Foam was everywhere.
Although Neko was a very cat-like creature, unlike ordinary cats, she didn’t dislike bathing.
After coming under the attack from “jungle” in Shizume-chou, where the attacker poured gasoline on Neko, she and Kuroh returned to their room on the School island. Kukuri, who was there to meet them, was very surprised and immediately took Neko to the bathroom.
And at the moment, thanks to Kukuri’s efforts, Neko was almost completely covered in foam.
“Okaaay, does it itch anywhere?” Kukuri asked, applying a good measure of shampoo to Neko’s hair and massaging it into a lather.
“No. It feels good!”
Kukuri’s fingers were rubbing Neko’s scalp with just the right amount of pressure. The foam of the honey scented shampoo was now covering Neko’s long hair on its whole length. The fluffy foam was even sliding off her hair and onto her body, gradually covering it as well. It was as if she was being enveloped in foam. Neko had yet to develop any liking for clothes, but being clad in this foam felt good and not in the least restraining, she thought. She even seriously deliberated for a few moments if it wasn’t somehow possible to live your life wearing foam instead of clothing.
“Still, to be splashed with gasoline, just what on earth happened?”
“N-No… I don’t like the police.”
“Ugh…”
“It’s honey scented. I’m glad you liked it, Wagahai-chan. Ah, but don’t try to eat it, OK?”
Neko was about to do just that when Kukuri stopped her. She had to give up on trying to lick the foam and simply blew on it instead. A few bubbles separated from the foam and took a slow flight across the bathroom.
“Kukuri, I will do my best!”
“I will fight with all my might, and if you’re ever in danger, we will protect you!”
'Understood. On my part, the more sources of information I have the better, so if anything happens, let me know immediately. I’ll ask our guys to be on the lookout, as well. Can’t have our opponents make light of us when we’re on Shizume-chou’s turf.’
As Kuroh was discussing a couple more matters with Kusanagi, he heard the two girls’ laughing voices coming from the direction of the bathroom. It looked like they were ready to come out of the bath.
A few seconds later, the door opened with a bang, and a naked girl - naked Neko - leaped into the room.
"Pheew!!! Now I feel better!!!”
“Ah, y-yes, of course!”
Although Kuroh was careful to look away, he couldn’t help accidentally catching a glimpse of Kukuri with his peripheral vision, noticing that she herself still had only a bath towel wrapped around her. The shampoo scented stream that assaulted him was almost too much to bear. Still, he endured it long enough to hand the Neko bundle over to Kukuri, even though his face looked like it could burst into flames any moment.
Kukuri dragged the bundle back into the dressing area of the bathroom. “Jeez, Wagahai-chan! You need to be more careful!”
'What happened? Don’t tell me “jungle” attacked you guys again…?’
For some reason, Kusanagi’s voice at that moment held more compassion and pity than Kuroh heard in it for the whole of today