Chapter 13: 12

Today, as ever, my life of confinement continues.

As usual, my living space is this small living room.

A landscape that does not change.

But there have been some positive changes.

One example of those is that I can now wake up refreshed from sleep.

Because until now, the things that woke me up from sleep were the sounds of trucks passing outside, announcements of garbage collection or the sound of motorbikes roaring.

It was not very pleasant to be woken up by them, which are classified as so-called noise.

But now, it is the sound of her cooking breakfast that prompts me to wake up from sleep.

The sound of boiling water.

The sound of a knife moving rhythmically – not quite regularly, but rhythmically.

The odd noises are much less frequent, and I can hear her humming.

It’s a song I don’t know.

For me, who had lived alone ever since I became a mangaka, it is a somewhat nostalgic and relieving sensation.

I glance through the door and see what looks  like a recipe book beside her.

These days when you can search for any number of recipes with a single smartphone, I can sense her seriousness in daring to choose a paper book.

At the same time, I feel a little sorry for making her work all the time.

However, there is not much I can do as I am locked up.

After thinking about it for a while, I started doing light exercises and muscle training.

I need to make sure that my body doesn’t get sluggish from living in confinement, and I feel that moderate exercise keeps my mind sharp and helps me to be more creative.

Then, after about two sets of push-ups, sit-ups and thigh raises, as well as radio callisthenics for as long as I can remember, breakfast is ready.

When I thankfully finish it, a washbasin with water and a glass of water are brought to me in exchange for the empty tray. I brush my teeth with it, wash my face and I’m done with my morning preparations.

Then, after cleaning up everything, she comes to my room.

The rest of the day is spent drawing her and manga as long as I can concentrate.

In no time at all, it’s evening.

“『Your bath is ready.』”

A female voice announces with a distinctive melody.

With that as a signal, my work is finished.

“Bath.”

“Yes.”

The chains are removed and I am taken to the bathroom.

No, I’m already heading towards there myself.

“I’ve already put in the bath salts today.”

Just before I enter the changing room, she mutters.

“Oh, the one I asked for before. Thank you.”

“….”

She nods silently and turns her back.

She cooks dinner while I take a bath.

I take a shower and wash myself.

Feeling excited, I open the bathtub lid.

‘……What is this?’

I can’t believe my eyes.

There is jet-black water there, as if it has been sprayed with ink.

Bubbles are also rising.

But the smell is amazing.

It has the aroma of Hakone, Yufuincho and Kusatsu all mixed together. There is also a hint of curry. What on earth is this bath salts? 

Is it a smell or an odour? It’s already the last line.

‘But it’s the bath salts that she put in here.’

I tell myself that and put my feet in the bathtub.

At first it felt slippery and uncomfortable, but after a while of full-body immersion, it feels like it is sticking to my body and surprisingly, I don’t feel bad.

The sensation is similar to the mud baths in the hot springs in Kyushu.

I close my eyes and sink my body until my chin is immersed in the hot water.

Immersed in paradise.

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“How is it?”

The nirvana is instantly broken.

When I open my eyes, Bodhisattva is there, dressed in a bath towel.

“Wa,puff, what’s wrong?”

I say, wiping the hot water that almost entered my mouth with the back of my hand.

The girl’s vital areas are hidden, but her cleavage, the very edge of her upper breast is exposed and her bottom is also hidden, with only about the same area as a man’s boxer shorts.

Even if I try to avert my eyes, I can’t help but acknowledge that she is in the narrow bathroom.

In the warm light, her white skin looks softer than usual.

“I’m coming in.”

“Aaa, yes. What about cooking? You don’t leave the fire on or anything, do you?”

I bring up such a topic as if to divert the spearhead of my lust to food.

“I’m soaking it right now.”

[アク抜き中]

She replies curtly.

“Well, that’s fine, but, I mean, what are these bath salts called?”

I show her the water that I have scooped. 

“I mixed all the ones that seemed to have a good reputation. I don’t know which one will work.”

She says with her eyes wide open.

I can’t see well through the mask, but I think she looks kind of proud.

‘That’s a very meshimazu idea…..’

[TL: very bad メシマズ]

The word [I’m sorry] is almost in my throat, but I hold it in.

“Aa. That’s good news. Well, I’ll go out first.”

“It’s fine.”

She restrains me with her hand as I try to get up from the bathtub and comes closer to me.

“But it’s too small, right?”

“It’s fine. We’re not gonna waste it. And it’s a hassle to reconnect the chains.”

[TL: 節約 The girl uses ‘Setsuyaku’, which means saving/conserve but I alter it to not wasting it, hope it’s okay.]

She dunks one foot in the hot water to check the temperature.

Sure, we may be saving on the utility bills if we both go in together but that’s the kind of thing parents and children or cohabiting couples do.

“Oh, um, can you at least wear your school swimming cosplay like before?”

“Baths should be taken naked.”

She insists and finally sits on the edge of the bathtub.

I shrink back as far as I can and move closer to the edge.

“Then at least leave the bath towel on …..”

“It’s bad manners to put a towel in the hot water.”

The girl does as she says, twirling and rolling up the end of the bath towel, and sinks her body into the bathtub.

She was supposed to be clumsy, but her skill was superb and her important parts were completely invisible.

Perhaps all girls have acquired the skill of changing without exposing their skin since they were in elementary school when swimming lessons began?

Or perhaps it is good manners to take a bath with a mask on.

“….. You’re Japanese.”

I give up resisting with such a random thought.

“I’ll stretch my legs.”

“Okay.”

“You too.”

“……Yes.”

From a gymnastic sitting position, I slowly stretch out my legs.

My legs and the girl’s legs alternate at the bottom of the bathtub.

Occasionally, her toes brush against my thighs, and to be honest, I’m not too keen on it.

‘It’s a moderately exciting day, even if it doesn’t look the same.’

Apparently, my confinement is being upgraded on a daily basis.

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