Ch. 6: To Know Him
Nayuta: “That’s why I have to make lots of memories with you, OO.”
Nayuta: “So that I can properly remember everything after we’ve parted.”
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I felt a sense of loneliness knowing that I would never see Nayuta again, as he didn’t leave his country.
Nayuta: “Isn’t there anywhere you want to go?”
Nayuta peered into my face.
OO: “Ah, sorry, I was just lost in thought…”
(He showed me around the onsen yesterday… but I want to know more about him.)
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Nayuta: “There are many people who need the onsens in this country. I properly manage and protect this place, so that even a few of those people can leave feeling better.”
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His earnest expression crossed my mind.
OO: “…please, let me help out with your work around the onsen.”
Nayuta: “Huh? My work?”
OO: “…is that too much?”
He stared at me for a while, then…
Nayuta: “You really are interesting. Alrighty. In that case you can come with me and help while I perform my rounds of the village.”
Saying as much, his tails waved excitedly.
OO: “Alright.”
Nayuta took my hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and we walked off at a leisurely pace.
Ch. 7: Imperfect Sisters
Having taken on the task of helping Nayuta, I was immediately left with the task of welcoming guests.
OO: “Welcome, please come this way!”
I was nervous, having no experience with this kind of thing, but Nayuta stood beside me and showed the guests around with a practiced hand.
Nayuta: “Ooh, welco~me. So, your back is giving you trouble again right? Take it easy.”
All sorts of people came through, including those who had visited Kaiten multiple times, and those who were first timers.
OO: “The reception desk is this way.”
Just as Nayuta instructed me to, I checked permits against a list of names.
Nayuta: “Party of 3, I’ll show you to the Paradise Onsen!”
(He said only certain people are allowed access here but…)
The line of people waiting at the reception desk was soon overflowing.
(I can’t believe they take in this many people every day…)
I admired the way Nayuta worked, then I saw an elderly guest with a cane.
OO: “Oh, please let me help you. This way.”
(Everyone here is one of Nayuta’s precious guests. I want to give my all in helping them.)
Having watched Nayuta, I spoke to the elderly guest I had spotted and went to help when…
Nayuta: “OO, hold up!”
I stopped as Nayuta came over to me, and I saw two girls about my own age.
Nayuta: “I’d like you to come with me to take these two sisters to the Love Sickness Onsen.”
Nayuta whispered those words in my ear…-.
…
……
The two of us accompanied the sisters towards the onsen that was supposed to be good for love sickness.
Nayuta: “Ladies, today we’ll show you to the onsen. It’s effective against love sickness.”
Hearing those words, the two sisters’ eyes went wide.
Younger Sister: “…love sickness?”
Elder Sister: “Wha… are you mocking us!? This has nothing to do with love!”
The older sister shouted in anger.
Younger Sister: “Calm down, Sister. Prince Nayuta thoughtfully brought us out here.”
(I wonder what’s got the older sister upset?)
Younger Sister: “Prince, please excuse our rudeness.”
Nayuta: “Nah, don’t worry about it.”
Nayuta’s tails waved in the air, completely unperturbed.
Younger Sister: “We’ve used the onsen many times, and the doctors say my elder sister has recovered, but…”
Elder Sister: “I’m not better at all, that’s why I told you there’s no point to visiting these onsen.”
(I feel like… there’s more to this than what they’re saying.)
OO: “Um, should I take them to a different onsen?”
I whispered those words to Nayuta.
Nayuta: “It’s alright. This one is perfect.”
Nayuta’s smile deepened as I stood beside him, concerned.
Nayuta: “Now, please come this way!”
OO: “…excuse me, please use these.”
Still feeling nervous, I offered up the supplies, including a yukata and towel, to the sisters for their visit to the onsen.
Younger Sister: “Thank you.”
However, the older sister turned away and walked off without taking them.
(What should I do? Is this going to be okay…?)
Nayuta: “Alright OO, I’ll leave the rest to you!”
OO: “Huh!? Wait…-.”
Panicked I reached out for him when…
Nayuta: “It’ll be fine!”
My hand grabbed empty air and Nayuta walked off.
Ch. 8: His Secret
I fretted in front of the two sisters who were at the onsen as guests…
(Nayuta… what are you thinking?)
After our exchange, I put my full effort into guiding the sisters.
Elder Sister: “Is it true that the onsen works on love sickness?”
OO: “That’s…”
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Nayuta: “That onsen has a temperature and ingredients that are good for your skin, so it was originally one that could improve your complexion… When you’re beautiful, you feel more confident and your love life will work out, so that’s why I say it’s good for lovesickness.”
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I told them what Nayuta had told me…
Elder Sister: “That’s awful haughty, saying an onsen that can make you beautiful will work on love sickness. I bet an onsen that grants your love desires doesn’t exist anyway…”
Her voice choked up.
(Ah…)
From her unenthusiastic expression, I realized that she must have fallen in love with someone.
And she was saying there wasn’t anything that could grant her wish…-.
OO: “…I understand.”
Elder Sister: “What?”
OO: “I’m in love too. And even though that person is close to me, it feels like they’re so very far away. When they smile, my heart aches.”
Then…-.
Elder Sister: “…I know that feeling.”
OO: “Really?”
Elder Sister: “I feel the same way. But in the end, it was over because I could even voice my feelings. It’s like food gets stuck in your throat… and your entire body hurts.”
As if her feelings were overflowing and spilling out, the older sister told me of the love that had ended.
Younger Sister: “Sister, you think it would have been better to express your feelings, even if it had ended in heartbreak, right?”
Elder Sister: “I do. That’s why…-.”
The older sister told me she didn’t want to harbor any regrets.
(Nayuta knew about this. That the elder sister was suffering from love sickness…)
…
……
After that, the sisters entered the onsen for healing love sickness.
(So that she won’t have any regrets huh…)
As I remembered what she’d said…-.
Watcher: “Princess! Have you seen Prince Nayuta?”
OO: “I haven’t. Can you not find him?”
Watcher: “It seems so. He tends to wander off aimlessly when he’s got free time.”
(…that’s pretty typical for him I bet.)
Watcher: “I can’t leave my post right now but… could I trouble you to go search for him?”
OO: “Alright.”
…
……
After looking everywhere, I still couldn’t find Nayuta…-.
(Where’d he get off to?)
The way was getting dark, but then I heard an upbeat humming carried on the night breeze.
(That voice…)
Arriving at the source of the humming, I realized I was back where I’d started at the onsen for healing love sickness.
OO: “Nayuta?”
Slowly, I peeked inside, and…-.
Nayuta: “Huh!? Whaaa!”
Nayuta, his foot in the water, jumped.
His shock was so great that it startled me as well.
OO: “I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you…-.”
(…wait, what?)
I gasped, noticing cat ears poking out from the top of Nayuta’s head.
Nayuta: “…!”
He tried to hide his ears with his hands, but the fluffy fur was in plain view…-.
(…so cute.)
Tempted by those cute ears, I went over to him and sat down.
Nayuta: “Stupid! Don’t look at me! …aaah …I totally got careless.”
OO: “Ah… I’m sorry! This was something you didn’t want me to see, isn’t it…”
Nayuta: “Yeah, well, I had a little bit of time, so I was playing hooky… so don’t worry about it.”
But his ears were bent back…
(They really are cute.)
I naturally felt myself smile.
Nayuta: “Hey, you’re thinking it’s cute, right?”
OO: “N-no.”
Nayuta: “You are! Look that way!”
OO: “Wha…”
Nayuta took both my shoulders and forced me to turn away.”
Nayuta: “…alright. You can look.”
I turned back and was disappointed to see Nayuta was back to normal, no cat ears in sight.
OO: “I’m sorry about that.”
Nayuta: “I told you not to worry. So, what is it?”
OO: “Ah… right, one of the watchmen was looking for you.”
Nayuta: “That’s alright then. He was just doing his job.”
Nayuta smiled, and it felt like he would start to purr, then…
Nayuta: “Is that it?”
Suddenly, his face was close, and my heart started pounding loudly.
OO: “Um…-.”
Nayuta: “You got those sisters into the onsen, right? Thanks. I knew I could count on you.”
Nayuta’s eyes crinkled as he grinned, as if he’d already guessed everything that had happened…-.
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Elder Sister: “I feel the same way. But in the end, it was over because I could even voice my feelings.”
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(…I have to tell him, now.)
I looked straight at Nayuta.
OO: “I… really like you Nayuta. And I don’t want to leave you… like the other people who visit the onsen.”
His swaying tails froze.
(Maybe this was too sudden…? Now what?)
Trying to control my heart that felt like it would leap out of my chest, I hung my head…
Nayuta: “You see me in such a pathetic state, and then still tell me you like me… so how could I refuse?”
I looked up and our eyes met, Nayuta smiling kindly at me.
Nayuta: “Hey, do you know why I was here?”
OO: “Here…?”
Suddenly, his arm reached out and pulled me in close.
OO: “…!”
Nayuta: “In the beginning, I thought you were an interesting girl. But I realized something when I saw you interacting with the guests. It seems I also was a victim of love sickness. And pretty seriously at that.”
His words slowly started to sink in.
Nayuta: “Hm… so that’s how it is.”
Nayuta peered into my eyes, and gently stroked my hair.
(It’s warm…)
His warmth spread all the way through to my heart, and an indescribable happiness spread from there.
A sweet fragrance drifted up alongside the steam that rose gently into the air above the onsen for love sickness.
END
Secret Story: Effects of the Onsen?
I had been caught skipping work at the onsen for curing love sickness…
I frantically hid my ears, then spoke out to OO, who had her back to me.
Nayuta: “…alright. You can look.”
Nervously, she slowly turned back around and, seeing how I looked now, her head dropped.
OO: “I’m sorry about that.”
(…this is so embarrassing.)
I wondered if OO had realized that I’d been here to use this specific onsen…
(One embarrassment after another…)
She’d seen my other form, which I hadn’t wanted her to see, and now her head was down as she avoided my eyes out of embarrassment.
Nayuta: “I told you not to worry. So, what is it?”
I simply gave a blunt response, then OO spoke as if she’d just remembered something.
OO: “Ah… right, one of the watchmen was looking for you.”
(…hm?)
I watched her, still looking embarrassed, and had a hunch.
That expression was what the customers who came to this particular onsen often had. A look of love…-.
(Maybe…)
Nayuta: “That’s alright then. He was just doing his job. Is that it?”
I moved in closer, hoping for an answer, and OO looked up at me with a troubled expression.
(I wonder if it was a bad idea to rush her.)
Keeping my straying emotions under control, I got my breathing under control in a way she wouldn’t notice.
OO: “Um…-.”
Nayuta: “You got those sisters into the onsen, right? Thanks.”
(She couldn’t be honest with her own heart, so I figured OO could open her eyes… looks like I was right.)
It made me happy that OO had lived up to my expectations so splendidly, and I found myself smiling.
Nayuta: “I knew I could count on you.”
However, at my words, OO adopted a serious expression and fell silent.
Then, she looked straight into my eyes.
OO: “I… really like you Nayuta.”
(Ah…)
I was surprised to hear the exact words I had been hoping for.
OO: “And I don’t want to leave you… like the other people who visit the onsen.”
As I watched her, her face turned red, and she looked away as if trying to flee from my gaze.
(She likes me…)
I turned her words over in my mind and grinned, feeling a sweet delight gradually spread throughout my body.
(We’ve only really just met, so it’s strange. …ah, I said something about that myself. That having just met doesn’t have anything to do with this.)
Even still, it made me happy that she was thinking of me…
Nayuta: “You see me in such a pathetic state, and then still tell me you like me… so how could I refuse?”
She looked up at that.
Her beautiful eyes trembled with anxiety and anticipation, and it made me want to cling to her immediately.
Nayuta: “Hey, do you know why I was here?”
OO: “Here…?”
I couldn’t contain my feelings as I reached out and gently embraced her.
OO looked up from where she was pressed against my chest, surprise in her eyes.
Nayuta: “In the beginning, I thought you were an interesting girl. But I realized something when I saw you interacting with the guests. It seems I also was a victim of love sickness. And pretty seriously at that.”
She blinked at me repeatedly.
(Now I see. I’m the one… who was lovesick. And with a pretty serious case of it.)
I gently reached up and stroked her hair.
OO: “Does that mean…”
Nayuta: “The feeling is mutual.”
OO: “……”
In that moment, her cheeks flushed red, and I reflexively let out a chuckle.
Nayuta: “OO, your face is bright red.”
OO: “That’s…”
I teased her, and she turned away in embarrassment.
Then she looked at the onsen and tilted her head.
OO: “Um, Nayuta, were you going to…”
Nayuta: “…I was going to get into the onsen for curing love sickness.”
OO: “……”
She looked straight at me.
Suddenly, I found myself a bit uncomfortable with her so close, even after I’d just been teasing her.
Nayuta: “Um, well, that’s…-.”
OO: “It really is effective then, isn’t it.”
Seeing OO smile up at me, I felt the tension go out of my shoulders.
Nayuta: “Of course it is. I put all of my effort into creating and building this onsen after all. But…”
I moved her hand and twined our fingers together.
Nayuta: “I guess I really don’t need it. Now I can’t help wondering what kind of onsen it’ll be if you and I get in together.”
OO: “Eh…”
(The Lovers Onsen maybe… that doesn’t sound too bad.)
All sorts of ideas were coming to my mind as I sat there with OO…
I walked off so that I could write them all down back in my room.
OO had a wry smile as I pulled her along, but she came with me anyway.
END