The train screeched to a gentle halt, its doors sliding open with a soft hiss as countryside air drifted into the cabin. Only a handful of passengers stepped off at this tiny forestry stop.
Cana stood first, stretching her arms overhead with a sleepy groan.
"Finally…" she muttered before glancing to her right.
Kai had fallen asleep.
Really asleep.
Not the fake, dramatic, half-sleep he did just to ignore someone.
He was slumped against the window, arms crossed, scarf slightly crooked, breathing slow and deep. His bangs shifted lightly each time he exhaled.
Cana blinked.
She wasn't used to seeing him like that—quiet. Still. Not smirking or teasing or vanishing like a mischievous cat.
For a moment, she just watched him.
Then she smiled softly to herself.
Guess even monsters get tired.
Leaning over, she nudged his shoulder gently. "Hey. Get up, sleeping beauty. We've reached."
Kai's eyelid cracked open, the other stubbornly staying shut. He stared up at her with an expression so flat it was almost comedic.
"…Yeah, thanks," he muttered, sitting up slowly with a wide yawn. "Damn, I feel sleepy. The exhaustion of three days is finally catching up."
Cana threw her hands up. "Then who told you to jump from one quest to another like a monkey on sugar?"
Kai blinked at her.
Then smirked.
"What's with the jokes? You copying me now?"
Cana flipped her hair back dramatically. "Someone has to fill in anyway. Get up."
He dragged himself off the seat, stretching until his joints popped. Standing, he easily towered over her and let out a very unheroic groan.
"It would be so much better if you were a little bigger," he complained half-heartedly. "But I guess you won't agree if I ask you to carry me."
Cana arched a brow. "Try it."
Kai didn't even hesitate. He grabbed her bag instead and walked toward the exit.
"…I'd rather not take the risk of public humiliation."
She snorted. "Coward."
"Smart," he corrected.
The moment they stepped outside the bustling little station, Kai's half-dead shuffle became even more evident. He swayed slightly, each step slower than the last, looking less like a wizard and more like a zombie on vacation.
Cana veered closer, eyeing him.
"You're going to explore dangerous ancient ruins… looking like that?"
Kai glanced sideways at her, lids half-dropped.
"You scared?"
"Of you tripping and falling off a cliff? Maybe."
He hummed, amused. "Don't worry. We're not exploring the ruins today."
Cana blinked. "Huh?"
He pointed two fingers lazily forward.
"Today, I'm going to rest properly."
Cana stared at him.
Then deadpanned, "Then why didn't we just stay home and come tomorrow?"
Kai raised three fingers vertically, expression serious.
"First—I was a bit hasty."
Cana: "…You don't say."
"Second," Kai continued, "if I stayed, Salamander and Red would drag me into that fight I promised them."
Cana actually snorted at that one.
"That is… extremely true."
"And third…" He paused.
Lowered his hand.
And pointed ahead.
Cana followed his gaze.
The path sloped downward toward a wide valley surrounded by lush trees and soft lantern lights. Steam curled gently into the air above rooftops. Warm glows shone through windows. Laughter drifted faintly on the breeze.
Balsam Village.
Known for its natural hot springs.
Kai's eyes gleamed with serene expectation as he finished:
"Balsam Hot Springs."
Cana blinked.
Then blinked again.
"How did I forget this place…?" she murmured.
It clicked instantly. No wonder the guy had been calm despite wobbling like a drunk scarecrow.
She crossed her arms beneath her chest, giving him a teasing smirk.
"So… you're inviting me to the hot springs. With you. Alone." She leaned slightly forward. "Should I consider this a date?"
Kai didn't even pause.
"I didn't invite you, idiot. You invited yourself."
Cana froze.
Then frowned.
He kept walking, not even looking at her, casually tossing the next line over his shoulder.
"And besides—soaking in springs and staying together isn't exactly something most of us in the guild haven't done before."
Heat crept up Cana's neck despite herself.
Her eye twitched.
"Wow. Real romantic, Kai."
"I try."
"You fail."
"Constantly."
Despite the bickering, Cana found herself smiling, stepping down the path after him.
The village lights glowed brighter as they walked, the steam-filled breeze warming their faces. Kai's steps were heavy, slow—but for once, peaceful.
Balsam Village greeted them with the soft glow of lanterns and the warm hum of voices drifting through the evening air.
Even at this hour the streets pulsed gently with life—vendors closing up their stalls, children darting around with leftover festival streamers, and the faint sound of shamisen music carried by the breeze. The scent of sweet dumplings mixed with hot spring steam, giving the whole village a dreamy, hazy charm.
Cana's eyes lit up immediately. "Ahh… that smell—alcohol! I knew this place was heaven."
Kai watched her from the corner of his eye, lips tugging faintly upward as she began scanning the area like a hunting dog sniffing out booze. Before she could slip away to the nearest bar, his hand landed casually, naturally, on her shoulder.
"Let's book a room first," he said, tone as flat as ever. "You can get your drinks there."
She let out a dramatic sigh, rolling her eyes but not pulling away. "Fine, fine. Responsibility first. Then alcoholism."
They walked deeper into the village, warm lamps reflecting off polished wood buildings and neatly swept stone pathways. Kai didn't rush; the exhaustion in his posture softened his stride, and Cana walked beside him with her arms folded and her bag swinging lazily at her hip.
The inn they chose wasn't modest—it was one of the best Balsam had. Decorative shoji lamps, a koi pond right at the entrance, soft-spoken attendants bowing deeply. Kai didn't even blink at the cost. Money, to him, might as well have been leaves scattered on the wind.
Cana, of course, fully intended to help scatter those leaves.
The room they received was spacious, softly lit, with futons laid neatly, a low table, a tea set, and a view of the softly steaming springs beyond the balcony.
Kai set Cana's bags down without a word. A short time later, attendants arrived with her requested drinks—an entire tray of sake bottles, fruit snacks, and some grilled skewers. Cana plopped down on a floor cushion, pulling open a bottle immediately.
"You want some?" she asked, lifting the spare cup toward him.
Kai dropped onto the bed without even taking off his cloak. "No. I'm sleeping."
Cana paused mid-pour, eyebrows knitting. "Seriously? You're going to waste your day here sleeping instead of soaking in the hot springs?"
Kai let out a low hum that could only be interpreted as: yes, obviously.
"I'll go after I don't feel like shit," he added, eyes already half-shut. "You go ahead."
Cana huffed, grabbing another bottle. "No way. Going alone is boring when you have a companion to drink with." She tipped the bottle back. "I'll go with you."
Kai lifted one hand in lazy acknowledgment mutters, "Don't assault me in sleep ." saying this his hand fell off the edge of the bed. Within seconds, his breathing evened out completely.
Hours passed.
The sky outside shifted from sunset pink to the deep indigo of night. Crickets chirped. The village lanterns flickered like fireflies.
And finally—finally—Kai didn't look half-dead anymore, and his bright golden eyes once again looked lively.
Steam billowed around the private hot spring, where he and Cana sat submerged to their shoulders. Sake tray floating between them, small porcelain cups clinking softly as they rested on the water. Warm air. Cool night. Dim lantern light reflecting off ripples.
Kai leaned back against the rock edge, sighing deeply. "This feels good. Booking a private area was a good choice."
Cana floated lazily beside him, cheeks flushed pink from alcohol and heat. "Waiting for you was a good choice," she teased, swirling her cup before sipping it.
They sat in comfortable silence for a while, listening to the soft bubbling of the spring. Then Cana finally turned her head, curiosity gleaming beneath her lashes.
"So," she began, "what's the plan for the ruins or are we going in blind?"
Kai's eyes drifted upward, watching a stray spark from a lantern float into the air. " We go in blind in every new discovery brownie that's why it's called discovery, tomorrow we go to the site, explore, find the research notes of the archeology team. Then decipher the ruins and clear out any danger."
Cana nodded slowly, swirling her sake again. "Sounds like a job made for you and Levy."
Kai didn't deny it. "That's why I chose it. And now that I'm thinking about it…I probably should've brought Levy instead of you that would have been a smart investment, you are alcohol investment."
He tilted his head slightly to the side just in time to avoid the cup she flicked at him.
Cana's glare sizzled hotter than the spring.
" She won't be able to handle you or the amount of heart attacks you give people."
"Fair. I guess you can't have everything." Kai responds back.
Cana sighs gulping down another cup of sake and mutters her voice slightly lower, not angry more like talking to herself, "Yeah we can't have everything."
Kai looks at her lost face with a blank expression as he sighs internally cursing himself *Now I have got a depressed cana to deal with, great.*