The aftermath of the sukiyaki feast was a unique kind of serene exhaustion.
The low table in the Yuuki living room was cluttered with empty plates, depleted egg bowls, and the thoroughly scraped-clean cast-iron skillet. The nine girls gathered around the table were leaning back on their cushions, patting their stomachs with sighs of absolute, unadulterated contentment.
"I can't move," Run groaned happily, draping herself sideways across the tatami mat. "If my manager asks me to dance tomorrow, I'm just going to roll across the stage like a meatball."
"You shouldn't have eaten that last block of tofu, Run-chan," Haruna giggled softly, leaning her weight against Rito's shoulder without a shred of hesitation. She glanced up at the wall clock. It was getting late, approaching nine o'clock. "Oh, dear... I should probably help clean up and then head home."
"Home?" Lala blinked, her tail stopping its lazy swish. She leaned forward, her green eyes wide with protest. "But Haruna-chan, the fun is just starting! We have to play games and tell ghost stories!"
"I'd love to, Lala-san, but..." Haruna smiled cheerfully.
"Run-chan is staying the night!" Lala pointed out, gesturing to the idol currently melting into the floor. "And Sachie-chan and Mami-chan are having a sleepover with Mikan-chan!"
Sachie popped her head up from where she was resting on Mami's lap. "Yep! We told our parents we were spending the night at Mikan-chan's house! Since summer vacation already started for us, they didn't even mind! We're officially staying over!"
Mami nodded, her cheeks flushed with the lingering excitement of being near Rito. "We have our pajamas and everything."
Lala clapped her hands together, a bright idea forming in her head. "Then it's decided! Haruna-chan, you have to stay too! And Yami-chan, you too!"
Yami, who had been quietly sipping a cup of green tea in the corner, stiffened. The tips of her golden hair twitched in mild alarm. "Me? That was not part of the initial invitation."
Mikan, who had been quietly gathering the empty chopsticks, paused. She looked at Yami, seeing the slight hesitation masking the assassin's underlying curiosity. Mikan knew what it was like to feel left out, to watch from the sidelines. She also knew that Yami, despite her deadly reputation, was a guest her brother cared about.
"You should stay, Yami-chan," Mikan offered, her voice gentle but firm.
Yami looked at her, her red eyes widening slightly. "Yuuki Mikan..."
"I'd like to get to know you better," Mikan continued, offering a warm, genuine smile. "Beyond just someone who likes taiyaki. It's a big house. There's plenty of room."
Rito, who was stacking the empty plates, nodded enthusiastically. "Mikan is right. It's late, and it's always more fun with everyone here. You're both more than welcome to stay."
Haruna bit her lip, her heart doing a happy little flutter at Rito's encouragement. The thought of spending the night under the same roof as her husband, sleeping just a few rooms away and even doing… was irresistible.
"W-Well... if it's really okay with you, Rito-kun, Mikan-chan..." Haruna smiled, her cheeks dusting pink with romantic anticipation. "I'll call my sister and let her know I'm staying over."
"I... accept the invitation," Yami muttered quietly, looking down at her teacup to hide the faint blush dusting her pale cheeks. "Further observation of Earth's domestic habits is a good idea."
"Yay! We're having a giant sleepover!" Lala cheered, throwing her arms up in victory.
Nana, who had been relatively quiet since her argument with Momo over the dipping bowls, crossed her arms. "Momo and I will retire to our rooms in Ane-ue's dimensional space. I refuse to sleep on the floor like a commoner."
"Speak for yourself, Nana," Momo giggled behind her hand, her eyes darting to Rito. "I think a giant slumber party sounds delightfull."
While the girls dissolved into a flurry of excited chatter about pajamas and sleeping arrangements, Rito quietly slipped away with the last stack of dirty plates.
After helping load the dishwasher, he grabbed a fresh towel and a change of clothes. With nine girls currently occupying the living room, he figured it was the perfect time to secure the bathroom before the inevitable bottleneck occurred.
…
Rito quickly stripped off his clothes, washed himself thoroughly at the shower station, and sank into the deep, steaming water of the bathtub.
"Haaah..." Rito let out a long, shuddering sigh, sinking up to his chin. The hot water worked its magic, soothing the muscles he had strained during his morning workout and dealing with the general chaos of his life.
He closed his eyes, listening to the muffled, cheerful voices echoing through the walls from the living room.
'Nine girls,' Rito thought, a sense of grounded satisfaction washing over him. 'Lala, Haruna, Run, Mikan, Sachie-chan, Mami-chan, Yami-chan, Nana-san, and Momo-san. They're all sleeping under one roof tonight.'
He rested his head against the edge of the tub. His newly evolved physiology meant his stamina and his desires were always humming just beneath the surface. Knowing that six of the girls in this house bore his Golden Seal, and the others were tied to him in various ways, was a heavy realization.
'I just hope everyone gets along well and everything goes smoothly,' Rito prayed silently to the ceiling.
…
Meanwhile, out in the hallway, Haruna held her phone to her ear, standing near the staircase.
"Yes, Aki-nee... yes, we just finished dinner," Haruna said into the receiver.
"A sleepover, huh?" her older sister, Akiho, teased through the speaker. "My little Haruna is finally having a proper high school slumber party! Who's all there? Is it just Risa and Mio?"
"N-No, Risa and Mio aren't here," Haruna said, her voice filled with quiet anticipation. "It's... Lala-san, Run-chan, and some other friends."
"Aki-nee, don't worry about me. I'm at a friend's house! It's all girls hanging out!" Haruna said, omitting the detail about Rito.
"Alright, alright, have fun!" Akiho laughed before hanging up.
Haruna slipped her phone back into her bag and walked back into the living room, where the girls were deciding who got to shower first.
"Hey, where did Rito-kun go?" Haruna asked, her eyes searching for him.
Lala tilted her head, her tail swishing. "Oh, Rito? He probably went to rest! He worked super hard cooking all that meat for us!"
Mikan, noticing the time, clapped her hands. "Alright, everyone, if we go to the bath one by one, we'll be up until morning. The bathtub isn't big enough for all of us. So, after Rito's done, we can go in groups—"
"Oh! I have a better solution!" Lala gasped, a brilliant light sparking in her emerald eyes.
Before Mikan could stop her, Lala took out her D-Dial and pulled out a small, metallic device that looked like a sleek, silver doorknob with glowing blue circuits.
"Behold! The Hirobiro Bathroom-Kun!" Lala announced proudly.
Nana groaned, facepalming. "Ane-ue, please don't tell me you're going to blow up the house just so we can bathe."
"It won't blow up!" Lala pouted. "It's a spatial expansion device! It temporarily alters the dimensional geometry of any enclosed space! We can all take a bath together! It'll be a real hot spring slumber party!"
"A hot spring?!" Sachie and Mami cheered in unison, practically jumping in excitement.
Even Yami looked mildly intrigued.
Lala didn't wait for a committee vote. She marched down the hallway toward the bathroom door and slapped the silver device directly onto the wooden sliding door.
BEEP-BOOP-VWOOSH!
A wave of shimmering, translucent blue energy radiated from the device, washing over the doorframe and sinking into the walls. The house rumbled very faintly before settling into silence.
"Done!" Lala cheered. "Everyone, grab your towels! Let's go!"
In a flurry of giggles, shedding clothes, and rustling towels, the nine girls quickly stripped down in the changing area, which had expanded to accommodate them all.
*****
Support me on my Ko-fi page to keep me motivated to continue uploading chapters.
https://ko fi.com/rroy28 (put a "-" between "ko" and "fi")
I have added Uncensored NSFW Illustrations in my Discord server, available only to paid members.
I am working on the following projects:
✓ Killed For 100 Years in Hueco Mundo, Aizen Invited Me To Soul Society!
✓ Naruto: Senmei Asahi
✓ Naruto: Uchiha's Intelligence Dealer
✓ Naruto: The Fifth Hokage Is Naruto's Uncle
✓ Naruto: Who Made Him a Ninja?
✓ Bleach: In My Second Reincarnation, I Became The Ninth Kenpachi
✓ To Love-Ru: Spoiler Route [R-18]
✓ Naruto: The Accidental Incubus [R-18]