For a moment, the hot spring fell silent.
California Spangle, Frostfall, and Adayar instantly came alive in the water, the three Horse Girls' eyes lighting up frighteningly bright.
Almost without thinking, California Spangle burst into exaggerated laughter and let out a dramatic whistle.
"Wow~! Special attention from her personal Trainer? It's happening this soon?"
Frostfall started laughing as well.
Adayar gave a soft "heh" and shot Kitasan Black a meaningful look.
Even Bafur lifted her eyelids from her drowsiness and glanced over curiously.
Koushou Hayate and the others reacted a little slower, but Koushou Hayate still instinctively surfaced amid a string of gurgling bubbles.
Before she could say anything, Kitasan Black rubbed her face somewhat helplessly and said to California Spangle, "What are you talking about, Shine-chan...?"
After that inexplicable remark, she quickly climbed out of the bath as though grasping at a lifeline.
After wrapping herself in her Yukata and composing herself, she smiled at Almond Eye.
"Then... then let's go find A-Zhen. Is he outside?"
Still looking a little puzzled, Almond Eye nodded. "Mm-hm... Oh, no, not outside. He's in the recovery room here. Senior Tachyon and Senior Yamato are there too."
"Oh, oh, I see."
Kitasan Black nodded hurriedly, her tone light. "Then we should hurry even more, or everyone will get impatient waiting."
She took Almond Eye by the hand and left with slightly hurried steps.
Once the two sets of footsteps had faded away from the bathhouse, the room grew quiet again.
After a short while...
"...Wow~"
With an extremely theatrical cry, California Spangle floated on her back in the bath and let out a loud whistle.
"As expected of Japan's number one Escape Horse—she ran away so fast, and she even made running away look cool~"
After the joke, the other Horse Girls blanked