Air dry the books? Suddenly I'm very glad that I don't work in that kind of climate. My library shelves about 25000 volumes of printed media. Having to air all of that out manually on a regular basis would be a logistical nightmare.
Of epic proportions.
Also, I don't think Saotome is any more or less "manly" (whatever that means) now than before. He has just gotten to know the girls better, and isn't as shy around them. That's why he seems a bit more assertive. That's nice, some character development!