”
“…”
Muse suddenly switched to a neutral tone of voice as she continued. “Honestly, I’ll freak out; I’m not into these things, after all.”
It sounded just like the kind of “one more time and we’re through” warnings given when students in all-girl schools groped their friends to tease them.
Despite that, Isuzu’s gaze did not waver one bit. “…I see. I don’t know what you’re talking about, but please, continue. Otherwise, I won’t be able to enter the bath.”
“Oh, so that’s why you were looking at me like that…my bad. But there’s no need to be so intrusive. Just clean yourself like you normally would.”
“Understood.”
Because Isuzu wanted to get in quickly, she began to scrub her body briefly and rapidly. Seeing that, Muse let out a sigh.
A while later, she called out to Isuzu again. “But then again, Isuzu-san. From a business perspective, we really should be acting a little more yuri at a bath like this.”
Muse suggested this based on some logic from an unknown industry.
“…And what’s this ‘yuri’ thing you’re talking about?”
“You know, just like how I got all flustered when you were looking at me, or being all close and touchy and saying things like ‘Woah Isuzu, your skin is so pretty~’ or ‘Really? Your skin makes me wanna tease you more. Take that!’.”
Isuzu paused, and gave Muse an icy stare. “I never knew you had interests like that…”
“Woah, coming from someone who did that to me earlier? You just betrayed my expectations of you!”
“I don’t get it. Doing that would just be a hassle for both of us. Anyway, let’s talk after we get in.”
“Hey, that’s mean. I just—”
Isuzu interrupted her with a wave of her hand. “I’m going in,” and made her way to the bath. She looked around to check if there were any hostile responses. It appeared that she had the green light this time.
As instructed, Isuzu placed her wet towel on top of her head.
“Ah…” It had been a long time since she’d felt this good. This had to be the origin for the phrase ‘to sink deep into one’s heart’. Indescribable feelings of happiness enveloped her whole body like the water.
Perhaps there were kappas in Isuzu’s bloodline? The ecstasy she felt when she placed the moist towel on top of her head could be proof. Maybe her favorite food being cucumbers had to do with this, too?
At any rate, this was the best sensation she’d felt in a while.
“Sadly, I doubt we can use public baths like this often,” Muse said upon following Isuzu into the bath.
“Yes, you’re right…” Isuzu gazed at the ceiling high above and sighed.
“We’re lacking in funds. At this rate…”
