At first, Erina was furious when Sui mentioned that she was jealous, dishonest, and rude. But as his words continued, she was left speechless.
"I know your father had a strong influence on you when you were young, and as the heir to the Nakiri family, you felt the need to act cold and ruthless. But the real you is the one who secretly reads comics and gets flustered when you lose at poker," Sui said, his tone serious.
A light blush crept onto Erina's snow-white cheeks, a mixture of embarrassment and tenderness filling her heart. She shyly lowered her head and murmured, "Sui, do you prefer me like this?"
"Of course," Sui nodded. "But it would be even better if you weren't so rude sometimes—and if you learned how to do things like laundry and housework."
A vein popped in Erina's forehead. Just moments ago, she had been touched, but now she was irritated. Without thinking, she lifted her foot and kicked Sui beneath the water. However, Sui swiftly caught her foot.
Erina's ankles were delicate, small enough to fit in one hand, and her skin was silky smooth.
"You... Let go of me!" Erina shouted, her face flushing.
Instead of complying, Sui smiled mischievously and lifted her foot from the water.
Erina gasped as both her long, pale legs emerged from the bath, shimmering in the soft light.
Her embarrassment deepened, her ears turning crimson as she tried to kick him again with her free foot. But Sui caught that one too, leaving her even more flustered. She struggled to pull her feet away, but they were held firmly, leaving her legs feeling weak and powerless.
Leaning toward her, Sui smirked.
"W-What are you trying to do? This is a public bathhouse! This is inappropriate," Erina stammered, a flicker of panic in her violet eyes. "What if a guest comes in?"
"It's fine. All the guests are asleep, and I've locked the door," Sui reassured her, his hands roaming mischievously.
Erina's skin was smooth and supple, with a natural warmth that made Sui's touch linger. Her cheeks flushed even more, and though she glared at him with a mix of anger and amusement, there was also a hint of expectation in her eyes.
——
The next day.
"Wait, Miss Erina is going to sing?" the others asked in surprise.
Erina was kneeling on the ground, her head lowered in embarrassment, her face flushed like a child who had just been caught misbehaving.
"Yes," Sui confirmed. "Although the hotel's occupancy has increased thanks to our table tennis prodigy, it's still not quite at 90%. So we need to introduce a new attraction."
"But… didn't Miss Erina refuse to sing before?" Sōma scratched his head, confused. "She used to get really upset whenever singing was mentioned."
Why was Erina, who had always reacted so strongly against singing, suddenly willing to do it now?
Sōma wasn't alone in his confusion. Alice puffed her cheeks in frustration, glancing from Sui to Erina, clearly jealous of the dynamic between them.
"But I'll only sing for a little while," Erina muttered, her face red. Though she had been resolutely against singing in front of people, Sui's words from the previous night had stayed with her. He had said he preferred her as an ordinary girl rather than as the "Ice Queen" of Totsuki. After thinking about it for a long time, she finally agreed.
"Why don't Alice and Megumi join you? You three could form a girl group," Sui suggested with a grin.
"Huh? M-Me? Sing?" Megumi stammered, her face turning crimson.
"That's settled then," Alice said happily.
Erina breathed a small sigh of relief. With three people performing together, she wouldn't be the center of attention anymore.
"What about costumes?" Yukihira asked.
"Do we have kimonos?" Sui inquired.
"I brought one!" Alice beamed. "I was planning on wearing it after visiting the hot springs."
"Wow, you really packed a lot of things," Erina remarked, a bit surprised.
"Well, Ryoko and the others brought theirs, so I thought I'd bring mine too," Megumi added.
"I didn't bring one," Erina blushed. "But Hisako has hers. I can borrow it."
The three girls returned to the hotel to fetch their kimonos. After a short while, they came back and started changing into their outfits.
When they finally appeared, everyone's eyes widened in awe.
Megumi was dressed in a sky-blue kimono dotted with small red flowers, making her look innocent and sweet. Alice's kimono was a bright red, accentuating her snow-white skin and making her look even more striking with her silver hair and red eyes.
Erina, meanwhile, wore a light pink kimono adorned with a delicate white cherry blossom pattern. Her usual regal aura was softened by the kimono, and there was a gentle warmth in her expression, making her look incredibly pretty and approachable.
"Wow, you all look beautiful!" someone exclaimed.
Alice twirled in front of Sui, a red flower tucked into her hair. "Sui, how do I look? Isn't it beautiful?"
Sui nodded. "You look amazing, Alice." Her already exotic beauty was enhanced by the traditional kimono, making her stand out even more.
"Sui, how do I look?" Erina asked nervously.
"You look the best," Sui said sincerely. Out of the three girls, Erina shone the brightest in her kimono.