Jitsu -A different story-

As was inevitable, the days kept passing by without stopping, and while that meant that Shizune and Kurono's little vacation wouldn't last forever, it was also true that our dear couple didn't waste the time they had.

They both enjoyed all the amenities that the ryokan provided, appreciated the service of the employees, and the food was always delicious. They were days of practically complete relaxation, although it wasn't as if Kurono and Shizune spent all their time inside the ryokan since they also went to the town often.

Just as Rena had told her, Shizune had found plenty to do and establishments geared toward tourists. There were plenty of shops to see, the scenery was quite pretty, and even a small museum nearby focused on the town and how it was founded. Of course, Shizune enjoyed all of this in Kurono's company, so it was more special.

It can also be understood that they didn't always choose to eat at the ryokan, there were also times when they tried the food from some of the restaurants in the town and had a good experience. Another interesting point was that close to the ryokan, and crossing the nearby river via a long bridge, there was a temple, which, in combination with the area, also resulted in a beautiful and peaceful place that both Shizune and Kurono didn't hesitate to visit.

They enjoyed each day in their own way, they could spend a lot of time at the ryokan just relaxing or also go for walks around the area, which always kept our couple busy. Most of the time, just when they returned late from their walks, Shizune liked to go straight to the private onsen to wash away some of the tiredness of the day, and she had no qualms about taking Kurono with her, making it so that on some occasions it wasn't just cleaning their bodies that kept them busy.

On top of that, both Shizune and Kurono tried out the ryokan's spa service, and it must be said that Shizune was delighted with it, as the relaxation she had experienced was something out of this world. It wasn't hard to guess that both of them had really enjoyed the experience, especially Shizune, as she didn't hesitate to express everything she found interesting, as well as taking lots of photos as a souvenir, she had even gotten to the point of thinking that it would be amazing if the whole experience never ended, but she was also aware that that wouldn't be possible, so she told herself once again that she would continue enjoying it as much as she could.

In Kurono's case, while the experience wasn't entirely new in some ways, he was also enjoying it properly, especially everything where he could count on Shizune's company, although what he enjoyed the most was when they had enough privacy to not worry about anything else, and although he wasn't very fond of taking pictures, he also made time to do so, since, like Shizune, he wanted to keep some memories so he wouldn't forget any of this.

Repeating what had happened before, the days passed in that way. Each one was filled with tranquility, with moments that Shizune and Kurono enjoyed mutually or in their own way, they were even lucky that their trip coincided with a small summer festival that the town was holding in which they did not hesitate to participate, which gave Kurono the perfect opportunity to see Shizune wearing a Kimono that they rented from a store in the town, which gave him more memories that they would both treasure forever.

All of the above brings us to the present, this being the last day of Shizune and Kurono's trip, and specifically, especially because of the image of the moon and stars high in the sky, the night of that same day was what was present in all the surroundings.

"Sigh..." A small sigh of relief was what had just come out of Shizune's mouth. Right now, she was alone, and since her eyes were focused on the sky above her, she was fully aware that this last day was almost over. "I feel a little sad that everything is going to end... But, on the other hand, it is also true that I have enjoyed everything up to this point a lot."

In addition to the night sky, Shizune was also aware of the steam around her, as well as the slight smell of sulfur in the surroundings, and to make it a little clearer why those characteristics, they were precisely because, at this moment, Shizune was enjoying the hot springs of the ryokan instead of the ones in her room.

She had her body stretched out, using her back to lean against the wall of the bathtub, which was partly natural due to the carved rock used in its possible construction, as well as the wood added in said aspect. The water gave off the steam mentioned before, indicating its warm temperature, and from the slight smell it had, it was quite obvious that the water that arrived at the place was heated by the volcanic activity of the area.

Shizune also appreciated the surroundings, besides the designated area where she washed her body before entering and the wall that separated the men from the women, she also saw the natural decorations and the lighting with lamps on the floor, as well as the same image of the mountains in the distance since she was outdoors.

It wasn't the first time Shizune had entered, but since the room had a private onsen, it was more comfortable for her to use it instead, even so, it was the second time Shizune had tried the hot springs, and curiously, there was no one there besides her just like the first time.

This kept her a little alert in case someone else entered, it wasn't as if that bothered her, she knew that all the guests could use them, but being alone in that huge place made her feel a little strange, although the simple fact of feeling the water in contact with her skin and the feeling of relaxation that it produced was enough for her not to think about it too much.

It was really a bit of a different experience than usual, and while it was true that she had the whole place to herself, she couldn't help but think about the private onsen since there she could be with Kurono too... But leaving all that aside, and also the fact that, like Shizune, Kurono was also in the hot springs, but on the men's side, Shizune was a little startled as she saw how the door to the area was opened and a figure could be seen entering.

In reality, that feeling didn't last long since Shizune was still aware that it was a public place, and that figure was a woman who was quick to go to the designated area to wash her body, so Shizune simply went back to concentrating on her own relaxation, although the sound of the water flowing in the distance caught her attention a bit.

She didn't know if it was out of curiosity or because she didn't have much to do at the moment, but what the woman's figure was doing continued to catch her attention since they were the only people in the place. There was also the option for Shizune to leave the hot springs if she didn't feel very comfortable with a stranger around, but since she had just entered, she felt that it would be a waste if she did.

In the end, Shizune tried to close her eyes, but they kept opening again either to see the surroundings or to get lost in the image of the mountains in the distance, as well as in the sounds that were produced by nature, which made the seconds continue their course until she was able to capture the movements and the sound of someone entering the hot springs.

"Awww!! That feels so good." It was not necessary to mention that it was the woman from before. Like Shizune, she stretched her body while letting out a sigh of relaxation as if no one else was there besides her.

Shizune was aware of all this, especially because of the short distance between them, but she focused on the expression she had just heard and felt that it was a little funny, although the fact that she had laughed lightly seemed to have caught the woman's attention. Shizune noticed a gaze focused on her, the first idea she had was that maybe that woman had gotten a little upset or thought she was making fun of her for some reason, and although she was about to apologize, maybe that wouldn't be entirely necessary.

That woman began to move making the water a little cloudy with each movement until she got even closer to Shizune, this had put her a little on alert, but the next thing she heard would leave her mind completely blank...

"Are... Are they real?"