First Bath

-Eric's point of view as Elise

Rushing to the bathhouse, I duck under the noren curtain. Oh no! There's a girl in her underwear. I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to look. But if I don't take a bath, my body feels gross, and not bathing could even affect her reputation due to the bad smell. I make excuses no one can hear, in my mind. Filled with guilt, I try not to look and decide to change clothes far away from everyone else. Releasing the tightness of the bra elastic, my chest relaxes. I find the polka-dot panties cute, but as I take them off, I see more than I should. Even if she is not a good girl, is it okay to look at such things? Aren't girls embarrassed having their bodies seen by boys? It feels like I'm doing something terribly wrong. I must wash quickly and leave this uncomfortable space.

"Hey, isn't that Elize?" A girl with a strong presence suddenly speaks to me. Her tone and look feel mocking, so I brace myself. "Weren't you all high and mighty until the placement tests started? You're in the lower class, right? It's just like a lowly boy to keep staring at your ridiculously huge chest, isn't it?" I feel deeply insulted... While the sexual harassment doesn't resonate as much with me as a new girl, being demeaned as a person is hurtful, and I feel a rising anger. "That's awful..." "You're the one who's been awful. Reflect on what you've been saying to Clara," she retorts. The girl walks away. I see. Elize must have been making disliked comments. And now, I'm paying for it. It feels incredibly unfair. Worried about more harsh words, I cautiously enter the bath.

I scrub my body. My chest itches, so I scrub harder. After shampooing and rinsing, I wonder if I should also use a treatment. It takes time to wash with so much hair. It's not my body; maybe I should just shave it all off, but I reconsider and decide to embrace being a woman. Learning the difficulties and annoyances of women's bathing, I leave the bathhouse. Paired with a lower class boy, huh? I wonder what kind of guy he is.