Water dripped steadily as she crossed the tatami room.
Hae-in clenched her teeth, irritated at herself for trailing what was practically filthy pond water into a room she hadn’t even unpacked in yet—such a clean, untouched space. At the same time, she kept stealing glances at Si-yul, watching for his reaction.
But this man, usually such a neat freak, either hadn’t noticed yet or was too preoccupied. He was too busy yelling at her for other reasons.
“Because of you, I swear—!”
“Ughhh…”
“The hot spring’s this way, not that way! Honestly!”
With scolding that spared no sharp word, Si-yul flung open the door on the opposite side of the garden. And there it was—the hot spring.
It was exactly as he had shown her in the magazine, urging her to look forward to it.
Tall bamboo surrounded the wall in a perfect ring, and beyond it rose an unnamed, towering mountain. A private open-air hot spring, modeled to mirror the natural landscape—it was the pride of this ryokan.
Not that there was any room for her to enjoy the scenery right now.
Si-yul dragged her into the shower beside the hot spring, where she immediately received a soaking blast from the showerhead.
She had expected him to toss her straight into the spring, but no—he rinsed her first in hot water. Well, it made sense; one couldn’t step into a hot spring dirty. It was basic courtesy to wash beforehand.
Still—
“Too hot!”
Are you trying to boil me alive?!
Hae-in flailed, but Si-yul held her down, scrubbing at her hair as he barked,
“Bear it! Your body needs to warm up first!”
“Kyaaa!”
“Why did you fall in, huh? Of all places! Did you mean to freeze to death in the middle of winter?”
All because she had fallen into the pond once, Hae-in was now being scolded within an inch of her life. This wasn’t like him. Si-yul was not the type to raise his voice like this.
Normally, he was gentle—as long as she didn’t cause trouble.
For Hae-in, though, that was nearly impossible.
“Do you even realize how filthy pond water is?”
Judging from this mud-colored mess dripping off me, yes.
Water streamed down her body, shedding shredded lotus leaves and pond weeds she had carried from the pond itself. Bits of who-knew-what slid away with the water. Hae-in had no choice but to shut her mouth and endure the lecture.
It wasn’t like she had wanted to teleport into the pond. She hadn’t even been sure it would work—half doubting, half hoping—and this was the result.
If only I’d focused properly, it would have worked! If that stupid koi hadn’t splashed at the exact wrong moment…!
Clenching her fists in frustration, Hae-in stiffened when Si-yul reached for her clothes as if to strip them off.
“I’ll do it myself!” she yelped.
“…”
“Please, trust me!”
She shook her head desperately under Si-yul’s sharp, rain-soaked-dog-like glare. He looked very much like he wanted to scrub her down himself on the spot.
She had lived this before—on the day Tae-il first found her in the rain. The fate of a drenched cat had always been a bath.
But now, though she was drenched again, she was at least a young woman.
“I’ll wash properly! I’ll even scrub behind my ears!”
“…If I see anything floating in the hot spring, you’ll regret it.”
“Yes, sir.”
Leaving her with a doubtful look, Si-yul returned to the room, muttering something about bringing things back.
Barely escaping the threat of being stripped, Hae-in let out a shaky sigh—while shivering violently.
“Ughhh, it’s freezing.”
Her teeth still clattered uncontrollably, even though Si-yul had already poured hot water over her.
Even with her body’s unusual resistance to cold, falling into a half-frozen pond in the middle of a snowy winter wasn’t something one could laugh off.
With strange little whines, she peeled off her wet, clinging clothes—like molting skin. Just as she managed to wriggle out, a knock came at the door. The translucent bathroom door rattled under the sound. Of course, it was Si-yul.
Knock, knock.
“I’m washing! It’s just hard to get these off!”
Her guilty conscience made her call out. When Si-yul decided to get strict, he was worse than her mother.
“I left shampoo and body wash by the door. Use them.”
“Oh—right.”
“And a towel too.”
Now that he mentioned it, the bathroom was so simple it only had a bar of soap. It seemed this shower was intended only for a quick wash before or after bathing in the spring.
Hae-in had to admit—she really was a handful.
And Si-yul had his work cut out for him.
________✧⑅˖♡∘˚˳°↝^._.^_________
After washing thoroughly, Hae-in came out, a huge towel wrapped snugly under her arms.
“You did a decent job.”
“Of course! I’m not a child!”
“Uh-huh. And yet you fell into a pond?”
“…Well, that was…”
She had a feeling Si-yul was going to bring up this pond incident for at least a month. His sharp memory was a terrible thing in moments like this.
And truthfully, it was an incident outrageous enough to justify it.
Hae-in averted her eyes, racking her brain for an excuse that would make falling into a pond sound natural.
But there was none.
She couldn’t very well admit she’d been practicing “beginner’s teleportation” and had crashed her landing. If he knew she could even attempt something like that… it would make her seem even less human.
Si-yul already suspected she was some sort of nine-tailed fox. She had no desire to confirm his suspicion.
Best to muddle through.
“…Eheh?”
“…Forget it. You’re cold. Go in the spring first. I’ll wash and join you.”
“Yes, sir!”
She snapped off a playful salute, which earned her a sharp glare before Si-yul went into the shower.
Finally, she had a moment to breathe and properly look around.
The private spring wasn’t massive, but for the two of them, it was more than enough—about the size of a large bedroom.
Mist rose in thick sheets, pooling at her ankles. Below, the heat pressed heavy and damp; above, the crisp, cool air was refreshing. The contrast was strangely invigorating.
The sky was wide open overhead. This wasn’t indoors—it was clearly outdoors.
Far beyond, the mountain loomed like a landscape painting, veiled in drifting clouds.
Hae-in brushed her toes along the stone floor, then crept toward the bamboo wall, peering through the stalks to check for gaps.
Standing naked outside in broad daylight, even behind a fence, made her feel self-conscious.
Well… no one’s watching.
Beyond the bamboo was only the mountain. Dark, silent, empty.
Not that she was an exhibitionist. She tightened the towel firmly across her chest and slowly approached the hot spring.
She dipped her toes—only to yank them out immediately.
It was scalding.
She had never tried a hot spring before, and hadn’t expected it to be this hot. If she asked him to add cold water, Si-yul would probably smack her.
What kind of trial is this?
But whining about the heat didn’t feel very adult. She decided to endure.
Not that she had any business pretending to be grown-up, after the chaos she had already caused today: first vomiting the moment they arrived in Japan, and then plunging straight into a pond upon reaching the inn.
“…This might overflow, though…”
Muttering to herself, she clutched her towel and dipped her toes again.
Inch by inch, she eased herself in—dip, retreat, cool off, warm up, repeat. Bit by bit, centimeter by centimeter.
At last, gritting her teeth with an expression like a condemned prisoner, she managed to sink to her shoulders.
But what was so great about this? The heat made her head spin.
Her skin flushed bright pink, and sweat poured from her body as if she had never shivered at all.
Maybe hot springs were for adults only. Maybe it was like one of those extreme saunas only middle-aged people could handle.
The memory struck her of being half-cooked in bathhouses as a child, her mother scrubbing her until she cried.
“Nooo! Grandma, save me! Mom’s trying to kill me!”
“You little brat! Can’t you sit still?!”
“Waaah! I’m telling Dad!”
“You sit there and soak or else!”
Every time, she’d earned a stinging slap across her back.
Come to think of it, Hae-in had always been weak against hot water. What everyone else found “just right,” she found unbearable.
Maybe that had been her cat nature peeking through, even back then.
But today… today was a rare trip, and she didn’t want to ruin it. With such a mature partner beside her, she wanted to at least seem a little grown-up too.
She wanted to bolt straight out, but instead, she tried self-hypnosis.
I’m an adult. I’m an adult. This much heat is nothing for an adult… Well, sure, I’m a strange creature who can transform and teleport, but…
Her hypnosis crumbled when droplets of water plinked against her chin, sounding exactly like the pond.
That sound would haunt her for a while.
And recalling childhood memories reminded her of all the things she still couldn’t let go of.
Si-yul tried to help her let go, to return to what she once was—but she couldn’t. It was an anguish she could never quite resolve.
Curling up with her knees hugged to her chest, she shut her eyes. The suffocating heat made her breaths shallow.
At least… with teleportation, it might be easier to visit Mom.
The thought came with a pang of regret for all the money she had wasted on transportation.
If she had known she had this power, she would have used it sooner. Of course, using it had drained her energy as much as staying in human form for several hours.
And she had only moved a few meters.
Not to mention the other drawbacks: immense concentration required, and a high risk of failure.
All it took was one distraction—like that koi—and she had ended up in the pond.
What if I messed up and got stuck inside a wall?
The thought chilled her even inside the steaming spring.
The reaper definitely didn’t tell me about this on purpose. Probably because it’s too dangerous to use.
He had taught her how to transform but kept this hidden. Likely for the same reason Si-yul always looked at her with unease.
It wasn’t something to attempt recklessly.
If she accidentally landed where people were… that would be disastrous.
Oh. That must be why the reaper always teleported mid-air.
She remembered that clearly—though, with her fear of heights, the idea was dreadful.
Nodding to herself, Hae-in finally understood why the cat’s “evolution” had led to becoming a bird.
She found herself growing accustomed to the hot water as time went by. Her body felt loose and heavy, and before long, a pleasant sensation began to spread through her.
The tension drained away, and she thought she was beginning to understand the appeal of hot springs.
“At this rate, I might be an adult, too…”
“Hah. My plans are already ruined the moment we arrived. I was going to enjoy the hot spring leisurely after dinner.”
Right on cue, Si-yul emerged from the shower, his hair damp and dripping.
Hae-in’s eyes snapped open, and she stared at him as he walked toward her, a towel wrapped loosely around his waist, moving unhurriedly, as if nothing at all were out of the ordinary.
This is insane.
“I was worried it might be too cramped for two people, but it looks fine.”
“……”
Unlike Hae-in, Si-yul dipped one foot in, then slipped into the water without hesitation. Scooping up a handful, he splashed his face and the back of his neck a few times.
His movements were unbearably languid, slow… and for that reason, she couldn’t tear her gaze away.
I’m losing it.
“Why are you so quiet?”
Water trickled down from between his brows. His wet hair looked strangely suggestive. A man soaked in water… it was far too sexy.
Just being wet made him look as though he belonged in an R-rated scene.
He was decently covered, and the steam blurred her vision even more, but still… Was it the water’s fault, or was it his innate, chronic pheromones?
Why do I keep feeling such overwhelming excitement for a man I see every day? Is it because of the languid way he looks at me through the steam? Because his voice ripples like water, low and fluid? Or is it because this moment, just the two of us, feels so raw and exposed?
Her breath caught.
No—it must be the hot spring. That’s all it is.
“The water’s hot for you, isn’t it? Your face is bright red.”
When his warm hand brushed against her cheek, Hae-in felt something inside her reach its limit.
“…Hey.”
“Eh?”
“Your nose…”
Startled by his words, she quickly lowered her head. A vivid drop of blood plopped onto the surface of the water. Mortified, she clapped a hand to her nose and stammered out an excuse.
“T-the water’s too hot. I think my blood pressure spiked.”
“If you’re dizzy, then stop—”
“Ahhh! Why is this happening?!”
Flustered, Hae-in scrambled out of the bath. Naturally, Si-yul followed after her, still dripping wet. Her nosebleed showed no signs of stopping.
Nothing was going the way it should.
________✧⑅˖♡∘˚˳°↝^._.^_________
It took a while for the bleeding to subside. With tissues stuffed in her nose, Hae-in sank back into the bath.
Where exactly does the humiliation of this trip end? How much farther do I have to crumble?
She fell into unexpected contemplation.
This isn’t what people usually mean when they talk about romantic dates…
“…Pfft.”
“D-don’t laugh!”
“Puhaha!”
“Si-yul!”
The more she begged him not to, the harder he laughed, his chuckles echoing off the steam-filled walls. Hae-in’s face burned even redder.
A pond would’ve been better. Anything would’ve been better than this. Better to faint in a pond than to be here, stuffing tissues in her nose in a hot spring.
Maybe Japan just wasn’t compatible with her. Ever since they’d arrived, nothing but trouble had followed her around.
“Ah, my stomach… I’m alive because of you, seriously.”
“…Don’t you mean you can’t live because of me?”
Still wiping at the corners of his eyes—whether it was tears or bathwater, she couldn’t tell—Si-yul was laughing so hard it almost looked painful.
If this weren’t Japan, Hae-in would have bolted from sheer mortification.
Why does all the embarrassment always fall on me? I feel like I don’t even have any shame left to lose.
“Being alive because of you makes me happy. That’s what I mean.”
“…Hmph. Easy to say after you mocked me…”
“More importantly, don’t you think it’s time you stopped calling me ‘Kang’?”
Submerged up to her nose, hoping the bubbling water would hide her tissues even a little, Hae-in blinked in surprise at his question.
“We’re proper lovers now. How long are you going to keep calling me that?”
“…I guess…”
“Mm.”
“Your name…”
Of course, he had a perfectly good name: Kang Si-yul.
At first, she had shortened it to just “Kang” because saying his full name felt uncomfortably intimate. She hadn’t liked that.
Back then, their relationship had been hostile, closer to enemies than anything else. She never could have imagined things turning out this way… that they would someday be sharing a hot spring together.
Hae-in hesitated.
Then what should I call him now? Using his full name feels too stiff, but just his given name sounds too casual… Then maybe…
“…Si, Si-yul… oppa?”
The moment the word left her lips, her face flushed all over again, burning hot.
It seemed that when it came to embarrassment, there truly was no end.
“……”
Why wasn’t he saying anything? The silence only made her more nervous. Hae-in braced herself, not knowing how he would react.
