Jitsu -A different story-

Without any problems, Shizune and Kurono were able to enjoy a rather delicious breakfast that they really needed. It was mostly traditional Japanese food, in which the use of fish as an ingredient was the most present, although what surprised Shizune the most was how the ryokan employees entered the room and prepared the table while bringing the food which had a rather meticulous presentation in terms of its arrangement.

They had both taken the due time to savor everything and talk among themselves, and repeating the attentive service of the place, one of the employees took the task of collecting everything and tidying the room once Shizune and Kurono finished their meal.

"Is this going to be like this all the time?" Although it was not very specific, Kurono could understand Shizune's question.

"Yes, the stay includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner, so the service will be quite similar."

"I think that's amazing." Shizune's expression was because she didn't know there was this type of service, and that she wasn't used to these types of amenities, but she also appreciated the attention that the place had with the guests.

"So... What would you like to do now?" Having had breakfast and with no other things to do, Kurono's question made a lot of sense. Both he and Shizune were already at the place of their little vacation, so they had to make the best of their time.

Answering that question, Shizune said that she would like to explore the ryokan with him, one of the reasons was that Shizune was curious about some of the places that the manager had mentioned, but another reason was that she wanted to get to know the surroundings in case she got lost...

Kurono had no reason to refuse, and leaving the room, they simply walked through the halls enjoying the tranquility that the place offered. During the short walk, in addition to being aware of the other guests' rooms, something they could guess was that there weren't many people staying at the ryokan, perhaps it was due to the time of year or because it wasn't the weekend, but that same thing made the tranquility of before more characteristic.

Another aspect to mention was that both were able to carefully observe the decorations on the walls, being more pieces of art that they couldn't help but take a little look at before continuing with the walk. They also met one of the employees, and asking for some directions, their steps took them to some of the places that caught the interest of both.

They found a small, perfectly arranged garden, as well as some stone decorations and a small fountain surrounded by some bushes that gave that greenish tone to the landscape. Shizune couldn't help but mention that she would like to appreciate what the view would be like at night, so more plans were forming in her mind.

Besides that, they also came to some of the shared rooms that had different amenities, as well as the designated area that Shizune guessed was part of the spa service, but something more important to mention, and which was the main thing that both Shizune and Kurono were looking for, was the hot spring area.

They didn't take the time to try them, but just by looking at the main area, they understood that they were open-air hot springs that any of the guests could enter at any time, although obviously in areas separated by gender.

"Do you want to come later?" Kurono's question came out of him when he noticed Shizune's curiosity.

"I think I'd like to try it. I'm curious since they're outdoors, although it also makes me feel a little nervous." The reason for Shizune's feelings was precisely because she wasn't used to using public baths, so there was the possibility of some stranger seeing her naked... But, even so, it made her feel calmer that it wasn't some kind of mixed bath like the ones she had heard about in the past, and that it was separated by gender... Although that same thing brought back memories of the time she entered the gym's baths with Kazumi the first time, but she quickly shook her head leaving all that aside.

In the end, and with everything relatively fully explored, they both retraced their steps to their room. Shizune was looking at her cell phone since she had been taking pictures throughout the walk and was about to show them to Kurono, but it started ringing indicating that she was receiving a call, and by the name of the contact, Shizune knew who it was at that very moment.

"Would you believe me if I told you that I was about to call you?"

"The fact that you say that makes me think that you weren't really going to do it." Those words in response to Shizune's question had a rather calm tone, and just by listening to them, Shizune knew that she couldn't fool Rena.

Honestly, she had forgotten that she had told Rena that she would call her right when they reached the town where the ryokan was, so now Shizune felt a little guilty, but that feeling didn't last long either while she was talking to her. In a nutshell, Shizune told Rena how the trip was and especially what she had experienced, all of that actually left Rena a little speechless since she understood that Kurono had invested enough in everything since Shizune's experience was quite different from the one she and Akio had had, but she decided not to mention much about it.

For her part, Shizune also asked how everything was in the city, and she was able to sigh calmly knowing that everything was still normal, Rena had also taken the opportunity to change the call to a video call, and in addition to Shizune using the opportunity to show the room, making Rena reaffirm the fact that that seemed to be the most expensive room in the place, Rena showed little Makoto and he made some simple movements and babbles when he saw Shizune on the other side of the cell phone, which gave a quite harmonious and happy moment for Shizune.

That call lasted a while longer, even Kurono joined in to say hello and explain that everything was fine, and in the end, the call ended up leaving Shizune more at ease. Again, it had come time to think about what to do next, but just like Kurono, Shizune hadn't really explored the room, so they took the time to do so… And it had to be said that Shizune couldn't help but be surprised once again.

It wasn't because she had found anything out of the ordinary, but because, now that she paid close attention, she realized that the room was quite large. Besides the main area and the terrace, the adjoining room was large enough for more people to stay in it, the bathroom was in perfect condition and was actually quite modern, but, above all, and most importantly, it was something that Kurono already knew, but had hidden from Shizune.

"Is this…?" Shizune's eyes widened in surprise the moment she opened what seemed to be the last door of the room.

"It's true that the place already has its own hot springs, but there is also this option and I didn't want to waste it." Maybe Kurono's words sounded a little confusing to anyone who wasn't in that place, but what he was referring to and what had caught Shizune's full attention was the onsen that was only for the two of them.

In short, the hot springs or onsen that were in the room were a much more compact version compared to the normal ones, but at first glance, you could say that it was enough for both of them. The structure could be compared to that of a rectangular bathtub made of wood where the water released a little steam, indicating the temperature, on one side there was a small shower for you to wash your body, as well as a small wooden seat to sit on.

Shizune had been surprised because she honestly did not expect something like this, but in addition to that, something else she had noticed was that the beautiful view of the mountain was fully visible since the area was slightly open to the outside. That type of onsen was a great feature in itself, and as had been said, it was something that Kurono wanted to have, not only for comfort and privacy but also for other ideas that he had in mind... Ideas that perhaps he was not the only one who was having at that moment.