After hearing Ai's playful and positive response, I immediately led her over to the computer.
"I already booked the place."
"Hide, if we go to a place like this, won't there be a dating scandal?"
It was true that Ai had become quite famous by now, so if the two of us were seen alone at such a destination, a scandal was inevitable. However, there were two things she was overlooking. First, I had significantly more money than she imagined, and second, I had used that excess of cash to rent out the entire establishment.
"Oh, don't worry about that. I rented the whole place."
The place I booked was a ryokan—a high-end traditional inn. Each room came standard with its own open-air bath, provided yukatas for the guests, and various leisure facilities.
I definitely wasn't swayed by the free yukatas.
"You did what....?? ◑.◑"
"Naturally, I rented the entire ryokan."
As soon as I finished speaking, Ai's eyes went wide, and she began to chide me, lecturing me that overspending was a sin. But since I usually saved my money quite diligently, I could afford a splurge of this magnitude.
"It's fine, Ai. I have plenty of money now. ദ്ദിˊᗜˋ)"
The girl known as Hoshino Ai had never really been on a trip. She was an orphan abandoned by her parents at a young age, and even after gaining some financial stability, she was so immersed in her work that she never had the luxury of going on a vacation.
—Vroom!
Now, she was clinging tightly to the back of a handsome, blonde-haired young man, riding a motorcycle that looked like it jumped straight out of a movie toward that high-end ryokan.
The girl's face was filled with an irrepressible excitement. For a girl her age, a trip alone with a boy she liked was the very definition of a romantic dream.
"Are you really that happy?"
"Yeah! We're going to eat together, go for walks, soak in the hot springs... there's so much to do!"
"But besides the hot springs, isn't that just the same as what we usually do?"
The girl frowned slightly at the boy's obtuse response, but soon her face broke back into a giddy smile. She figured she had no choice but to accept that he had always been a dense man.
"Hide, you have to be extra good to me!"
"I already know that."
So what if he was a bit slow? The girl loved that this boy always spoke his sincerity without pretense. Because he lacked a certain social finesse, he never gave empty compliments, which meant she never had to worry about hidden meanings.
With that thought, the girl pressed her body even closer against the man's back. It was solely because the motorcycle was accelerating at a high speed, not at all an attempt to satisfy any ulterior motives.
—Thump-thump!
Just then, the motorcycle hit a bump and wobbled.
"Ai, why do you keep pressing against me?"
"Because I don't want to fall off! (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧"
The girl's actions made it impossible for the boy to focus solely on driving. He was busy trying to calm his wildly thumping heart.
"Move back a bit."
"You said you'd always stay by my side! ( ˃ ⩌˂)"
Sharing each other's warmth, the two headed toward the ryokan.
.
.
.
.
—Screech!
The motorcycle came to a halt in front of a high-end Japanese ryokan situated in a secluded area. Ordinarily, it would have been bustling with tourists, but today it was quiet and serene because the blonde man had rented the entire property.
"Wow... it's huge..."
The clear chime of a bell rang as we entered. After waiting at the door for a moment, an elderly woman in a kimono opened a sliding door down the hallway and came out to greet us.
"Welcome. Thank you for visiting our establishment."
After finishing her greeting, the grandmother looked at us with a startled expression before breaking into a gentle, knowing smile.
"I was wondering who had rented out the whole place, and I see it's a lovely young couple."
At the mention of the word 'couple,' Ai's face flushed bright red. It seemed the grandmother had misunderstood, but since it felt too late to correct her, I simply replied 'yes.'
"Yes, that's correct."
"If even an old woman like me recognizes you both, I can certainly guess the reason for the buyout."
It was true; since both Ai and I had become famous, we hadn't been able to spend time together privately in public. My fans generally treated me with a vibe of 'just don't drop dead in the street,' so even if a dating scandal broke, they'd likely just nag me to release a new album. Ai's fans, however, were different. Her fandom was a mix of those who liked her as an artist and those who felt a parasocial romantic connection.
And traditionally, Japanese idols have many obsessive fans.
"How many other staff members are working at the inn right now?"
"You must be worried about the staff's eyes. I will send everyone home except for a few essential personnel, so you don't need to worry."
I bowed my head and thanked her for her response. Honestly, I didn't need to go as far as bowing, but I felt her warm intentions toward Ai and me, so it was a small gesture of sincerity.
"What kind of room shall I prepare for you?"
"A room with a private hot spring on the balcony, please."
I didn't mind using the public baths, but in Ai's case, it would be a disaster if even a staff member walked in, so I requested a room with its own private bath.
"I will guide you once the preparations are finished. I hope you have a relaxing stay."
As the grandmother went inside with a kind smile to prepare the room, Ai looked at me with an intrigued expression.
"Hehe... Hide, you didn't deny it when she called us a couple?"
Ai's reaction, complete with shimmering star-filled eyes and a mischievous, devilish grin, was overwhelming, so I looked away, unable to meet her gaze.
In truth, it had become strangely difficult to meet Ai's eyes lately. I couldn't calm my racing heart whenever I saw her face up close.
'Is it arrhythmia...?'
A little while later, we were shown to a tatami room with a beautiful view of a vast stretch of ocean and lush, forested mountains through the sliding window doors.
Opening the sliding door toward the ocean revealed a small garden and a surprisingly large open-air bath. It was quite massive for a private spring—large enough that you could probably float in a tube and swim around.
After we finished touring the hot spring, the owner grandmother asked if we wanted to eat.
"It is nearly lunchtime. Shall I prepare your meal?"
Ai, who had been looking forward to the ryokan food so much that she even brought digestive medicine, nodded eagerly and asked for the meal.
"I will be back shortly."
Once the grandmother left and we were alone, an awkward tension settled in. Aside from the setting of the ryokan, nothing was really different from our usual routine. After all, Ai and I usually stuck together whenever we had free time.
Wait, I feel like I forgot something...?
Damn, I forgot to ask for two rooms.
"Ai, I'm going to go back and ask for one more room real quick."
As I hurriedly tried to head out to modify my request, Ai grabbed my sleeve and looked at me with determined eyes.
"Hide, it's okay if we share the room."
Hearing those words, my mind went blank, and I stood there, frozen solid.
========================
The website for reading paid chapters is available on my Patreon. The number of chapters on Patreon: 137
Link: patreon.com/UltraMagnus_T