CHAPTER 79: CH:79 SIS PUFFERFISH AND THE BATH NIGHTMARE

Fran, completely unaware, called out cheerfully from the washing area.

"Sister! Are you coming or not? The water’s sooo warm! Nyaa~!"

Meanwhile, Dila remained squatting near the door like a criminal caught mid-crime, both hands clamped over her burning-red face, trembling.

"N-No... No, I’m not..." she muttered weakly, shaking her head. "I... I’ve seen enough..."

Her nose betrayed her as a thin stream of blood has still trickled down.

"I saw too much..." she whispered in defeat.

Fran tilted her head, confused, ears flicking. "Sister? Are you sick?"

"I’m dying..." Dila whispered hopelessly, still squatting, still covering her eyes, still blushing like a furnace.

Fran just hummed. "Okay then! I’ll splash extra water for you when you’re ready~!"

Dila whimpered softly. "Please... don’t..."

Fran tilted her head playfully. "Hmmm?" ears twitching, and giggled as she inched closer, her bare feet padding softly on the warm stone floor.

"Oh, come on, Sister~ Just take my hand! Tehee~!" she said sweetly, reaching out.

Dila, still squatting and hugging her knees like her soul had left her body, refused softly, "N-No..."

Fran’s face shifted to a slight pout. "Sister, are you gonna be like that all day? You’ve got a big afternoon ahead. I mean, we have a big afternoon ahead!" she reminded brightly.

"No..." Dila’s voice was barely audible as she pressed her forehead against her knees, cheeks burning.

Fran didn’t give up. She tiptoed even closer. Dila could hear the soft, bare footsteps now. Her elf ears twitched nervously. She peeked slightly—and immediately regretted it.

"Oh, come on, sis!" Fran pleaded, face now adorably concerned. "Just take my hand!"

Dila, flustered beyond reason, blurted out, "How... how come you’re not afraid of water?! You’re a cat! You should hate baths!"

Fran paused.

Then laughed. Loudly.

"Pffft! Puhahaha! What?! Sister, that’s just a stereotype! We cat tribes like water! But we hate cold! Hahaha!"

Dila blinked, completely confused, cheeks still bright red.

"C-Cats... like water... but hate cold...?" she muttered in disbelief, her brain struggling.

Fran wiped tears from her eyes mid-laughter. "Yes! Ahaha! Oh, Sister... you’re too funny sometimes."

Dila, still frozen in her squat, silently thought: I have no idea what’s going on anymore...

Fran stepped closer, her tail swaying happily behind her. With her softest voice, she called again, "Come on, Sister... cooome on..." Her sweet smile beamed like sunshine.

Dila, defeated, still crouched in her embarrassment, finally sighed, cheeks red. "F-Fine... just... I’ll close my eyes again like last time... to avoid seeing weird stuff."

Fran tilted her head, ears flicking. "Hmm? Last time?"

Dila flinched. "O-Oh! Nothing! Hahaha! Definitely nothing!" She forced the most awkward laugh in history, waving her hands nervously.

Taking a deep breath like facing her doom, Dila tightly closed her eyes, puffed her cheeks like a pufferfish, and stood up, arms stiff at her sides.

Fran blinked.

Then Fran exploded laughing.

"P-PUHAHAHAHAHA! Sister!! You look like—like a pufferfish!!" she gasped between laughs, clutching her stomach, her tail swinging wildly.

Dila, still cheeks puffed and eyes shut, hissed: "Well?! Come on, Fran! Don’t torture me like this!!"

Fran could barely stand, wiping tears from her eyes as she laughed harder. "Pufferfish! Aahaha! She’s a pufferfish!"

Dila, still standing like a statue, thought bitterly: This is the most humiliating day of my life.

Fran finally wiped the last tear from her eye, her laughter slowing into soft giggles. "Oky, Sister... it’s enough. I’ve had my fill anyway..." she said, her voice still shaky from laughing.

Dila, still standing stiff as a broom, eyes shut and cheeks puffed, snapped, "WELL! Good for you, Fran!!" Her voice cracked from frustration, but she kept her eyes sealed shut like her life depended on it.

Fran still couldn’t help herself—she snorted, trying to suppress another laugh, but a few giggles escaped anyway. "S-Sorry! I can’t help it! You just... you looked like you were about to explode or something!" Her tail flicked behind her, betraying her amusement.

Dila stomped her foot on the floor, cheeks puffing even harder. "I WAS ABOUT TO EXPLODE!!" she yelled.

Fran clapped softly in amusement, eyes sparkling. "Ahahaha! Okay, okay! Come on, Sis Pufferfish, let’s get you to the bath." she smile her both hand clapped.

"I’M NOT A PUFFERFISH!!" Dila shrieked, but she still followed—blindly—while puffing her cheeks like the world’s grumpiest balloon.

As they reached the washing area, Fran crossed her arms with a playful smirk. "Hmm? Looks like I’ll need to undress you myself if you don’t hurry, Sister."

Dila flailed her hands in panic, her eyes squeezed shut. "No! No! I’ll do it myself! Stay back, Fran! Stay back!" she awkwardly said unnaturally.

Fran giggled, stepping back and watching. "Alright, alright~"

Dila, red as a tomato, carefully pulled at the straps of her dress, her shoulders trembling as she slid it down. Her knees pressed together nervously, and she kept her eyes stubbornly closed. She muttered, "Why do I feel like a criminal...?"

Fran, meanwhile, tilted her head and watched quietly... before her expression shifted to wide-eyed amazement. "Wow... I didn’t know Sister had such... a good figure."

Dila’s cheeks burned even hotter. "Don’t stare! I can feel your gaze burning me alive!"

Fran immediately looked away, cheeks puffed like a sulking cat, squeezing her own chest. "Not fair... you’re way more grown-up than me."

Hearing that, Dila cracked one eye open forba fraction of second and closed again, she saw Fran pouting in that fraction of time frame, and nearly tripped over her own feet in shock. "Fran! Stop comparing yourself to me! This isn’t a competition!"

Fran just chuckled, wagging her tail mischievously. "Hehe... too late~"

Dila groaned, covering her face with both hands. "Hayss!"

Fran carefully guided Dila forward, holding her hand like leading a blindfolded child. "Sister, watch your step, or you’ll trip."

Dila puffed her cheeks, eyes shut tight. "Of course I’ll trip! My eyes are completely shut! What do you expect?!"

Fran giggled softly at first. "Hehehe... you’re funnier than I thought when you’re like this, Sis."

Dila’s pout deepened, her lips puffed out as she carefully shuffled forward, arms flailing slightly like she was feeling for walls. "Glad my suffering is comedy to you."

Fran finally burst into laughter, her voice echoing through the bath area like a little bell. "Ahahaha! I can’t! You’re like a lost baby duck!"

"I’m NOT a duck!!" Dila snapped, still squinting her eyes shut as she tripped slightly over a soap bucket. "Fran! Warn me next time!!"

Fran couldn’t even answer—she was clutching her stomach, laughing too hard to speak.

Meanwhile, Dila, still red-faced and eyes closed, grumbled. "Just get me to the water... before I die of humiliation."

Dila, eyes still tightly shut, waved her hands wildly as Fran led her carefully closer toward the washing seat.

"Careful, Sister. You’ll trip again."

"Sigh, you repeated your words What do you expect? I’m basically blind like this!" Dila snapped, cheeks puffed again as she stomped forward.

Fran giggled softly, then leaned in. "Don’t worry. I’ll wash you gently~"

Dila froze. "What... what did you just say?"

"Nothing! Fufufu~" Fran’s grin widened, clearly plotting something as she guided Dila toward the round stone stool.

"Why do I feel like you’re up to something mischievous?" Dila mumbled, still blushing, eyes firmly closed.

"Sit down, Sister~" Fran chirped from behind, gently pushing.

"I can do it my—ahhh!!"

Her foot slipped. Dila’s bare skin slapped down onto the polished stone with a soft smack. Her entire posture stiffened in shock as she sat frozen for a moment, processing the betrayal of physics.

"Ow... my butt..." she whispered.

Fran burst out laughing, clutching her stomach. "Ahahaha!! Sister! Your butt wobbled! Ahaha!"

Dila, still red-faced, rubbed her backside in defeat. "Don’t laugh like that, Fran... it’s mean..."

But Fran couldn’t stop.

Dila, pouting hard, crossed her arms and muttered, "This is the worst bath in history of my life..."

Fran, still giggling like a child caught in mischief, wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "Sorry, sorry, Sister! I just... I can’t stop laughing! Please forgive me~" she said between soft chuckles.

Dila let out the longest sigh imaginable, her whole body slumping like a defeated cat. "Sigh..."

Fran leaned forward without warning, wrapping her arms around Dila from behind. "I know you’re the best, Sister!"

But the sudden skin contact made Dila’s eyes snap wide open and than closed back.

"Wha—why are you hugging me naked?!"

Fran blinked innocently. "Because you’re my sister?"

Dila’s face exploded red as steam practically shot from her ears. "Alright! That’s enough!!" she yelped, flailing her arms while still seated.

Fran chuckled softly behind her, clearly having too much fun. "Hehe... you’re so warm, though..."

"Of course not!.... No!!" Dila barked, shouting the word "not" so long it echoed around the bathing area.

Fran just giggled even harder, wagging her tail. "You’re so easy to tease, Sister."

Dila crossed her arms again, glaring ahead as if her soul left her body. "Why... why am I even here...?"

Fran’s answer was simple: "Because you love me~"

"I don’t!!!" Dila growled as Fran hugged her tighter. While her body is twitching on being hug like chewed alive.