Why is my journey to the world of anime a strange tale of rules?

Unaware of Gao Hai's inner thoughts, Maki frowned and revealed an unhappy expression.

"How could I be mocking you? I was just feeling a bit sentimental. Okay, okay, let's keep going. Let's not think about these headaches for now. We finally get to go out and have some fun, so I want to cherish the time we spend alone together."

Gao Hai sighed softly, then grabbed Zhenfei's small hand again, speaking solemnly as he pulled her forward.

"Ugh, what... Ugh... You bastard, whatever... Whatever..."

Consort Zhen blushed deeply again at Gao Hai's words, trembling for a long time before failing to utter a fluent sentence. In the end, she could only lower her head and let Gao Hai pull her forward.

The setting sun cast long shadows of the two people at that moment, and as they walked closer to each other, the two long shadows slowly drew nearer and gradually merged into one.

Interlude 2-21: The First Night's Hot Spring Time and the Girl Project

slam-la-

Turn on the shower and let the hot water flow over your whole body to rinse.

Gao Hai wrapped a towel around his waist, then walked out of the bathroom and came to the large open-air hot spring on the side of the hotel.

Under the dim sky, the steam rising from the hot springs created a somewhat ethereal feeling, and the fluorescent lights set up on both sides of the stone path added to the dreamlike atmosphere.

It was after Gao Hai and Zhen Fei had returned from shopping, and the four of them had dinner together at the hotel's upscale restaurant, and then rested for a while.

"Phew...not bad at all..."

Immersed in the hot spring, Gao Hai let out a long sigh and stretched in the water.

Gao Hai was the only person in the entire hot spring pool. He looked up at the tall bamboo wall not far away and felt a little itchy when he thought about what was on the other side of the wall.

Right now, Chika and the others are probably enjoying themselves in the women's bath. Oh my, that's wonderful! I'd like to join them. But speaking of which, my relationship with Kaguya isn't that close yet. If I get along well with all three of them, maybe we could have a bath together sometime?

Well, even if a four-person bath isn't possible right now, at least a bath with Chika shouldn't be a problem, right? Tonight probably won't work, but I should be able to try tomorrow. And I heard that girls with big breasts can be lifted up in the water; I wonder if that's true. I really want to see it for myself. Hmm, someone like Maki probably couldn't be lifted up, but there's a saying that girls have a second chance at development, but that chance depends on how "powerful" the guy is. I guess I'm pretty "powerful"...

Lost in thought, Gao Hai's lips curled into a slight smile.

He was almost completely submerged in the water, stretching out his body in the warm current, and even swimming in it.

Whether this will cause dissatisfaction among others is a completely unnecessary concern, because this hot spring hotel has actually been booked by Kaguya and her group. There will be no other guests for the next two days. As a distinguished guest, Gao Hai is not only free from minor matters like swimming, but even if he blows up the hot spring pool, the hotel owner and staff will all come over and bow to him, saying "Good job!"

You can only say that rich people are different.

Come to think of it, I seem to have heard before I traveled through time that there was a hotel in Japan whose hot spring water hadn't been changed for ten years, with bacterial concentrations exceeding the standard by 9000 times? It shouldn't be this hot spring hotel I'm staying at now, right?

Suddenly realizing this, Gao Hai paused for a moment, then couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth, instantly losing the pleasant feeling he had when soaking in the hot spring.

Forget it, let's just enjoy the hot spring and not think about these uncomfortable things.

Thinking this, Gao Hai opened his eyes and looked up, and then he saw those dark, eerie shadows floating in mid-air.

It seems... even if I don't overthink things, I can't really enjoy myself...

Gao Hai looked at those twisted and deformed creatures with a subtle expression; they were, to put it mildly, extremely ugly.

How to describe this feeling? It's like having a fresh pile of poop placed in front of you alongside a plate of fragrant grilled fish, and having to eat the fish while enduring the smell of poop. Or it's like ordering a sweet, cloying milk tea, sticking in the straw, and before you even take a sip, the person sitting next to you suddenly vomits a rainbow all over the floor, and you can even see little black pearls and other tiny things in the rainbow... Seriously, why am I using such a disgusting analogy to torture myself?

After a jumble of thoughts ran through his mind, Gao Hai yawned, and after soaking for a few more minutes, he felt it was too boring and simply got up and left.

While Gao Hai was idly passing the time, Kaguya and Maki were keeping a very sharp eye on each other in the women's bath area.

Without a doubt, their gazes were fixed on a pink-haired girl sitting in the hot spring, a part of her body lifted up by the water.

"Ah...the hot spring is so wonderful~"

Fujiwara Chika let out a satisfied groan.

Kaguya remained silent at that moment.

"Hehe, I really wish I could come here every day to soak in this."

Fujiwara Chika stretched and swayed her body dramatically.

Zhenfei's pupils contracted slightly.

how so……

I felt it was already amazing before, but why does it seem to have gotten even bigger now?

How can things change so quickly in just a few days? What exactly happened?

Shijo Maki's mind was completely in chaos.

Her figure has become even fuller...

She's like a succubus from hell reincarnated as a human, born solely to seduce men. That body, that figure… Damn it, I can't help but be jealous. How did she develop so well?!

Kaguya Shinomiya tried to hold back, but as expected, she couldn't suppress her resentment.

"Hooah...hooah..."

As for Chika herself, she was completely oblivious to the gazes of the other two, and was instead completely relaxed in the warm currents of the hot spring.

It seems like the pain in my body has subsided a little.

A few days ago, Ahai treated me rather roughly; several parts of my body were pinched and swollen. Although the swelling has gone down in the last couple of days, there's still a lingering pain. It seems girls really have to endure much more than boys the first time. That idiot Ahai, he should have been more careful and cherished me more! Although, I actually like it when he's a little rough…

Recalling those blush-inducing moments they had shared, Chika's cheeks flushed slightly.

Tonight... Ugh, no, I already decided to save the next one for Maki. Ugh, this is so worrying. I never thought I'd like this kind of "game." If Akai finds out, will he think I'm too lewd?

Fujiwara Chika was slightly bothered and subconsciously brought her legs together.

"I wonder if Ah Hai gets too bored being alone in the men's bath."

The next moment, Chika glanced at Maki and Kaguya, and suddenly spoke softly.

"What's so boring about soaking in a hot spring?"

Maki was somewhat puzzled, and at the same time, she was very wary. She didn't quite understand what Chika was trying to say by suddenly bringing this up.

"There's nothing we can do about it. After all, Ah Hai is a kid who's very afraid of being alone. Maybe he's thinking of us going over to keep him company right now."

Chika blinked and said with a grin, her expression becoming even more inscrutable.

"Don't tell such jokes, Fujiwara-kun. Taka-kun is a man with principles and self-control. He won't let himself fall into such pointless fantasies."

Kaguya frowned slightly and glanced at Chika. Thinking of her experience of sleeping in the same room as Takami in the Shirakawa Apartment, she seriously began to refute.

"Ah, Kaguya-san, that's what you think..."

The gaze that came from Chika the next moment inexplicably carried a sense of pity.

"Well, it's nothing. Speaking of which, what does Princess Zhenfei think?"

Then, Chika promptly shifted her gaze to Maki.

Hey, what's with you just skipping over me and ignoring me? What's with that "I haven't even found the track yet" expression?

Kaguya clenched her fists, unsure of what to say. It was only then that she vaguely realized that Fujiwara Chika, whom she had always considered somewhat clumsy and silly, had somehow surpassed her in certain aspects, to the point that the other woman could now display such a perfunctory attitude towards her during conversations.

what is it?

What kind of growth did she experience that led to such a dramatic change?

Kaguya Shinomiya couldn't figure out the answer to the question.

"Asking me what I think? I don't care... no, I don't want to tell you. Even if I were to tell you, I would definitely tell Haijun. Why would I have to tell you?"

Almost habitually, Maki was about to utter her standard tsundere words again. But having learned her lesson from Chika, the girl realized what she had said before and quickly changed her tune, denying her earlier statement and immediately becoming more alert.

"Hehehe, don't be shy, I want to hear it~"

"Hey, don't come any closer! Wait, wait—"

Amidst the splashing water, the pink-haired girl's giggling and teasing of the brown-haired girl seemed to Kaguya like a great demon king capturing a pure white angel.

Some wanted to step forward to help, but if they got close to Fujiwara Chika, who was clearly in a playful mood, they might end up becoming her toys themselves. So, Maki-san, I'm asking you, as the eldest daughter of the Shijou family, to hold off this girl for me.

With that thought in mind, Kaguya's expression returned to calm as she soaked in the hot spring, watching Maki wail as Chika pulled her along.

Shortly afterward, when the three of them came out of the hot spring, they saw Gao Hai, who had already returned to the lobby outside the hot spring pool, sitting on a bench in the lobby and dozing off.

"Hmm, you're out?"

A little sleepy, Gao Hai yawned, looked at the three girls not far away who were only wearing yukatas, his eyes widened slightly, and then he stood up from his seat.

The next moment, Qianhua jumped directly in front of Gao Hai and naturally put her arm around his.

"Hey, hey, the board game department designed a Monopoly game, wanna play it with me?"

The smiling girl talked as she pulled Gao Hai toward the accommodation area.

"Wait a minute, you idiot, don't just come up here and start hugging and kissing—ugh!?"

As expected, Maki, who had just been tormented by Chika, had not learned her lesson at all. When she saw Chika and Takami together, she immediately rushed forward and was then hugged by Chika. The two girls bumped into Takami's arms together.

At this moment, should I pretend to be serious and remain still, or should I be straightforward and hug both of them at once?

After hesitating for about 0.02 seconds, Gao Hai simply hugged both of them.

"Don't worry, I'll invite Maki to play too. Oh, right, Kaguya-san, come play with us too."

Ignoring Maki, who was being held in Takahashi's arms along with her and was now blushing and stiff, Chika struggled to free one hand and waved her little hand to Kaguya not far away, making an inviting gesture.

As for Kaguya herself, she fell silent again, standing still, her rapidly working brain crashing due to the chaotic scene before her, causing Windows 11 to automatically update.

Interlude 2-22: Fujiwara Chika's Monopoly Fun Game

Monopoly.

As a game that has flourished since the early 20th century, there are several different theories about its origin.

It is said that this game was originally developed to expose the inherent flaws of capitalism, therefore there can only be one winner, and the only way to win is for all other players to go bankrupt. However, due to the inherent competitiveness and fun of this game format, it became extremely popular, and its original purpose has been completely forgotten.

Of course, the Monopoly game that Chika Fujiwara modified in the board game club is relatively simple. Players only need to complete the game content in the four areas of [Youth Area], [Youth Area], [Middle-aged Area], and [Old Age Area]. After the game is completed, players are ranked according to their individual scores.

That being said, based on Gao Hai's impression of the original work, Chika's modified Monopoly version seems to have various bizarre features such as "being hit by a car and dying at the beginning" and "having nine children in a row." It's unknown what kind of Monopoly Chika will create in this world.

"Okay, so in short, this game is about rolling dice and moving across a grid, right?"

As she spoke, Maki, sitting to Gao Hai's left, casually tossed two dice in her hand.

"That's right, that's right, the gameplay is very simple."

Chika, sitting to Takahashi's right, let out a silly laugh, her whole being seemed to glow, her face completely filled with anticipation.