"This place is already soaked through... so much water’s leaking out... Zixuan..."

"Hmm... it can’t be helped. I can’t control how tight this gap is..."

"It looks really narrow. I wonder if it’ll even fit..."

"N-no problem! It’s just... yours is so thick. But if you push a little harder, it should go in..."

"We need lubricant for this! Wait here—I’ll grab some. It’ll slide in easier after that... wait—"

"But this lubricant looks super slippery... What if I can’t hold it steady? What if it slips sideways..."

"Don’t worry! It’s always tricky at first. It’ll get smoother once we start."

"I-it’s in...! Please stop wiggling! It’s crooked again—putting it back is such a hassle!"

"I can’t help it! This space is so tight, and I can’t see properly—you guide me properly instead!"

"Fine... but stop fidgeting! I can barely hold it... don’t keep shaking like that..."

"Can I push now?"

"Mm... maybe move a bit faster..."

"Tch... almost out... Didn’t expect this to take so long and be so fiddly..."

"Mm... it’s coming out!"

"Out!"

I pulled my arm from the narrow gap between the bathtub and the wall. Without lubricant, my hand wouldn’t have fit at all. My left forearm was slightly red from rubbing against the tiles. I tossed the smallest wrench back into the toolbox, then slumped over the tub’s edge to rest. Who’d have thought I’d crouch here nearly half an hour? My head spun.

"Seriously... you’re surprisingly handy!"

The girl slowly stood up in the tub. Zixuan stretched her stiff legs after crouching so long. She was fully dressed in the navy tracksuit I’d lent her. I’d mentally prepared for possible nudity before entering the bathroom—but nope. Give me back that nervous flutter from earlier!

"Of course..." I shamelessly accepted the praise.

"But are you okay? Did you hit anything when you slipped? Should I get ointment?"

Just as I’d guessed, her earlier scream was from slipping in the tub. The culprit was the loose pipe joint in this narrow gap—spraying water until I fixed it.

"It’s fine. My butt’s a little sore, but nothing serious." She nodded, stepping one smooth foot onto the wet floor. "You hesitated so long at the door though... were you imagining something else?"

"Of course not! Don’t be silly!"

*Okay, fine—I totally overthought it. Who wouldn’t get nervous entering a girl’s bathroom right after her shower? Unless you’re dead inside!* I’d rehearsed what to say, how to act if she was naked or half-dressed—but she was fully clothed! Give me back that door-jamming anxiety!

"You totally pictured me naked or half-naked, didn’t you? If you want to see... I’ll show you right now."

She braced one hand on the wall beside me, the other on the tub’s edge, leaning close. Before her face reached mine, her damp hair brushed my cheek, sending tingles down my spine. Her warm breath slipped into my ear. Something soft pressed against my back—a jolt shot through me, making my scalp prickle—

"You really love joking around... don’t overthink it. I’d never imagine weird stuff. Impossible. Totally impossible..." I turned my head away, trying to create distance. But Zixuan immediately pouted.

"Why pull away? Do you hate me that much? When I love you so much!"

Whining like a spoiled child, she pressed her full weight against my back. That softness flattened against me like a suction cup. Clothes separated us, but the sensation crashed straight into my brain, screaming:

*『This is heaven! Let me feel this forever—I’d die happy!』*

—utterly useless data.

"As ordinary acquaintances? I don’t dislike you. But beyond that? Nothing."

Somehow, my scrambled brain gave a proper reply. It was true—I kept Zixuan at arm’s length. Preferably longer.

"How cruel! To teach this heartless man a lesson... I’ll punish you!"

"Wait—punish? I’m not heartless! Mmph—!"

Before I could protest, softness enveloped me. She clamped onto my back, chin digging into my shoulder, arms locked tight around my chest. Her grip stole my breath between pain and dizzying warmth.

"Help!" I yelled along with her antics. Then another voice cut through—

"Kohara?! What’s wrong? Where are you? I’m coming!"

*Mengxiang.* My childhood friend’s voice rang from the living room. Since when did she have my keys? Oh right—since we became neighbors.

I slapped wildly at the girl clinging to me. My hands hit something soft and springy, drawing strange squeaks from her.

The bathroom door flew open. A scream pierced the air—

"KYAAAAH!!!"

"Kohara?! Wh-what disgraceful thing are you doing?! Who is this girl?! How could you spank a stranger’s bottom?!"

*Huh?!* My hands froze on that elastic softness. I squeezed once. If anything besides breasts felt this springy... it had to be a girl’s backside.

"...If I said this was an accident... would you believe me?"