Considering they would be soaking in hot springs later, the three didn't eat too much at the restaurant.
After finishing their meal, Tachibana Hina drove out a rental car from the parking lot. Both Tachibana Rui and Murakami Yuu ignored her request for one of them to sit in the passenger seat to keep her company, and both got into the back seat.
Throughout the journey, Tachibana Hina was in a grumpy state, muttering complaints about how little Tachibana Rui should have been a more cute and caring presence, not the cold image she showed now that didn't care about her dear sister at all.
Hearing this, Murakami Yuu was quite surprised, thinking about Tachibana Rui's various behaviors since he'd known her. She was indeed caring - Tachibana Rui always gave him different subtle feelings through small, unnoticed gestures, like breakfast prepared in advance after calculating his wake-up time, and that large stuffed animal she left behind that day before leaving, though she didn't say why, he vaguely understood.
Her cute expressions didn't seem that obvious, or maybe he hadn't observed carefully enough. But speaking of which, on the first night they met, her behavior was indeed somewhat cute, whether it was her shy reactions or the faint sounds that leaked out despite her clenched teeth when she couldn't bear it...
Thinking of this, Murakami Yuu felt somewhat heated inside. He glanced at Tachibana Rui and found that she was also staring at him.
"What is it?"
"Nothing."
After saying this, Tachibana Rui turned her head toward the window without another word.
...
After experiencing more than twenty minutes of traffic jams and over forty minutes of driving, the car reached its destination.
It was an area on the edge of the city with few tall buildings and a wide view. After parking the car in an outdoor parking lot, the three walked along a stone path toward the entrance.
The hot spring resort was named "Yokusui-go." The main building was a structure full of Japanese atmosphere, with huge wooden doors and courtyard walls. To Murakami Yuu, this didn't look like a commercial building, but rather like the residence of a wealthy family from long ago.
At the entrance, there were hostesses in yukata who led them through the front hall to the reception desk on wooden clogs. After Tachibana Hina completed the procedures, they were led to a room in the innermost area.
It was a luxurious Japanese-style room at first glance, with high-end furniture, ink paintings hanging on the walls, and the floor covered with straw-colored tatami mats.
The most conspicuous feature was the garden directly facing the sliding door. Through the transparent glass sliding door, they could see meticulously trimmed plants and a small outdoor hot spring pool surrounded by artificial rocks in the center.
"If you need anything, you can call for service using the phone hanging on the wall over there."
"Understood, thank you."
"This is my duty. Then, please enjoy Yokusui-go's natural hot springs."
The service staff kneeling outside the door performed a bowing ceremony, then slowly pulled the paper sliding door closed with both hands.
"How is it? The environment is quite nice, isn't it!"
After seeing the service staff leave, Tachibana Hina spun around in the center of the room like a child showing off a treasured toy.
"Stop it, Hina-nee. It feels very childish. Please have some awareness as an adult."
Tachibana Rui calmly placed the clothes she was carrying in the cabinet.
"Those stiff, numb corporate colleagues are driving me crazy every day. At least let your sister release herself during rest time. Ah... it's been so long since I drove, I'm exhausted..."
Tachibana Hina sat down by the low table in the center of the room while rubbing her shoulders. As she was complaining, she saw Murakami Yuu examining the room, and her furrowed brow relaxed as if she thought of something. She smiled mischievously and spoke:
"Hey, Murakami-kun, could you massage my shoulders?"
Before Murakami Yuu could respond, Tachibana Rui spoke up first with displeasure:
"Don't even think about it."
Murakami Yuu smiled and glanced at Tachibana Rui, who returned a fierce glare.
"Why not?! I worked so hard driving!"
"We came here to thank Murakami Yuu-kun in the first place. There's no reason to make him do such things."
"Then Rui could massage your sister's shoulders..."
"Impossible."
"Eh! Why not?!"
"Because I don't want to. Think about who made me worry so much during this period."
"I'm sorry. I already apologized to you at home, and you forgave your sister, didn't you?"
Tachibana Hina hugged Tachibana Rui while acting cute.
"I only forgave you a little bit. Whether I can completely forgive you depends on your future behavior."
Tachibana Rui pushed away Tachibana Hina who was clinging to her, showing a disgusted expression.
"Besides, if your shoulders really hurt, this hotel has full-body massage services. You can go by yourself."
"Really, the older you get, the less cute Rui becomes..."
Tachibana Hina muttered while dejectedly walking aside to grab her wallet and phone.
"Do you two want to come for a massage together?"
"No need."
"No thanks."
Both people present gave negative answers.
"You guys who don't know how to enjoy life. Just stay here and watch TV or go soak in the hot spring first. I'm heading out."
"Okay."
Tachibana Hina pushed open the door and left.
Only two people remained in the room, just like the previous times they had spent time together.
"This is quite surprising. Does Tachibana Hina-san actually have such an outgoing and lively personality?"
Murakami Yuu picked up the TV remote and sat cross-legged, randomly selecting a program.
"It's not much different from before, but it wasn't this obvious. She's probably deliberately acting this way to make us stop worrying."
After a moment of silence, Tachibana Rui gave this answer.
"I see..."
Murakami Yuu nodded. Seeing Tachibana Rui walk to the corridor and open the glass sliding door, he asked with interest:
"Want to soak in the hot spring now?"
"Though I have that thought, let's wait a bit longer. It's not completely dark yet, and somehow soaking in hot springs during the day feels strange."
"That's true."
Murakami Yuu stood up.
"I'm a bit thirsty. I'll go buy some drinks. Do you want me to bring you anything?"
"Couldn't you just have the service staff bring them? There's a phone right there."
"I saw vending machines in the lobby earlier. It's not too much trouble, and it's more convenient to get them myself."
"Then, just bring me a bottle of orange juice, room temperature."
"Got it."
Murakami Yuu left the room and walked along the wooden corridor toward the direction they came from.
Probably because it was summer, he had noticed from their arrival that this hotel didn't have many guests, making it very quiet. This suited Murakami Yuu's preferences, as he wasn't someone who enjoyed noisy environments.
When he finished buying drinks and was preparing to return to the room, Murakami Yuu unexpectedly encountered someone he knew.
Anna Nishikinomiya, wearing a simple white shirt dress, was at the front desk completing check-in procedures.
Since there weren't many people in the lobby anyway, she quickly noticed Murakami Yuu who had been staring at her.
"Eh, Murakami Yuu-kun?"
She was initially slightly surprised but then put on a familiar smile and actively approached to greet him.
"What a coincidence."
"Ah, what a coincidence indeed. I didn't expect to meet Anna-san here."
Murakami Yuu smiled back.
"Yes, because soaking in hot springs during summer helps with metabolism and is good for the skin."
Anna Nishikinomiya answered. Compared to her restraint and propriety at school, she seemed much more relaxed in casual clothes.
"That's true. But did Anna-san come alone?"
Murakami Yuu noticed there was no one else beside her.
"No, I'm with my mother. She went to park the car and asked me to handle the check-in procedures first."
Mother and daughter, huh...
"Anna."
Just as Murakami Yuu was about to say goodbye, a magnetic mature female voice came from behind.
Murakami Yuu turned around to see a woman with the same hair color as Anna Nishikinomiya and an impressive appearance.
"Mother."
Anna Nishikinomiya walked forward two steps.
"Let me introduce you. This is my classmate, Murakami Yuu. He's an excellent student with great grades.
Murakami Yuu-kun, this is my mother, Sophia Nishikinomiya."
"Hello."
Hearing Anna Nishikinomiya's introduction, Murakami Yuu bowed slightly in greeting.
"Hello, Murakami Yuu-kun. What a polite child."
Sophia Nishikinomiya showed an approachable attitude, but while speaking, she imperceptibly stepped forward and grasped Anna Nishikinomiya's wrist, pulling her back slightly.
"Did Murakami Yuu-kun come with family?"
"No, I came with friends."
"With friends? That's nice too. Well, we won't disturb your relaxation time. Anna and I will take our leave now."
"Yes."
Murakami Yuu bowed again.
"Goodbye, Murakami Yuu-kun."
Anna Nishikinomiya waved at Murakami Yuu, and he just smiled back.
Only after the classmate he'd encountered by chance was pulled away by her mother and disappeared from the lobby did Murakami Yuu begin walking toward his room.
If he remembered correctly, Sophia Nishikinomiya should be that recently very active government official working in the Youth Affairs Headquarters directly under the Prime Minister's Office, dedicated to promoting the "Public Order and Morals Sound Development Act." Her philosophy and goal was to create a disciplined and pure Japan for the vast number of young people.
She successfully lengthened the skirt lengths of female student uniforms in various schools, changed various manga and books with sexual implications from 15+ to 18+, and even the gaming industry was affected by her influence. Female characters' original artwork and 3D models with skin exposure of more than half were ordered to be revised and redone.
Although Sophia Nishikinomiya's various policies in her position were somewhat extreme and stubborn, her pure thinking focused on young people's welfare gained support from many adults who were parents.
However, among young people, especially male youth groups, she wasn't so popular. Some even united online to oppose her, giving slogans like "Japan's declining birth rate is caused by foolish politicians like you!"
All this information was something Murakami Yuu learned one morning while eating breakfast and watching TV.
On the TV screen at the time, Sophia Nishikinomiya was giving a speech in a suit, looking capable and strong.
With such a traditionally conservative mother, it's no wonder she had that tense and hostile reaction when seeing me alone with Anna-san.
In her mind, students in puberty should be a high-risk group prone to various wrong behaviors.
Murakami Yuu thought this as he returned to the room.
"So slow."
Tachibana Rui was kneeling on the tatami. Seeing the door open, she complained.
"I ran into a classmate and chatted briefly. Here's your orange juice."
Murakami Yuu sat beside her, loosened the bottle cap slightly, and casually handed it to her.
"A female classmate?"
Tachibana Rui noticed his gesture and blushed as she took it.
"Yes."
"Oh."
Seeing Murakami Yuu's normal expression when answering, Tachibana Rui chose not to continue asking.
...
On the other side, Anna Nishikinomiya and Sophia Nishikinomiya were soaking in their private hot spring.
"Anna, that Murakami Yuu-kun we just met seems like a very nice child."
Due to the high water temperature of the hot spring, Sophia Nishikinomiya's face was flushed, and even her speech carried a hint of laziness.
"Yes, Murakami Yuu-kun is kind to people and has good relationships with many people at school."
Anna Nishikinomiya stood up to take a dry towel from the side to wipe the sweat from her face, then sat back down in the hot spring pool.
"Some time ago, a female student even confessed to him right near the school gate. Many students saw it."
"Oh?"
Sophia Nishikinomiya's eyes showed an unclear meaning.
"Did he accept?"
"According to classmates, he didn't."
After a moment of silence, Sophia Nishikinomiya asked again:
"Speaking of which, that boy is quite handsome. Don't you think so, Anna?"
"He is indeed very good-looking."
Anna Nishikinomiya didn't catch the deeper meaning in her words and spoke according to her honest thoughts.
Hearing her daughter's unhesitating answer and thinking of their earlier pleasant conversation, Sophia Nishikinomiya's expression became somewhat uncertain.
"Anna..."
Sophia Nishikinomiya pulled Anna Nishikinomiya into her embrace and said seriously:
"Listen well, Anna. Don't blame mother for being nagging. Although I've told you this many times, I must remind you again: until you graduate from university, don't have any overly intimate contact with the opposite sex around you. Do you understand?"
"Yes, mother. I understand. Haven't I always done that?"
Anna Nishikinomiya found it strange why her mother would specifically emphasize this again.
"Yes, you've always done well before, but today you did something wrong."
"What did I do wrong?"
"As a lady, you cannot stand so close to a male when conversing. It's fine in enclosed spaces like classrooms and trains, but in other places where there's enough space, you should maintain at least two to three meters distance. Otherwise, it would appear very improper to others, and Anna, you would be looked down upon."
"I'm sorry, mother. I'll be careful in the future."
Anna Nishikinomiya nodded and gave a solemn promise.
"Good child."
Sophia Nishikinomiya contentedly patted her head.
---
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