Bruises Right After Hot Springs

Sakura watched from a corner as Sekimori explained what the Totsuki students would be doing that evening.


"This body builder organization is hungry, as I know you students are as well." there were several groans from the students. "Your job tonight is to cook 50 servings of a meal for this body builder organization. If you fail to do this within one hour, you will face immediate expulsion."


In the distance Sakura could see Yoshino Yuki's distraught expression and she felt a little sad for her. Then, Yoshino raised her hand. "Um, Sekimori-senpai, what about our extravagant dinner?"


Sekimori-senpai scoffed quietly. "There will be no such thing. When you're done you're free to make your own."


Sakura felt even more sadness radiating off from Yoshino.


"You may begin, NOW!" Students rushed from every corner of the hall to retrieve the ingredients they needed before proceeding to the kitchens. The body builder organization raced out too.


Sakura watched them all struggle to cook, her eyes lingering at a few specific stations before she decided that she might as well take a bath while she could.


So off she went to go fetch her yukata and undergarments.


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The steaming water of the hot springs felt good against Sakura's skin. She sighed as she lied her back on the cool bath wall that contrasted with the hot water. Sakura focused on her rhythmic breathing, careful not to fall asleep in her relaxed state.


It was all very relaxing and Sakura got to enjoy this for quite some time before somebody opened the door. She tensed up; was it a student? What if it was? Had she lost track of time? And Sakura also felt very uncomfortable being nude in front of somebody she either hardly knew or was of opposite gender.


Indeed, it was a student. But it wasn't just any old student. It was Nakiri Erina, God's Tongue, Sakura's beloved and very haughty cousin.


Sakura visibly relaxed her shoulders. "Evening, Rinacchi." she addressed to her cousin.


Apparently, saying hello to Nakiri Erina, while still in the bath and while you're her cousin scared the living daylights out of her. Erina shrieked and clutched her chest. "Oh my God, you scared me so much, Kura-chan. And why are you still here? Aren't you supposed to have finished your bath before the students come in?"


Sakura shrugged. "I am. But let's not forget you're no ordinary student, Rinacchi."


Erina flushed. Or maybe that was because of the steaming heat. "Oh, right. I seem to have forgotten."


"Then what are you waiting for? Hurry up and get in here so we can get to know each other again for all that lost time!" Sakura exclaimed.


Erina fumbled for her towel that had been wrapped tightly against her voluminous chest. And slowly dipped herself into the steaming bath. Erina sighed as well. "Having a bath at the hot springs feels good." she breathed.


Sakura laughed. "Splendid, Holmes. Just splendid!"


Of course Erina didn't exactly get Sakura's joke as she had never heard of the Sherlock Holmes franchise.


The two of them chatted away about pointless things that they found interesting; different odds and ends of a variety of genres and topics. Sakura was very engrossed in her conversation with her cousin but she was careful not to let the time fly by unnoticed. If any students found her and Erina like this, Sakura would be shattered throughout the rest of her Totsuki teaching career which had only just started.


Finally Sakura stood up and quickly put a towel around her. "Well, Rinacchi. It's probably best if we start to get out of her before the students start filing in."


"True." Erina agreed. Rather begrudgingly, though as she had thoroughly enjoyed her bath. "I have to go meet Hisako in some hall so lets hurry up."


So the two girls both put on their undergarments and yukata and they were out the door.


They didn't talk or anything but Erina did hum a nice catchy tune while Sakura eyes strayed to the ceiling. They weren't exactly looking where they were going to it was not surprise that they both bumped into a certain red-headed male when they rounded a corner.


"Oomph." the girls both fell down on their bottoms.


However, whoever they had bumped into was still standing. Of course, it was none other than Yukihira Soma.


Honestly, Sakura couldn't have cared less, so she just stood up, brushed her yukata and waited for Erina to stand up as well. But Erina seemed to have other thoughts. At first she hadn't realized that she had bumped into the one boy that made her go crazy. Her eyes widened when she saw his red hair and golden eyes and soon was scrambling up and dusting off her yukata.


"Yo, Nakiri's!" Soma greeted cheerfully, despite the fact they had just plowed headfirst into each other.


Before Sakura got a chance to even say "hi" back, Erina snapped something in reply. "How dare you acknowledge us so informally. I should not even be talking to the likes of you!" she huffed, crossed her arms and shifted away.


"Woah, calm down, Rinacchi. No need to be so sassy."


"I'm not being sassy I-" suddenly, Erina cut herself off as a terrible thought raced across her mind. I wonder if he heard me humming. I hope he didn't!


And just as if he could read her mind, Soma asked, "Well, you ought to have been in a pretty good mood seeing that you were prancing and humming. I can't blame ya, we're at a hot springs!"


Erina had the most priceless look of horror on her face that Sakura had to stifle her laughs with a very fake sounding cough. Erina quickly glared at her before she retorted, "H-Humming? Who? I wasn't humming!" Seeing that a bright pink flush was quickly crawling up her cheeks and that she had stuttered, Erina was obviously lying.


But then again Soma couldn't have cared less.


There was an awkward silence but that was okay. Because just then, Hisako came into the scene. "Erina-sama!" she yelled as Hisako ran down the hall. "I'm so sorry for being so late. There were a lot more-" her running suddenly screeched to a halt as she spied Soma. "Y-Yukihira Soma!" she screamed again but in a different tone of voice. One that held a hint of disgust and worry in it.


"Oh look, it's Secretary-chan." Soma replied with a smirk on his face.


"Don't call me Secretary-chan!" Hisako snapped. "What have you done to Erina-sama and Sakura-sama?" she demanded.


"Me? Oh, I pushed the two Nakiri's two the floor." Soma answered nonchalantly and innocently.


Of course he had failed to say "on accident," which made Sakura a little flustered and Hisako even angrier. "Eh?!"


Erina quickly butted herself into the argument. "No, no, Hisako! He's just saying things that aren't true!"


Soma seemed rather confused. "No, I made you both go 'boing.'" he made a hand motion that made everything even worse.


Of course, Hisako got even more upset. "Eh?! 'BOING?!'"


And Erina followed her example as well. "Oh, why can't you just go away!" she yelled.


Sakura, who had been observing from afar, sent Soma an apologetic look that she wasn't even sure he had noticed.


So Soma walked away, waving as he did singing some peculiar off-key tune. "Bathy, bath! Plungee plunge!"


Once again, Sakura snickered into her palm. But Erina and Hisako didn't seem to agree with her. "Well, I'd best be off now, see you tomorrow, Rinacchi! Good-bye, Hisako!" and Sakura left.


Normally she would be heading down the hall and making a right to the alumni residential quarters, but what Sakura really needed was an apple. There were apples in the dining hall and the dining hall was just right around the corner from the kitchens. Sakura just had to make sure that nobody saw her. Though, that would be exceptionally hard since she had just come out of the bath wearing the provided yukata.


Maybe the apple could wait for later...


That seemed like a better idea.


So Sakura went down the hall and made a right before arriving to the alumni residential quarters. Dojima Gin had said that he called them that because then is sounded more serious but then Sakura had argued that it made it sound like some sort of military camp. Though, in a way it was.


Since they were all female, Sakura would be sharing a room with Mizuhara Fuyumi and Hinako Inui. When Sakura opened the door she immediately slipped like she had slipped on a banana peel and fell backwards on her back. Again.


Sakura cursed loudly since not only had she gotten another bruise, the backside of her yukata was wet too. "Alright, who spilled this water here?!" she demanded immediately.


Fuyumi looked up from her phone and Inui hid behind her, whimpering. "I'm so sorry, Kura-chan. I swear!"


Sakura sighed. "You are going to be the death of me someday, Inui." When she stood up she winced.


"Are you okay, Kura-chan? Should I get you some ice?" Fuyumi asked, rather concerned.


"Yes, please. This is a terrible case of bruises after hot springs!" Sakura groaned.


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A.N: I'm so sorry for not updating for a while. If you've read my sister's (@sakura910) note already, you should know that we've been out of town for a while and getting back into the routine of things. Unfortunately, I injured my right hand so typing has been slow for me. But I'm back again, don't worry I haven't disappeared!


So here's another chapter for the late new year!


Word Count: 1,620 words


Ja nee,


-Lady Catherine Griffin of Somewhere Over the Rainbow







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