The hot spring hotel was high-end, and the room Tetsu Fuyukawa booked was a first-floor suite with a private hot spring pool.
After a few turns through the hallways, he carried Sayoko on his back to the room's entrance.
"Does Tetsu-kun not like sharing hot springs with others?" Sayoko asked, thoughtfully wrapping her legs around his waist to free his hands as he reached to swipe the room key.
"It's not that I dislike it, but I don't love it either. I'm not a germaphobe, but if I have the option, I'd rather soak alone," Tetsu replied casually, swiping the key. The door opened, and as he inserted the card into the slot, soft lighting filled the room.
Elegant furniture, a low Japanese-style table, tatami mats, a plush bed, and behind a wooden sliding door, a steaming hot spring pool glowed under the moonlight.
"Whoa, what a gorgeous room, Tetsu-kun!" Sayoko's eyes sparkled like autumn waters, but before she could revel in the moment, Tetsu tossed her onto the bed.
The mattress was soft, and Sayoko's curvy figure bounced twice. As Tetsu hung his coat on the rack, he glanced at her pouting cheeks and chuckled, "It's a nice room, but you need to treat that scrape on your forehead before you can soak."
"But I wanna jump in now! I've been freezing all day," Sayoko whined, hugging a pillow.
Tetsu didn't budge. He grabbed the antiseptic and cotton pads they'd picked up earlier, sat on the bed's edge, and studied the scratch on her forehead with a smile. "If you don't take care of it, it might scar, you know."
"Hmph, you're treating me like a kid," Sayoko huffed, but she gave a shy smile. She slipped off her slightly scuffed, puffy white down jacket, revealing a fitted white turtleneck sweater, and sat cross-legged on the bed, leaning her head toward Tetsu.
This girl.
Honestly, her figure in that snug turtleneck gave her an alluring, refined charm. But seeing her slightly closed eyes, the scrape on her forehead, and her swollen ankle, Tetsu's gaze softened with tenderness. He dipped a cotton swab in antiseptic and gently applied it to her pale skin.
"Does it hurt?"
"Hiss—ow, a little, but it's fine," she replied.
Tetsu focused, carefully dabbing the wound, unaware that Sayoko had cracked her eyes open, nibbling her lower lip as she gazed at him with quiet affection.
No one spoke. The moonlight spilled into the room, mingling with the sound of rippling water from the hot spring, distant laughter from other guests beyond the courtyard, and their slow, steady breathing. A serene atmosphere wrapped around them.
After a while, when the antiseptic was applied, Tetsu noticed Sayoko staring at him. He screwed the cap back on the bottle and teased, "What're you looking at? Want a kiss?"
"Hmph, as if I care for that!" Sayoko's face flushed, but she turned her head with a playful huff. Tetsu grinned, tugging at her soft, mochi-like cheek. "So coy. But with that swollen ankle, can you even soak?"
"It's just a little injury!" Sayoko protested, instantly worried she'd be banned from the hot spring. She tried to stand to prove her point, but Tetsu gently pushed her back down. "Alright, alright, soak if you want, but it'll probably take longer to heal."
"I'm not scared. Worst case, you'll just have to carry me to work," Sayoko said, wrapping her arms around him affectionately. But her clinginess earned her a light pat on her tights-clad curves.
"Dream on. Hurry up and get changed," Tetsu said with a smirk.
---
Soaking in a hot spring in winter? Pure bliss.
Carrying Sayoko, draped in a thin robe, Tetsu stepped into the steaming pool. The warmth crept up from his calves, making him hiss slightly as the heat hit sensitive spots. But as he settled into the water, Sayoko, whose hips touched the surface first, let out a soft whimper.
"Ohhh, Fuji's hot springs are just the best," she sighed contentedly, her head barely above the water. She wiggled into a comfy position in Tetsu's lap, then looked up, tapping his nose with a wet finger and grinning. "You're being awfully well-behaved today, Tetsu-kun. Did the cable car incident spook you?"
Tetsu wrapped an arm around her waist, chuckling. "Please, not everyone panics like you, crashing a snowmobile into a tree."
He'd teased her about this when they first arrived at the hotel, but hearing it again, Sayoko just gazed into his eyes, then nestled her cheek against his chest, now warmed by the water. "I… I thought I might never see you again back then. That's when I realized what Ame meant."
"Ame? What'd she say?" Tetsu raised an eyebrow.
Sayoko nuzzled closer, murmuring, "She said if I don't chase what I want most while I have the chance, I'll end up living in regret forever."
"What you want most? That's me, right?" Tetsu teased.
"You're so full of yourself," Sayoko said, tightening her arms around his neck. After a pause, she looked up into his eyes. "Tetsu-kun… you and Director Miyano have something special, don't you?"
"Cough, where'd that come from?" Tetsu faltered, caught off guard.
Sayoko shifted, pulling herself halfway out of the water, her hands on his shoulders, her eyes gleaming like the moonlight. "You didn't deny it. So, Tetsu-kun, do you like me?"
They'd been living together for months, but this was the first time she'd asked so directly.
Tetsu's gaze softened, and he nodded earnestly. "Yeah."
"And Director Miyano?"
"Yeah."
The air froze. A flicker of sadness passed through Sayoko's wide eyes, but just as Tetsu braced for the night to go south, she pressed her hands on his shoulders, her lips parting softly. "What if, one day, my family wants you to come back to my hometown with me and take over the shrine?"
"The shrine?" Tetsu blinked, frowning slightly before meeting her gaze. "Do you want to go back?"
"It's… my duty as the eldest daughter of the Kawachi family," Sayoko said, her eyes flashing with intense pain.
Tetsu's left arm tightened around her waist, his right hand gently pinching her cheek as he smiled. "The Kawachi family's duty has nothing to do with a woman from the Fuyukawa family, does it?"
Sayoko's eyes widened, trembling like rippling water. Memories flooded her mind, a sharp pang hitting her nose. Her lips quivered, a mix of grievance and overwhelming love surging like a dam breaking. Before Tetsu could react, her warm breath grazed his face.
"Kiss me," she whispered.
"Not here. Let's go to the bed," Tetsu replied.
"Mm—use the train bento method," she murmured.
"…"