Chihaya’s expression was starting to crack.
“Futaba—how did you find this place?!”
Her voice rose involuntarily.
Futaba still had that same smile, twirling the room key card in her hand.
“Don’t be mad, Chihaya. It’s just a coincidence, that’s all.”
She tilted her head.
“It was fate that brought us together.”
You heard that and almost lost it.
He had already seen through Futaba’s trolling nature, and hearing her say something like that now, he felt like there were too many things to complain about—’Come on, lady, you’re teasing Chihaya like that. Even if she’s your best friend, she’s going to lose it.’
‘You might not know how terrifying Chihaya is when she goes dark.’
‘But I do.’
‘Those five minutes of Tickling Hell on the Shinkansen are still fresh in my memory.’
You spoke up.
“Futaba, you asked around near the place where we first met today to find out the address, didn’t you?”
He sighed.
“After all, when we met you this morning, we had just left the inn.”
Futaba’s smile grew even brighter.
“As expected of the Divine Child. Your guess is spot on.”
She clasped her hands behind her back and leaned forward slightly.
“A group of tourists—one guy, two girls, sharing a single room—must be pretty rare. I asked around a little and found out easily.”
You vented internally.
‘Is there no sense of guest privacy left in Japanese hospitality? A random young woman with no ID can just pry info out of them?’
DAMN IT.
‘How did Japanese service industry become like this!’
He sighed, took Chihaya’s hand, and gave it a gentle squeeze.
Then he let go.
Silently telling her not to get angry.
“In that case, we’ll be counting on you for now. Futaba.”
After having her hand squeezed, Chihaya’s expression softened a little.
She kept her face stern but walked inside with You and Mai.
Futaba didn’t follow.
As You passed the front desk, he glanced over—the person sitting behind the counter was a middle-aged woman who looked like the inn’s landlady, not the young girl with the ponytail from that morning.
He didn’t think much of it and led Chihaya and Mai straight back to the small courtyard.
The door of the Moon Residence closed.
Footsteps faded down the hallway.
Futaba was still standing at the inn’s entrance, the red light from the lantern casting shadows on her.
Her smile hadn’t changed, but it was different from the one she’d worn when facing You and the others—less performative, more genuinely delighted.
She was savoring Chihaya’s expression from earlier.
Ah.
That expression on the verge of collapse.
So delicious.
That’s exactly what I wanted to see.
She looked down at the room key in her hand, then up at the moon.
But.
Her expression shifted—’It seems the Divine Child is a bit smarter than I thought. He guessed right away how I found this place.’
‘Interesting.’
‘And…’
‘He even squeezed Chihaya’s hand to comfort her.’
‘Very gentle, isn’t he, Lord Divine Child.’
The smile on her face changed, no longer that perfect curve she had shown to You’s group, but something with a dangerous edge.
“Lord Divine Child, I’m getting more and more interested in you.”
She murmured, her voice light as wind.
“Let me see what else makes you special.”
She turned and walked into the inn, heading unhurriedly toward her own room.
The hallway was quiet.
As she passed the front desk, the middle-aged woman looked up at her, then lowered her head again and went back to her phone.
Futaba entered her room and closed the door.
The room wasn’t large, but it was tidy.
A landscape painting hung in the alcove, and a tea set sat on the low table.
She sat on the edge of the bed, her mind already turning to other ideas.
How about…
Later, she’d “accidentally” run into them at the public bath.
Then the Divine Child and Chihaya’s expressions would be sure to be amusing.
They’d already eaten outside earlier, so the timing should be about right.
She stood up and pulled the inn’s standard-issue yukata from the cabinet.
Light gray, cotton-linen blend.
Looked decent enough.
She took a quick shower, changed into the yukata, and wrapped her hair in a towel.
She checked herself in the mirror.
The collar of the yukata was a bit loose, exposing a hint of collarbone.
She tugged at it, thought for a moment, then let it go.
This is fine.
Futaba stepped out in geta.
The public bath was at the other end of the hallway, about a five-minute walk from her room.
She deliberately slowed her pace, keeping an eye on her surroundings as she walked.
The corridor was quiet.
After one corner, the noren curtain of the public bath appeared ahead.
She stopped.
Leaned against the wall.
Waited.
One minute.
Five minutes.
Ten minutes.
Her targets did not appear.
Occasionally, other guests passed by—unfamiliar faces.
A middle-aged man carrying a bottle of sake, a mother holding a child’s hand.
None of the three she wanted to see.
Twenty minutes passed.
Futaba straightened up and stretched.
Her expression wasn’t disappointment—it was a surprised, fresh kind of smile.
“So that means… a private bath, right?”
She murmured to herself, her voice carrying a tone of sudden understanding.
“Moon Princess really spared no expense. Is she that eager for Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto’s mission to be completed?”
She leaned against a pillar in the hallway and looked up at the sky.
The moon was mostly hidden behind clouds, only a sliver of silver edge visible.
“So, Lord Divine Child, what will you do tonight?”
Her voice was as light as the wind.
“Will you go with the flow, accept Chihaya and Mai, and complete the final union? Or will you think it’s too fast?”
She straightened up, brushed off the nonexistent dust on her yukata, and turned back.
Her geta clicked against the wooden floor as she walked.
She reached her room, slid the door open.
“Looks like tomorrow morning will be interesting.”
The door closed.
The hallway fell silent again.
Only the dim wall lights cast yellow glow over the empty corridor.
***
On the other side.
You was completely submerged in the hot spring, only his head above water.
The hot water reached past his shoulders, the temperature just right, slightly hot enough to wash away fatigue.
The pool wasn’t large, but more than enough for one person.
A few bamboo leaves floated on the surface, steam rising in white mist that blurred the view, softening the light from the courtyard lantern.
He let out a satisfied sigh.
Ah, soaking in a hot spring after a tiring day really is the best.
Come to think of it, he hadn’t walked that much today.
But why did he feel so exhausted?
He immediately mocked his own question.
‘Duh, just think about how much happened today, man.’
‘First thing in the morning, took the Shinkansen to Hakone, got tickled on the train. After getting off, ran into Futaba, then the Shura Field. Then, once that was barely over, the girls got hit on by strangers.’
‘And then the thing at the inn entrance just now…’
He shook his head.
‘Forget it. I don’t want to think about it. The more I think, the more my head hurts.’
He closed his eyes, ready to focus on enjoying the hot spring.
This was his first time soaking in a private bath.
He’d only seen them in anime and TV dramas before, and it really was different—no need to share a pool with strangers, soak however he liked, perfectly quiet.
Steam filled the air, carrying a faint sulfur smell.
From beyond the courtyard wall, an occasional insect chirp, and further off, the sound of a stream.
He slowly relaxed, sinking a little deeper, feeling himself about to fall asleep.
A few minutes passed.
Rustle, rustle.
A sound.
You didn’t pay attention, thinking it was the wind.
Rustle, rustle.
The sound got closer.
He opened his eyes.
His field of vision was full of white.
Very close.
Extremely close.
Close enough to see the droplets of water clinging to skin.
You’s brain completely crashed in that instant.
His hands moved faster than his mind—he immediately covered his eyes.
But it was too late.
Even with that brief glimpse, he had seen some things not suitable for minors.
And even though he covered his eyes fast enough, the image stubbornly etched itself into his mind, impossible to forget. (Due to relevant laws and regulations, this cannot be shown here. Dear readers, please use your imagination.)
His nose felt a little hot.
“Chihaya! Mai!”
His voice was a bit panicked.
“Why didn’t you wear your yukata before coming in?! I’m still here!!”