Knock knock knock!
Rapid footsteps struck the floor with dull thuds. To Sato, they sounded like death warrants approaching one after another.
One after another, the girls poured out from the rooms, and in the blink of an eye the entire corridor was packed with silhouettes.
When did you all gather together again?
Sato could not help complaining inwardly. Then he remembered why Hirasawa Ui had come here in the first place, and confusion rose in his heart.
Then what exactly had she come here for just now?
The accident had come too suddenly, like a tornado. No matter how he thought about it, he could not figure it out.
Very quickly, the chaotic footsteps stopped abruptly in front of him. Sato looked up and saw pairs of beautiful eyes sparkling like morning stars staring fixedly at him.
"Sato, what did you do to Ui?"
"Ui's condition looked really strange! Did you bully her?"
"You even bullied Ui? Nohara-kun, that's really awful of you!"
The girls bombarded him with accusations all at once. It looked exactly like a newlywed wife returning to her parents' home after being wronged by her in-laws, bringing her entire family over to demand justice.
"I really didn't do anything..."
Sato defended himself while sighing.
He had only unconsciously recited a line of poetry earlier. Since it was not intentional, that should not count, right?
"No way!"
Ritsu looked at him suspiciously. Suddenly her expression changed and she pointed at him with a gasp.
"You didn't flirt with Ui just now, did you?!"
"Nani?!"
Yui's expression instantly changed upon hearing this. The way she looked at Sato immediately became pitiful and aggrieved.
"Ui's face really was red just now!"
"She buried her face in the blanket the moment she got back. Could she have been crying?"
"It didn't seem like crying though. We didn't hear any sound, but... her face, neck, and ears were all red!"
"Could it have been... sexual harassment?"
Yuigahama Yui guessed cautiously.
The corridor suddenly fell silent.
Countless gazes landed on Sato's somewhat stiff expression.
Then the discussions resumed, though much quieter than before.
"Sato is that impatient? We just arrived at the hot spring inn, right? Shouldn't this kind of thing wait until a nighttime sneak attack?"
"Ritsu! What are you even saying?!"
"Hehe, Mio, why are you blushing?"
"Isn't Onii-chan in there? We can just ask him to verify it!"
"That makes sense!"
"Hikigaya!"
Suddenly, the cool and composed Yukinoshita Yukino looked toward Hikigaya Hachiman inside the room, her expression calm yet full of pressure.
Gulp!
Faced with all those eyes staring at him, Hikigaya Hachiman felt uncomfortable all over.
"I'm asking you, answer honestly!"
"Y-Yes... yes!"
Yukinoshita Yukino glanced at Sato with a complicated look, took a slight breath, and asked in a low voice,
"H-He... didn't sexually harass her just now, right?"
Hiss... that question?
Hikigaya Hachiman glanced at the twitching Sato, and suddenly felt extremely refreshed inside.
So this day finally came for you too!
But...
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Did that count as sexual harassment?
If someone said those words to a strange girl, then yes, it could absolutely be classified as "sexual harassment." But how familiar Nohara and that girl actually were, and what kind of relationship they had, was worth examining.
Judging solely from what he had witnessed earlier, it was more like mutual affection. The girl had been shy and flustered, but there had been no rejection, disgust, or discomfort on her face.
Sherlock Holmes Hachiman used the rigorous wording logic of a humanities student to make his judgment. This did not fall within the semantic range of "sexual harassment."
Of course, if Yukinoshita Yukino had asked whether he had flirted with her, then he would have nodded without hesitation.
But now, he shook his head.
Yukinoshita Yukino's brows furrowed slightly, and she bit down lightly on her soft cherry lips.
A suspicious hesitation!
At that moment, Hirasawa Ui's weak voice came from behind everyone, trembling like a frightened rabbit.
"Um... I'm really fine. Please don't make things difficult for Senpai!"
Swish!
Everyone turned to look.
The girl's face still carried traces of fading blush. Her watery eyes trembled slightly beneath fluttering lashes. She cautiously raised her head and secretly glanced at Sato. But after noticing everyone looking at her, she quickly lowered her head again, her face growing even redder.
The corridor fell silent.
Meaningful gazes moved back and forth between Sato and Hirasawa Ui, and some people's expressions became much more complicated.
Feeling the bizarre atmosphere, Sato felt uncomfortable from head to toe. But at least he had finally shaken off the suspicion of sexual harassment, right?
After coughing twice, he asked,
"Right, Ui, what were you actually coming here for just now?"
Before Hirasawa Ui could answer, Ritsu excitedly spoke first.
"Obviously to tell you guys to come soak in the hot springs together!"
"Mixed bath?"
Sato replied instinctively, then immediately shut his mouth.
Sure enough, the girls' gazes toward him instantly became suspicious again.
Their faces carried faint blushes as they glared at him with expressions both shy and reproachful.
"Ui! He really did harass you just now, didn't he?!"
Ritsu noisily turned toward Hirasawa Ui, while Mio's face turned completely red as steam practically rose from her head.
"H-He actually said... s-something so... shameless!"
"Senpai is really bold. No wonder he has so many gir... ahem. Komachi is still young, so that kind of thing is absolutely not allowed!"
"Nohara, have you spent so much time around Hikigaya that even your thoughts have degenerated?"
Yukinoshita Yukino stared at Sato with icy coldness.
At this point, Sato felt that he absolutely had to defend himself.
He pointed at Ritsu and said,
"This is obviously Ritsu's fault, right?! She literally just said we should all go soak in the hot springs together!"
"If it wasn't a mixed bath, then wouldn't it have been enough just to notify us separately? What exactly does 'go together' even mean?!"
The moment those words fell, complete silence filled the room.
The girls blinked at Sato, then suddenly huddled together and began discussing among themselves again.
"Senpai's words actually make sense!"
"Mm, indeed! Tainaka-san's wording really could easily cause misunderstandings!"
"Well, she is an idiot after all!"
"H-Hey hey! How did this suddenly become my fault?!"
Ritsu stumbled backward several steps, looking in horror at the close friends and companions now staring at her.