Chapter 23: Dizzy from soaking

It is 8:30 PM.

Rinna had been soaking in the hot spring for exactly thirteen minutes now, ever since she finished bathing.

The hot spring water lapped over her collarbone, reaching the edge of her chin. Steam rose from the surface, carried by the night breeze, swirling and dissipating above the stone-lined rim of the bath.

The open-air bath was surrounded by a low bamboo fence. The bamboo poles, constant fumigation by sulfur steam, had taken on a pale yellow-green hue, with soft moss growing near the ground.

The night sky above was cloudless.

The moon hung beside the highest branch of a pine tree, its cold, clear silver light filtering through the gaps in the bamboo fence, spilling onto the water’s surface and breaking into shimmering fragments of silver as the water rippled.

Below the surface, everything was hazy.

Rinna could see her kneecaps faintly reflecting light at the bottom. Her toes rested on the smooth, worn cobblestones at the pool’s floor.

Occasionally, a tiny string of bubbles emerged from the gaps between the stones, rising with a soft gurgle to the surface, popping gently near her chin and leaving behind the faintest ripples.

Beside her, Hisaki sat quietly, their shoulders nearly touching.

The two of them soaked side by side in the hot spring water. The surface bubbled and steamed, and the air was filled with the warm, moist scent of sulfur and Japanese cypress.

Rinna’s white hair was damp at the shoulders from the steam, the ends floating on the water like a thin strand of silver soaked in moonlight, swaying gently with the motion of the ripples.

Hisaki’s black hair was tied up in a loose bun at the back of her head. A few stray strands hung down from her ears, moistened by steam and clinging to her fair neck like fine strokes of ink.

The candle flame inside the stone lantern at the edge of the bath flickered in the evening breeze. Its orange light fell on the water, kneaded by the ripples into a flowing sheet of gold.

Beyond the bamboo fence, in the garden, an unseen insect chirped on and on, its voice thin and long, as if softened by the hot spring steam before being squeezed out through the gaps in the bamboo leaves.

Too quiet.

And too comfortable.

Rinna gently rested the back of her head on the stone edge of the bath. The stone, warmed by the steam heat, was neither cold nor hot, its curve perfectly cradling the back of her head.

She closed her eyes. A few fine beads of moisture clung to her eyelashes, threatening to slide down the corners of her eyes with the slightest movement.

Warmth enveloped her from all sides, wrapping her entire body as if she were swathed in a mass of warm cotton. Every finger, every toe went soft and limp, even her fingernails felt cozy.

Hisaki turned her head and looked at her.

Rinna’s profile was softly illuminated by the light of the stone lantern, her features gentle. Her silver-white eyelashes cast the faintest shadow on her eyelids.

Her lips, having been in the hot spring, were a shade deeper pink than usual, as if the color had been dyed from within by the steam.

Her breathing was very light and slow, in and out. Beneath the surface, her chest rose and fell slightly, sending out tiny, delicate ripples.

The red ribbon had been carefully untied by Hisaki and placed folded in the bamboo basket in the changing room.

So now, Rinna’s forehead was uncovered, revealing her smooth, high brow, looking unusually more fragile.

And also more real.

Hisaki’s lips moved, but she didn’t speak.

Her gaze lingered on Rinna’s profile, like looking at a painting she had seen countless times, yet each time she noticed new details.

Rinna’s eyelashes, when wet, became a little darker. She had never noticed that before.

Rinna’s earlobes, flushed slightly red from the hot water, as if stained by a patch of sunset. She had never noticed that before either.

Rinna’s lower lip was slightly fuller than her upper lip. When she breathed, her lips parted and closed, parted and closed.

It had been a long time since she’d soaked in the hot spring with Rinna.

When was the last time?

About a month ago.

After that, Rinna started coming to her house less often. Even when she did come, she would leave after a short while, no longer staying the whole day like before.

Rinna had also declined several invitations to stay the night. Each time she declined, she would smile and say, “It’s okay, Xiao Xiao, I’ll just go home.”

That smile was so polite it made Hisaki’s heart sink, like water held in her hands slowly slipping through her fingers.

But now, Rinna was here again.

Soaking in the hot spring with her. Smelling the sulfur and cypress with her. Listening to those tireless insects chirping beyond the bamboo fence.

Rinna had agreed to stay the night today.

Rinna had agreed.

Hisaki buried the lower half of her face in the space between her knees and chest. The hot spring water reached just up to the tip of her nose.

The warm steam wrapped around her breath and returned, condensing into a fine layer of moisture on her eyelashes.

Beneath the surface, her toes curled and uncurled gently on the cobblestones, curled and uncurled, as if stepping on some invisible rhythm.

Her heartbeat was slightly faster than it should be while soaking. Just fast enough for her to feel something inside her chest lightly bumping against her ribs.

‘I don’t want to get up.’

‘I want Rinna to soak a little longer.’

‘Soaking a little longer should be fine, right?’

The hot spring water was so wonderful. Rinna’s hands and feet were all warm now. Just now, she secretly touched Rinna’s fingers resting on the edge of the bath. The tips were no longer cold—they were warm.

That meant soaking was good for Rinna’s body.

Since it was good, soaking a little longer should be fine.

Anyway, it was still early. Anyway, tomorrow was Friday. Anyway, Rinna didn’t have to go home today.

Hisaki kicked a cobblestone lightly under the water. The stone rolled a short distance along the pool floor with a dull gurgle.

‘Just a little longer.’

‘Just a little bit.’

She repeated that to herself again, then quietly leaned against Rinna, continuing to listen to the chirping of insects and the faint sound of bubbles bursting.

Rinna’s head felt a bit dizzy.

It started from her temples, spreading little by little in all directions, slowly and stickily wrapping around all her thoughts.

Her thinking became sluggish. Her consciousness felt like a marshmallow soaked in water, edges melting, shape blurring.

She tried to move her toe. Her brain sent the command, but her toe reacted half a beat slower than usual.

At first, she thought it was just a normal reaction to soaking.

After all, the water temperature was a bit high. Blood circulation increased, heartbeat was slightly faster than usual, and the blood supply to the brain couldn’t quite keep up. A little dizziness was normal.

Rinna closed her eyes, trying to let her brain adjust on its own, like when she felt stuffy after washing in the bathroom for too long—close her eyes, take a few deep breaths, and she would be fine.

But this time, it didn’t get better.

The feeling of panic grew more distinct.

She could feel her heartbeat pounding under the water, faster than usual—much faster—like a small animal trapped in its chest, ramming against its cage with all its might.

Each heartbeat left a faint vibration at the base of her throat. The hot spring water was so hot, yet she felt a thin layer of goosebumps rising on her back. Her hands and feet were starting to grow cold.