"Really?" A faint smile graced Erina's lips. She had been worried that Sui might not like her appearance in the kimono.
"Yes, really," Sui reassured her with a smile and a nod. Dressed in the kimono, Erina's usual sharpness was softened, making her appear gentler and more graceful—pure and lovely.
"So, what should we name this group~?" Sōma mused aloud, raising a finger in thought. "Oh! How about the Hot Springs Flower Girls Group?"
"What kind of awful name is that?!" Alice instantly protested, her voice full of indignation.
Erina's forehead creased with irritation as well.
"It sounds like a name for a... hostess club," Megumi remarked with a forced smile.
"Huh? But isn't the boys' group called the Hot Spring Flower Boys Group?" Sōma argued.
"Please don't lump us in with that kind of gigolo group!" Erina snapped, her voice filled with annoyance.
The other two girls quickly nodded in agreement.
"So, how about the Hot Spring Girls Group?" Soma suggested cautiously.
"Isn't that just as bad as the last one?" Alice shouted angrily.
"Maybe... the Hot Spring Student Girls Group? Or the Hot Spring Three Sisters?" Soma offered.
Erina, Alice, and Megumi: "…"
"Your suggestions keep getting worse!" Erina couldn't help but groan.
"Yeah, the names are starting to sound more like an escort service," Megumi added with a half-hearted smile.
"Well, doesn't that mean the first suggestion wasn't so bad after all?" Soma said with a proud laugh.
"Then let's vote on it." Akira suggested, raising his hand. "Who's in favor of the Hot Spring Flower Girls Group?"
Sōma raised his hand as well, and soon, Ryō followed reluctantly. Sui, after giving it some thought, raised his hand too, finding the names quite similar anyway.
"Alright! Four to three. It's settled!" Soma declared triumphantly, clapping his hands together.
The three girls looked defeated. In their minds, they had hoped for a more elegant name—something like Snow Country Girls or Sakura Girls. But no… they were now the "Hot Spring Flower Girls Group." Could the name get any more embarrassing?
"So, what song are you going to sing? Can Alice even sing any Japanese songs?" Sui asked, suddenly concerned. Alice had grown up abroad, and while she spoke fluent nihongo, singing was another matter.
"I haven't really listened to many Japanese songs," Alice admitted, looking a bit troubled.
"I... don't know many either," Erina confessed, blushing.
"Erina, what was that song you sang for me last night?" Sui asked.
"The school song," Erina muttered, her face flushing even more.
"Wait, Miss Erina! You sang for Sui last night?!" Soma blurted out in surprise.
Erina's face turned scarlet, and she stared down at her feet, mortified.
Alice puffed her cheeks in jealousy.
"School song? What's that?" Soma asked, still confused.
"It's the school song of Totsuki Academy. You don't know it, Sōma-kun?" Megumi asked, surprised.
Sui hadn't known either until then, but realizing it was the only song the girls could sing, he suggested, "How about we start with the school song?"
——
Soon, the performance began.
Erina, Alice, and Megumi stood outside the hotel, dressed beautifully in their kimonos, their heads lowered in embarrassment.
"Wait, is Miss Erina(chan) really going to sing?" Eishi, Isshiki, Rindō, and the others stared in shock. It was rare for the usually dignified Erina to do something so out of character.
Erina's cheeks were burning with embarrassment. If it weren't for Sui's request, she would have never agreed to something so mortifying.
"Oh, Erina-chan! This is the first time I've seen you in a kimono. You look beautiful!" Rindō complimented, her eyes shining with admiration. "And the other two girls are gorgeous as well."
"Really?" The three girls beamed at the praise.
"Are you guys accepting more members?" Rindo asked, intrigued.
"Huh? You want to join, Rindō-senpai?" Sui asked in surprise.
"Well, wearing these beautiful kimonos and singing together seems fun! And there's not much else to do at the hotel right now," Rindo smiled.
"By the way, what's your group's name?" Rindo asked.
"Oh, it's the Hot Spring Flower Girls Group," Soma answered, grinning.
Rindō's smile froze instantly, and the rest of the guys were equally speechless.
"If you want to join, senpai, now's the time!" Sui added with a smile.
"I suddenly remembered there's a lot of work left at the hotel. I'll pass," Rindo replied seriously, backing away.
Erina and the others were left speechless, utterly embarrassed by the cringe-worthy name. It sounded tacky and outdated—like something out of a compensation-dating ad.
"Haha! I think it's a great name! It's full of youthful energy, just like our Hot Spring Boys Group!" Isshiki laughed in his bathrobe.
The three girls glared at him, cheeks puffed in frustration. They did 'not' want to be compared to the boys' group.
"What are you planning to sing?" Nene suddenly asked.
"The school song," Megumi replied softly.
Nene: "..."
"The school song is really nice, actually," Megumi added, trying to defend her choice.
"Yeah, I think so too," Erina agreed. She felt proud of Totsuki's anthem.
"And now, please enjoy the performance of the 'Hot Spring Flower Girls Group'!" Sōma suddenly shouted loudly.
"Yukihira! Could you please stop shouting so loudly?" Erina shrieked in a mix of embarrassment and frustration. "And can we please just not mention the group name?"
"Yeah! It sounds like some kind of sketchy show!" Alice added, her cheeks puffed in indignation.
The others were left speechless once again.