Reincarnated as Itsuka Shido: Collecting Spirits as Lovers

"Alright, let's settle our luggage in our rooms first before heading to the hot spring," Shido announced, placing the bags on the tatami mat.

As the only male in the group, it was only natural—or rather, inevitable—that he would be turned into their designated porter. Kotori, in particular, was enjoying this fact way too much, watching him with a smug, almost triumphant smirk.

Shido sighed, but he didn't complain. It wasn't like they had brought an overwhelming amount of luggage, so carrying everything wasn't a big deal. Still, Kotori's haughty expression irked him just a little.

'Tch. If I ever get the chance, I'll definitely teach her a lesson she won't forget,' he thought to himself, shooting her a fleeting glance.

Kotori, noticing his look, only widened her smirk as if she could read his thoughts.

"Something wrong, Onii-chan?" she asked sweetly, tilting her head.

Shido simply sighed again and shook his head. He had a feeling this trip was going to be anything but relaxing.

Tohka and Yoshino curiously explored the spacious room, their eyes shining with excitement.

The entire hot spring resort had been reserved by Ratatoskr. With their immense financial resources, securing the entire place was a trivial task. As a result, aside from the staff, they were the only ones in the resort. Whatever happened here would stay a secret to the outside world.

The room itself was about 10 square meters, boasting a luxurious interior. A sliding partition wall divided the space, allowing some separation. However, Kotori, who was on her commander mode, quickly declared that Shido would be staying on the other side of the partition when they slept to prevent him sneaking on Tohka... or even Yoshino.

Shido could only smile wryly at this arrangement. He wasn't even the probleml. Tohka was the one who always sneaked into his room trying to do questionable things. Of course, there was no way he could say that out loud unless he wanted Kotori to turn into a demon and unleash divine punishment upon him.

"I will stay with Shido."

While they were discussing the small space where Shido would be sleeping, Origami suddenly raised her hand, volunteering herself without hesitation.

"What?!" Tohka's instincts as a Spirit immediately flared up, warning her that Origami was up to no good.

"I also want to stay with Shido!" Tohka quickly followed, raising her hand and shooting a glare at Origami. However, her declaration was met with complete indifference as Origami ignored her existence entirely. Tohka gritted her teeth in frustration, her competitive spirit igniting.

"Hoh?"

Kotori crossed her arms, her expression unreadable as she turned her gaze toward Shido. Her crimson eyes gleamed ominously, silently conveying a single message. 'If you even consider agreeing, I will end you.'

Feeling the weight of Kotori's silent threat and the tension in the air, Shido could only let out a helpless smile. Once again, he was being wrongly blamed, caught in a battle he never even started.

"You two stay with the rest of the girls. I will sleep on this side alone."

Although Shido secretly wanted to sleep while hugging the soft and warm bodies of Tohka and Origami. He couldn't admit that directly, especially in front of Kotori and Reine, whose piercing gazes felt like they were physically stabbing into him.

"Oh..."

Tohka let out a dejected sigh, her shoulders slumping as she lowered her head. Her expression screamed disappointment, making Shido feel a small pang of guilt.

Origami, however, was entirely different. She showed no reaction to his words, at least, on the surface. Her face remained as stoic as ever, but deep inside, her mind was already formulating a strategy.

A subtle glint flashed in her eyes, unnoticed by the others.

...

"Please head to the hot spring first while we prepare your dinner." a mature woman in a kimono said with a warm smile. However, she occasionally stole glances in Shido's direction as her gaze lingering a bit too long.

Noticing this, Tohka's eyes narrowed dangerously. She puffed her cheeks and glared at the woman, but the latter paid her no mind. Instead, she subtly adjusted her posture, emphasizing her plump curves in an attempt to attract Shido's attention.

Shido, however, knew how to handle situations like this.

Though he had to admit that the woman was beautiful as she was exuding the charm of a mature woman, that was all there was to it. In his eyes, Tohka and Origami would also be more alluring at they grew older.

As he thought about that, Shido subconsciously gulp, staring at the two girls seductive body, then he shifted his gaze to Yoshino who was staring at him with a confused expression.

Seeing the pure and innocent Yoshino, Shido knew that she would also be alluring as Tohka and Origami when she grow up.

With that thought, he shook off any distractions and focused on what was ahead.

"Shido, let's go in together." Tohka said shyly, holding his hand. Although she felt a bit embarrassed, she still wanted to share the experience with him.

"No, Shido will go with me." Origami suddenly appeared on his other side, wrapping her arms around his.

"I was the first to ask! Shido is going with me!" Tohka huffed, glaring at Origami for stealing her spot.

However, Origami remained unfazed by Tohka's outburst. Instead, she simply cast a smug glance in her direction, as if challenging her.

...

In the end, Shido lightly knocked the heads of the two troublesome girls, sighing in exasperation.

Tohka immediately clutched her head, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears as she looked at Shido pitifully, like a puppy that had just been scolded. "S-Shido… that was mean…" she whined, puffing her cheeks.

Origami, on the other hand, reacted in a completely unexpected way. Instead of rubbing her head in pain, she simply stood there, her face slowly turning red. Her breathing became shallow, and a strange glint appeared in her eyes.

Shido then thought that he might have accidentally triggered Origami's switch causing his body to quiver.

Just as the situation threatened to spiral into something beyond his control, Reine's drowsy voice cut through the tension.

"Alright, time to change." she called out, effectively saving Shido from whatever Origami was about to do.

Taking this opportunity, Shido quickly turned around, pretending he didn't see the way Origami was staring at him.