closed

[nundemonai]

[ Suzu asks her if she wants to go to the public bath. Usually, she politely declines and uses the shower in their room.

... Today, Kouko decides to take her up on the offer. ]

It's quiet tonight. [ They just passed Banba-san as they were entering, but gave her nothing more than a simple 'hello' and 'goodnight'.

Banba-san was laughing loudly, and Kouko had to remind her about the volume. Sigh.

#classrepproblems

She keeps her glasses with the rest of her clothes in the little cubbies the public bath has for its users. Unfortunately, her sight isn't all that great. At least making it into the water isn't that far of a trip.

It's only been a few days since Black Class started, but nothing's really happened yet other than whatever the heck Inukai did. ]

Unusually peaceful... [ For a class of assassins, nothing's been happening. Kouko hasn't made a move yet herself, but she's planning. It's not like she isn't thinking about it. ]

Comments

[ofuro]

Unusual or not, the peace is still enjoyable, no?

[she's glad Kouko finally decided to come along. the girl really could use some de-stressors, in between acting as the class rep and whatever other stress she's apparently got dragging on her shoulders. Suzu herself learned to relax over the smaller things a long time ago; life isn't meant for constantly worrying.

besides, she has much bigger things to worry about. so big, she can overlook them now and then for the sake of taking it easy.]

Baths are meant for relaxation. Even we should have at least one place where we can all get along. Don't you agree, Kouko-chan?

["we" being the assassins, of course. Suzu sits close to Kouko in the water with a relaxed sigh.]

[nundemonai]

It is.

[ Suzu's presence alone is enough to leave Kouko feeling at ease. They're assassins, and therefore should always be on their guard when around others, but...

It's nice to just relax for a little bit.

She rolls her shoulders, neck and back stiff from the result of too many hours spent studying. ]

The more we talk, the more I learn that you seem so knowledgeable about bathing, Shutou-san.

[ofuro]

I once dreamt of opening my own onsen. But I don't think I could afford the complications that would come with such a business.

[assassination gets her money while keeping her off the radar. it's not what she really likes, but it works. an onsen would only draw attention to herself, not to mention all the questions that would start coming in, like, why is a fifteen year old trying to run a business.

she's not fifteen, dammit! it's such a hassle having to explain her condition to skeptical people.]

Ah, are your shoulders stiff? Would you like a massage?

[nundemonai]

It takes time and effort for onsen establishments to come to fruition. Business, hospitality, service...

[ Not that she knows anything about onsen. It just makes sense that something that's commonly a vacation spot would be more to handle than the average tourist attraction.

She blinks, blearily even due to the lack of glasses, but considers the offer. ]

I suppose if you insist. [ Kouko turns around, so that her back faces Suzu. Looking over her shoulder, she purses her lips together in a fine line. ] If I... squirm, I apologize in advance. [ what is letting someone touch you idek ]

[ofuro]

[one of the perks of being old as balls is having experience in things. where did Suzu even learn this stuff? who knows and who cares because an explanation for something like that isn't necessary here.

anyway.

she runs her hands over Kouko's upper back, deft fingers feeling the muscles beneath skin, before settling on the spot between her shoulders and neck with a light squeeze. yep, there are definitely knots there. this girl's probably never had a proper shoulder rub before, for shame.]

Not to worry! Reaction to sensation is completely normal, so don't be afraid to hold back.

[idk how to massage pretend Suzu's rly good i guess]

[nundemonai]

[ Kouko's body jolts a little bit at that squeeze, suddenly unaware of how... stiff she is. Is that a bad thing? She's always been one to sit with proper poise and stand straight, as if making herself taller than she really is, so she doesn't quite understand where all the knots come from...

The fact that they're even there makes her feel more stressed. Aaaah.

Though the longer Suzu goes on, fingers pushing into her skin and then rubbing with just the right amount of pressure, her shoulders relax and she's visibly less tense. ]

Are you a masseuse when you're not an assassin? [ She's not expecting a real answer, but it's odd if they're doing this and there's no dialogue. Something to fill the silence. ]

[ofuro]

A double life of that sort would be interesting, but no.

[ha ha how did Suzu even end up killing ppl anyway... thanks canon. she leans in a little closer, working at one stubborn knot in particular.]

I try to be inconspicuous with my personal life.

[which meaaaaans... she's probably unemployed! or something.]

[nundemonai]

... Mm. [ She doesn't know what else to say to that. Kouko sinks into the water a little more.

Suzu is... very mysterious. Though she's friendly and seems to be someone who could open up easily, Kouko can see that she's quite the opposite. Mysterious, cryptic...

No, it shouldn't bother her that Suzu doesn't open up to her personally. They're simply roommates for their duration of the Black Class. No more, no less.

She doesn't realize that she's leaning back into Suzu, incredibly soothed by her massage. It looks like she could even fall asleep here, if she really wanted. ]