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[AI CENSORSHIP BLOCKED THIS CHUNK - RAW ENGLISH RETAINED]

“Hey, why are we in this bath together anyway, Megumin?If you really think about it, isn’t this kind of…bad?”

“You’re saying that now?!Stop it!Why would you turn all levelheaded now?”

Megumin scuttled backward, trying to put as much distance between us as she could.I tried to do the same thing in the other direction.

“I mean—what if someone sees us here?There’s no way to play this off as a joke.It’s exactly at times like these when someone who can’t read these kinds of situations—”

So, naturally, right at that moment…

“I’m hooome!”

…we heard the voice of somebody famous for not being able to readanysituation.

“You jinxed us, Kazuma!”

“This isn’t the time to be pointing fingers!One of us has to hurry and get out of here!”

Megumin and I both jumped up to leave the tub at the same time, then both sank back down in embarrassment.

“Why are you trying to leave with me?Are you trying to see what my wet towel reveals?Are you not worried I will see what yours does?”

“Hey, I’m getting out of here, so you stay in the water.Wait—the key!Please tell me we locked the changing room…”

“N-no, we didn’t!And you know this is when Aqua will come straight here.Wh-wh-what do we do?Do something, please!”

Whatever the hell the options even were, obviously the first step was for one of us to get out of the bath.

If Aqua found us here, I was sure she would come up with some slanderous nickname for me—loliNEET or loli-lover or who knows what.

“Kazumaaa!Megumiiin!I’m hooome!Aren’t you going to greet me?I brought the money we got for the frogs!”

Her voice was getting closer.

I sprang out of the tub and zipped toward the changing room.

At the sound of my footsteps, Aqua seemed to realize where I was.

“Kazumaaa!…Oh, taking a bath?”

An instant before the changing room door could open, I summoned all the magical power in my body, and with my right arm outstretched, I focused on a spell like I never had before.

“Freeeeze!!”

With my entire store of magic behind it, the spell froze the doorknob instantaneously, while I, my MP spent, collapsed to the floor in the wave of exhaustion that followed.

“Kazuma, I left your and Megumin’s money on the table, okay?When you’re done with your bath, let’s go get something to eat!”

Then she walked away, never even trying to open the door.

…Of course she didn’t.She knew I was in here.What did I think this was, a manga?

“A-are you all right, Kazuma?Did you use up all your magic?I mean…that was a close one.We almost—”

“I almost got certified with a Lolita complex!That was really a close one… Hey, Megumin.Sorry, but could you dry me off?I can’t move, and I don’t want to catch a cold…”

I couldn’t see Megumin from where I lay prone on the floor.But…

“You say you will be considered a jailbait lover for getting in the bath with me?I shall have you explain this!You make awfully bold demands for someone who can’t move a muscle!”

“Hey—hey, stop that!What are you doing, taking my towel off?!Now who’s the perv?!Hey— A-Aquaaa!Aquaaa!The jailbait won’t leave me alone!”