>>5635641You faintly recall that allowing your hair to soak in the hot spring is considered bad etiquette, but Ichihara doesn’t seem to care.
She hasn’t even bothered to take out her hairties.
Quietly tip-toeing your way to the bath, you wrap your small towel around your head.
Hopefully it will contain your hair and perhaps serve as a subtle hint to Ichihara.
You slide into the hot spring and the warm water immediately soothes your body.
Despite your best efforts, a moan escapes you, <span class="mu-g">“Aaaah~”</span>
You really needed this.
Ichihara turns her head in your direction, her expression unchanged, <span class="mu-g">“Oh, Nagata-san,”</span> she says, <span class="mu-g">“Hello.”</span>
<span class="mu-g">“Hello, Ichihara-san,”</span> you say, sliding deeper into the pool and allowing the hot water to raise up to your neck.
<span class="mu-g">”Mind if I join you,”</span> you say, mere courtesy.
<span class="mu-g">“Sure,”</span> she says, <span class="mu-g">“I’m getting out soon. I just hoped to get in before the rush.”</span>
You cock your head, <span class="mu-g">“Wouldn’t it be more fun with the others?”</span> you say, <span class="mu-g">“Get to know the other girls?”</span>
Ichihara sighs, <span class="mu-g">“I’m not here to be friends with them,”</span> she says, <span class="mu-g">“They’re rivals, at best.”</span>
Perhaps it’s the hot spring doing its work, but it seems like Ichihara is tired of putting up appearances.
<span class="mu-g">“What about Watase Yoko-san, hmm?”</span> you ask, <span class="mu-g">“Isn’t it a lot of fun to go on jobs with her?”</span>
You suffer through a brief moment of realization that, with age, you’ve become just like the older ladies that used to lecture you during high school.
In a way it’s incredible that Kitabayashi has manged to cling to her youthful personality.
Ichihara gets up and sighs, done with being interrogated, <span class="mu-g">“She’s a pain, such a pain,”</span> she says, water streams off her body as she gets out of the hot spring, <span class="mu-g">“I’m getting out.”</span>
Seems like you scared her off.
On the bright side, it seems like the entire hot spring now belongs to you!
You glance left. You glance right. Nobody.
Taking a deep breath and removing your head towel, you dunk your head underwater, then pop up again, <span class="mu-g">“Pwoah!”</span> you say, taking a breath.
<span class="mu-r">“Dear customer,”</span> says a serious voice from a distance away, <span class="mu-r">“Please refrain from submerging yourself completely.”</span>
<span class="mu-g">“Yes!”</span> you shout, a shiver running over your spine.
That’s not fair! Ichihara had her hair in the water the entire time!
Why is it always YOU that gets caught!?
You spend the next hour enjoying the hot spring while making sure to take frequent breaks to allow your body to cooldown.
