"Well, Naru, are ya ready yet?" hollered Kitsune as she waited outside the changing room for her best friend to appear.  The fox-eyed girl had nothing more than a towel secured around her body, hugging her impressive curves and lifting up her bosom somewhat, given how snug it clung to her body.

"Yeah, yeah, just give me a moment, Kitsune," responded Naru, "I just don't want my towel falling off on my way to the hot springs."

"Afraid Keitaro might catch a sight of the goods?" giggled Kitsune, ever the one to tease Naru.

"Oh, ha-ha," replied Naru, rolling her eyes as she responded, "That's cute."

"Well, he IS a guy and you ARE his girl, aintcha?  Figure you could give him a little strip tease now and then if you guys are really an item, dontcha think?"  Kitsune knew how to make a point when the moment presented itself.

"Well" said Naru with a blush, "you're not wrong.  It's just...I don't know...I wouldn't want something playful to...turn into something...embarrassing, you know?"

"There's nothin' wrong with showing someone ya care about a little lovin' here and there.  If it were me, I'd have no problem with showin' Keitaro a peek of the goods."

"And I'm guessing you don't mean as a way to con him out of something or to get an upper hand on him?" inquired Naru.

"It's like I told ya," responded Kitsune, opening her eyes somewhat to make her point, "I'm done with usin' my body to pull one over on him.  If I do such a thing like that to Keitaro, it's cause I wanna do it.  It makes me happy if I...excite him with somethin' like that.  If I can give him a lil' joy by given' him a show now and then, I'd gladly do it."  The tone in Kitsune's voice revealed that she was being dead serious at this point.

"I'm wondering if a little striptease is the furthest you'd go when it comes to Keitaro." said Naru.

"Wouldn't YOU like to know, Sugar," giggled Kitsune, "Careful, Naru, if things between Keitaro and ya end up goin' sideways, I might just take my chance and be his ‘promise girl.'"

The back-and-forth conversation continued as the two girls made their way towards the hot springs.  As they neared the entranceway, they were greeted by a larger crowd consisting of Amalla, Kaolla, Motoko, Tsuruko, Haruka, Mutsumi, and Kanako, all of whom were also wearing towels to cover their figures.

"Well now, this is more like it," chimed in Amalla, "as they say, the more the merrier!"

"Huh?  Aren't you Kaolla's sister?" asked Naru before continuing, "And you're Motoko's sister, if I remember correctly."

"Yes indeed, Miss Narusegawa," responded Tsuruko, "It's a pleasure to meet you once more.  And yes, you are correct as to who Lady Amalla is as well.  I hope our visitation hasn't troubled you this fine evening."

"Oh...no, not at all," replied Naru, "I just didn't know that the two of you were arriving is all.  I'm certainly glad to see both of you, and you as well, Mutsumi."

"I'm happy to hear that, Naru." replied the Okinawan girl with a rosy smile on her face.

"Sorry, Naru," interjected Haruka, "I forgot to inform you and the other girls that we were having guests coming by to visit us for the next few days.  I've been pretty busy with work at the cafe, so it slipped my mind at the time.  I figured it wouldn't be too big of a shocker since you're already familiar with everyone here from previous times."

Naru and Kitsune took in the sight of all four newcomers, with their eyes settling on Kanako at the end.

"It's...good to see you again, Kanako," said Naru, trying to break the ice.  The younger Urashima woman looked back at her with a somewhat neutral look upon her face.

"Hello, Naru...it's been a while." said Kanako in her ‘to-the-point' tone of voice.  While the two girls tried to resolve things between them after the annex incident, Kanako had never really given up on winning Keitaro's heart.  Even after watching Naru and Keitaro lock lips, there was still a burning fire that lingered within Kanako's very being.  She would rather replace Naru and become Keitaro's one and only true love, but if she had to settle with being a mistress in order to be by Keitaro's side, then as far as Kanako was concerned, so be it.

Naru could only sigh at Kanako's response.  She had hoped that the two had resolved their issues, at least somewhat since the annex incident.  Still, she could tell that Kanako had not given up on Keitaro, and thus there would be some degree of friction between the two of them.  Perhaps with time, they might become good friends, or at the very least mutual acquaintances with no hostility between them.

"Well now," chimed in Kitsune, trying to break the ice, "it looks like most everyone's here.  I've brought the sake, so what say we get this show on the road?"  True to form, Kitsune was carrying two unopened bottles of sake in one of her arms, ready to pop them open in celebration of the arrival of the new tenants.

"That sounds lovely," responded Tsuruko.

"Sounds good to me," added Amalla.

"Sure thing, but not too much for me please," said Mutsumi.

"I'll keep the drinking to a minimum," responded Kanako.

"Same here on that," seconded Naru.

As the group prepared to enter the hot springs, they realized that the full company was not yet assembled.

"Hmm...I wonder what's taking Shinobu and the others so long?" pondered Motoko, "I could have sworn we were all going to enter the hot springs together."

"I'm sure they're fine," responded Haruka, "I remember what it was like being a teenager.  Sometimes you get sidetracked in the puberty years that you end up forgetting what time it is and all.  Maybe they're just running a little bit late."

"I don't mind waiting another minute or two for them," said Tsuruko.

"Me neither," added Naru.

"I could go find them really quick if you'd all like," suggested Kaolla, "though I believe I did pass them not too long ago in the hallways if I remember right."  While she might have come off as slightly air-headed, Kaolla Su was more cognizant of her surroundings than others might assume of her.

Before the question of whether to find the other girls or wait for them could be discussed further, the situation was resolved when said girls appeared just a few seconds later.  Like the other ladies, Shinobu, Sarah, Mei, and Nyamo were all wearing nothing but towels and carrying small plastic bins which held their respective toiletries (shampoo, soap, body wash, etc.).

"Sorry we were running late," said Shinobu, "Something came up and we got a little sidetracked."

"Yeah," added Mei, "it was a tiny little incident we had, but nothing too severe."

"Really?" asked Haruka, suspecting that something was up, "Sarah, anything you'd like to help clarify on?"  The blonde girl started blushing and slightly perspiring in response to Haruka's questioning.

"N-no nothing big, I swear." responded Sarah.

"Nyamo, is Sarah telling the truth?" asked Haruka, focusing her eyes on the quiet dark-skinned islander.  Nyamo simply stared back with a calm expression on her face before nodding quietly with a smile.

"Everything is fine." replied Nyamo.  Ever the one for words, the girl knew how to get to the point.  Haruka still had an inkling that the girls were up to something mischievous, Sarah in particular; but she didn't want to push the topic in front of everybody else and so decided to drop it so that the assembled party could enjoy their time in the hot springs.

"Alright then," said Haruka, "Well then, shall we, ladies?" she declared to everyone present.

The thirteen women proceeded to enter the onsen area of the hot springs, placing their tubs of their respective washing materials around the edge of the hot springs.  Each tub was laid under each lady's respective towel as they all disrobed, so as to not confuse whose tub whas whose.  All the women then proceeded to fill the complementary buckets for guests and residents with water from the nearby faucet so as to proceed with washing their bodies before entering the hot springs.  After a few minutes of the girls washing both their own bodies and each others' backs, they then proceeded to enter the hot springs.

"Ahhh..." sighed Kitsune, "I've DEFINITELY needed something like this."

"This certainly is a lovely experience from what I recall," commented Tsuruko.

"I second that opinion," added Amalla.

"Well, I'm certainly glad you all approve of the Hinata Hot Springs experience, so to speak," replied Haruka, "You should thank the manager of the dorms when you get the chance, given how hard he works to maintain the baths on a regular basis."

"Are you referring to Mr. Urashima?" inquired Tsuruko.

"Indeed." replied Haruka.

"Yeah, Keitaro is a hard worker alright," chimed in Kitsune, "As manager of the dorms, he puts a heck of a lotta effort into keepin' this place runnin' like clockwork."  As she talked, Kitsune uncorked the sake bottle and began pouring herself a shot.

"Yes, Keitaro-senpai works very hard for all of us." added Shinobu, "If it weren't for all the work he puts in regularly, I don't know if Hinata House would be the place that it is."

"Yeah, Keitaro definitely puts his all into whatever he does around here," said Kaolla.

"I must concur with the others," said Motoko, "Keitaro is certainly earnest in every task he works at, even if at times he hits a roadblock or ends up inadvertently causing a minor disturbance in the process."

"In all the time I've known Kei-kun," said Mutsumi, "I've never seen him waver or give up on a task.  To be honest, I'm surprised he has the energy to keep this place running while trying to get into Tokyo U at the same time."

"That's just the kind of person my big brother is," said Kanako, "Even if the task is hard or difficult, Keitaro gives it his all."  The admiration in Kanako's voice was all too apparent.

Sarah, Mei, and Nyamo were all of a similar mindset in their responses.  It seemed that the sentiment towards Keitaro was more-or-less universal in that all the women present thought rather highly of the man in his capacity as dorm manager.  The unanimous consent among the gathered assembly made Amalla whistle in surprise and Tsuruko stare with raised eyebrows.  All the women gathered appeared to revere Keitaro in both his work ethic and his drive.

"By chance, will Mr. Urashima be joining us tonight?" asked Amalla, bringing a blush to several womens' faces as a result.

"I...uh...don't believe that is going to happen, nor should it to be honest." said Naru, trying to keep her composure together.

"And why is that the case?" countered Amalla without missing a beat.

"Well...he's...a man, and we're all women here, so..." Naru's blush was all too apparent at this point.  The same could be said for Shinobu, Motoko, and Kanako.  Kitsune, Mutsumi, Mei, Sarah, Haruka, and Tsuruko had comparatively lighter blushes on their faces at the brazenness of Amalla's questioning.  Only Nyamo, Kaolla, and Amalla had no noticeable blushes upon their cheeks at this point.

"Isn't Keitaro your romantic partner, Naru?" asked Amalla, "Because if so, then I would only imagine that you would WANT to spend some time with him in the hot springs.  If he were mine, I would certainly want that to be the case."

"Well...sure, but bringing him here along with everyone else?  That sort of thing is rather...odd, to say the least, wouldn't you agree, Amalla?" countered Naru.

"I suppose that some would frown upon the idea of that sort of thing, sure," said Amalla, cool as a cucumber, "But among Molmolians, we have what some might call a more ‘liberal' point of view when it comes to intimacy among partners.  I like to think Kaolla would agree with me on that point."  Kaolla merely nodded in agreement with Amalla in response.

"Well, differences in culture aside," continued Naru, "the notion of a man bathing among a group of women like this would be rather risque, and I like to think that most everyone here would agree, right?"  By this point, Naru was scanning the group, seeing who would make eye contact with her and agree either verbally or through their body language.

The result was rather telling in its own way.

While nobody else was as calm as Amalla, Kaolla, or Nyamo in response to Naru's questioning, not a word came up in defiance of the idea of Keitaro joining the women in the hot springs.  Even Sarah - the one who would most likely be the most defiant to that type of suggestion - simply stared downward with a rather distinct blush on her cheeks.  Naru looked towards Haruka and Tsuruko, figuring they would back her up on the point she was trying to make, but surprisingly, neither woman chimed in on agreeing with Naru.  Both of them seemed to be sporting rather faint blushes on their cheeks while breaking eye contact, an act that caused Naru's eyes to widen at the realization of such an act.

‘Well, now,' thought Amalla at the group reaction, ‘this is a rather interesting development.'  She turned her sights towards Kaolla, who was sporting a rather distinct grin on her face in response.

"Perhaps I should go fetch Mr. Urashima then," said Amalla, "if nobody here has any objections to him joining us."  That statement drew Kanako's attention, with her staring daggers at the older Molmolian seductress trying to tempt her beloved with the idea of spending bath time with her out of the blue.

"I don't believe that is likely to be the case," responded Haruka, "Keitaro has had a long day with the regular chores and maintenance work that his job demands of him.  So he probably doesn't have the energy to come to the baths at this moment.  Most likely, he'll be heading to bed soon if he hasn't already called it a night."

"Besides," added Motoko, "Mr. Urashima has his own private bath on the upper level, so it wouldn't be necessary for him to come down here."

‘Well, that's something I'll simply have to rectify,' thought Amalla.  Any excuse to keep Keitaro away from the hot springs with the girls simply wouldn't do as far as Amalla was concerned.

"So..." said Kitsune, trying to change the subject, "who here wants a drink?"  She proceeded to pour herself another shot of sake before finding out who was willing to take up her offer.

It ended up being Amalla, Tsuruko, Haruka, Mutsumi, Naru, Kanako, and Kitsune being the ones who ended up drinking throughout the night.  While Sarah made an attempt to have a shot or two of sake, Haruka did a hard interception reminding the girl that she was a minor and not allowed to have alcohol.  Given that Haruka could have a very firm hand when she needed to, Sarah decided to take the path of least resistance and acquiesce.  No need to incur the older woman's wrath, especially since she would be rooming with her for the foreseeable future.

"But wait, why does Kanako get to drink?" asked Sarah, "She's only...what 18? 19?  Isn't she considered a minor too?"

"Kanako is an exception because (1) she's family and (2) she's mature enough to hold her drink." responded Haruka, "Besides, she normally doesn't drink so much compared to Kitsune."  Haruka's response made Sarah grumble at what she considered to be an act of hypocrisy.  Still, the blonde girl would relent all the same and simply enjoy the bath water.

As the assembled party chatted the night away and enjoyed the soothing waters of the hot springs, time moved past the group.  Like the old saying goes, "Time flies when you're having fun."  While most of the residents would relax in the hot springs for anywhere between a half hour and a full hour, in this case, an hour had already passed, then another hour, and another hour after that.  What nobody was really aware of was that on a cellular level, the hot spring waters were performing something astounding upon all thirteen women who sat and bathed in them.  Kaolla's experimental growth hormone was working its magic as it seeped into the pores and skin of the gathered party, with none of them being aware of the changes that were occurring.  The only thing anyone there could catch onto was the fact that the bathwater was particularly pleasant that night, more so than usual.  While the hot springs of Hinata House were always something to take delight in, tonight the experience was borderline orgasmic - in the most literal sense of the word.

After several rounds of drinking, the mood had loosened up among the older women now that they had some ‘liquid courage' in their stomachs and bloodstreams.  The conversation entailed stories told between both the regular Hinata residents and the newcomers.  Some of them were funny.  Others were more reflective and serious.  Still others were insightful and intriguing tales.  Whether it was where Amalla, Tsuruko, and Mutsumi had been on their travels, or what Haruka, Motoko, Naru, and Kitsune were up to in their day to day lives, all elements of girl talk were had.  All except for discussion regarding Tsuruko's recent divorce.  There was a sort of silent understanding that if Tsuruko wanted to talk about it, then it would be talked about.  Until then, best to leave such a matter for another day.

While conversations were had, Naru could not help but notice that her younger sister was particularly quiet and not maintaining eye contact with anyone.  Her mood seemed somewhat deflated as well.

"Mei?" asked Naru, "What's wrong?  You seem kind of down."

"Huh," responded Mei, knocked out of her wayward look, "Oh, it's nothing Naru.  Nothing you need to worry about."

"Oh come on, Mei," said Naru as she made her way over to her younger sibling, "I've known you for too long.  I can tell when something is off.  Now what is it?"  Naru wasn't giving her sister an inch.  Perhaps the alcohol had made her more bold than she would be otherwise.

"Really, it's nothing," responded Mei, trying to end the conversation as gently as she could.  By now, Naru had made her way over and took a seat next to Mei, rubbing shoulders against the younger girl.  Mei simply sighed through her nostrils, knowing that Naru wasn't going to let it go.  After inhaling deeply, Mei relented and told Naru what was on her mind.

"It's just...sitting here...in front of everyone...I feel a little...inadequate."  Mei was sullenly holding her hands over her chest as she took in the sight of everyone else, Naru included.  She was quite certain that she had the smallest bust size out of everyone assembled.  Even Sarah, Shiobu, and Kaolla had some degree of breast development going on.  Yet Mei was the only A-cup among the group, which made her feel like less of a woman by comparison.  All of this, she conveyed to Naru at just over a whisper, as she didn't want to air out her perceived inadequacies in front of everyone else.

"Oh, Mei," said Naru, "you're still in your pubescent years.  I'm sure in time that your body will develop more by the time you're in your late teens.  I don't know if you'll have a figure like Kitsune, Mutsumi, or Amalla, but you'll most likely have at least some curves here and there, if a bit on the modest side."

"I don't know, Naru.  I appreciate that you're trying to make me feel better about this, but I'm 14.  How many years do I have left to really develop physically?  Four?  Maybe five?  The way things are looking, I'll be lucky if I end up with a body like Shinobu's or Kaolla's by the time I'm 20."  The depression in Mei's voice was all too apparent.  Naru could only hug her little sister in comfort to try and alleviate her worries.

"I just wish there was something good coming my way," muttered Mei as Naru embraced her, "some kind of sign to let me know that I was turning into a young lady, that's all."

As if in response to Mei's wish, a signal of sorts let itself be known, both to her and the other twelve women in the hot springs.

After the words left Mei's lips, a sudden orgasmic wave of sorts was felt by all the women present in the bath water.  The intensity of it was rather remarkable, with every woman blushing rather intensely and sensual moans escaping their lips.  Several tried to stifle their sudden outbursts, either covering their mouths with their hands or biting their lower lips to muffle the moans as best as they could.  Whether it was those of the more sultry nature like Kitsune and Amalla, the more reserved like Motoko, Tsuruko, Haruka, and Kanako, or the more passive like Shinobu, Mei, and Nyamo, all women were feeling the same waves of pleasure bombarding their central nervous system.  After a few minutes of torturous bliss assaulting their senses, the women came down from their climax and regained their composure, several of them panting in response.

"Well...that was...weird." said Naru, panting between words.

"Tell me about it," responded Kitsune, "what was that exactly?"
"Not...sure," said Motoko, "I'm tempted...to guess...an evil...spirit.  Or perhaps...an apparition...of some kind."  Like Naru, Motoko was also panting heavily.  "Your thoughts, sister?" asked Motoko to Tsuruko.

"I didn't sense anything demonic or otherworldly in nature from that event.  My chi didn't feel disturbed in any way by it, so I'm inclined to believe that what just occurred wasn't spiritual or supernatural."  While Tsuruko wasn't panting, she still sported a fierce blush on her face just like all the others.

"Whatever it was...it felt...nice." commented Nyamo.

"After something like that, I think I need a smoke to calm down," said Haruka.

"Or another drink." added Kitsune.

"Or both." added Amalla.

"Well, nobody's hurt or anything, right?" asked Mutsumi, checking to see if anybody was experiencing any negative side effects.  After a round of confirmation, she was happy to see that everybody was okay.  Nobody was feeling any pain or physical discomfort from the sudden ‘pleasure wave' which had just occurred.

"Alright, well how about some music or something?" said Sarah, trying to take everyone's mind off the subject.  She proceeded to head off to her smartphone which she brought along with her toiletries.  Lucky for her, the device was waterproof, so there was no need to worry about getting water on the phone, or even if it were to fall into the hot springs.

As Sarah took out her smartphone and laid it against the edge of the hot springs, she looked through her playlist and set the playmode to shuffle, so that even she wouldn't know what song was going to play.  She always found it more amusing to be surprised as to what song was going to come up.  From Sarah's perspective, life was always more amusing when surprises were involved.

The smartphone lit up and songs began to play, but Sarah found the first few to not be to her liking given the mood.  She kept skipping through the first few tracks until she came across something that she felt matched the energy of the room (or hot spring in this case).  The song she chose ended up being "I Feel it Coming" by The Weeknd (featuring Daft Punk).  In that moment she felt that the tempo, baseline, and overall synth-pop feel seemed to compliment the mood of the place.  However, she couldn't help but blush at the line referring to "the heat between your legs," given the group orgasm that had occurred not so long ago.

"You've been scared of love and what it did to you."  At this part in the song, some of the girls couldn't help but sneak a sideways glance at Tsuruko when she wasn't looking.  While they weren't going to bring up her divorce, they couldn't help but feel slightly sad on her behalf at whatever pain her failed marriage brought her.

When the chorus line came up with the repetitive "I feel it coming," some of the younger ladies couldn't help but blush at the recollection of the pleasure wave that hit them in the hot springs.  It seemed sort of ironic in a way that this song would be the one playing after what had occurred.  Out of the younger girls, Sarah and Shinobu were sporting the brightest blushes when that line came up.

Finally, the song came to an end and the next track came up, at a time when the conversation had taken a rather interesting turn.

After a few shots of sake, Amalla decided to bring something up which several of the women preferred she wouldn't.

"So," began Amalla, "about Mr. Urashima..."

"What about him?" responded Kanako, not liking where this conversation was headed.

"I think I'd like to get to know him better," replied Amalla with a sultry grin towards the younger Urashima woman.  "He appears to have only praise thrown his way from what I've been hearing.  I haven't engaged with the man as much as most of you here have, but from what I remember of him, he was something of a loveable, dopey oaf who wears his heart on his sleeve, so to speak."

"Yes," responded Haruka, "Keitaro is...a very earnest and well-intentioned man, if a bit clumsy at times."  As Haruka's eyes glanced sideways and her cheeks slightly lit up, Amalla decided to have a little fun.

"Haruka, why are you blushing?" said Amalla with a grin.

"Huh?  Whatever do you mean, Amalla?"

"I couldn't help but notice your reaction when I brought up Keitaro.  It was rather adorable, in my opinion."

"Oh...I was blushing?" By this point, Haruka's voice was starting to waver somewhat.  The embarrassment was easy enough to pick up on, though Amalla wouldn't push too hard on the crack in the older Urashima woman's emotional armor.

"It...must be the sake, I suppose." said Haruka, trying to keep it together.  However, her reaction was picked up on by Kanako as well as Amalla.  The younger Urashima woman couldn't help but ponder what such a reaction would entail.

‘Wait...don't tell me that she's...another one?!' thought Kanako.  The last thing that Kankao wanted in this world was another love rival for Keitaro.  If her aunt/cousin happened to be in that category, that would just make courting Keitaro all the more difficult.  After all, she came all this way to Hinata House with the chief objective of trying to woo Keitaro and see her as something beyond a little sister.

"Okay, if you say so, Haruka," said Amalla with a playful grin.  She decided to not push too much on Haruka's emotional state, at least for now.  Better to get a feel for the field of women in front of her and figure out each one's quirks, which buttons to push, and which to avoid pushing.  She already had a sense that Kanako was of a very defensive nature when it came to discussing Keitaro, like that of a mother lion protecting her cub.

"All I'm saying is that I want to get to know the manager of these dorms a little better, that's all," continued Amalla.  "After all, my little sister lives here, so I'd like to make sure that the man who acts as her guardian and advocate while she is here has her best intentions, that is all."  Amalla glanced at Kaolla with a somewhat playful look on her face.  The younger Su sister returned the gesture.  It was as if the two of them were quite literally of the same mind.  There was much that need not be said aloud between the sisters; it was as if they could telepathically communicate their intentions to one another.

"Wouldn't you agree with that sentiment, Tsuruko?" Amalla gestured to the older Aoyama sister, hoping she would back up her point.

"It's a fair point you make, Amalla," replied Tsuruko as she prepared to down another shot of sake alongside Kitsune and Mutsumi.  "I've also come to Hinata just to see how everyone here is doing, especially my little sister, and to take my mind off of...certain things."  On that last part, Tsuruko's tone became more quiet and subdued.  She could not help dwelling on her divorce, given that it was still relatively recent.  The emotional wound was still fresh and needed time to heal over.

"Well, while I'm sure that Keitaro wouldn't mind you getting to know him better," said Haruka who decided to clarify the situation, "given his managerial duties, I'm not sure how much free time he'll have to spare with either of you, beyond making sure you're well situated her during your stay at Hinata House."

"Oh, you don't need to worry on my account," said Amalla.  "If anything, I'll do what I can to help Mr. Urashima with his daily tasks whenever possible.  Given what the man seems to go through, I think it's only right to help lighten the load a little for the poor guy."

"That really won't be necessary," chimed in Naru.  "You're our guest, so we wouldn't want to foist work duties onto you, especially right after your arrival at Hinata.  You should make yourself comfortable and spend time with your sister."

‘Interesting,' thought Amalla.  ‘Is she running interference to keep me away from Keitaro?  She IS his girlfriend, after all, so it makes sense that she would try to step between me and him.  Well then, challenge accepted, Miss Narusegawa.'

"Oh, but I insist, Naru," replied Amalla.  "While I may be a guest here, I don't want to be perceived as a freeloader around here.  I'm not saying that I'll be doing everything that needs doing, but if Mr. Urashima needs help with laundry, dishes, grocery shopping, or any other task like that, I certainly don't mind giving him a hand."  The older Molmolian girl wasn't going to give up so easily.

"I'm in agreement," added Tsuruko.  "During my stay here, I'd be happy to give Mr. Urashima assistance in the day-to-day activities here at the dorms.  Beyond practicing my swordplay in my free time and spending time with Motoko, there isn't too much for me to focus on at the moment.  So wherever Mr. Urashima is having difficulty in his managerial duties, I would be happy to assist."  In Tsuruko's case, her intention to help had two key points.  The first was to help keep her distracted with work so as to not dwell on her ex-husband and the divorce.  The second was indeed to get to know the dorm manager who was watching over her little sister (and perhaps for more personal reasons as well).

"Well...uh, that's mighty neighborly of y'all," said Kitsune, topping off another shot of sake in the process.  While the fox-eyed girl was happy for the extra help with house chores, she was on the fence between Naru on one side and Tsuruko and Amalla on the other.  In her case, she was pulled between her loyalty to her friend in helping her stay with Keitaro and her own personal desires to make it up to the same man who she was having rather confusing feelings for - feelings that might very well end up turning into genuine romance.

‘Is this how Mutsumi feels, I wonder?' pondered Kitsune as she stared at the Okinawan girl across from her in the hot springs.  By this point, the residents of Hinata House were aware that Mutsumi had strong romantic feelings towards Keitaro, but decided to suppress them for Naru's sake.  In fact, it was Mutsumi who was one of the two ‘promise girls' from Keitaro's childhood - the promise girls who swore alongside Keitaro to get into Tokyo U together.  Kitsune figured that if Mutsumi were serious, she could win over Keitaro and get him to dump Naru in no time.  Then it would be Keitaro and Mutsumi as boyfriend and girlfriend instead.  But the ditzy, busty Okinawan girl had simply too big a heart to try and steal away Naru's boyfriend; it simply wasn't in her nature to be deceptive and act in an underhanded way.  However, that didn't mean that Mutsumi had necessarily ‘given up' on Keitaro when it came to love; she simply suppressed her feelings the best she could and settled for having an unrequited love instead.  It was a feeling that Kitsune pondered if she herself was starting to experience.

"Don't mention it," chimed Amalla at Kitsune's statement, a smile present on her face the entire time.

"You seem awfully interested in my older brother for someone who hasn't spent a lot of time with him," said Kanako, who by this point was becoming rather irked by this foreign seductress who just wouldn't let up on talking about Keitaro.  "Why are you so interested in him?  You have a sibling of your own, why not spend more time with her?"

"Oh dear," responded Amalla with a playful smirk on her face, "I'm sorry if I've struck a nerve, Kanako.  Rest assured, I'll be spending time with both Kaolla AND Keitaro, as well as the rest of you all, yourself included if you'd like."  This response made Kanako raise one eyebrow in alarm.

‘Is she hitting on me as well as Keitaro?' thought Kanako.  ‘She was certainly very intimate when we first met on the way up here.  What's this woman's end game?  Is she here to bang EVERYONE here at Hinata?  I need to keep an eye on this one.'  Kanako figured that as long as Amalla was staying at Hinata House, then pretty much NOBODY was safe from whatever sexual advance she might make upon them, with Keitaro at the top of her list.

"In fact, I'm sorry to do this, but I'm just too curious to let it go," said Amalla, making an announcement for everyone present.  "Might as well clear the air and bring up something for everyone here:  When it comes to Keitaro Urashima, what are everyone's thoughts on him as a man?"

"As a man?" asked Naru with confusion, cocking an eyebrow.

"You know," elaborated Amalla, "As a man who a girl could see herself with, in an intimate kind of way."  The insinuation was clear enough in Amalla's voice.  It was at this point that a certain song kicked up on Sarah's smartphone.  In a rather odd case of irony, the song "Fallin' for You" by Colbie Callait was playing in the background.

When it came to reading a person's body language, both of the Su sisters were experts at deducing when a person was being open or hiding something.  Subtle things like a sideways glance or lack of eye contact, a stutter in one's speech, a blush on one's cheeks, fresh sweat appearing on a person's face, a nervous gulping in one's throat, change in breathing patterns, and other little signals that give away a person's intentions and desires on a topic.  It was that trait that both Amalla and Kaolla used to scan the bath and eye each woman right after Amalla popped the question as to who "likes" Keitaro in a certain way.  As they quickly observed the bath from woman to woman, they both came up with the same assumption regarding each woman.

• Naru: blushing, openly confirmed herself as Keitaro's girlfriend - strong feelings of love

• Kitsune: nervous blushing, eyes slightly open, downed another shot to calm her nerves - likely strong feelings of love, but hiding them

• Kanako: grumbling blush, defensive posture in her body as a reaction - very strong feelings of love

• Shinobu: nervous blushing, trembling eyes, slight tearing up, quiet muttering - strong feelings of love

• Mutsumi: slight blush but calm demeanor, straight eye contact with a slight smile, steady breathing - strong feelings of love, but suppressing them

• Motoko: strong blush, alarm on face at suddenness of the question, wavering eye contact - likely strong feelings of love, but hiding them

• Haruka: noticeable blushing, downed a shot to calm her nerves, slightly adrift eye contact, deep breath - likely strong feelings of love, but hiding them

• Nyamo: calm breathing, slight blush, reaction similar to Mutsumi's - likely has strong feelings, but quiet about them, given her reserved nature

• Mei: slight blush and alarmed look on her face, sudden fluttery blinking, mouth slightly ajar at the question - possible feelings of love, but might be suppressing them for Naru's sake out of family loyalty

• Tsuruko: faint blush, raised eyebrows at suddenness of the question, calm breathing, eye contact mostly steady - possible feelings of love, but might need coaxing to proceed further, also suppressing them out of family loyalty to Motoko

• Sarah: large blush, shocked expression, excessive eyebrow movement, somewhat defensive posturing - possible feelings of attraction, but not sure how to act on them, given her defensive and somewhat combative nature; possible tsundere tendencies, but further analysis required

As the song played in the background, the lyrics sort of formed an ironic ambiance to the whole situation, making the mood a mix of both calm and awkward:

"I've been spending all my time just thinking ‘bout you.  I don't know what to do.  I think I'm fallin' for you.  I've been waitin' all my life and now I've found you.  I don't know what to do.  I think I'm fallin' for you."  The song played on, sort of speaking the minds of several girls who were lacking in both speech and eye contact.

"Oh I just can't take it.  My heart is racing.  Emotions keep spillin' out."  The lyrics were rather fitting given the situation, saying the quiet part out loud for everyone.  While this was playing for everyone to hear, not a single girl responded to Amalla's questioning.  The silence was rather telling.  Amalla simply looked at Kaolla and gave a playful smirk, which Kaolla returned in kind towards her older sister.

‘This is a very interesting development,' thought both Su sisters to themselves.  With this little revelation of affection among the gathered women, their harem plan could proceed accordingly.  The only one who might pose a serious obstacle to it would be Keitaro himself.  As for the assembled girls, it would take some emotional cultivating to get them to come around to the notion of a fourteen-way relationship, but that was all part of the fun.  Managing an all-girls flower garden with Keitaro at the center was going to have its challenges (with Naru and Kanako probably proving to be the biggest hurdles), but Amalla loved a good challenge, and Kaolla was of a similar mindset.

As the song came to an end, someone decided to put an end to the awkward silence.

"Well," said Haruka, "I think I could use a smoke right about now.  I'm going to call it a night.  It is getting late after all."

"Yes, I think we should all wrap it up here," Naru chimed in.  "We've been here for much longer than we normally would be."

"Well we had to commemorate our new arrivals after all," said Kitsune in response.  "Gotta enjoy these kinds of moments now and then, right?"  She downed another shot of sake, her bottle becoming dangerously empty at this point.

"Even so, I think we should call it a night," said Kanako.  "It is getting late and even if it is a weekend, there'll be plenty enough work to do."

"I concur," added Tsuruko.  "Besides, I should tend to Hayate and Shippu; see if they need food or water before I see myself to bed.  Are you coming, Motoko?"

"Yes, big sister," replied the younger Aoyama.

"I suppose I should also check up on Shiro and make sure he's behaving himself" said Amalla, reluctant to leave the comforting bathwater.

"And I with Tama," added Kaolla.

"Alright then, well I suppose we'll all call it a night then?" inquired Shinobu, getting a read of the room, so to speak.

There was unanimous consent among all present that they should retire to their respective quarters and prepare for whatever tomorrow would bring.  As they were getting ready to leave the baths, another powerful euphoric wave washed over all the women in the baths, this one just as powerful as the first one (if not even more so).  The pleasure was almost paralyzing as it brought all the women present to orgasm once more, with heavy panting, pronounced blushes on all their faces, and minor shaking.

During this episode of orgasmic bliss, all the ladies present could feel the faintest of stretching and swelling in their bodies.  Bosoms began to gently enlarge and swell.  Buttocks became slightly plumper and more defined.  Arms, legs, torsos, and thighs began to stretch ever so slightly, gaining muscle and just the right amount of fat to give it that perfect ratio of plumpness while maintaining seductive feminine form.  The transformation was subtle, and nobody was yet aware of it at the time, but everyone in the assembled party had stretched up in height by an inch or two, while their bodies began to beautify ever so slightly.

When everyone came down from the experience and regained their composure, they proceeded to begin leaving the baths, commenting how odd it was that the same phenomenon had occurred twice.  As they began drying themselves off and collecting their baskets, several of the women were commenting at how their towels felt extra snug as they were wrapping and securing them around their torsos.

"Maybe they've shrunk in the wash?" suggested Shinobu, given that she normally handled laundry duty.

"They didn't feel that tight when we walked in." commented Kitsune, noticing that her bust was pushing extra hard against her towel as she wrapped it around her body.

"Look, we'll worry about this later," said Naru.  "We've had a long night in the baths and a lot of us are a bit tipsy.  Let's just sleep it off and figure it out in the morning."  The rest of the women were in agreement at this statement.  So they gathered their items and headed towards the door, fiddling with their towels in the process as they tugged them down lower so as not to show so much thigh while trying to keep their breasts covered.

As Kaolla and Amalla were the last to leave the hot springs, the younger Su sister motioned towards her sibling to get her attention.

"Amalla," whispered Kaolla.

"Yes, little sister?" responded Amalla.

At this point, Kaolla held up a bottle with a faded label on it, no doubt washed away from its time in the hot springs.  The writing on it was almost completely gone, but the Molmolian genius knew this bottle well enough to know where it came from and what was originally in it.

"I think I found the source of what caused those reactions in all of us," stated Kaolla with a calm smirk on her face.  "And I think this could be an opportunity for something...very interesting."  Amalla raised her eyebrows in intrigue at what Kaolla was insinuating.

"Well, little sister," responded Amalla, "do tell.  I'm all ears."

"Let's discuss this inside," Kaolla said with a big smile.  "I have a feeling that GREAT changes are underway, and this could help us with our little project with Keitaro and everyone else.  Call it a hunch, but I've got a good feeling about this."