"Ahhh~ Nothing beats a good banquet. I'm so full~" Aya stretched lazily on the floor, rubbing her rounded belly with satisfaction.
Next to her, Momiji curled up like a contented cat, her fluffy tail swaying gently.
Meanwhile, Remilia, Cirno, and the other little ones snuggled comfortably against Ran Yakumo's fox tails, their faces adorned with blissful smiles.
"Why's Patchouli in such a hurry to get to the bath? Did she drink too much?" Remilia blinked in confusion as she watched Patchouli rush off.
"Probably." Sakuya's reply was vague as she cleared the table.
Her gaze shifted to Marisa, who—instead of helping clean up—was glaring daggers at Rin.
The look in her eyes was downright predatory, as if she wanted to devour him whole.
If not for the others still being around, she might've already charged at him… only to be swiftly defeated and pinned to the table.
Yet Rin acted completely oblivious, cheerfully helping Sakuya with the dishes while addressing the group—
"Take your time to digest. If anyone wants tea, there's a fresh can in the coffee table drawer. Rest for a bit, then feel free to head to the hot springs. Just call if you need anything."
"Suika, you helped out a lot this afternoon—go relax. I'll get you more drinks tonight. Yuugi, if you're still up for it, could you tidy up the upstairs rooms? Everyone'll be staying over."
"Okaaay~" Suika mumbled drowsily, hugging an empty wine jar as she rolled lazily on the floor.
Yuugi, however, stiffened slightly before reluctantly grabbing a broom and heading upstairs.
The closer it got to the appointed time, the more nervous she became.
'I did get the boss to drink a lot… Once the alcohol kicks in, he should be too out of it to cause trouble, right? If not, I'll just bring more drinks and keep drinking while we… negotiate!'
Meanwhile, in the living room…
Reimu eagerly prepared tea, her eyes closing in bliss as the soothing aroma filled the air.
'Truly, I could never live without tea, Mom, and money.'
As she poured a cup for her mother, Yukari cheerfully slid her own cup forward—
"One for me too~"
"Not drinking anymore?"
"A little is fine, but too much isn't healthy."
"You literally emptied several jars by yourself..."
Reimu's eye twitched, but she poured Yukari a cup anyway.
The three of them sipped in unison, exhaling in satisfaction as a lazy, comfortable atmosphere settled over the room.
"There's really a hot spring here?" The Former Shrine Maiden asked curiously. After days of nonstop shrine work, she desperately needed to unwind.
But when Reimu had returned earlier, she hadn't mentioned anything about a hot spring.
"It was dug up yesterday. The setup's quite nice."
"Reimu was too drunk to notice. She only woke up at noon today." Yukari's explanation made the Former Shrine Maiden's eyes narrow.
Reimu tensed, but before she could defend herself, her mother pinched her cheek.
"So this is why you didn't come home last night or even send a message. Too busy having fun, huh?"
"Ow ow ow—I didn't mean to!"
"I-It was Yukari's fault! She made me do something shady, and things got out of hand!" Reimu immediately threw Yukari under the bus—she was forced!
As the Former Shrine Maiden turned her gaze to Yukari, the latter looked away innocently—
"I know nothing~"
"You damn—OW! I'm sorry! It won't happen again!" Reimu yelped as her cheek was mercilessly twisted.
Her mother flicked her forehead before delivering the final blow—
"I'm confiscating your tea. You'll get it back when you've behaved."
"Will there even be any left by then...?"
"Hmm?"
"Fine, fine! I'll reform!" Reimu clutched her forehead, sulking.
'Guess I'll have to keep working part-time here… I can't survive without tea!'
"Alright, enough rest. let's hit the hot springs."
Seeing the matter resolved, Yukari quickly changed the subject, grinning as she made her invitation.
With a subtle signal, Ran gathered the dozing children with her tails and carried them off toward the bath.
As the living room emptied, Sakuya—finally done cleaning—was about to follow when Rin stopped her.
"Sakuya, wait. Could you take this in? You all might find it useful."
"Huh?"
Sakuya stared at the massage bed Rin had dragged out from storage.
'What kind of shop has these things?!'
But she didn't question it, simply nodding and pushing the bed toward the bath.
'Perfect for giving the young mistress a massage later. She'll sleep better. As for Patchouli… Let's hope she survives the night.'
Once Sakuya disappeared down the hall, Yuugi crept back into the living room, broom in hand.
Seeing only Rin wiping down the table, she sighed in relief—
"Psst—Boss! Is Suika already in?"
"Yep. Don't worry, she's pretty out of it—once she soaks in the springs, she'll probably pass out."
"Hehe, better safe than sorry." Yuugi grinned, scratching her head.
The earlier Suika sleeps, the safer it'll be for me to sneak some Wasted Dreams later.
"Oh, Boss… Can I bring some drinks into the hot springs later? Just to kill time." Yuugi asked cautiously, studying Rin's face for signs of drunkenness.
"Sure, we can have a drink while you rest. There are a few bottles left in the shop, help yourself. They're pretty good."
Completely oblivious to her schemes (or so it seemed), Rin agreed with a smile.
Yuugi cheered and dashed off to the shop, utterly unaware of the disaster awaiting her.
Meanwhile, Suika—though still groggy—hadn't forgotten her mission.
Drifting through the steamy waters, she sneaked up to Marisa—"Hey, Marisa… Wanna team up?"