BLOOM [OHSHC]

Chapter 26 - Boiling Over

"Wow, look at this place!"

Haruhi and I linked our elbows, gaping at the beautiful buildings before us.

"What, you've never been to an onsen before?" Hikaru stepped up close, dressed in the most casual clothes I'd ever seen either of the twins in. They wore matching sweatpants and sweatshirts with sneakers that looked like they'd never seen the light of day. Both of them stood there purposely disheveled... like supermodels going for "sporty grunge" or "athleisure".

"Not as fancy as this one," Haruhi said, the awe still audible in her voice.

I couldn't take my eyes off of the massive waterfall in the background, the tranquil rose garden along one side of the property, and the koi pond nearby, burbling softly. The peace and quiet held me like a hug. In awe, I managed, "Ditto."

"Please, this one isn't even half as fancy as the one we usually go to," Kaoru said. "The Academy really skimped on this place. They don't even have cryotherapy chambers."

To back his brother up, Hikaru scoffed for emphasis. "How tacky."

Goro, a nice butler from the Hitachiin family, drove us up to the hot springs; now, he fetched our things from the trunk, not even breaking a sweat as he hauled our four bags into the lobby (not that Haruhi or I packed very much compared to the twins, whose suitcases were easily double the size of Haruhi's and mine put together). "Come, young masters. We must check you in post haste."

"You've got it, Goro!" the twins said in unison, locking arms and following after their fancy butler. Not a 'thank you' or a 'do you need help with that' in sight, save for Haruhi and I, who couldn't help but heap praise onto the older man.

After the boys hurried inside, Haruhi and I lingered out front, staring.

"Can you believe this?" I said, still in awe.

"Nope. This is... extravagant. Excessive, even."

"Do you think we'll still have fun even without the 'cryotherapy chambers'?" I asked, putting on a pretty decent Kaoru impression as I said it. Haruhi laughed, so I must have done a good—

"Well? What are we waiting for?"

I startled at the sound of Kyoya's voice directly in my ear and found him at my side in khaki shorts and a button-up with the sleeves rolled to his elbows. He stared down his nose at me, as if I was the one causing a disturbance.

With a teasing little smirk, he said, "Lost, dear?"

"You wish," I blurted, my cheeks flaring white-hot. "What are you doing here?"

Haruhi—who didn't even look surprised—sighed and patted my shoulder comfortingly. "You should know by now that the club goes everywhere together, Chiyo," she said, gesturing over her shoulder. I looked in the direction she pointed and saw Honey waving from across the parking lot as Takashi unpacked their car, Tamaki already closing in with no less than five bags wedged into his grip. Haruhi chuckled and said, "You didn't really think they were actually going to let us relax or have a single day without them, did you?"

"Kinda... yeah." Disappointed and suddenly missing Mei, I frowned and stared at Kyoya, as if this was somehow all his fault. It probably was, knowing him and his meddling tendencies.

Tamaki huffed as he approached us, all smiles and cheer and ruddy cheeks. "We couldn't very well allow the twins to whisk our favorite women away for the weekend without proper parental supervision, now, could we?" Without waiting for an answer, he barreled ahead and into the lobby of the onsen.

"He's right, you know," Kyoya said cryptically, following our fearless leader inside.

Honey raced past us with Usa-chan in hand, skipping and humming out of excitement. "Come on, you guys! We have so much to show you!"