"Kotomi, after we finish unpacking later, let's go soak in the hot springs together."
Inside the luxurious Japanese-style guest room, Yui Yuigahama rested on the floor for a moment before standing up and beginning to unpack her suitcase. As she opened it, she spoke to Kotomi Izumi.
Yui had wanted to try the hot springs for a long time. The moment she entered the gates of Harugamo Inn earlier, she had been looking around everywhere, trying to find where the hot springs were.
But then Saori Funamoto appeared and immediately asked Kotomi, "Are you Shizuka Hiratsuka's girlfriend?"
In an instant, Yui Yuigahama's excitement about the hot springs vanished completely.
How could she still be in the mood for a bath when her girlfriend seemed like she might be taken away by someone else?
Now that Kotomi Izumi had "explained" everything to her, Yui accepted it without the slightest hesitation.
Whatever Kotomi said, she believed.
If Yukino Yukinoshita had not interrupted several times midway, Kotomi would have already smoothed the matter over long ago. Even though Yukino had exposed a few inconsistencies, Kotomi had still cleverly explained her way through them.
Once the explanation was over, the heavy stone in Yui's heart disappeared. After relaxing, her thoughts once again drifted back to the hot springs.
Kotomi Izumi also knew very well how much Yui had been looking forward to them.
Winter had already begun. When the weather grew cold, thoughts like wanting to soak in a hot spring, wanting to curl up in a warm blanket, wanting to drink hot beverages, and wanting to eat steaming dishes that were almost too hot for the mouth naturally surfaced, like instincts engraved deep within the human mind.
During the few times Kotomi had stayed at the Yuigahama house before, she had gotten used to bathing before going to bed.
Her first impression of the Yuigahama family bathroom was that it was very small.
For one person it was acceptable, but if two people tried to bathe together, the whole bathroom immediately felt cramped. As for the bathtub, Kotomi could not even stretch her legs fully inside it.
This made Kotomi, who was accustomed to stretching out her legs in her bathtub at home, feel slightly uncomfortable every time she bathed at the Yuigahama house.
In fact, with the size of the Yuigahama family bathtub, among Yui Yuigahama, Tomoka Yuigahama, Kotomi Izumi, and Yuka, only little Yuka could fully stretch her legs while soaking.
Yui Yuigahama had always wanted to bathe together with Kotomi, but she felt too embarrassed to invite her because the bathroom in her house was so small.
Ever since realizing that Kotomi's family background was far better than hers, Yui had always felt a faint sense of inferiority and unease.
Before coming here, Yui had even searched online for promotional pictures and descriptions of Harugamo Inn.
Although she did not find pictures of the hot spring baths themselves, after reading through various travel site reviews she noticed one consistent point.
Whenever people mentioned the hot springs at Harugamo Inn, the comments were almost always full of praise.
That only increased Yui's anticipation.
She secretly hoped that this chance to soak in the hot springs would allow her to fulfill a small wish.
Yes. Yui Yuigahama did not actually care about the hot springs themselves.
She simply wanted to see what Kotomi looked like while soaking in them.
And if she could pretend to casually hug Kotomi while they were in the hot spring...
Hehehe...
Yui could not help letting out a foolish giggle.
?
Seeing Yui suddenly giggle to herself, a small question mark seemed to appear above Kotomi Izumi's head.
At the same time, when faced with Yui's invitation to go to the hot springs together, Kotomi happened to glance at her phone. Her eyebrows lifted slightly.
Then, under Yui's hopeful gaze, she calmly replied:
"No."
"Eh?"
Like a puppy that had waited hungrily all day only to fail to receive any meat from its owner, disappointment filled Yui Yuigahama's pretty face.
Although the relationship between her and Kotomi had long since passed the stage where simply holding hands would make them blush like foolish lovers, Yui still very much wanted to see Kotomi sitting beside the hot spring wrapped only in a towel, removing it just before entering the water.
If not a towel, then even a bathrobe would do.
Last night, when the two of them had secretly "eaten meat" together, there had been something Yui was too embarrassed to say.
That was: "Kotomi, could you wear the bathrobe again?"
In simple terms, Yui Yuigahama's particular taste was seeing Kotomi wrapped in a towel or dressed in a bathrobe.
But now Kotomi had refused.
Forget seeing Kotomi wrapped in a towel or bathrobe. Even her small wish of soaking in the hot springs together and watching Kotomi bathe had been crushed.
No wonder she looked so disappointed.
Seeing her like that, Kotomi could not help laughing softly.
"Did you see the hotel's swimming pool and suddenly feel like a child who can't wait to put on a swimsuit and run off with a swim ring?"
Why did Kotomi make that comparison?
Because she herself had been exactly like that when she was little. Whenever she traveled with her parents and stayed at a hotel, the moment she saw a swimming pool she would lose interest in everything else and only want to go swimming as soon as possible.
Perhaps it was because her name contained the character for "sea," but Kotomi Izumi had always felt an inexplicable closeness to water since childhood.
Now, seeing the eager expression on Yui's face reminded her of her younger self rushing toward hotel pools, so the comparison slipped out naturally.
After hearing this, Yui Yuigahama's cheeks flushed red and she lowered her head slightly.
Of course, Kotomi had not refused solely to enjoy watching Yui lower her head in disappointment...
Well, perhaps that thought had been mixed in just a little.
"The hot springs at Harugamo Inn are indeed open twenty-four hours," Kotomi continued slowly. "But do you know what another characteristic of their hot springs is?"
"What is it?" Yui asked curiously.
"They're open-air baths. And the best times to enjoy open-air hot springs are early morning, evening, and late at night. In a little over an hour it'll be noon. Who would soak in hot springs at that time? Would you soak first and then go eat, or eat first and then soak?"
Kotomi spoke calmly, her tone making it sound perfectly reasonable.
"Oh, I see..."
Yui nodded, half understanding and half confused.
Although she did not quite understand why those times were the best for hot springs, and Kotomi had not explained it further, she decided to simply follow what Kotomi said.
After all, in Yui's heart, whatever Kotomi said was always right.
Yukino Yukinoshita, who was sitting to the side organizing her own luggage, felt equally confused after hearing Kotomi's explanation.
She loved reading and possessed a broader range of knowledge than Yui. Even so, she had never heard of there being an "optimal time" for soaking in open-air hot springs.
Was there really such a thing as timing when it came to open-air baths?
Yukino was puzzled.
She wanted to press Kotomi for a thorough explanation.
But when she saw Kotomi leisurely sipping tea while gazing out the window, looking as though she were enjoying the peaceful flow of time itself, Yukino reconsidered.
Even if she asked, Kotomi probably would not give her a proper explanation.
She would simply redirect the topic so subtly that by the time Yukino regained her bearings, the conversation would have drifted through several unrelated subjects.
Kotomi was simply too good with words...
Yukino sighed inwardly.
If Yukino truly had asked, Kotomi would not have been able to provide a real answer anyway.
Because the so-called "best times to soak in open-air hot springs" had just been fabricated.
Less than a minute ago.
Perhaps there truly were ideal times for open-air bathing—but Kotomi did not know them. The three time periods she had listed were purely invented.
Why make something up out of nowhere?
Kotomi did not want to either.
If she had not glanced at her phone just now, she would have already agreed to Yui.
Thinking of that, Kotomi looked at her phone again.
Earlier, she had received a message from Ayani Kika.
Ayani Kika:
[I gave myself a holiday. It's strange—at my age, a girl on break would usually think of going shopping or catching a movie. But I want to soak alone in a hot spring. I feel like my mind becomes exceptionally clear while bathing.]
[Some of the geisha in the Gion district—those a few years younger or older than me—usually want to go shopping during their time off.]
[Hehe. Does that sound strange? As the oiran of Gion, I still have days off and the freedom to leave the district. Times have changed. Many old rules have quietly faded away. Compared to geisha and courtesans of ancient times, today's are far freer.]
[After all, the entire geisha industry is gradually declining. Few newcomers join. The older and current generations will slowly age and pass away.]
[Even Kyoto, known as the largest gathering place of geisha, cannot stop this ancient profession from fading. Perhaps many years from now, when the last geisha in Japan dies, the industry will be replaced by robots wearing painted geisha makeup.]
[Oh, right. I'm currently soaking in the hot springs at Harugamo Inn. Living in Kyoto, when one mentions open-air hot springs, Harugamo Inn is the first that comes to mind. I recall you're staying here these days as well. Are you at Harugamo Inn right now? If I may have the honor, I would like to invite you to join me in the hot springs.]
Ayani Kika always liked sending long messages.
Fortunately, Kotomi could quickly identify the key point at a glance.
Just now, she had skimmed through the message. She had not even finished reading it.
The moment she saw that Ayani was currently soaking in the hot springs at Harugamo Inn, she immediately told herself:
That's enough. No need to read further right now. I just need to know she's at the hot springs.
Damn it. I remember the Gion district isn't exactly close to Harugamo Inn. Even by car it takes half an hour. Are the hot springs here really that popular? Popular enough to attract the number one courtesan of Gion?
It was precisely at that moment that Yui Yuigahama had asked whether they should go to the hot springs right away.
If Kotomi had not seen Ayani's message, she probably would have agreed immediately. They might already be on their way to the baths by now.
But after reading it, how could she possibly agree?
Kotomi did not even dare imagine the scene of Yui Yuigahama, Yukino Yukinoshita, and Ayani Kika meeting each other.
And she had not yet figured out how to introduce Ayani to Yui and Yukino—or how to explain what kind of relationship she herself had with Ayani.
Damn it. I'm not even sure what kind of relationship Ayani and I have. Are we just acquaintances who met once by chance and ended up chatting?
That was why Kotomi had instinctively refused Yui's suggestion.
They could soak in the hot springs at any time.
Just not now.
Because Ayani Kika was currently there.
To justify her refusal, Kotomi's brain had spun rapidly, fabricating the excuse about this not being the best time for open-air bathing.
Just as she was about to put her phone down, something else occurred to her.
Wait. Before going to sleep at dawn, I sent Ayani a message. I only looked at what she sent just now—I haven't checked whether she replied to my earlier one.
Kotomi scrolled upward, pulling the chat history back to the early hours of the previous night.
[Kotomi Izumi: I don't know if I imagined it or what, but when I arrived at the station and was about to leave, I saw you.]
That was the message she had sent in the early morning.
Ayani had replied at seven thirty that morning—likely right after waking up.
Ayani Kika:
[When I woke up and picked up my phone, the first thing I saw was your message. A sense of happiness rose in my heart. I'm very glad.]
She did not directly answer Kotomi's question.
Nor did she mention the fact that she had indeed gone to the station in the early morning, met Kotomi's gaze from a distance, and then turned away.
She left only a line heavy with implication.
[Ayani Kika: Am I human, or am I a ghost? Why don't you guess?]
...
Meanwhile, as Yukino Yukinoshita continued organizing her luggage, she suddenly realized she was nearly finished—yet Kotomi had not lifted a finger.
Just as she was about to remind her, she noticed that Kotomi's suitcase, which had originally been placed beside the television, was no longer there.
Looking around, Yukino spotted it beside Yui Yuigahama.
Watching Yui carefully sorting through the contents, Yukino finally understood.
Yui had been helping Kotomi unpack the entire time.
No wonder Kotomi had been able to sit there so serenely, sipping tea.
At the beginning, Yui had opened her own suitcase and started casually organizing her belongings. Seeing Kotomi still seated at the low table drinking tea, she had pushed her own suitcase aside, pulled Kotomi's over, and begun carefully arranging its contents.
Yui knew Kotomi particularly disliked packing before departure and unpacking after arrival.
So she naturally felt that handling Kotomi's luggage was something she ought to do.
Even though Kotomi had never once said, "Yui, help me organize my luggage."
When Kotomi first noticed Yui taking the initiative, she had paused in slight surprise.
But she did not stop her.
She simply continued gazing out the window, sipping her tea.
Only when she sensed Yukino's gaze shift away from her face did Kotomi quietly turn her head and look at Yui kneeling on the floor, carefully organizing her suitcase.
Kotomi herself did not realize how gentle her expression had become.
Softly, almost unconsciously, she murmured:
"You idiot..."
Whether she was referring to Yui—or to herself—was unclear.
—
—
40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:
Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven