The train began to slow down.
A broadcast sounded through the car: “We will soon be arriving at Hakone-Yumoto—Hakone-Yumoto.”
You sat up straight and started tidying his clothes and hair.
Chihaya pulled a small mirror from her bag and handed it to him, then leaned over to help him fix his appearance.
He caught a whiff of the fragrance in her hair, his heart stirred, and he quickly focused on the mirror he’d been handed to avoid losing his composure.
He looked himself over—the person in the mirror was presentable enough.
Mai had already taken the luggage down from the overhead rack.
Holding a bag in each hand, she stood in the aisle waiting for them.
“Divine Child, hurry up, hurry up.”
Her voice was as cheerful as if she’d become a different person.
You stood up and took one of the bags from her hand.
“I’ll carry this.”
Mai froze for a moment, then smiled.
It was completely different from the smile she’d had when she was pressing down on him earlier.
It had returned to that innocent kind of smile.
“Thanks.”
The three of them stepped out of the train together.
You took a deep breath.
The air in Hakone was much cooler than in Tokyo.
It lacked the stifling heat of a big city, carrying instead the scent of mountains and trees, with a faint hint of sulfur mixed in.
On the platform, tourists wearing yukata were already slowly making their way out.
He turned to look back at the two young women behind him.
Chihaya was fixing her hair, while Mai stood on tiptoe to read the station signboard.
“Hurry up,” the two heard You’s call, and they quickly closed in on him.
When they exited the station, the intense sunlight made You squint.
As if they’d been prepared long ago, the Mochizuki sisters each produced a parasol out of nowhere like magic tricks.
You blinked in surprise, and Mai gave a sly grin.
“Sunscreen is a required lesson for girls, Divine Child.”
You felt a little speechless as he lowered his head to fiddle with his phone, concentrating on finding the inn’s location on the map.
He completely failed to notice the frequent glances thrown their way by passersby and tourists at the combination of one man and two women.
After all, this kind of setup did attract attention—one guy with two women, looking very close, all still quite young—no matter how you looked at it, it was easy to misunderstand.
Chihaya and Mai felt a little uncomfortable under those stares and unconsciously moved closer to You.
Strangely enough, after that scene on the Shinkansen, the two were much less embarrassed about getting close to him.
You followed the map for about ten minutes before stopping in front of a gate.
He looked up, a little surprised.
A path paved with crushed stones stretched ahead, with two elegant stone lanterns standing on either side.
The front gate wasn’t large, but it was very clean—the steps and door were spotless, as if someone had just wiped them down.
The entire building exuded an antique atmosphere.
The wood was deeply colored, clearly old, but well-maintained.
You clicked his tongue inwardly.
Mom had really gone all out this time.
This inn clearly cost a fortune.
As soon as they entered, a lively voice rang in their ears.
“Welcome! Three guests, do you have a reservation?”
At the front desk was a young female clerk with a ponytail and a perfect smile.
You was about to speak when Chihaya stepped forward and said politely, “Hello, yes. The reservation is under Tsukimiya Masako.”
The clerk’s smile didn’t waver.
Her fingers flew across the keyboard, then she handed Chihaya a wooden plaque that read “Moon Residence.”
“Thank you, guests. The registration is complete. Head inside—it’s the third room in the back courtyard.”
You followed Chihaya as she led the way, with Mai close behind.
Then a shrill voice rang out:
“Ah, is this big brother staying in the same room as two big sisters at the same time? Isn’t this what you always call a playboy, sister?”
Startled, You turned his head.
Wait, not possible—are elementary school kids this precocious these days?
He spotted a cute little girl with twin tails popping out from behind the counter, staring at him with utter disdain, as if she’d seen something filthy.
She looked to be only seven or eight.
The clerk’s expression visibly darkened.
Her mouth twitched as she quickly grabbed the little girl and pulled her behind herself, lowering her voice to scold her:
“Wen Hua, shut up.”
Then she immediately bowed again.
“I’m so sorry, guests. This is my little sister. Our parents aren’t home, so I brought her along while I work. She doesn’t understand—she just speaks carelessly.”
You gave an awkward smile.
“Ah, it’s fine, it’s fine. Out of the mouths of babes, right?”
Chihaya looked a bit awkward too, and Mai’s face was completely red.
The group quickly left.
Once their figures had completely disappeared, the clerk’s professional smile vanished.
She patted her chest, still shaken.
“Whew, good thing the guest didn’t make a fuss, and the boss didn’t see. Otherwise, I’d have lost my job.”
She turned and glared fiercely at the twin-tailed girl.
“Ta-kah-ashi A-ya-no!”
The little girl, who had been acting so smug just a moment ago, was startled.
“What’s wrong, sister? What I said wasn’t wrong. Isn’t it what you always say…”
The clerk cut her off.
“I’m at work right now! You can’t talk to guests like that! Now, go home immediately! If I let you cause any more trouble here, I’ll lose my job.”
Ayano sniffled, said nothing more, and turned to leave.
The clerk looked left and right, and once she was sure no one was around, she let out an exhausted expression and slumped onto the counter.
“Haa—playboy. Ayano wasn’t wrong about that part.”
She muttered under her breath.
“One guy taking two girls to share a room… the world is really going downhill. And they booked the Moon Residence, the most expensive suite… The rich really are decadent.”
She flipped a middle finger in the direction they’d gone, then quickly withdrew it, put her professional smile back on, and prepared to welcome the next guest.
***
You hadn’t taken the little girl’s accusation to heart.
After all, you can’t hold a grudge against a little kid, right?
Just as You thought this, his nose suddenly itched, and he sneezed.
“Are you all right?”
Chihaya turned to look at him.
“I’m fine. Probably someone talking about me,” You said, rubbing his nose.
They passed through the corridor and pushed open the door to the back courtyard.
You froze.
He had already braced himself mentally, but he was still stunned by the sight before him.
Why was there a separate courtyard with a private hot spring?!
Could this still even be called a suite?!
The yard wasn’t large, but it had everything.
A path of crushed stones, stone lanterns, a few clusters of bamboo, and in the middle, a steaming hot spring, its surface lightly scattered with fallen petals.
The main building was a traditional Japanese-style room, with pale yellow rice paper on the sliding doors, and wind chimes hanging under the eaves, letting out a crisp sound with the breeze.
Chihaya and Mai were also very surprised.
This treatment was far too extravagant.
Mai secretly tugged at Chihaya’s hand and lowered her voice:
“Sister, isn’t the Moon Princess being too generous here?”
Chihaya replied in a low voice:
“I didn’t expect this either. Maybe this is just the treatment for a Divine Wife… You-kun is the Divine Child after all.”
Though their voices were low, You had sharp ears and caught them.
He curiously turned his head.
“What are you two discussing?”
Chihaya’s expression shifted quickly, leaving no trace of a tell.
“Nothing important, You-kun.”
Mai nodded along.
“Yeah, nothing.”
You was about to press further, but then he thought better of it.
Forget it.
For some reason, he felt asking too much wasn’t a good idea.
Just now, Chihaya had started calling him by name—not “Divine Child,” but “You-kun.”
That meant their relationship had gotten a little closer.
That was enough.
They put down their luggage and took a stroll around the small courtyard, once again amazed by the facilities.
Besides the outdoor hot spring, there was even a small kitchen inside, with tea sets neatly arranged in the cabinet.
More absurdly, there was a ukiyo-e print hanging on the wall.
“A whole month… I could really live this comfortably,” You remarked.
Chihaya didn’t respond, but her ears turned red again.
Mai ran over to the edge of the hot spring and reached out to test the water temperature.
“It’s so warm.”
Mai’s voice carried a hint of excitement.
They talked it over and decided to go out for a walk first.
After all, it was still early—not even time for lunch yet.
When they left the inn, the ponytailed clerk at the front desk still wore her flawless professional smile, respectfully seeing them off.
You walked out the door, feeling like there was a gaze on his back.
He glanced back and saw the clerk looking down, organizing things.
Maybe he was overthinking things, he thought.
Hakone’s main street was much livelier than the area near the station.
Both sides were lined with shops selling hot spring buns, handmade crafts, and local specialties.
Signs crowded one after another, dizzying to the eye.
The air carried a mixed aroma of soy sauce and sweetness.
Tourists wandered in small groups, their voices and footsteps mingling with the shopkeepers’ calls, creating a lively atmosphere.
You walked in the middle, with Chihaya on his left and Mai on his right.
He was just thinking about which shop to visit first when a very familiar voice came from behind.
Crisp, pleasant, yet carrying a hint of laziness.
“Oh my, if it isn’t Chihaya, little Mai, and the Divine Child. What a coincidence we have.”
You was startled.
Tsukuyomi Futaba?
What was she doing here?
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.