Taiki's teeth chattered as the bus rumbled away, leaving them standing in what felt like the Arctic. His thin jacket might as well have been tissue paper against the biting wind.

  "You absolute disaster," Maki scolded, pulling her own puffy winter coat tighter. "Did you seriously come to a mountain resort in that?"

  "I don't exactly have a winter wardrobe lying around," Taiki muttered. "Not all of us grew up taking ski trips."

  Maki's jaw dropped as she stared at Taiki's pathetic excuse for winter wear. "Wait, hold up. You mean you literally don't have ANY winter stuff? Like, at all?"

  "It's not that weird," Taiki mumbled, shoving his hands deeper into his pockets. "My family usually just cranks up the heater."

  Sato, already hauling bags toward the resort entrance, spun around. "Dude, it's going to be below freezing tonight."

  "I brought an extra hoodie," Taiki offered weakly.

  "A hoodie." Maki's voice went flat. "For snow. In the mountains."

  The group fell silent as they rounded the corner to the resort entrance. Taiki's jaw dropped, his cold-induced misery temporarily forgotten.

  Steam rose from multiple outdoor hot springs scattered across the property, creating an ethereal atmosphere against the freezing winter. Traditional wooden architecture blended seamlessly with the forest, the peaked roofs dusted with a layer of snow.

  "Holy..." Taiki breathed.

  The main building looked like something straight out of a travel magazine. Warm light spilled from paper lanterns hanging along the walkway. The reception area beckoned them through massive wooden doors.

  Inside, Taiki's frozen fingers started to tingle as warmth enveloped them. The reception area was a perfect blend of traditional and modern - all clean lines and natural materials, with a sleek wooden counter that looked freshly polished. Comfortable chairs dotted the space, upholstered in deep reds and soft creams that made the whole room feel cozy.

  "This..." Maki spun in a slow circle, taking it all in. "This is way fancier than I expected."

  Sato grinned, clearly pleased with their reactions. "Pretty sweet, right?"

  He strode up to the reception desk with the confidence of someone who'd done this a hundred times, leaving Taiki to huddle near a heating vent.

  "Reservation for four under Rentaki," Sato said, pulling out the confirmation details on his phone.

  The whole thing took maybe five minutes, ending with Sato triumphantly waving four wooden room keys.

  "Follow me!" Sato called out, already heading toward a narrow hallway. "We're in the Maple Wing, second floor."

  Each turn revealed new views of the surrounding mountains through floor-to-ceiling windows.

  "How do you even know where you're going?" Taiki asked, already lost after the third turn.

  "There are literally signs everywhere," Maki pointed out.

  Taiki froze in the doorway, his brain struggling to process what he was seeing. The room wasn't just a room - it was practically a small house. Four neatly arranged futons lay on pristine tatami mats, each with a traditional yukata folded beside it. But that wasn't what made his jaw drop.

  The far wall was entirely glass, offering a panoramic view of snow-dusted mountains and, more importantly, their own private outdoor hot spring.

  "Personal..." Taiki's voice cracked. "We have our own..."

  "Hot spring!" Maki finished, whirling on Sato with wide eyes. "You knew about this?"

  Sato scratched the back of his neck. "I did mention it but you weren't listening enough apparently."

  Maki's brain short-circuited as she stared at their private hot spring again.

  "Sato," she managed finally, her voice squeaking. "When you said your dad got tickets through work, I thought you meant like... a regular inn. Not..." She gestured wildly at the ridiculous view. "Not whatever five-star madness this is!"

  "Oh yeah, Dad's company owns a few shares here or something." Sato shrugged like this was completely normal. "They usually use it for important clients, but there was a cancellation, so..."

  "A few shares," Taiki echoed weakly from his spot by the heater. "Right. Totally normal."

  Maki dropped her bag and flopped onto the nearest futon, staring at the ceiling in disbelief. "I packed cup noodles for this trip. Cup noodles. For a luxury resort."

  "I brought protein bars," Taiki added helpfully.

  "You guys know meals are included, right?" Sato looked between them, genuinely confused. "There's like, three restaurants."

  Maki grabbed a pillow and screamed into it. When she emerged, her hair was sticking up in all directions. "Sato Rentaki, you are literally the most ridiculous rich person I've ever met. Who just casually gets premium hot spring resort tickets and acts like it's no big deal?"

  "Is it that fancy?" Sato glanced around the room. "I mean, it's nice, but-"

  "We have our own hot spring!" Maki cut him off, pointing accusingly at the steaming pool outside. "Our! Own! Hot! Spring!"

  "Well yeah, all the rooms in this wing do-"

  Maki screamed into her pillow again.

  Shiori slid open the door and stepped into the room, her eyes widening as she took in the view. "This is... not what I was picturing when you said hot spring resort."

  "Right?" Maki gestured wildly at their surroundings. "Look at this place! All the food is included too!"

  "Yeah, of course." Sato nodded, then paused. "Oh, but we'll need proper outfits for dinner."

  The room went dead silent. Taiki's brain stuttered to a halt as he processed those words.

  "I'm sorry, what now?" Maki sat up from her futon. "Outfits? Like, you mean a nice t-shirt or something, right?"

  "Nah," Sato waved his hand dismissively. "Like, proper elegant outfits. You know, formal wear."

  Taiki looked down at his sad collection of hoodies and sweatpants. "Define 'formal wear.'"

  "Oh god," Shiori whispered, realization dawning on her face. "This is one of those places where you need a jacket and tie for dinner, isn't it?"

  "Well, yeah." Sato blinked at them, confusion evident on his face. "Didn't you guys pack nice clothes?"

  Maki flopped back onto her futon with a groan. "Sato, I brought track pants and Christmas sweaters. The nicest thing I packed is a cardigan that doesn't have holes in it."

  "Well, that settles it." Taiki turned abruptly and headed for the sliding door. "I'm just gonna go drown myself in the hot spring now. It's been real, everyone."

  "Wait, what?" Sato lunged forward, grabbing the back of Taiki's pathetic excuse for a jacket. "Where are you going?"

  "To embrace death by hot water," Taiki said matter-of-factly, still trying to slide the door open while Sato held him back. "It's less embarrassing than showing up to a fancy restaurant in my Pokemon t-shirt."

  "You brought a Pokemon shirt?" Maki's voice cracked with barely contained laughter.

  "It's Pikachu in a santa hat," Taiki defended, still struggling against Sato's grip. "It's festive!"

  "Dude, stop trying to escape." Sato yanked Taiki back inside. "We can figure this out."

  "Nope, too late. Death by hot spring is my only option now." Taiki made another break for the door. "I've accepted my fate."

  Shiori's fingers flew across her phone screen as Taiki continued his dramatic attempts to escape. "Wait, there's a shop in the resort that's still open. We've got..." She checked the time. "About two hours before they close."

  "Oh thank god." Maki jolted upright from her futon. "This is way more important. Taiki needs, like, actual winter clothes before he freezes to death."

  "I do not-" Taiki started to protest, but a violent shiver betrayed him.

  "Dude, your lips are literally blue," Sato pointed out.

  "That's a fashion choice," Taiki muttered.

  Shiori tucked her phone away, already moving toward the door. "Come on, we can get formal wear and proper winter clothes in one trip. The shop's in the main building."

  "I don't need-" Taiki began.

  "If you say you don't need winter clothes one more time while literally shaking from cold, I will throw you in the snow," Maki threatened, grabbing his arm and steering him toward the door. "Besides, you can't hide in the room all weekend. We have to eat eventually."

  "I brought protein bars," Taiki reminded her weakly.

  "Yeah, no." Maki pushed him into the hallway. "We're not letting you survive on protein bars at a fancy resort. That's just sad."

  "Fine," Taiki sighed, accepting his fate. "But I'm not getting anything expensive."

  Shiori and Maki exchanged glances behind his back, both knowing full well that "not expensive" probably wasn't an option at a resort like this. But they'd cross that bridge when they got to it.

  Taiki stood awkwardly in the resort's boutique as Sato held up what felt like the hundredth jacket against his shoulders.

  "This one's perfect," Sato declared, exactly like he had for the last five jackets.

  "They're all literally black," Taiki muttered, but let Sato drape another one over him anyway.

  A few racks over, Maki held up a deep blue dress. "Hey Shiori, bet this would make a certain setter drop his jaw."

  "I don't- that's not-" Shiori fumbled with the hanger she was holding, nearly knocking over an entire display of scarves.

  "Real smooth," Maki snickered.

  "At least I don't spend extra time at volleyball practice just to watch someone's serves," Shiori shot back, regaining her composure.

  Maki's face went red. "I do not! I'm just... studying different sports. For research."

  "Sure." Shiori held up a burgundy dress. "Speaking of form, this would look amazing on you. Especially during, you know, volleyball practice viewing sessions."

  "I hate you," Maki grumbled, but she took the dress anyway. "But only slightly less than I hate how right you are about this dress."

  Meanwhile, Taiki's voice carried over from the men's section: "Sato, I swear to god, if you try to put one more jacket on me-"

  "But this one has elbow patches!"

  "I don't even know what those are!"

  After what felt like an eternity of jacket-trying and dress-shopping torture, Taiki collapsed onto his futon, surrounded by shopping bags he didn't even want to think about right now. The others sprawled out similarly across their bedding.

  "Finally," Taiki muttered into his pillow. "Peace."

  "Oh!" Maki suddenly shot upright like she'd been electrocuted. "It's already six! Perfect timing for the hot springs before dinner." She pointed to one side of the room. "Girls can take the right side and boys can-"

  She froze mid-gesture, her face doing an impressive journey from excitement to horror in about two seconds flat. Slowly, she turned to Sato, who was already half-asleep on his futon.

  "Hey, Sato?" Her voice came out squeaky. "Quick question. How many hot springs does this place have?"

  Sato blinked at her, confused. "One? Obviously?" He propped himself up on his elbows. "Why are you looking at me like that? You were the one going on about how excited you were for the private spring earlier."

  "ONE?! What do you mean ONE?"

  "I mean... one hot spring? The private one? For our room?" Sato looked genuinely puzzled by her reaction. "Is that... not good?"

  Maki's brain melted as she stared at Sato's completely innocent expression. How was this volleyball-obsessed himbo not understanding the problem?

  "Same gender!" she finally squeaked out. "Hot springs are for people of the same gender! Like, girls with girls and boys with boys and definitely not... not..." She flailed her arms wildly between the four of them.

  "Oh." Sato's face scrunched up in thought. "OH."

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  "Yeah, 'oh!'" Maki grabbed her pillow and buried her face in it to muffle a scream.

  Taiki suddenly sat bolt upright. "Wait, we have to share? Like, all of us? Together?"

  "No!" Maki threw her pillow at him. "We obviously have to take turns! Because some of us," she glared pointedly at Sato, "didn't think this through!"

  "The website said private spring," Sato defended weakly. "I thought that meant... you know... private."

  "It is private," Shiori spoke up for the first time, though she seemed very interested in studying the tatami mat pattern. "Just... not private enough."

  "We'll make a schedule," Maki declared, already pulling out her phone. "Girls first, then boys-"

  "Hey, wait up!" Taiki cut Maki short, sitting up straighter. "Why girls first? I want to go now too!"

  Three pairs of eyes turned to stare at him.

  "I mean- that's not- I just-" he stammered, wishing he could melt into his futon. "I'm exhausted from shopping and my muscles hurt and the hot spring sounds really nice right now and-"

  "Aww, is someone cranky because Sato made him try on too many jackets?" Maki teased.

  "Seventeen jackets!" Taiki held up his fingers for emphasis. "Seventeen! And they were all black!"

  "They were different shades of black," Sato corrected seriously. "And the elbow patches-"

  "I still don't know what those are!" Taiki flopped back onto his futon.

  Sato's shoulders slumped as he looked at his friends. "I'm really sorry, guys. I just... with the whole dorm situation and everything at school being mixed, I didn't even think to check about the hot springs. I wanted to do something nice for everyone, and instead I kinda made it weird."

  Taiki watched as genuine distress crossed Sato's face.

  "I should have read the details more carefully," Sato continued, running a hand through his hair. "The company gave me these amazing tickets, and I got so excited about bringing everyone here that I-"

  "Hey." Shiori moved closer, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "It's fine, Sato. Really." Her voice carried warmth. "The fact you even thought to include us, to plan this whole thing... that's already such an incredible gift."

  Shiori's hand remained steady on Sato's shoulder as she continued, "Besides, when you think about it, this whole gender separation thing is kind of silly at this point." She shrugged, trying to keep her voice casual. "I mean, I literally live with Taiki. We share a bathroom, kitchen, everything. A hot spring is just... a really big bathtub, right?"

  Taiki choked on air at her words, suddenly finding the ceiling absolutely fascinating.

  "Actually..." Maki tilted her head, considering. "You've got a point. I've been living with this volleyball nerd for three months now." She jerked a thumb at Sato. "And somehow civilization hasn't collapsed."

  "Hey!" Sato protested.

  "We could just..." Shiori gestured vaguely with her free hand. "Split the spring in half?"

  "Yeah," Maki nodded slowly, warming to the idea. "Boys on one side, girls on the other. We're basically doing that already with our living situations anyway."

  "Exactly," Shiori said, relief evident in her voice. "It doesn't have to be weird unless we make it weird."

  Taiki cleared his throat, his face burning as he forced himself to speak up. "Um, actually... there might be another solution."

  Everyone turned to look at him, which definitely didn't help him.

  "I mean, normally hot springs are supposed to be... you know..." He gestured vaguely. "Without... clothes."

  Maki's eyes went wide. "Taiki!"

  "No! That's not- I meant-" Taiki waved his hands frantically. "We could just wear swimsuits! Like, proper swimming clothes. That way we don't have to worry about the whole... naked thing... or splitting the spring in half."

  "Oh!" Sato perked up. "That's actually really smart! I think I even packed my practice swimsuit."

  "You packed a swimsuit for a winter mountain resort?" Maki raised an eyebrow.

  "An athlete should always be prepared!" Sato declared with his usual enthusiasm.

  "I... might have brought mine too," Shiori admitted quietly. "For the indoor pool."

  "There's an indoor pool?" Taiki and Maki asked simultaneously.

  "See?" Sato beamed. "Now we can all enjoy the hot spring together, properly dressed, no weird dividing lines needed."

  "That's... actually not a terrible idea," Maki conceded, looking at Taiki with newfound respect. "Who knew you could be practical when you're not busy being sarcastic?"

  "It happens sometimes," Taiki muttered. "Usually by accident."

  His brain finally caught up with his mouth, and he felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over his head. What had he just suggested? Swimsuits? With Shiori and Maki? His supposedly brilliant solution suddenly felt like the worst idea in the history of terrible ideas.

  This was fine. Everything was fine. He'd just... suggested going swimming. With his roommate. Who he definitely didn't think about in any way other than strictly platonic, completely normal roommate thoughts.

  "You okay there?" Maki's voice cut through his spiral. "You look like you're about to pass out."

  "I'm fine!" Taiki's voice cracked. "Totally fine. Just... thinking about... proper hot spring etiquette."

  "Uh-huh." Maki's knowing smirk made him want to dissapear. "Sure you are."

  Shiori stood up from her futon, stretching her arms overhead. "Well, I don't know about you guys, but that spring is calling my name. Might as well test out our new swimsuit solution before dinner."

  "Don't forget to wash up first!" Sato called out. "The signs say you have to shower before entering the spring."

  "Thanks, Coach," Shiori teased, grabbing her bag. "Any other hot spring rules you want to share? Maybe a lecture on proper water temperature regulation?"

  "Actually-" Sato perked up.

  "No!" Maki threw a pillow at him. "No lectures. Let the girl enjoy her soak in peace."

  Shiori laughed, heading toward the changing area. "I'll try not to use up all the hot water before you guys get in."

  "As if that's possible," Maki snorted. "It's a hot spring. It's literally in the name."

  "Watch me," Shiori called back with a grin, disappearing around the corner.

  Maki grabbed her bag and headed toward the changing area, shooting Taiki one last knowing smirk. He flopped back onto his futon, hoping maybe if he lay still enough, everyone would forget he existed.

  "Come on!" Sato nudged Taiki's shoulder with his foot. "We should change too. The water's perfect after a long day of shopping."

  "I think I'll just... stay here," Taiki mumbled into his pillow. "You know, guard the room. Someone has to make sure no one steals all those incredibly important black jackets."

  "Different shades of black," Sato corrected automatically. "And no way. This was your idea, remember?"

  Taiki groaned. "Why do people keep listening to my ideas? That's literally never ended well for anyone."

  "First time for everything!" Sato was already digging through his bag for his swimsuit. "Besides, you can't skip the hot spring. It's like... a mandatory part of the resort experience."

  "You know what else was mandatory? Sports." Taiki rolled onto his back to glare at the ceiling. "And look how well that turned out."

  "Actually, that turned out great," Sato pointed out. "You're our starting setter now."

  "That's... not the point," Taiki grumbled, though he couldn't exactly argue with Sato's logic. "The point is-"

  "The point is you're stalling," Sato cut him off, tossing Taiki's bag at him. "Come on, get changed. Unless you want the girls to finish before we even get in?"

  Taiki sat up with a sigh, knowing he'd lost this battle. "Fine. But if I drown in there, I'm haunting you first."

  Maki and Shiori shuffled out of the changing room, their teeth already chattering in the mountain air. Maki hugged herself, her pink bikini offering exactly zero protection against the cold.

  "Whose brilliant idea was swimsuits again?" Maki grumbled, hopping from foot to foot on the freezing stone path.

  "Taiki's," Shiori reminded her. "Though right now I'm questioning his judgment."

  "You're always defending him," Maki teased through chattering teeth. "Even when he's clearly lost his mind."

  "I am not-" Shiori started to protest, but cut herself off as they rounded the corner and saw their private spring. Steam rose from the surface of the water, curling into the crisp evening air. Stone lanterns cast a warm glow over the natural rock formations, and the surrounding bamboo created a secluded paradise.

  "Oh wow," Maki breathed, momentarily forgetting about the cold. "This is..."

  "Perfect," Shiori finished, padding carefully toward the water's edge.

  When she dipped her toe in, Shiori let out a small gasp that turned into a sigh of pure bliss. The heat seeped into her limbs immediately, melting away all remaining tension. Without hesitation, she slipped into the spring, submerging herself up to her shoulders in the warm water.

  "Well?" Maki called from the edge, still doing her impression of a frozen penguin. "Is it as good as it looks?"

  Shiori just hummed contentedly in response, too relaxed to form actual words.

  "You know you could've worn your yukata until getting in, right?" Sato's amused voice called out from behind them. He stood there in his own dark blue yukata, looking annoyingly warm and comfortable as he watched Maki's miserable hopping dance.

  Maki spun around, nearly slipping on the stones. "Are you kidding me? That was an option?" Her voice cracked with indignation. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

  "I thought it was obvious?" Sato grinned, leaning against the bamboo fence. "It's what most people do at hot springs."

  "I hate when you're right," Maki groaned. "I really, really hate it."

  Without another word, she marched straight into the spring, creating a small tidal wave as she plunged in next to Shiori.

  "Oh my god," she moaned, sinking deeper until just her head remained above water. "I take it back. This was worth freezing for."

  Maki tried very hard not to stare as Sato shrugged off his yukata, but her eyes had other plans. The volleyball training had clearly been good to him - he wasn't bulky like some athletes, but lean and toned in all the right places. She quickly dunked her head under the water, hoping the heat would explain away the sudden flush in her cheeks.

  When she resurfaced, she caught Shiori giving her a knowing smirk. Great.

  Sato, completely oblivious to the effect he was having, stretched his arms overhead before stepping into the spring.

  "The water's perfect," Sato sighed, settling in across from them. His dark blue swim shorts rippled under the surface as he got comfortable.

  "Mhm," was all Maki could manage.

  "Where's Taiki?" Shiori asked.

  Sato frowned at the boy's changing room door. "He was right behind me. Hey, Taiki!" he called out. "You coming?"

  On the other side of the door, Taiki stood frozen in his black swim shorts, hand hovering over the handle. He'd been ready for five whole minutes, but his feet refused to move.

  "I'm fine!" he squeaked back, his voice betraying him entirely. "Just... checking the water temperature through the wall. With my mind."

  He heard Maki's snort of laughter from outside.

  Taiki slumped against the wall, running a hand through his hair. This was ridiculous. Sato had just walked out there like it was nothing, all confidence and apparently zero awareness that this situation was completely insane.

  "Taiki," Sato's voice came again, closer to the door this time. "If you don't come out, I'm coming in to get you."

  "You wouldn't dare."

  "Try me. I've carried harder-to-move players off the volleyball court."

  Taiki sighed. There really was no escape - Sato would absolutely follow through on that threat, and being dragged out would be infinitely more embarrassing than walking out on his own.

  With trembling fingers, Taiki grabbed his yukata and wrapped it around himself. He triple-checked the knot, making absolutely certain nothing could possibly go wrong. Taking one final deep breath, he slid open the door and stepped out.

  Keeping his eyes locked straight ahead at a particularly fascinating piece of bamboo, Taiki shuffled toward the spring.

  "Finally!" Maki's voice called out. "We thought you'd gotten lost in there."

  "I was... organizing the towels," Taiki muttered. "Very messy. Someone should really talk to management about their towel situation."

  "The towels are in perfect order," Sato said. "I checked myself."

  "Um, Taiki?" Maki's voice cut through his bamboo-induced trance. "You know you can't actually get in wearing that, right?"

  "I can't?" Taiki asked, his voice squeaking slightly. "Are we sure about that? Maybe if I just... sort of... dip in very carefully..."

  "That's it." Maki splashed some water in his direction, making him jump. "Either get in or go back inside, but stop being weird about it. We're all wearing swimsuits, it's fine!"

  Taiki risked a glance at the spring, immediately regretting it when he caught sight of Shiori. She was politely looking away, but even the side of her face was enough to make his brain explode again.

  "The bamboo's not going anywhere," Sato called out.

  Taiki sighed in defeat. "Fine. Whatever. It's fine. This is fine."

  In one quick motion, like ripping off a band-aid, he shrugged off his yukata and-

  Maki's brain stopped. She blinked rapidly, trying to process what she was seeing. Since when did Taiki have actual muscles? Those early morning practice sessions had apparently done way more than just improve his setting. His shoulders had definition she'd never noticed before, and his arms...

  She elbowed Shiori, who seemed suddenly very interested in studying the rock formations. When Shiori didn't respond, Maki jabbed her again.

  "Shiori," she whispered urgently, leaning close to her friend's ear. "You might want to actually look at this. Trust me."

  Shiori remained stubbornly focused on the rocks, though Maki noticed her friend's cheeks had turned an interesting shade of pink.

  "Seriously," Maki hissed.

  Shiori finally allowed herself a quick peek, immediately regretting her decision.

  "Oh my god," she whispered frantically into Maki's ear.

  Sato let out a low whistle, eyeing Taiki with newfound appreciation. "Since when are you ripped like that? I thought you never did sports before volleyball?"

  Taiki shifted uncomfortably, sinking quickly into the water to hide. "It's just genetics," he muttered, "My dad's side of the family is all like this. And I guess the volleyball training helped tone things up a bit."

  Taiki had strategically positioned himself as far from the others as physically possible while still technically being in the same spring.

  "Alright but..." Sato's voice cut through the mist, tinged with amusement. "Are you planning on staying that far from us?"

  Taiki hugged his knees to his chest. "I can hear you perfectly fine from here," he called back. "Great acoustics in this spring. Really top-notch engineering."

  Sato sighed. Before Taiki could react, he felt movement in the water. Through the steam, he caught Sato's approaching figure.

  "Wait, what are you-" Taiki started to protest.

  Sato's hand clamped down on Taiki's arm, and with one smooth motion he yanked Taiki through the water toward the others.

  Taiki flailed helplessly as he was dragged across the spring. "This is assault!" he yelped, trying and failing to break free from Sato's grip. "I'm pretty sure this violates some kind of hot spring etiquette!"

  The steam parted as Sato deposited him directly in front of Maki and Shiori, who were both failing miserably at hiding their laughter.

  "See? Much better than skulking in the corner," Sato said, leaning back against the rocks.

  Maki snickered. "I don't know, he might actually spontaneously combust if he stays this close to Shiori."

  "I will literally pay you to stop talking," Taiki muttered, sinking lower into the water.

  Taiki felt like his skin was starting to prune after fifteen minutes of awkwardly trying to keep his eyes fixed on anything but Shiori.

  "I think I'm done," he announced abruptly, standing up before immediately realizing his mistake and dropping back into the water with a splash. "Actually, maybe you guys should go first."

  Sato chuckled. "Nah, let's head out. The girls probably want some time to themselves anyway."

  Taiki waited until Sato had wrapped himself in his yukata before attempting to exit again, this time making sure to grab his own robe before fully emerging from the spring.

  As the boys disappeared into their changing room, Maki and Shiori remained frozen in place for approximately three seconds before simultaneously whipping around to face each other.

  "Oh my god," Shiori whispered frantically.

  "Oh my GOD," Maki echoed, her eyes wide.

  "OH MY GOD," they both hissed in unison.

  "Did you see-" Shiori started.

  "His shoulders?" Maki finished. "Girl, I saw everything. When did that happen?"

  "I thought he was just..." Shiori gestured vaguely, her face flushed bright red. "You know, normal Taiki-shaped!"

  "Normal Taiki-shaped!" Maki wheezed, trying to keep her voice down. "Oh my god, you're so far gone."

  "I am not-" Shiori splashed water at her friend. "Okay, maybe I am. But did you see Sato? Don't think I didn't notice you staring!"

  "Oh my god, shut up," Maki groaned, sinking lower into the water. "This is about your crisis, not mine!"

  Shiori sank deeper into the hot spring, letting the water cover her burning cheeks. "How did we not notice? We literally live with them!"

  "I know!" Maki threw her hands up, sending droplets flying. "I see Sato doing push-ups in our living room every morning, but..." She trailed off.

  "And Taiki's always wearing those baggy hoodies," Shiori mumbled into the water. "I mean, I knew he was getting stronger from volleyball, but..."

  "But you didn't expect that," Maki finished with a knowing smirk. "Girl, you should've seen your face when he took off that yukata. I thought you were going to pass out."

  "Says the one who couldn't string two words together when Sato got in," Shiori shot back.

  "That's..." Maki splashed water at her friend. "That's completely different! I was just... appreciating good volleyball form."

  "Volleyball form?" Shiori raised an eyebrow. "Is that what we're calling it now?"

  "Oh my god, stop," Maki groaned, sliding down until only her eyes remained above water. After a moment, she resurfaced with a thoughtful expression. "But seriously, how do we live with them and miss... all of that? I mean, Sato's literally in our kitchen doing stretches every morning while I'm eating cereal."

  "And Taiki's always walking around in those oversized t-shirts after practice," Shiori added. "I just assumed he was... you know, normal under there!"

  "Normal?" Maki snorted. "What does that even mean?"

  "I don't know!" Shiori buried her face in her hands. "Not... that!"

  Maki leaned back against the smooth rocks. "I mean, with Sato, you kind of expect it, right? He's a volleyball player, always training, constantly doing those annoying morning workouts in our living room. Like, you know he's going to be..." She waved her hand vaguely in the air. "Nice to look at."

  "Nice to look at?" Shiori raised an eyebrow.

  "Oh, shut up. You know what I mean. But Taiki? That was just... what the hell? Since when does the guy who complains about running laps have actual muscles?"

  "Right?" Shiori's voice came out higher than intended. "I thought all that whining about practice meant he was, you know..."

  "A noodle?" Maki supplied helpfully.

  "Maki!"

  "What? I'm just saying! He's always going on about how he hates sports and exercise and everything athletic. Then he takes off that yukata and suddenly he's got..." Maki gestured expressively with both hands. "All of that going on? That's just unfair. No wonder you're broken."

  "I am not broken," Shiori protested weakly.

  Maki suddenly went rigid in the water. "Oh," she whispered. Then louder, "OH."

  Shiori's head snapped up, panic flashing across her face. "What? What's wrong?"

  "The restaurant," Maki said slowly, a grin spreading across her face. "Remember those fancy outfits we had to buy? The dress code?"

  "Yes?" Shiori's brow furrowed in confusion.

  Maki turned to face her friend. "Think about it. We just saw them in swimsuits. In less than an hour, we're going to see them in formal wear." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "That's two completely different kinds of views in one evening."

  "Oh," Shiori squeaked.

  "Exactly," Maki said, looking entirely too pleased with herself. "Those nice fitted jackets they bought? The dress shirts? We're getting a whole different kind of show at dinner."