Winter. Wind. Breath. Cigarettes. Fire. Smoke. A bustling street. And me.
Yeah. I know.
That this is a dream. That it’s already a thing of the past.
I can’t go back, and I can’t turn it around, so I won’t regret it. No, I shouldn’t regret it.
Because I was right.
I was right to follow your words, letting go of what I had been pursuing all this time.
And yet, I regret it.
Why did I only reach out at the last moment? The chance to grasp it had always been right beside me.
Now, I finally have the courage to tell you, but you’re not by my side.
So, I try to avoid thinking about it as much as possible.
But sometimes, when I see the twilight on a painfully cold day, whether I want to or not, I can’t help but think of you.
If you saw me now, what would you say?
Would you giggle softly and smile? Or would you smile kindly and say I’m doing well?
I was dying to know, but at last, I opened my eyes.
Ultimately, it must be nothing more than a past gone by.
★
[Koga Suzuha☆Star’s Flow @KogaSuzuha · 2 mins]
Surprise announcement!
On the 29th and 30th, all second-year students! We’re going on an overnight hot spring trip!
Broadcast scheduled for the 29th at 10 PM! Morning of the 30th!
The waiting is right here! >> https://ontu.be/XXXXXXX
#KogaSuzuha #UtsumiAyaka #AkiNekoto #AkabaneYukari #KainohIzumi #StarsFlow
★
Finally, today is the day we’re all going on a hot spring trip as second-year students.
The idea for this plan came from the most outgoing among us, Utsumi.
[Utsumi Ayaka: I want us to all go have fun together!]
It seems that Utsumi had a major complaint that although we had all met at least once over the past year, we had never actually made plans to hang out.
Of course, I was perfectly fine staying at home, so I was happy not to go out.
Anyway, the meeting time was 9 AM, and the meeting place was Tokyo Station.
To be honest, this plan almost fell apart because we started preparing too late.
[Kurokami Hikari: Can I help?]
Thanks to Kurokami-senpai’s help, we lucked out and managed to book a fancy ryokan in Nanashi (七尾市) at quite a reasonable price.
…No. Is it really okay to call it reasonably priced?
I got curious and looked up the ryokan’s pricing that Kurokami-senpai recommended, but…
Let’s just leave that story here.
We planned to take the Shinkansen to Kanazawa Station and then head to the ryokan with the rental car that Koga had booked.
What? Is it a cliché to sleep in and cause trouble on a day like this?
No way.
I’m a good kid who always goes to bed between 11 PM and midnight unless something special comes up.
Sure, during vacation I sometimes stay up later, but my basic routine doesn’t change.
I went to bed at 11 last night and proudly arrived at Tokyo Station first thing this morning at 6 AM.
“…Well, that’s what I’d say.”
And then Akabane arrived late.
I arrived at 8:50, Koga and Utsumi at 8:55, and even the heavily sleepy Aki arrived right at 9…
[Akabane Yukari: Sorry. I stayed up late because I was excited about yesterday… Go on without me. o(TヘTo)]
“I had a feeling you’d be like that after staying up late for the broadcast last night…”
Koga’s wry smile reflected how we all felt.
We even considered waiting for Akabane, but she insisted we shouldn’t.
Thus, the four of us set off on our hot spring journey.
I felt a bit sorry, but my heart raced with excitement nonetheless.
“I wish Shirazaki-senpai could have gone with us…”
Utsumi’s words made me nod quietly in agreement.
Naturally, we suggested to Kurokami-senpai that she should join us, but she declined, saying it would look strange for her to intrude on a trip meant for us second-year students.
Even as we were still thinking about it, she said it would have been difficult for her to take time off for a two-day trip due to family circumstances.
…Why would such a kind person aspire to act like an evil lady in RP?
By the way, didn’t I get stuck with a nerdy-type character RP too?
I just can’t understand the thinking of Star’s Flow…
★
“Welcome. I’ve heard that Shiro’s friends are visiting. Thank you so much for coming to ‘YoruHana.’”
“Uh….”
“I understand there will be a total of five of you visiting Shiro.”
“Oh, one will arrive in about an hour.”
“Understood. Please follow me this way.”
Upon arriving at the luxurious ryokan, YoruHana, how should I say it…
Yeah. It was like a different world.
The black-haired, long-haired hostess radiated elegance just by walking, and the surrounding staff seamlessly took our bags.
Even the garden I saw upon entering, though it might have been smaller than Kurokami-senpai’s home garden, was far more extravagant.
…Is it really okay for us to stay in such a ryokan? We didn’t even pay properly?
That question popped into my head, and this was just…
“This room is yours.”
The room we arrived at, led by the hostess, was beyond my imagination.
No, it surpassed all our imaginations in its size.
…With this much space, it seems like fifteen people could sleep here without any issue!
Moreover, everything inside the room looked exceptionally expensive just by sight.
“I think… this must be the wrong room…”
Koga seemed flustered by the scenery and stammered a question to the hostess.
In response, she said,
“Excuse me? But Shiro said she would reserve the entire special room for today.”
“…Huh?”
“If you’re uncomfortable with sleeping arrangements, you’re welcome to use any room. Please let us know, and we’ll prepare it immediately.”
My mind was swirling with incomprehensible information.
While we fell silent, the staff organized our luggage, and the hostess continued her explanations.
“Then, please enjoy your time.”
With a smooth whoosh, the sliding door closed.
But for a moment, none of us could think of moving.
We changed into yukatas, sat at the table, and munched on Otsukikashi (Japanese sweets) while sipping green tea.
I couldn’t make sense of the situation even after thinking it over again, so I quickly contacted Kurokami-senpai.
[Kurokami Hikari: Don’t feel burdened; just relax and enjoy yourselves.]
That was the only response I got back.
“You want us to just have fun? That’s impossible when you think about it…”
Koga and I quietly nodded at Utsumi’s words.
“I just want to sleep now…”
And Aki seemed to prioritize sleep over the current situation.
She really seemed like the type to only exist in anime.
“This… must all be homemade.”
“…Is it really okay for us to be here?”
What kind of person could Kurokami-senpai be, to be able to reserve the entire luxury ryokan and special rooms…?
Was my criticism of Kurokami-senpai’s RP last year really that dangerous?
★
“Then let’s get going soon!”
After Akabane enjoyed all the Otsukikashi and green tea, we rose from our seats at Utsumi’s suggestion.
It was time to enjoy the hot springs, our purpose for this trip.
There was no need to head to the crowded public bath.
Right outside our room, there was a special, incredibly spacious open-air bath!
“Wow…”
The scenery of the open-air bath we stepped out into was breathtaking.
Looking up, the sky had turned dark, announcing winter’s presence, and the night sky was adorned with the moon and stars.
The walls were decorated with bamboo of varying lengths, and the well-shaped stones encased the bath.
In the corner, the suzu (a type of water feature) created a clear sound, striking the ground.
And beyond it, the mountain visible seemed to boast a beautiful snowy landscape, not yet melted from the snow that had fallen last time.
“Well then, let’s wash up before getting in, Izumi.”
Snapping back to reality from Koga’s words, I removed my yukata and settled into the bathing area nearby.
I thought it would be freezing in mid-winter, so I shivered at first, but thanks to the heat from the open-air bath next to me, it wasn’t as cold as I expected.
It felt more like a refreshing breeze.
After thoroughly washing up, we wrapped our heads in towels and slowly dipped our feet into the bath.
The hot water was in stark contrast to the cold breeze.
As I gradually grew accustomed to it, I dipped my legs in further, then my waist, chest, and shoulders.
…Is this paradise?
“Haaah…”
It seemed I wasn’t the only one feeling this way, as Aki let out a lazy sigh.
As I soaked in the blissful feeling with my eyes closed…
“…Isn’t Izumi just really big?”
“EEEK?!”
Someone had pounced on me.
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