After soaking in the hot springs for a while, when Naruse returned to his room alone, the futon was already laid out.

Morimi and the Takigawa sisters each sat where they slept last night, watching TV and chatting casually.

"It's been a long time." Hikaru Takikawa looked at him, "How do you feel?" ”

"Not bad, right?"

He stretched his arm.

"The massage was very comfortable and the bedrock bath was ok...... Well, I should say it's a good night's sleep. ”

She smiled, and Morimi next to her asked, "What about Naoko and the starfish?" ”

"I'm still soaking in the hot springs." Naruse walked in and sat on the innermost futon, "I'm sweating a little...... Morimi should also try to experience the bedrock bath. ”

"If you have a chance in the future."

It didn't take long for Naoko and Starfish to return to the room with a few bottles of milk in their hands.

"It's easier to fall asleep with some milk."

Dinner began at seven o'clock, followed by a walk, a massage, and a bedrock bath, and by the time the two of them returned to their rooms, it was not early.

After watching TV and chatting for a while, I saw Takikawa Yawn and several people were ready to sleep.

"Turn off the lights."

Hikaru Takikawa got up and walked over to the switch, looking back at his companions who were lying down.

The location remains the same, the same as last night.

Naruse looked at her in the innermost, "Turn it off." ”

Smack.

Staring at the ceiling, her eyes adjusting to the dimness, Starfish turned her head to look at Morimi, who soon looked over as well.

"I won't be unable to sleep today."

"No, it won't." She nodded, and pulled the quilt up.

"Go to bed early, and get up for breakfast tomorrow morning."

"Uh-huh."

The movement behind him quickly subsided, and Naoko looked in front of her again, where Naruse was sleeping and had already closed her eyes.

She reached out from under the covers, reached for him, and closed her eyes.

She waited calmly, regardless of the outcome.

was calm to the extreme, the people around him did not move, and the drowsiness suddenly waved.

Consciousness sank in the darkness of the night.

She seemed to fall into the deep sea, and the light, shadow and sound floated above the sea, farther and farther away from her, and more and more blurred.

Until a certain moment, she suddenly rose rapidly from the dark depths.

“……”

When she regained consciousness, Naoko found that she had opened her eyes, the room was bright, and there was a faint sound of footsteps in the hallway.

It's already the next morning.

"Good morning." Naruse sat next to her, turning his head to look at her, and it seemed that he had been awake for a long time.

"Good morning......

Naoko blinked, rediscovering her body.

Without looking down, she could feel both of her hands shrinking into the covers, and she didn't know if he had stuffed them in, or if she had unconsciously taken them back when she was sleeping.

She was a little disappointed, but she didn't pay much attention to it. Surprises like the night before always happen unintentionally, not when you're chasing them.

Stretching, Naoko turned over and faced inside, "When did Harumi wake up?" ”

"I just woke up for a while." He replied, his hair still a little messy.

"I heard footsteps in the hallway outside, and I guessed someone was going to get up early to leave – and when I realized that, I found myself awake."

Naoko smiled and sat up as well.

She looked at the other companions next to her, except for Takikawa Tsuki, who was staring at her phone, she hadn't woken up yet.

The two looked at each other and smiled, and Takikawa continued to fiddle with the phone.

The yukata slept a little messy, Naoko pulled her neckline, tidied it up a little, and then crawled out of the quilt and walked to the window to stand.

The window on the third floor has a panoramic view of the entire hot spring town, and there are only three or two people on the road at this time.

"There's not much of it yet."

Naruse also stood up, "After all, it's just past seven o'clock." ”

"Hmm." Naoko whispered in response and leaned closer to him.

In the morning, it is rare to be relatively clear, and the morning sun rises in the east, emitting a thousand rays of light.

Although the clouds on the other side of the sky are still numerous and thick, and this kind of sunshine does not last long, it is always pleasant to wake up and see the morning sun.

After looking at it for a while, Naruse suddenly said, "I'm going back today." ”

Naoko didn't feel disappointed either, "Hmm." ”

"Before you go back to Tsu, let's go buy the things that you will need for the New Year. I don't have any luggage anyway, or let them help bring it back. ”

She nodded, "Okay." ”

"That's it. Wake them up for breakfast first. ”

Naruse turned around and clapped his palms a little harder, while raising his voice: "Get up—"

The three who were still asleep woke up one after another, staring at each other, and pulling back and forth with sleepiness.

Naruse didn't wait for them to wake up, so he went to the guest room outside to change his clothes and wash up by the way.

After brushing his teeth, washing his face, the hotel provided some basic skin care products for free, and he applied some hand cream to prevent frost cracking.

When he came out of the bathroom, the sliding door to the bedroom suddenly opened.

Starfish stood in the doorway, sleepy-eyed.

And behind her, Morimi had just taken off her yukata, Hikaru Takikawa was buttoning the straps of her bra for her sister, and Naoko, who was wearing only one underwear underneath, bent down and looked at this side.

For the first time, he was so intuitively perceiving something astonishing from a visual perspective.

“……”

Morimi narrowed his eyes, the two looked at each other, and Naruse quickly looked away.

"Starfish—"

In the scream, the sliding door was pulled shut by Hikaru Takikawa, who pounced on him.

“……”

Naruse pursed her lower lip, and there was a follow-up movement from inside.

"Ahhh

“…… You sober me up. ”

"It's okay, it's okay, it's just that Chunhai saw it."

"Light ...... It's okay and 'okay'. ”

After a few more moments, the sliding door opened again.

Morimi, who was already dressed, was the first to come out of it and stopped to look at him.

Naruse thought she was going to say something, but she rolled her eyes, turned her head and went into the bathroom.

And Naoko, who came out with him, blushed slightly, but just smiled at him, and didn't say anything about what happened just now.

The starfish sat inside and glared at him, a little angry, and was glared back by him again.

“……”

After all, she was unreasonable, and she quickly lost the battle and turned her head to look to the side.

Hikaru Takikawa smiled and told him that he didn't care.

After washing, several people went downstairs together to eat the breakfast provided by the hotel.

"Go over first."

Naruse went to the front desk to inquire about the hotel's private light bus.

Knowing that there were still many empty seats on the first train to Oishida in the morning, he reserved six seats first.

"Good thing there is still a location...... I patronized the hot springs last night. ”

Coming to the restaurant, the breakfast served by the inn is not as rich as the dinner, but it is just as exquisite.

Freshly boiled hot spring eggs are served on top of fragrant Yamagata local rice, served with mashed yams, fish roe, and homemade pickles.

The pot is filled with wild vegetables, mushrooms, burdock root, rice cakes and other ingredients, which is delicious and warms up.

And in the dishes with desserts, in addition to cherry yokan and matcha, there is also a shiny, completely transparent Suishin Xuan cake.

"I didn't get up for breakfast yesterday, which is a big loss." After breakfast, Hikaru Takikawa summed it up like this.

Naruse nodded, agreeing.

And after breakfast, a few people didn't stay long. I went back to the room and rested for a while, taking advantage of the fact that the tourists did not come in in the morning, and the street was still empty, so I went downstairs with my luggage and checked out.

"It's freezing on the ground, it's a little slippery, be careful."

Leaving the hotel where he had stayed for two days, Naruse looked back twice and walked ahead.

I got on the hotel minibus parked outside the hot spring town, and after waiting for about 10 minutes, two middle-aged couples who said they wanted to catch the Shinkansen back to Tokyo came up, and the driver didn't wait anymore and drove away from Ginzan Onsen.

Starfish sat by the window and looked back for a moment.

"I'm going back."

Morimi looked at her, "Hmm. ”

It wasn't until there was only a vast expanse of snow left and right that the starfish withdrew its gaze.

When we arrived at Oishida, several people got off the bus and transferred to the Shinkansen to go to Yamagata.

The route back is exactly the same as when you came, and when you arrive at Yamagata Station, you can take a bus to Sendai.

After two hours on the Shinkansen, the group returned to Aomori.

When I took the train back to Tsumae again, it was already noon.

The journey that is not long or short is not too short came to an end, and when he came out of the central station, Hikaru Takikawa raised his arms high.

"It's back—"

(End of chapter)