"S-something strange seems to be growing out of my back…!"
Kita nervously turned her head to look behind her, seeing her yukata bulging as if supported by something.
Kitahara Makoto's gaze narrowed slightly, his eyes falling on Kita's ears.
He couldn't see what was happening behind Kita, but the girl's small, cute ears had clearly turned into furry beast ears…
"The mask was worn for too long, so her body is undergoing fox transformation?"
Kitahara Makoto understood, his gaze shifted downwards, looking behind Kita, and he could clearly see her yukata bulging, most likely a tail that had grown out after the fox transformation.
"K-Kitahara-kun, my body feels so strange!"
Kita looked over in a panic.
"Stay calm, don't panic," Kitahara Makoto comforted her. "Kita has just turned into a Fox Immortal."
Kita: "…"
F-Fox Immortal?
She didn't want to turn into a non-human species!
Kitahara Makoto reminded her:
"Kita's ears have already turned into fox ears."
Kita quickly raised her hand to touch her ears, and soon felt a furry sensation:
"Even my ears have turned into something strange…"
(No!)
(Although Hana's beast ears are super cute, I absolutely don't want to lose my right to be human!)
"T-then, the thing under my yukata… could it be a tail?"
Kita's voice was flustered and helpless.
Kitahara Makoto nodded:
"Most likely."
Kita frantically stepped forward and hugged Kitahara Makoto's arm:
"Kitahara-kun, what should we do?"
"Stay calm, don't panic," Kitahara Makoto comforted her. "This is a side effect of fox transformation caused by wearing the mask for too long. It won't be permanent and will disappear on its own after a while."
"Even if Kitahara-kun says so, we still have to go to the fireworks festival, and in this state… Eh, wait a minute, I have an idea."
Kita's eyes suddenly lit up. She frantically took off the fox mask while looking up and saying:
"Kitahara-kun can still perform Stripping on the side effects, right?"
Kitahara Makoto said softly:
"I can, but there are too many people in the park."
Kita quickly said:
"Then let's find a deserted place, and then go to the Onsen Village…"
Kita had just turned around when she suddenly felt herself bump into something. With a thump, a small child was knocked to the ground and began to cry loudly.
"Ah, I'm sorry…"
Kita quickly apologized.
The elementary schooler sniffled, her eyes brimming with tears:
"Ball… ball…"
Kita was puzzled: "What ball?"
Kitahara Makoto reminded her faintly:
"It should be the cream ball from the ice cream, it's on Kita's yukata."
"Eh?"
Kita looked down and only then realized that there was a blob of ice cream on her yukata.
"N-no!"
Fortunately, at this moment, the elementary schooler's parents arrived. While picking up their child, they apologized to Kitahara Makoto and Kita. It wasn't Kita's fault just now; instead, the elementary schooler had bumped into Kita.
"Just wipe it simply."
Kitahara Makoto handed over a tissue.
"So much cream…"
Kita pouted aggrievedly, biting her lower lip, and wiped hard, but it was clearly impossible to get it clean.
"Let's go to the Onsen Village first," Kitahara Makoto said softly. "Just wash it clean there."
As a result, in the next few short minutes, Kita was stepped on twice, hit by a fan that flew from who knows where, and even her wooden clogs suddenly broke.
"Bad luck, terrifying as such."
Kitahara Makoto watched, sighing in his heart.
Fortunately, the intensity of the bad luck didn't seem very high; at least for now, it wouldn't cause a life-threatening situation.
Even so, it still made Kita teary-eyed:
"K-Kitahara-kun… what should we do?"
Kitahara Makoto pondered for two seconds, then said:
"Kita, put on the mask."
"Eh?"
"There are too many people in the park. Now you'll encounter bad luck every few steps. Getting out of the park will probably require going through eighty-one tribulations," Kitahara Makoto said softly. "Kita, put on the fox mask, let's leave the park first, and then take it off once we enter the Onsen Village."
"I understand…"
Kita quickly agreed, took the fox mask, and put it on her face.
"Come on, I'll carry Kita out of the park."
Kitahara Makoto stepped forward and half-squatted in front of Kita.
"Okay…"
Kita's small face flushed slightly. She lay on Kitahara Makoto's back, then extended her arms and wrapped them around Kitahara Makoto's neck from behind.
There was no other way.
Her wooden clogs were broken, so she couldn't walk barefoot. She could only let Kitahara Makoto carry her.
"Let's go."
Kitahara Makoto stood up steadily and began to walk outwards.
Lying on Kitahara Makoto's back, looking at the continuous stream of pedestrians around them, Kita suddenly felt a magical change in her mindset.
Before, she was panicked and helpless, but after Kitahara Makoto carried her, her heart suddenly settled down, as if she wouldn't be afraid even if the end of the world came the next moment.
(Speaking of which, Kitahara-kun's shoulders are so broad…)
(His hair also smells really good…)
(If only we could keep walking like this forever…)
After putting on the fox mask, the bad luck temporarily disappeared. Kitahara Makoto, carrying Kita, finally left the park smoothly, then found a secluded, deserted corner, and quietly entered the Onsen Village.
"Finally, we're in."
Kita breathed a long sigh of relief:
"Kitahara-kun, you can put me down now."
Kitahara Makoto put Kita down:
"You can take off the mask now."
"Okay," Kita replied, taking off the fox mask from her face. "I wonder if I'll still have bad luck inside the Onsen Village. There aren't as many people as in the park, so it should be safe… Oh dear!"
Before she finished speaking, Kita tripped and fell flat on the ground.
"O-ouch…"
Kita sat on the ground, looking over aggrievedly.
"It proves that you'll still have bad luck in the Onsen Village too," Kitahara Makoto extended his hands, picked Kita up in a princess carry, and then walked towards the bathroom. "I'll help Kita take a bath."
"Eh, eh, eh?!"
Kita immediately panicked, her small face quickly turning red:
"I-I can wash myself!"
"No," Kitahara Makoto said, his face full of righteous sternness. "The bathroom is inherently a high-risk area. Don't forget, you're currently in a state of Stripping Bad Luck. If Kita washes alone, she might hit her head and get hurt, just like Seika-nee did."
Kita: "...Kitahara-kun, don't intentionally scare me!"
(But I really am unlucky right now; I might actually hit my head.)
(Even if I don't hit my head, hitting anywhere else would be super painful.)
(So, I can only let Kitahara-kun help me wash...)
At this thought, the temperature on Kita's small face quickly rose.
(B-But letting a boy help me bathe is too embarrassing, isn't it?)
(Stay calm, don't panic. I've done more embarrassing things with Kitahara-kun; it's just bathing, don't take it to heart.)
(But what if Kitahara-kun takes advantage of me?)
(I-I haven't been taken advantage of before...)
Two little figures, one black and one white, fought endlessly in Kita's mind.
Before Kita could make a decision, Kitahara Makoto's voice already sounded in her ears:
"We're at the bathroom."
"Eh?"
Kita opened her eyes and realized she was already at the bathroom.
"H-How fast..."
Kitahara Makoto put Kita down and said nonchalantly:
"Kita, will you take off your clothes yourself, or do you want me to help?"
"I'll take them off myself!"
Kita quickly covered her chest, her small face flushed, and took a half-step back.
"Alright," Kitahara Makoto didn't insist. "Then Kita, hurry up."
Kita shyly looked over: "Kitahara-kun, please go out first."
"No," Kitahara Makoto's expression was serious. "If I go out, what if Kita hits her head and gets hurt?"
"...Don't always say such scary things!"
Having no choice, Kita was indeed worried about having an accident in the bathroom. She could only turn her body sideways, her small face flushed, and said shyly:
"Kitahara-kun, no peeking."
"It's not like I haven't seen it before..."
"Anyway, just no!"
"..."
Kitahara Makoto pondered:
"Then Kita, turn your back to me."
"Eh?"
Kita looked over in shock.
It was bad enough that he wouldn't leave, but he even wanted to openly watch from behind?
Kitahara Makoto clasped his fingers, his expression serious:
"Kita, don't misunderstand. Only this way can I react immediately and prevent Kita from getting hurt due to her bad luck."
"Th-Then fine..."
Kita parted her lips, unable to think of a reason to refute. She could only turn around, her small face red, and untie her yukata.
"Strange," Kitahara Makoto's voice was puzzled. "I feel like something is missing from Kita's body."
"Eh?" Kita asked, confused. "My handbag and fan are all here...nothing's missing, right?"
"Something is indeed missing," Kitahara Makoto had already found the blind spot. "Kita's shoulders don't have bra straps."
"..."
Upon hearing this, Kita's gaze immediately drifted, her small face quickly turning red.
Seeing Kita's expression, Kitahara Makoto asked curiously:
"Kita, you didn't wear one, did you?"
Kita's small face was flushed, and she stammered:
"Many girls don't wear bras when they wear yukata...it's perfectly normal."
It was fine for Kita, but if it were Hitori, she wouldn't be able to walk at all without a bra!
Kitahara Makoto raised an eyebrow:
"But it's easy to expose yourself, isn't it?"
Kita stammered:
"I used a special item when I went out."
Kitahara Makoto's curiosity was piqued:
"Special item...what is it?"
"It's a girl's secret," Kita turned her small face away, shyly refusing to say. "Kitahara-kun, don't ask so many questions... Oh dear!"
Before she finished speaking, Kita's foot slipped again, and she was about to fall once more.
Kitahara Makoto, quick-eyed and quick-handed, swiftly extended his right hand and embraced Kita.
However, due to her panic just now, Kita's tightly covered yukata had inadvertently opened, allowing Kitahara Makoto to see her so-called secret weapon...
"Tsk~ So it's a band-aid."
No wonder you weren't worried about exposure; it turns out you secretly used band-aids.
But then again...even small ones are cute.
"K-Kitahara-kun, stop looking!"
Kita's small face was flushed, and she cried out in shame:
"Hurry up and help me up!"
"..."
Kitahara Makoto steadied Kita:
"I told you I couldn't leave. If it weren't for me just now, Kita would definitely have fallen and then cried with a runny nose for help."
Kita puffed out her cheeks in shame:
"I wouldn't cry with a runny nose!"
As she spoke, Kita finally took off her yukata, and a fluffy, snow-white tail suddenly appeared in the bathroom.
"It certainly looks like a fox tail."
Kitahara Makoto spoke while extending his right hand and grasping the tail behind Kita:
"It feels fluffy and very nice."
"Mm... Mm—!"
The girl's suppressed soft hum suddenly rang out, instantly turning the entire bathroom pink.
Kitahara Makoto looked over with a subtle gaze:
"What's wrong, Kita?"
"D-Don't touch my tail..." Kita's small face was flushed like fire, as if it would bleed. "It feels so strange..."
Kitahara Makoto's gaze shifted, and his right hand moved again:
"What's strange about it?"
"Mm..." Kita's body trembled slightly, and she let out another soft gasp. She looked as if she could barely stand steady, and she pleaded anxiously, "D-Don't touch it, it feels like an electric shock...Anyway, it's super strange!"
Kitahara Makoto released his right hand and said with a serious expression:
"I'm very curious."
"Hoo..." Kita sighed in relief, quickly hiding her tail behind her. "What are you curious about, Kitahara-kun?"
"I've always been curious about where the tails of Beast Ear Girls in anime actually grow from," Kitahara Makoto's gaze was burning. "Please, Kita, lift your tail and satisfy my curiosity."
"No way!"
Kita's small face was burning hot, and she quickly shook her head in refusal.
Although she couldn't see it, Kita could sense where the tail had grown from...She absolutely couldn't let a boy see it!
Kita, in a moment of quick thinking, quickly said:
"If Kitahara-kun is curious, put on a fox mask yourself and study it carefully after a tail grows out."
Kitahara Makoto's lips twitched slightly:
"Then forget it... Kita, finish taking off your clothes first. I'll try to remove the side effect."
Kita naturally agreed, her small face flushed as she continued to disrobe.
Besides her yukata, Kita had many small accessories on her, such as hairpins, hair ties, colored contacts, bracelets, and so on.
"And those two band-aids," Kitahara Makoto reminded thoughtfully.
"I didn't forget," Kita's small face was flushed, and she took off the band-aids. She covered her chest with both hands, and her tail curled up to cover her lower abdomen, her voice filled with shame:
"O-Okay... there's nothing left on me. Kitahara-kun, stop staring at me!"
Kitahara Makoto then 'suddenly realized' and snapped back to attention:
"I'm sorry, Kita, you're too cute. I couldn't take my eyes off you."
Kita's voice was filled with shame:
"Hurry up and help me!"
Kitahara Makoto raised his hand and said:
"Before stripping the side effect, can I take a picture as a souvenir?"
Kita flatly refused:
"No way!"
"Alright..."
Kitahara Makoto sighed regretfully, extended his right hand, and silently activated his ability.
Stripping!
Then nothing happened.
"Eh..." Kita looked down in confusion. "Why is my tail still there?"
"I already used the ability just now," Kitahara Makoto withdrew his right hand, stroking his chin in thought. "Both the tail and the ears are still there, so is there a possibility...that the fox transformation isn't a 'side effect'?"
"What do you mean?" Kita couldn't help but retort. "It's already this bad, and it's not considered a side effect?"
Kitahara Makoto shook his head and said:
"A so-called side effect should be something objectively harmful to humans, not our subjective judgment. After turning into a fox ear, Kita, you don't have any discomfort, do you?"
"Indeed, I don't..." Kita blinked. "And my hearing has improved."
"The tail is also very useful. It can not only provide warmth but also help maintain body balance," Kitahara Makoto nodded gently. "So, the fox transformation has no harm to the human body; on the contrary, it can enhance certain abilities of the body, so it certainly isn't a side effect."
Kita was speechless and could only look over pitifully:
"What about the tail and ears?"
"Don't worry about them." Kitahara Makoto nodded, "The fox spirit transformation isn't permanent; it will disappear after a while. We just need to stay in the Onsen Village a bit longer."
"That's the only way…" Kita reluctantly agreed. Suddenly, she heard rustling sounds behind her. Turning her head, her voice immediately became flustered, "What is Kitahara-kun doing?!"
Kitahara Makoto said nonchalantly:
"Of course, I'm taking off my clothes."
Kita's voice was filled with shame:
"So, why are you taking off your clothes when everything is fine?"
"Naturally, it's for bathing." Kitahara Makoto said righteously, "I can't possibly bathe with my clothes on, can I?"
Kita shyly covered her body:
"Wait until I finish bathing and go out, then Kitahara-kun can bathe!"
"No." Kitahara Makoto's answer was firm and forceful, "With bad luck clinging to you, Kita could encounter danger at any moment, so we must advance and retreat together, not separating for even a single step."
Kita: "…"
It sounded like there was nothing wrong, but Kita knew very well that things definitely wouldn't end like this.
When everyone was soaking in the onsen, Kitahara Makoto sat alone in the corner, like a gentle herbivore. But when it was just the two of them alone, he would tear off his disguise at some unknown moment and turn into a terrifying carnivore…
"I'm done." Kitahara Makoto's voice rang out, and he directly embraced Kita from behind, "I'll help Kita scrub her back first."
"Eh eh eh eh eh?!"
Kita immediately panicked.
Without waiting even a second, he immediately transformed into a carnivore!
"I don't want Kitahara-kun's help…"
"Bathing should be a mutual help. Later, Kita can help me bathe."
Kita's voice was ashamed and fearful:
"I… I'm not ready yet… And the performance is about to start, and the mini film still needs reshoots. Kitahara-kun, just bathe, you can't be too excessive…"
"Don't worry." Kitahara Makoto assured her, "I'm just helping Kita bathe, nothing else."
"…"
When the girls usually took an onsen bath, they could generally finish in ten minutes. But today, Kitahara Makoto and Kita bathed for a full half an hour before finally leaving the bathroom.
Kita's beast ears and fox tail had not disappeared; she was still in her fox spirit girl state. However, for some reason, her entire face was flushed, her eyes were teary, and she could no longer even stand steadily.
Kitahara Makoto steadily held Kita, walked to the edge of the onsen pool, and then plunged into the onsen with a splash, enjoying the rare two-person mixed onsen bath.
It wasn't until the fox spirit state ended that Kitahara Makoto quietly left the Onsen Village with Kita…