Afterward, Mito Junko explained everything to Miyamura Shizuka, and the situation finally made sense. The reason Mitsuto Take was so furious wasn't just because Iori tried to pat Shouko's head—it was a mix of several things: a complaint from a fellow train passenger, more trouble at school, being at the bottom of his class...

And worst of all? During dinner, Grandpa compared him to Akira. In every category, Iori came up short.

The final spark that set everything off? Mito Junko's offhand complaint.

"Pa!"

Miyamura Shizuka dropped the belt onto the tatami mat with a loud smack, startling Mitsuto Take, who was kneeling beside her.

"Seriously? You had to wait until you were drunk to deal with this? You know you can't control your strength when you're like this, don't you?"

After scolding him, Shizuka gave him a few final words of advice, then left the living room with Akira, closing the sliding door behind them. She was married now, and this was Take's family matter. Even Iori's mother hadn't said anything. Her part was simply to intervene before things got worse.

"Alright," she said to the two teens, holding their hands gently. "Go get your change of clothes and meet me at the bath."

Meanwhile, at the Hot Spring...

"Ahhh... that's the stuff…"

Akira let out a long breath as he sank into the hot spring pool, letting the water surround him in its warmth. The moment his body was fully immersed, it felt like the stress of the entire trip melted off.

It would've been even better without anyone else around, but he figured that kind of peace only came during late hours—maybe around 2 or 3 a.m.

He couldn't help but smirk, remembering what happened earlier.

When his mom saw Shouko's swimsuit while he was gathering his clothes, she told her to put it back immediately.

"This is a traditional hot spring," she had said. "No swimsuits. Not even towels allowed in the water."

Shouko's wide-eyed, confused reaction had been priceless.

What a weird country we live in… Akira thought with amusement.

Still… it would be nice to see her in that swimsuit just once. She had promised him a favor earlier that afternoon, after all. Would it be too much to ask?

As the mist drifted around him, memories bubbled up—Iori's pathetic sobbing in the living room, the way Shouko's ears turned pink when he teased her, his uncle's sudden posture correction when Mom snatched the belt…

All those scenes swirled together like steam rising into the night sky.

"Young man, don't fall asleep in the bath!"

Akira blinked his eyes open, startled by a light shake. In front of him was a middle-aged man with a shiny bald patch and a gentle but concerned smile.

"Ah, thanks, mister," Akira said groggily. He rubbed his wrinkled fingers across his eyelids. "Do you know what time it is?"

The man scratched his head. "Around 8:30, give or take."

"Oh, that's not so bad," Akira mumbled. He had thought he'd been in there for over an hour.

If it were that long, surely someone would've come looking for him.

"Thanks again," Akira said, standing and stretching. "I'm heading back."

Sleepiness was setting in fast now that the bath had relaxed every muscle in his body. Tomorrow was another day for soaking. Tonight? Time for bed.

"Akira! You're finally out!"

As soon as he stepped into the lobby, he heard Shouko's cheerful voice. Sure enough, she was waiting right where he'd seen her earlier, standing up as he approached.

"How long were you waiting?"

When she got close, he gently placed a hand on her head. Her hair was dry—she must've been out of the bath for a while.

"About ten minutes," she said, taking his hand to lead him upstairs. "Auntie already went up to rest. If I knew you'd be soaking for so long, I would've gone up sooner."

He watched her flustered expression and held back a chuckle. She could pretend to be annoyed all she wanted—she clearly stayed because she wanted to wait.

Back in the room, Shouko sat by the window, staring at the quiet glow of the night sky. She looked over her shoulder, face slightly flushed.

"Do you think... Auntie really plans to let us sleep in the same room tonight?"

Just thinking about sharing a room with a boy—even if it was Akira—made her ears heat up. It wasn't that she didn't trust him; of course she did. But the situation still made her feel awkward.

Meanwhile, Akira was spreading out a futon and grabbing pillows.

Noticing her red ears, he teased, "What's wrong? Getting nervous now? You're the one who said yes earlier."

When she didn't respond, he continued:

"Or should I go talk to Mom? She can let you sleep in her room."

Shouko panicked. "No, no, no! We've shared rooms since we were little—this is nothing! You sleep on one side, I'll sleep on the other… it's totally fine!"

Her voice cracked a bit, and she repeated herself like she was trying to convince herself, not just him.

Across the Hall…

Meanwhile, in the room opposite theirs, Miyamura Daiki, freshly bathed and sobered up, glanced nervously at Miyamura Shizuka, who was relaxing on her futon watching a video on her phone.

"…Are you sure it's okay to let those two sleep in the same room?"

Shizuka paused her video and raised an eyebrow.

"Do you not trust Akira? Or do you not trust Shouko?"

Daiki hesitated. "It's not that—"

"Besides," Shizuka cut in, grinning, "if anything was going to happen, it would've happened already. You think kids that age are waiting for the perfect moment with candlelight and jazz music?"

Daiki turned red and muttered something incoherent.

"But!" she added, raising a finger, "around 10 o'clock, I want you to quietly sneak over and bring my precious Shouko back here."

"…Seriously?" he said, defeated.

"I'm counting on you, President Miyamura~" she sang playfully.

Daiki sighed and stared at the ceiling.

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