Source
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The moment I opened the sauna door, a wave of stifling heat washed over me.
“…It’s hotter than I expected.”
“But that’s the point, right? Rintaro!”
“I guess so—”
Even though I tried to act tough, sweat started to trickle down my body the moment I sat down.
It really takes it out of me after running around all day at my part-time job… but strangely enough, it feels good. It felt as if the fatigue lingering deep within my body was being forcibly dragged out.
Elis sat down next to me as if it were the most natural thing in the world. It wasn’t that cramped in here—why did she go out of her way to squeeze in so close?
Since complaining would only lead to trouble, I settled for scowling and giving her a puzzled look.
“It smells nice in here,”
Elis seemed fascinated by her first experience in a Japanese sauna; she looked around everywhere, sniffing the air to take in the scent of the wood.
When I took a breath like she did, hot air rushed deep into my lungs, and I almost coughed. Well, that makes sense—I’m not used to breathing in this kind of heat normally.
I took another small breath through my nose. Along with the scent of wood, a faintly sweet aroma tickled my nostrils…?
“Is something wrong, Rintaro?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
Elis, wearing her swimsuit, was right next to me.
Her calm, blue swimsuit had darkened slightly from sweat compared to earlier.
Plus, her white skin, which was starting to get a little damp from sweat, glistened seductively, making me feel like I was catching a glimpse of something I shouldn’t be seeing.
The more I try not to notice, the more she creeps into the corner of my vision—it’s a real eye-catcher.
“Rintaro, are you already getting flustered?”
Elis moved a little closer and peered at my face. Leaning forward slightly emphasized her cleavage even more, and I instinctively looked away.
It’s way too much stimulation for a guy my age.
Perhaps sensing my flustered state, Ellis gave a sly, knowing grin and moved a little closer to me again.
“Rintaro, your face is red.”
“Well, we’re in a sauna, after all.”
“Really? Is that all?”
Ellis’s face, as she pressed in on me, was red too. I wondered if that was really just because of the sauna.
Ellis had always been close to me.
Back when I was her only friend, she’d always stick right up against my back, and whenever she was in trouble, she’d grab my arm and pull me toward her.
So I figured that the closeness she was showing me now was just a continuation of that.
She’d always been attached to me and liked me. That’s why she was keeping the same kind of distance as back then.
But is it really the same?
The affection she showed me as a child, and the affection she’s showing me now.
Have I ever really thought about the difference between the two?
I thought that when she lost control on her first day in Japan and pushed me down, it was because she was lonely. No, I wanted to believe that was the case.
“Rintaro?”
Hearing my name called, my train of thought was interrupted.
Elis had moved even closer.
Sweat trickled from her neck down to her chest, and a sweet, cloying scent rose from her body, flushed with heat.
“Rintaro, you have a mole on your chest, don’t you?”
What on earth is she looking at?
I wanted to call her out on it, but maybe because I was feeling lightheaded from the heat, the words wouldn’t come out right away.
My mind felt foggy, and I couldn’t gather my thoughts.
“…I’m gonna head out soon.”
“Already?”
“I’m a beginner, after all. It’s dangerous to push myself too hard right from the start, isn’t it?”
“I see. Well, I’ll be heading out soon, too.”
Seeing Ellis nod obediently, I hurried out of the sauna as if fleeing.
I felt that if I stayed in this hazy state of mind any longer, I might blurt out something I shouldn’t.
The moment I opened the door, the air outside felt cool.
Even so, the heat still clung to my body, and I couldn’t stop sweating.
I washed the sweat off in the shower, then steeled myself and dipped my feet into the cold plunge pool.
“It’s freezing…!”
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
But turning back now would feel like giving up.
I steeled myself and sank in up to my shoulders; my overheated body cooled down instantly.
It felt as if even the heat that had been building up in my head just moments ago was dissolving into the water and washing away.
“…Ahh…”
A sigh escaped me naturally.
This is great. It feels way better than when I came here with Iwami and the others before.
That’s probably because my body was more tired this time than it was back then. I might just get seriously hooked on this…!
Just as my body was starting to get used to the cold water, the sauna door opened.
“Rintaro, you look like you’re having a great time.”
Breathing in the fresh air outside, Elis wiped the sweat from her body with a look of contentment, a faint wisp of steam rising from her. Her wet body was illuminated by the lights, making the shadows stand out more sharply and further accentuating her figure, which could rival that of a model.
She exuded a somewhat immoral aura, making me feel like I was seeing something I shouldn’t be seeing.
“Elis, you’re sweating quite a bit—are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I felt a little lonely since you went out first, Rintaro.”
Saying that, Elis took a shower and approached the cold plunge pool.
“It’s cold!”
Seeing Ellis flinch slightly, I felt a little relieved.
If she’d just calmly stepped into the cold plunge pool without a second thought, I wouldn’t have known what to do.
“Don’t push yourself.”
“Yeah. But Rintaro’s in there, too.”
Saying that, Ellis slowly lowered herself into the cold plunge pool.
──It really is cramped in here.
Compared to the sauna, the cold plunge pool was small, and it looked like it would be a tight squeeze for the two of us. Just as I stood up, thinking I should probably get out, Ellis pressed down on my shoulder from above. It was probably just my imagination, but I felt a sense of pressure, as if to say, “I’m not letting you get away.”
“Isn’t it a little too small for the two of us?”
“We can fit if we squeeze in.”
Before I could finish speaking, Ellis had submerged herself up to her shoulders.
In the cold plunge pool—which was a bit too small to really call “for two”—we naturally ended up close together.
“Rintaro, it’s nice and cool, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, I guess so…”
“I’m so glad I got to come here with you, Rintaro.”
Ellis said this as if savoring the words.
She really does seem happy no matter what we’re doing, as long as she’s with me.
—But why is that, exactly?
For someone like me, who’d never had much experience with this sort of thing, it was incredibly difficult to understand the subtle nuances of her feelings. Even with my head feeling clear after the cold plunge, I just couldn’t come up with an answer.
“…I think I’ll head back to the sauna soon.”
“Oh, okay. Then I’ll head back right after you, too.”
After that, we went back and forth between the sauna and the cold plunge a few times.
I was restless at first, but as I gradually got used to both the heat and the cold water, the fatigue that had built up in my body began to melt away.
★ ☆ ★
After enjoying the sauna and drinking a cold beverage—
Once I was completely relaxed and stepped outside, the night air brushed against my skin.
Perhaps because I was warmed to the core, even the muggy June air felt refreshing.
“Is it this late already—”
When I checked the time on my phone, the date had already changed, and quite a bit of time had passed.
Tomorrow is Saturday; it wouldn’t be so bad to go home, fall asleep right away, and sleep until after noon.
“Alright, let’s head home and get some sleep, Ellis.”
“You’re leaving already?”
“Already…? The date has already changed, you know?”
“But, Rintaro. The last train—it’s already gone, isn’t it?”
Elis was shifting uneasily from side to side.
I glanced over to where a love hotel sign was flashing a garish, tacky glow.
“Hey, Rintaro. Why don’t we just—”
Elis approached me, her gaze filled with passion.
And to that Elis, I—
“Wham!”
“Ouch! Rintaro, why’d you chop me…!”
“You said there’s no last train… but my place is within walking distance, isn’t it?”
“Oh, right.”
Elis’s expression changed instantly, and she laughed in a way that seemed a bit forced.
I wish she’d stop with the heart-stopping jokes.
Even though I’ve been unfairly labeled a “clueless guy” and other such insults, I should at least be able to tell if an invitation like this is serious… or so I’d think.
“Hey, Rintaro. Let’s come again sometime, okay?”
“…I’ll think about it.”
To be honest, I don’t think this will happen again.
I was happy she invited me and made all the preparations, but two people who aren’t even dating going to a private sauna together is definitely not normal.
Even today, if I hadn’t been caught off guard like that, I definitely wouldn’t have gone along with Elis’s invitation.
Even as I thought about all that, I have to admit the sauna itself wasn’t bad.
It washed away my fatigue, and my head felt clear. Most of all, Elis looked like she was having a good time walking beside me.
Looking at her face like that, I no longer felt like complaining.
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