Wonderful Onsen at Yunohana Ryokan Inn (1)

The literal vision of a girl Shouichi knew quite well appeared right before him. Ishikawa Misaki wore an elegant flower-pattern yukata. Her obsidian eyes, tinged with a hint of pink, were filled with friendliness and warmth. The girl stood gracefully, slightly shorter than Shouichi, though her voluptuous figure was still evident beneath the fabric. Misaki's twin tails had been replaced with two flower buns, one on each side of her head, creating a cute and youthful appearance.

"Hey! Y~You look beautiful today," Shouichi finally spoke up after a long moment of surprise.

"How sweet of you! You like my clothes, don't you?" Misaki spun around, letting the loose sleeves of her yukata flow dramatically. Shouichi noticed her sweet smile was the same one he had seen the first time they met, full of life and purpose. It sent a tingling sensation through him.

"Yes, it looks great!" Shouichi praised her. Once he regained his composure, it was time to address the "elephant in the room." "How did you know I was here?"

"Hee hee, I'm soooo sorry," Misaki clasped her hands together in an apologetic gesture, though her dry smile didn't seem entirely convincing. "Well, I'm on a retreat from the city... and I saw you on the guest list."

"That's a bit too convenient, don't you think?" Shouichi pressed.

"Senpai, we could stand here chatting all night, but I think..." Misaki spoke softly, yet her bold personality was still very much intact.

"Oh, my bad... Please come in," Shouichi invited her gently.

"Thank you, Shou-senpai. Can I still call you that?" Misaki entered confidently, making herself at home as she sat comfortably on the sofa next to the oversized bed.

"Y~yeah, I don't mind," Shouichi replied, closing the door and sitting across from her.

"Awesome! You're so kind!" She beamed at him with her upturned eyes.

"So, Misaki-chan, please explain..." Shouichi asked with a slightly serious tone.

"Yunohana Ryokan is owned by the Ishikawa family — my family. Tee hee." She chuckled softly.

"Ah, that explains the sudden upgrade to VVIP!" Shouichi finally pieced it together, his mouth dropping open in awe.

"Tada! You caught on quickly as always, Shou-senpai," Misaki confirmed excitedly, raising her arms in the air. "Do you like the room I picked for you? Fufufu."

"It's perfect, Misaki-chan... Thank you."

Misaki shook her head nonchalantly. "Nope, it's the least I can do for you, senpai."

"Would you mind waiting a bit? I've got something special for you," Misaki said gleefully, springing to her feet.

"Huh? Okay. Please don't go overboard, I don't want to trouble you too much," Shouichi replied.

Misaki walked across the room towards a double closet, which concealed a refrigerator beneath it.

"It's our way of welcoming a guest!" Misaki announced, showing Shouichi a bottle of Japanese sake.

"Uh? Is it alcoholic?" Shouichi jumped to his feet, inspecting the bottle closely. It had been a long time since he had seen an alcoholic beverage in Kurohashi town. It was indeed a rare sight.

"Of course not, we can't drink alcohol. We're underage, you know," Misaki said with a bright smile. "You're so naughty, Shou-senpai." Her eyes squinted slyly.

"Let me grab some glasses," Misaki said, placing a small cup on a saucer for herself and another for Shouichi. She then began to pour the liquid slowly until it overflowed into the saucer.

"Misaki-chan, I think you're overfilling it," Shouichi spoke up.

"Oh, hehehe. I did that on purpose to show how overwhelming our welcome is," She explained casually.

"Wow, I didn't know that. But thank you for your kind hospitality!" Shouichi nodded in anticipation.

"Come now, it's 'cheers!' in English, right?" Misaki raised her cup with both hands, prompting Shouichi to follow suit.

"Cheers!" they both said, emptying their cups without hesitation.

"Cough cough! It burns!" Shouichi struggled to maintain his composure as the alcohol hit his throat like a fiery arrow.

"Fufufufu, how naïve of you," Misaki teased, sticking out her tongue playfully.

"Cough* You tricked me, Misaki-chan?"

"Yeah... Hahaha, you should have seen your face. It's red like a tomato." Misaki continued to laugh, almost doubling over.

"That's so naughty of you, hahaha," Shouichi couldn't help but smile, adoring her mischievous nature.

"So how's your trip so far, senpai?" Misaki asked, wiping away a joyful tear with her finger.

"I've enjoyed every moment of it — the multi-course Japanese cuisine, the Takaki dam, the barbecue, including the surprise attack by Misaki-chan," He quipped.

"I'm glad to hear that, fufufu," Misaki replied softly, her gaze drifting. She glanced at the shoji screen, where a thin wisp of steam curled from the hot spring beyond.

"I'm happy too. When I see you today, it's like seeing the soothing sun after a cold night," Shouichi said, describing her in a poetic metaphor.

"Eh? That's so sudden, senpai! I'm flattered," Misaki's face turned crimson, and she hid it with her hands.

"Hahaha, it's payback time," Shouichi teased before turning serious. "But I'm really happy to see the best version of you again."

"Thank you, I've been doing so well with my BDD," Misaki said, referring to her struggle with Body Dysmorphic Disorder. Shouichi smiled widely after hearing the positive news.

"I've been wanting to hear that for so long."

"Really?" Misaki's eyes sparkled with joy.

"Yep, really. I hope you succeed in your treatment, I really do," He reassured her, gently tapping her hands with his finger. His kind words were Misaki's motivation and inspiration to keep going.