Our room was on the second floor with a perfect view of the forests beyond. The hot spring itself was masked by tall walls of flat rock, obscuring the water and its visitors but not detracting from the scenery laid out before us.

Keke and Ceres unpacked their things, filling the drawers of our wardrobe with outfits and tiny cosmetic bottles while I stood at the floor-to-ceiling window, letting myself think about nothing for the span of a few heartbeats. It was nice. I’d honestly forgotten what being “bored” felt like ever since I’d arrived in Nyarlea. Maybe this was my chance at feeling it again.

The steam drifting above the rocks looked incredibly inviting. The last time I’d been in a hot spring was, well, with Marianne. And that pond was a fraction of this one’s size. The rocky frame suggested a hot spring the size of an Olympic swimming pool. A separate building stood parallel to the rocks, apparently for guests to change in and out of their clothing while using the facilities, and it ran the length of the hotel itself.

While I let my thoughts wander with the misty haze, I asked aloud, “So, which side is for the guys?”

Keke and Ceres paused in their organization and exchanged curious looks.

“What?” I asked.

Ceres clasped her hands at her waist and bowed, favoring staring at the floor rather than my face. “There…there is not a designated area for men in the hot spring, my Lord.”

I rubbed the back of my neck. “Am I not allowed inside, then?”

The beginnings of a knowing smile twitched at Keke’s lips. That’s not good. “Of course you are, Matt. We all go together.”

I blinked, opened my mouth to say something, then blinked again. “Do we wear swimsuits?”

Ceres shook her head, still not meeting my eyes. “No, my Lord.”

I chewed on her response, watching Keke’s face carefully. She was far more entertained by this prospect than I was. “You’re saying we all go into the bath together. Naked.”

“That’s right,” Keke said.

“With other catgirls I’ve never met.” And I have to pretend to feel nothing. Which is real damn obvious if I’m not wearing anything.

“Yes. Shall that be an issue?” Ceres tugged on the braid drooping over her shoulder, nibbling at her lip. “We can find a less populated area? Perhaps a different town entirely?”

There were a lot of things I wanted to say and do, but wussing out of a public hot spring was last on my list. “N-no. It’s fine.”

“Are you sure?” Keke stalked to where I stood, trailing one finger from my shoulder to my wrist. “There are other inns in the city.”

I vehemently shook my head, reaffirming my stance. “I’m fine. We’ve already paid for it.”

“If you say so.” Keke grinned and finished putting her things away.

A knock sounded from the door, and I breathed in relief, happy to drop the subject if even for a few seconds. Tristan and Ara awaited me, both with smiles on their faces.

“This place is wonderful!” Tristan announced, gesturing to the wide hallways and delicate engravings on the door. “It’s like heaven!”

“My young Master is quite pleased with my choice,” Ara said, practically glowing. “I have never stayed anywhere as lovely.”

“I want to go to the hot spring! Can we go?” Tristan asked, looking back and forth between Ara and me as if we were making the executive decisions here.

“Of course, sir. Anything you desire,” Ara replied.

Does he know? That we all go together?

“Tristan—” I began.

“Last one there’s a rotten egg!” Tristan cried, then raced back to his room.

Keke and Ceres both stared at me with amusement glittering in their eyes. I waved them off and kicked off my shoes. “To the hot spring we go, then.”

The building I’d seen from above was sectioned off into small, dressing room-sized areas designated by our room numbers. Each one had four cubbies with towels and empty hangers on metal rods. A single drawn curtain guarded the person changing from others wandering the hallways searching for their room numbers.

“Matt, are you sure you’re feeling alright?” Keke asked, touching my shoulder. She leaned forward and dropped her voice to a whisper, “Your cheeks are really red.”

“I’m fine,” I said, in a pitch much higher than I ever wanted to hear come out of my mouth. I cleared my throat. “I’m good. Really.”

“My Lord, is there anything I can do to assist in your comfort?” Ceres asked with a bow of her head.

“N-no. I’m perfectly comfortable.” I stepped past the curtain and whipped it closed before the girls could follow me. “I’ll go first.”

As I undressed, the sound of other girls’ giggles from many stalls down drifted along the wooden ceiling. Keke and Ceres quietly murmured between one another, harmonizing the sound of shifting fabrics from either side. I was reminded of when I first changed and showered in the locker rooms during gym in high school. It was the same kind of dread that clenched my stomach—being around a group of people I knew nothing about, all of us stark naked. Like a damn nightmare.

I took a deep breath and shoved my clothes into one of the cubbies, exchanging it for the crisply folded, downy-soft towel that awaited me. Wrapping it around my waist, I ran a hand through my hair and took a deep breath.

What’s the big deal, Kelmer? It’s just a hot spring. People do this all the damn time.

Tugging the curtain back, I stepped through and gestured inside. “Next?”

Ceres’ stare slowly trailed from my eyes to my shoulders, moving over every detail of my chest and stomach before resting at the hem of my towel. “I shall go!” she squeaked. Her cheeks pinked, and she ducked behind the curtain.

Once she disappeared, Keke walked her fingers over the middle of my chest, her mischievous smile still plastered to her face. “Now, there’s a sight I missed,” she whispered, biting her lower lip in a way that made me shiver.

Think cold thoughts. Ice-cold, frigid, miserable thoughts. “This is going to be torture,” I murmured.

“Hm. I think it’ll be fun,” Keke replied. “Just relax, Matt. Easy, right?”

You know exactly what you’re doing. “Sure. Right.”

Ceres carefully pushed back the curtain and stepped through, holding a towel just above her chest. The edge danced along her upper thigh, showcasing her long, sculpted legs.

Alaska. Snow cones. Hail in February. Ceres’ smooth pale skin. Jesus Christ. I scratched my chin and did my best to keep my eyes on her face. “Alright, Keke. You’re up next.”

Keke giggled and disappeared behind the curtain. Ara and Tristan approached from our right, both wrapped in fluffy white towels and neither seemingly embarrassed at all.

“I’ve read of the benefits of a hot spring on skin before,” Ara said to Tristan. “They can also promote various kinds of healing.”

“I have, too! They used to have these kinds of things back where Matt and I are from and a lot of people used them to recuperate from injuries.” Tristan grinned and tapped my shoulder. “I’ve been wondering, do you think the ones in this world would cure Status Ailments, too?”

It wasn’t something I’d considered when I’d been envenomed. That would have been an interesting test—to have the healers toss me into Jazz’s hot spring and pray for my revival. I shrugged. “Guess we lost our chance to test it.”

“Hm. Maybe.” Tristan tapped his chin in thought. “We’ll have to keep it in mind for the future.”

Keke stepped out from the dressing room, her towel neatly wrapped around her chest and her hair twined into a low bun at the base of her neck. She smoothed the sides of her towel at her waist and smiled at the group. “Ready?”

Glaciers. Dry ice. Those few strands of hair falling into Keke’s eyes are just— no! Wait! Zambonis! “Ready,” I croaked.

“You feeling okay, Matt?” Tristan asked.

“Yeah. On vacation. Hot springs. What could be better?” I turned heel and led the charge to the double doors leading to the hot spring. I figured it’d be best just to dive right in. Like when you first jump in a pool.

But this wasn’t just a pool.

Six other catgirls were already enjoying the hot spring. Three sat submerged to their necks beneath a steady waterfall while two more reclined on the edge, swirling just their feet and ankles in the steaming water. The last was laid out on a towel, snoozing while the sun tanned her naked back. All eyes shifted to me as I approached the water, and their conversations quieted.

Just don’t look at them. Ignore the swaying tails and twitching ears. Don’t memorize how their glistening skin shimmers in the sun—

A heat more potent than any hot spring pulsed through my veins and I took a deep breath. Tristan was soon at my side, ahead of the others in our group.

“Matt, really. Are you alright?” he murmured.

I cupped a hand over my mouth, then ran it through my hair. “Look. I’ve just…I’ve never bathed with a bunch of girls before,” I hissed. “Shit, I’ve never skinny-dipped, either.”

Tristan leaned forward and looked from side to side. “Here. This way.” He tugged on my wrist and led us off to the far corner of the pool. It was a fair distance away from the others, and tall trees shaded the water beneath it. “They won’t come over here.”

“How can you be sure?” I asked.

Tristan pointed at the trio of our girls making their way toward us.

One of the catgirls beneath the waterfall made a move to swim in our direction, but all three caught her eye. If looks could kill, waterfall girl would have sunk to her early grave.

“They won’t allow it,” Tristan laughed beneath his breath.

Well, that makes me feel a little better, at least. I sighed. “You’re really cool with this?”

Tristan shrugged. “The people in this world are more comfortable being naked than clothed. It’s a natural state of being for them. And, well,” he hung a hand around his neck, “I spent the majority of my time in the school without clothes. You get pretty used to it.”

“Me first!” Keke squealed, tossing her towel to the side and stepping into the clear water. Her tail wriggled with delight, and goosebumps prickled her bare skin as her toes met the heat. She made a point to look over her shoulder and smile. “Coming, Matt?”

“Yeah. Alright.” I sighed and tossed away the towel to join her.