Chapter 756 - Soaking Lazily
After finishing lunch, we strolled around, looking for a less crowded spot. About two hours after we left the inn, I was finally forced to wave the white flag against the unrelenting barrage of stares.
Sora, who was apparently quite formidable when putting on her public, real-world face, seemed unfazed. But I, on the other hand, was embarrassingly unable to take it anymore.
I was certainly getting “used to it,” but it was still too early for me to acquire a complete immunity skill. I should be praised for my proficiency growth, having endured it for a solid hundred and twenty minutes.
We returned to the inn, and fortunately, Sora seemed quite satisfied with our short date…
“Well then, I’ll see you later!”
“You bet.”
I managed to keep my cheeks from melting under her fluffy smile, maintaining at least a shred of dignity as an older guy. With a little wave, my partner, who had caused a sudden whirlwind of beauty in the hot spring town, returned to the sisters’ room in high spirits.
“—Oh my…”
“—Aren’t they adorable?”
And then there was me, a lone male, who was spotted by two elegant, passing madams—fellow guests, I presumed—and subjected to their warm, knowing gazes.
I wondered what kind of relationship they thought we had… Shaking off such thoughts, which only served to distance me from any semblance of mental peace, I—
“Haha… Good day to you.”
—channeled the full force of the amiability I’d cultivated during my part-time job days. Leaving behind a suave and refreshing nod and greeting, I turned on my heel and beat a hasty retreat, driven by shame.
◇◆◇◆◇
Like Sora, I returned quietly to the men’s room, only to find my roommate Toshiki wasn’t back yet. The spacious room, which was destined to be too large for just two people, was filled with silence.
People often misunderstand due to my in-game energy, but I’m not the type of person who needs to be constantly making a racket to feel alive. In fact, my roots are more on the introverted side, so being alone usually brings me more peace than loneliness.
—At least, that’s how it used to be. But my environment has changed so much recently.
“Hmm…”
This was bad. The situation of being all alone in a room on a trip actually felt… lonely. A lonely eighteen-year-old boy—what a niche demographic. I had to laugh at myself.
It wasn’t so bad that I couldn’t bear it, of course. But the fact that I had started to feel this way was what mattered.
I wouldn’t say it’s for better or for worse.
For me, this is undoubtedly a good change. And with that, I quickly kicked that embarrassing self-analysis monologue to the far corners of my mind.
Tap, tap, tap. I skillfully operated the marvel of modern technology and sent a message to my faraway friends. A storm of responses from all four came back with the lightning-fast speed typical of nerdy extroverts.
So, I received a report that they would be back in about half an hour… In a hot spring inn, there’s not much to ponder about how to use a bit of free time.
“—Oooohhhhhh yeeeeaaaaaahhhhh…”
And so, having successfully class-changed from a youth to an old man, I let out a voice of pure bliss into the sky. As a preliminary test, I had chosen the open-air bath attached to our room instead of the public one, but frankly, it was already drawing out the thought, “This is all I need.” Truly worthy of a high-class ryokan.
All I could see were trees, trees, and more trees. And above them, a clear blue sky that embodied the perfect day for a trip. Unlike the liberating feeling of overlooking the ocean, what I got here was a sense of unity.
It was a feeling of melting into the tranquil nature, so much so that my mind was calming down to an absurd degree, on the verge of becoming completely blank. And then it did.
I wasn’t a particularly big fan of baths, but this was on a different level from my tub at home. The bathroom at the Yotsuya dormitory was ridiculously spacious, but this was literally a different world.
Was it not just the size and environment, but my body correctly perceiving the properties of the hot spring? …Or was the invincible power of the placebo effect just running wild?
Realizing it didn’t matter in the slightest, I slowly closed my eyes…
“—Heyyy. You alive?”
“—I’m dead. I was dead…”
I wonder how much time had passed. When I opened my eyes, the same blue sky filled my vision, and the cheerful voice of a familiar friend reached my ears.
“This place has some serious atmosphere. We could just stick to the room bath, couldn’t we?”
“I was just thinking the same thing…”
“You’re really letting your guard down… Well, that’s a good thing. Mind if I join you, my friend?”
“Be my guest…”
The bath was spacious and relaxing, easily able to accommodate two or even three people with room to spare. Again, this was beyond the scale of a typical ryokan’s room bath.
It would be a waste to have it all to myself.
“—Oooohhhhhh yeeeeaaaaaahhhhh…”
And thus, old man number two was born. It couldn’t be helped; no human could escape this trial of paradise—
“Anyway, how long have you been in here, Nozomi? You’re not getting light-headed, are you?”
“Kinda…”
“What’s that supposed to mean? You’re kinda light-headed, or you’re kinda okay?”
“Ooooh…”
“Doesn’t look good. This is funny, mind if I take a picture of just your head and share it with the girls?”
“Like hell I would, you idiot.”
“Idiot…”
They said they’d be back in about half an hour, so I must have been spacing out for around thirty minutes. I probably was getting a little dizzy…
“Try closing your eyes, slowly, deliberately. You won’t feel like getting out.”
“You sound like a grandpa… Let’s see now…………………………………”
“…………”
“……………………”
“…………………………………………”
“……………………………………………………Nozomi-san.”
“What is it, Toshiki-san?”
“I could live here…”
“You’ve come to our side, my friend…”
We exchanged the kind of perfectly random, hundred-percent-vibes conversation that was typical of male university students.
“—So, how was the date with your partner?”
“Are you serious? Two guys talking about romance is hell on earth.”
“Haha, we’ve had this conversation before.”
I tried to resist the predictable and unavoidable topic, but judging by his amused tone, he had no intention of letting me escape.
“Sora-chan is cute, isn’t she? I can see why you make that face.”
I had no idea what he was talking about.
“What face? When, where, and what are you referring to?”
Using my heat-addled brain, I posed the question directly…
“I wasn’t sure if you were aware of it or not, but I see. From the looks of it, the correct answer is ‘you’re not aware enough’…”
My friend—a gaming nerd who looked like a refreshing sports jock—laughed as he splashed his face with a handful of hot water and slicked his hair back.
“Today, all day, since this morning—while that girl was smiling next to you. You were making a face I’ve never seen before. It was the kind of face that makes me not even want to tease you.”
“…………”
“I don’t even feel like teasing you, so I’ll swallow my words. But just one thing, as your friend.”
“Hey, stop. If you’re going to swallow them, swallow every last one.”
“You look so happy. Take good care of her, you lady-killer.”
“…………………………………………Haaah.”
Following my meddlesome but good-natured friend’s example, I scooped up some water and let the heat wash over my face, hiding it from view.
We were, quite literally, baring it all to each other. If you asked if we were sane, the answer would probably be no, for both of us. Which is why it felt ridiculous to even feel embarrassed anymore, and…
“—I don’t need you to tell me. I treasure her more than anyone else in the world.”
…I declared, my words boiling with the heat.
My annoyingly talented friend’s whistle cut through the rustling trees.
The problem is, he can have multiple 'most important in the world's without any contradiction. The human heart is a funny and complicated thing.