After finishing the meal and returning, the accommodation was organized differently from earlier.
The table had been pushed to one side of the room, and there was now bedding set up for three in the center.
“I heard it, but it’s amazing.”
The neatly spread bedding was so dry and crisp that one could feel the genuine care of those who laid it out.
Having come back from work to find a feast set up and the house neatly cleaned, perhaps this was how a farmer felt living with a diligent bride.
Even without lifting a finger, bedding had been prepared for me. I had noticed earlier that there were more than one or two guests staying, and thinking about how they must have laid out the bedding one by one to match the time when guests left, it seemed quite an effort.
Well, this must all be included as part of the service calculated into the fee. Since we had chosen a ryokan with good reviews rather than focusing on price, the cost was significant.
Nonetheless, since both Ryu-a and I were earning a nice profit through our personal broadcasts, it wasn’t a burdening amount.
In fact, as I was thinking about whether there was anywhere to spend money, I felt pleased about this expenditure. Ignoring Ji-yeon’s suggestion to pitch in a bit for expenses from the pocket money she had gotten from Mother, I had taken on her share.
What money does a student have? Unless it was my older sister who had entered society early.
Though Ji-yeon felt subtly sorry for the economic burden she placed on her older sister, I felt quite good about having acted like an older brother.
“Well then… should we go to the hot springs now?”
Ryu-a broke the silence. Just as my earlier request had indicated, there were two hot springs here.
They were categorized as indoor and outdoor baths. For those feeling cold outdoors, there was also a bath indoors.
It wasn’t just a steam room with a wooden lid that let out hot steam; it was a real bath. However, it seemed smaller than the one outdoors, perhaps due to limitations in the options available for the room.
It would hold at most two people, I thought. But it didn’t matter. The main attraction was the outdoor open-air bath anyway.
If I woke up early the next morning, I figured I could enjoy a bath alone.
Following Ryu-a’s words, I wrapped a towel around my body and headed outside.
“Wow…”
It was winter, when the days are short. While darkness had already settled in, the hot spring was beautifully illuminated. I couldn’t fathom how the warmth was maintained, and the steam wafting into the chilly night air created a special ambience typical of outdoor baths.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t snowing. I couldn’t fulfill the romantic vision of soaking in the hot springs while catching snowflakes I often saw in videos.
“It’s cold, it’s cold. Can I go in first?”
Ryu-a said this and slid into the bath, which was not too hot. She settled at one side, sitting on the bottom with only her face above the water, letting out small sounds of discomfort.
“It’s too hot…”
On the side, Ji-yeon was also testing the water, dipping her toes in and pulling them out as she gauged the temperature. Every time she submerged a foot, her expression crinkled more than she anticipated.
Still, she was cute. Always trying to act mature, but she was still a baby.
Usually, one should fully immerse oneself in such baths to enjoy them properly.
After all, even if the water was hot, it wouldn’t cook you, and I preferred the ticklish sensation of suddenly entering hot water.
“Ugh…”
I let out a sigh like an uncle and twisted my body, closing my eyes.
It was my first time in a bath since my transformation, and perhaps because of that, just feeling the heat seemed to relieve my tiredness.
When I opened my eyes, Ryu-a was looking at me with a relaxed smile.
“This feels good; I’m glad we came.”
Normally, I would have immediately chimed in, but this time I couldn’t.
To be precise, I had slightly stiffened. Ryu-a’s entire body came into full view.
While important areas were covered by the towel, the lines of her shoulders and above her collarbone were fully exposed.
It would be a lie to say I hadn’t expected this situation at all. I had prepared myself to some extent when we decided to go to the hot springs, but feeling awkward was inevitable.
For someone who had lived without seeing a woman’s body until now, it was an excessively stimulating sight.
‘This is probably common enough…’
Being in the same bath as another woman wasn’t strange in itself. It shouldn’t be a big deal; I had to face it calmly, as if it were nothing.
Staring at Ryu-a too intently would be strange, but being overly conscious would make me seem odd too.
I met her gaze steadily and smiled.
“Yeah, it’s nice… haha…”
It felt awkward. I seemed to have no talent for acting.
I subtly turned my head. Even trying to manage my gaze, the sight of bare skin was quite burdensome.
To my right, the side I turned my head towards, I saw another woman’s figure similarly entering my line of vision, but at least it was more bearable this time.
“Ugh, it’s really hot. Aren’t you hot, Ji-yeon?”
The target was Ji-yeon, my younger sister. No matter how little interaction I’d had with women, I wouldn’t look at my own sister with lustful eyes.
Having decided to truly see Ji-yeon as my sister, I simply couldn’t do that.
I wasn’t someone who would look at family in such a way.
“It feels nice. The water is warm.”
I tried to keep my gaze fixed on Ji-yeon and enjoyed the hot spring bath with a relatively calmer mind than before.
*
Ryu-a was not entirely comfortable either. She also felt slightly dizzy in this situation where they both exposed their bodies and soaked in the hot spring.
‘Ji-eun really… has a great figure.’
While trying to act indifferent, Ryu-a secretly stole glances at Ji-eun next to her.
Having had an inkling after hanging out a few times, seeing it directly like this was indeed impressive. What had been shown through clothing so far felt like mere hints.
‘So it really does float up like that…’
Her gaze couldn’t help but be drawn.
Even with just a towel covering her, Ji-eun’s chest was prominent, rising slightly above the water’s surface.
Ryu-a couldn’t say her own figures were small, but they definitely didn’t compare. For a moment, she envied it but then questioned whether such a size might be inconvenient in daily life.
‘That must put a lot of strain on her shoulders.’
As she pondered whether to offer a massage later, Ryu-a’s gaze drifted slightly down.
Peeking between the towel, a narrow waist, questionable if she even ate regular meals, was visible.
Ryu-a sighed as she clutched at her own belly, which had been getting more noticeable lately. It hadn’t even been long since she stopped managing it, yet she was already starting to see results.
‘Ji-eun hasn’t seen it, right?’
Feeling a slight embarrassment, Ryu-a glanced at Ji-eun’s face. She seemed to be looking upwards without directing much gaze this way, so she didn’t appear likely to notice her shameful aspects.
But why was she looking up like that? She was just staring at the sky now after previously focusing on her younger sister. Ryu-a subtly moved closer to Ji-eun and whispered in her ear.
“What are you looking at?”
“Uh, um? Just the sky. The night sky is clear and beautiful.”
Then, her lovely friend startled and flustered, struggled to respond.
Having a strange flush on her ears and face, she neither looked at Ryu-a nor failed to acknowledge her.
‘Why is she so surprised?’
Ryu-a questioned this and leaned in closer to Ji-eun. Ji-eun merely turned her head and started to pull away slowly. Seeing this, Ryu-a thought.
‘Is she embarrassed?’
Now that she thought about it, Ji-eun had said it was her first time at the hot springs. It was possible she felt shy in this situation of bathing together.
Among her high school friends, there were some shy ones who even expressed discomfort about going to public baths. Ji-eun might be similar to those friends.
‘This isn’t why we came to the hot springs…’
Ryu-a felt a bit pleased. It was because that expression was cute and pretty.
It was late at night, perhaps past ten or even eleven.
The water in the hot spring was warm, and a gentle breeze flowed just enough to be pleasant. Ryu-a felt drowsy and moved closer to Ji-eun just enough so that she wouldn’t retreat further.
In that position, she looked at the same sky Ji-eun was staring at.
Through the dark night sky, scattered stars twinkled, and the full moon stood firmly in its place.
‘It’s pretty.’
It was probably the ambiance, but Ryu-a thought it looked like a painting.
This was a pure feeling that came out unknowingly from such thoughts.
“The moon is beautiful.”
At that moment, Ji-yeon flinched slightly, but Ryu-a didn’t notice.
“Indeed. The full moon is shining beautifully.”
Ji-eun quietly agreed with Ryu-a, who had come near her.
