Chapter 5: The Bath – Lorenovels

15-18 minutes 19.04.2023

In discussing the game “Resounding Love” one cannot ignore the heroines’ defining characteristic, which is their superpowers.
These powers were integral to the story, serving as both the beginning and the source of conflict, but ultimately leading to hope.

The protagonist enrolled in Tokorozawa Central Girls’ High School and fell in love with one of the heroines.
As the story unfolded, the girls’ superpowers became evident.

Superpowers were exactly what they sounded like—extraordinary abilities.
For example, Chiharu had the power to simply freeze things, being able to freeze anything or create ice.
In this world, there were no evil scientists or mysterious groups of power-users or beings, so there were no battle scenes. 

However, if there were battles, it could be confidently said that Chiharu had the most powerful ability.

Her ability to freeze anything was simply astounding.
It was because of this that her parents feared her and kept their distance.
They even referred to her as a monster among their relatives.

People often fear the unknown, such as ghosts and yokai, and it’s true.
It may be wrong to think this way, but I couldn’t help but feel that the parents of these girls were despicable.
Ever since they awakened to their abilities, their parents kept their distance and even attempted to kill them.

Even while playing the game, I couldn’t help but feel disgusted by how their parents neglected them and went so far as to try to kill them, treating them like prisoners.

Moving from place to place until they entered high school was also nauseating.
Even their relatives treated them as if they didn’t exist.

I took them in to change their situation, but I can’t help but feel that the four of them are still not at ease in their hearts.

What should I do? I just gave them a simple lunch, but was it not enough? To make them feel at home in this house, I’ll need a certain level of trust and likability, or so to speak.
That’s why I discreetly included Chiaki’s favorite gummy candies as well…

In games, giving presents like favorite items can unconditionally increase trust and likability, but this is not a game, so maybe that won’t work here.

Hmm, what should I do? Maybe because they’re still elementary schoolers, they’ll start trusting me if we have some recreation time together and have fun?

“Let’s have some recreation together!”

“Police, this is the guy!”

No, that won’t work.
A 21-year-old having recreation with four sisters who are only 10 years old is definitely not acceptable.
Ah, what about a bath?

In Japan, taking a bath and soaking in the hot tub can give a sense of security and make them feel at ease, so maybe they can enjoy their time in this house more freely?

“I’ve filled up the bath; let’s all get in together.”

This also seemed to have some oddities.
For a moment, I thought it would be okay since it’s just this much, but when I looked at the scene, it felt somewhat dangerous.

Not interfering… I can’t do that as someone who took them in.
What should I do?

As I was scratching my head and thinking, the living room door opened.
There was Chiharu, holding a plate and a tray with side dishes and rice balls.

“Thank you for the meal, Onii-san.”

“It was nothing.
So, how was the food? Did you enjoy it?”

“Yes, it was delicious.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“Please let me wash these dishes.”

“No, it’s okay.
I’ll wash them all.”

“But, you treated us to a meal…”

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it.”

I took the plates from her and made my way to the sink, turning on the water and grabbing a sponge to start washing.
As I was scrubbing, I couldn’t help but notice a hint of anxiety and unease in her demeanor.
Ah, I see.
It’s probably not right for her to just go back to her room and leave me with the dishes.
I understood without her saying anything.

“Is it okay for you to go back to your room? It might be uncomfortable for you to stay here,” I said.

“Oh, no, it’s not a big deal,” 

“It’s alright; don’t worry about it; you can go back,” I reassured.

“Thank you very much,” 

Chiharu bowed politely and left the room.
She was such a good girl.
Really, she was wonderful.
Although I still want to encourage her to talk in a more casual and a gal like manner.

Well, I didn’t intend to force her, but if she opens up to me more, maybe she’ll start speaking that way eventually.
I didn’t know when that would happen, though.

She wanted to live a normal life and have the same aspirations as others.
Feeling a sense of responsibility as the eldest daughter was a virtue of hers, but it could also be burdensome.
I always hoped that she could live as herself and be able to enjoy life even a little bit.

Lost in my thoughts, I realized that I had already finished doing the dishes.

I was aware that it might not be easy for her to open up to me quickly, so rushing things wouldn’t be wise either.
Therefore, I decided to take a seat on the sofa and take some time to carefully consider how I should approach and interact with the girls from now on.

◆◆

(POV Chiharu)

“I want to take a bath.”

After finishing our lunch and taking a break, we were talking about how the floors in this house were clean and had a nice color when suddenly Chiaki changed the topic.

“Chiaki… you always change topics abruptly,” 

“Well, it’s hot outside, and I sweated a lot coming all the way here, feeling all sticky and uncomfortable,” Chiaki replied.

“Well, I understand what Aki-nee is saying.
But somehow, it feels awkward to say it out loud,” Chifuyu said.

“No, but he treated us to such snacks; he seems like a good guy, and he even gave us gummy candies.
So, I think it’s okay to ask him to let us use the bath,” Chiaki said.

It was summer, and the sun was scorching hot this time of year.
Chiaki was right; we had sweated a lot on the way here.
I also wanted to take a bath, to be honest.
But, as Chifuyu pointed out, I felt hesitant to ask for it.

However, I also understood what Chiaki was saying: that the kind Onii-san would probably let us use the bath.

“But, if that puts him in a bad mood, it’ll be bad.”

Yet again, I also understood what Chinatsu was saying.
I knew exactly what my younger sisters meant, and it felt overwhelming.

“No, I’m going!” Chiaki exclaimed.

“And what’s your basis for that?” 

“Because he gave us gummy candies!” Chiaki replied, her eyes sparkling.

“Your basis lacks persuasiveness…” Chinatsu sighed, holding her head.

Chinatsu lamented the lack of validity in Chiaki’s reasoning, while the latter’s eyes shone with excitement.
From her perspective, receiving gummy candies was a compelling reason.

“He gave me food and even took care of the luggage.
Maybe that guy is a good person with a big heart, so he might let me use the bath too.”

“Well, that reasoning doesn’t seem entirely unfounded.”

“See!? See!? Okay then, Chinatsu, I’m counting on you for the rest…”

“Huh!? Why me!?”

“Because I am the secret weapon among you, that’s why.”

“I don’t get it! If Aki came up with the idea, then Aki should be the one to go ask for the bath!” Chinatsu retorted.

“However, I reuse to.”

While Chiaki was starting to trust that Onii-san, she still seemed reluctant about initiating conversations or making requests by herself.
Chinatsu was unsure of what to say, but she realized that if Chiaki trusted that Onii-san, she could trust him to some extent as well.
However, this also meant that Chinatsu was still hesitant to speak directly about her thoughts and feelings.
 

“I’ll go ask, because I’m the older sister.”

“Then, Chifuyu will go with you too.”

“Huh? It’s okay, I don’t…”

“I don’t want to burden Haru-nee too much.”

“But…”

“Chifuyu will do her best occasionally too.”

Chifuyu raised her thumb and smiled with a cute thumbs-up.
She was such an adorable child that it was certain that if she entered the entertainment industry, she would easily steal child actor jobs like a master thief and become a big star.
It made me feel a little sorry for other child actors born in the same era as her.

This child had limitless choices ahead of her.
If it meant she could soar freely with those choices, I was sincerely willing to do anything for her sake.

“Heh, if you two are going, then I’ll go too… as a special exception.”

“Hey, if I’m left alone, that won’t do! T-Then, I’ll go too.”

Three is better than two, and four is better than three.
I’m happy that everyone is supporting me.
I have to do my best to support everyone too…

“Alright, then I’ll lead the way.”

We left the room and descended to the lower floor.
When we entered the living room on the lower floor, Onii-san was sitting on the sofa with a troubled expression.

Onii-san’s face lit up with a forced smile when he noticed us.

“What’s wrong?”

“W-Well, um…”

I hesitated to speak, and an indescribable tension filled the air.
Chinatsu, who was behind me, as well as Chifuyu and Chiaki, were also unsure of what words to use due to the tension.

Without being rude, I thought that making a request was very difficult.
Onii-san seemed to understand that it was hard for us to ask for a favor, so he asked us various questions.

“Do you want some snacks?”

“No, thank you…”

“Oh, I actually want some snacks…”

I denied it, but Chiaki secretly expressed her desire for snacks behind me.

“How about watching TV?”

“No, thank you…”

“Oh, but I might want to watch Johnny the Monkey…”

Chiaki quietly hinted that she wanted to watch her favorite anime.
Despite hiding behind me, Chiaki might actually be the one who trusts Onii-san the most among us.

“Could it be… you want to take a bath?”

“Yes, please.”

“I see… you should just say it more confidently.
I’ll heat up the water, so wait a moment.”

Onii-san left the room, and everyone heaved a sigh of relief as our request was easily granted.

“Hey, Chiaki, you’re being noisy behind there.”

“But I want to eat snacks and watch something.”

“I want to eat crispy long potato fries and watch Cooking Superstar too.
Yet I’m holding back.” Chinatsu retorted.

“It’s fine.
Onii-san seems like he’ll listen to our requests.” Chiaki said. 

“What if he changes his mind and gets in a bad mood?”

Chiaki and Chinatsu started bickering in hushed voices.
Chinatsu turne away from Chiaki, who had a pouty face.

“He said he’d let us take a bath, so it’s not that bad, right? Let’s drop it.”

“You know, if I get some snacks, I won’t give them to Chinatsu.” Chiaki said.

“I don’t even want your snacks.”

“Stop fighting, both of you.”

In a hushed tone, but with no signs of stopping their argument, the two continued to ignore each other.
Chinatsu’s face gradually turned red as she watched Chiaki provocatively.
She looked so adorable that I wanted to endure it for an hour, but I knew that if they kept making a fuss, it would become troublesome.
So, I intervened as a mediator and squeezed myself between them, forcibly interrupting their fight.

Though the two still kept their backs turned to each other, occasionally Chiaki would look back at Chinatsu and provoke her again.

Chinatsu noticed it, but Chiaki was calmed down by Chifuyu’s gentle words, and somehow we were able to completely extinguish the fight.
Just then, Onii-san returned and awkwardly smiled again.

“The bath is ready, so go ahead.
The changing room is over there.”

“Thank you, Onii-san.”

“No problem…”

“An-and, I wouldn’t mind being your relative…not that I’m saying I would, but…I wouldn’t, you know?” Chinatsu said

“I’ll gratefully accept your offer to let me bathe…” Chiaki expressed her thanks.

I thanked him and quickly headed to the changing room as if escaping.
I took off my clothes, but I wasn’t sure what to do with them.
Could I put them in the washing machine? But then it would seem like I was telling him to do my laundry.

Chinatsu untied her twin tails, brushed her hair back, and then began to undress.
Chiaki and Chifuyu both undressed, but then they paused.

“Is it okay to put these in the washing machine?”

“I think it’s fine.
I’ll do it.”

“Oh, really, you don’t have to be so considerate.”

Chiaki tossed her clothes into the machine and went into the bath.
I immediately took Chiaki’s clothes out of the washing machine and neatly arranged her socks, pants, and jacket that had turned inside out.

“Hey, do you think it’s okay to put these in the washing machine?”

“…Chifuyu thinks it’s fine.
I feel like I can trust him now.” Chifuyu nodded her head.

Chifuyu also put her clothes in the washing machine and went into the bath.
However, Chinatsu remained frozen in place.

“What do you want Chinatsu?”

“….What do you think, Chiharu?”

“Well, he seems like a nice guy, though.”

“Just on the surface, though.”

“It’s complicated.
Trusting people.”

“Especially for us.”

Chinatsu’s face was filled with conflicting emotions—the desire to trust and the inability to trust.
The experience of being kept away from others for so long doesn’t easily fade.
She couldn’t free herself from those memories on her own.

“….Alright, Chiaki and Chinatsu have put their clothes in, so let’s put ours in too.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I think it’s okay.
If anything happens, we’ll all face it together.
Doesn’t that give you courage?”

“….Yeah.”

Chinatsu put her discarded clothes into the washing machine.
I immediately took them out.

“Oh, there’s some underwear tangled up.
And the socks are inside out, I need to fix that.”

“Oh, sorry about that.”

Once I had put their clothes in the washing machine, I went to take a bath, while Chifuyu was kindly washing Chiaki’s hair for her.
 

“Are there any itchy spots?”

“Nope.”

“As expected of Chifuyu.
Even though she’s the fourth youngest… she looks like the older sister.”

“Isn’t it because Aki is too childish?” Chinatsu teased.

“Hey, I can hear you.”

They washed each other’s bodies and hair, and then soaked in the bathtub.
They felt the tiredness melt away in the steamy hot water.

“Ah, I want to eat ramen.”

“You’re still such a glutton.”

“Well, I really want to eat it.
How about you, Chinatsu? Is there anything you want to eat?”

“Neapolitan.”

As I watched Chika and Chiaki chatting, Chifuyu quietly approached and whispered to me.

“Haru-nee.”

“What’s up?”

“What do you think of that person?”

“A good person…?”

“Well, Chifuyu thinks so too, but… um, you see, I feel a bit strange thinking about someone who will take care of us from now on…”

“Hmm?”

“That person… probably likes young girls…”

“Don’t think any further.
Don’t even entertain such thoughts.”

“But, he’s taking in ten-year-old quadruplets… it’s, it’s pedo-…”

“I said, stop it.”

“But, but, I can’t help but think about it.
Like, if they’ll use the bathwater we’re in for something weird…”

“Stop it, I mean it.”

Chifuyu was surprisingly knowledgeable, so she had some unusual knowledge.
Even though she knew that Onii-san was a good person, she couldn’t help but wonder if he might be a pervert.
She was probably equating being a good person with being a pervert.

“Is this bathwater… safe?”

“Well, the water is fine.
Chifuyu, you look tired, why don’t you relax in this bath and unwind?”

“Y-yes… you’re right, it might be a good idea.
I’m sorry, Haru-nee.”

“It’s okay as long as you understand.”

Chifuyu reflected on her behavior and slowly eased herself into the bathtub.
As I soaked and relaxed, I could hear voices from the adjacent bath.

“That ramen place that was featured on TV the other day.
They put pork bones in the hot water and simmer it for hours, apparently.”

“It sounds delicious, the broth must be rich.”

“Aki-nee, Natsu-nee… Can you stop talking about that? Can I make a request as your cute little sister?” Chifuyu stated.

“Hmm? Why? What’s up?”

“It’s nothing.
I just want you to listen to my request.”

“Alright, I understand.”

“What’s wrong? Fuyu? You seem troubled.”

Chifuyu is seen holding her head, and it’s hard to tell what she’s thinking.
While her intelligence was a good trait, she also possesses some unusual knowledge, which could be problematic in its own way.