“Aaah... I feel so healed. That was seriously amazing…”
“Glad to hear it.”
“No seriously, that kind of thing could charge money. That was insanely good.”
It was nighttime. Hikaru, thoroughly relaxed, and Inari, who had helped make that happen, were now soaking in the large public bath after having dinner at the hotel restaurant. Based on the informational signage describing its benefits and origins, it seemed to be a natural hot spring.
That said, Hikaru didn’t know much about hot springs, so she couldn’t really tell what made this one special. Inari, for her part, had never been in one before, so she also had no clue. Still, even without understanding much, both of them were thoroughly enjoying it.
“Hot springs truly are a fine thing.”
“Right? I heard the ones in Kusatsu are crazy famous, but I wonder if they’re better than this place…”
“Kusatsu, eh. Hmm, what was it… Did it not cure all illnesses except lovesickness?”
Kusatsu Onsen is often said to cure every disease except lovesickness. But for Inari and Hikaru, who had never experienced such a thing, the idea merely prompted a, “Huh, that’s neat,” kind of reaction.
“So like, what happens if you do cure lovesickness?”
“Hmm? Now that thou mention it… I wonder what would happen. Perhaps the love is fulfilled?”
“Or it turns into true love? But then, does that really count as ‘cured’? Isn’t it just becoming stronger?”
“Hmmmm… But can you really call it ‘cured’ if the love gets rejected and breaks apart?”
“I mean, maybe you realize you weren’t that into them and it fades away. That’d count, right?”
That did sound plausible to Inari. If love was defined as an illness, then returning to a “normal” state might be considered healing. She nodded thoughtfully.
“Love, huh…”
“Have you ever been in love?”
“Nay, I have not.”
“Same. Not even interested, really.”
As she said that, Hikaru muttered, “So I don’t really get it.” She had received tons of fan letters—sent by people of all ages and genders. As long as the gifts didn’t pose a problem, they were delivered to her.
But none of them had ever stirred her heart. Maybe because “Lion News Hikaru” wasn’t actually her.
Or maybe more than that—
“Life’s just fun right now, you know? I don’t really have the energy to direct my feelings toward that kind of thing.”
“I see. So thou hast something thou art passionate about.”
“It’s not even that—it’s just being an Awakener. Not the idol side. The fighting side.”
While talking, Hikaru looked out through the large window of the bath. It was a scenic bath with a panoramic view of the city—nighttime Fuchu twinkled like a field of gemstones.
And in her eyes, a subtle shadow crept in.
“Being an Awakener is a damn good job. You can shut down all the dumb crap with nothing but raw strength. Whether you’re a man, a woman, a kid, or an adult—none of that matters when lives are on the line.”
“Indeed… I cannot disagree.”
Inari, too, agreed. Strength was all that truly mattered to Awakeners. She had already sensed from the “Black Fang” incident that things like reputation or character came second. Hikaru’s mindset leaned toward that worldview—but Inari wasn’t worried.
Because Hikaru, at her core, was nothing like the rotten ones.
“And yet, thou still put effort into that Lion News work?”
“Ugh… Well, I mean… they’re my guarantors for this side of my life… and the contract fee and support money are pretty big…”
“Hohooo?”
“S-So what, you’re FoxPhone’s mascot, aren’t you?!”
“Aye, though I mostly serve as a shield to fend off troublesome solicitations. I’ve hardly done anything as an actual ‘mascot’.”
“Ugh, unfair… No wonder there’s no video content of you anywhere…”
Hikaru had even released songs, but Inari didn’t do any of that—something Hikaru had quietly found odd. Sloshing through the bathwater, she sat down next to Inari and poked her cheek. It was delightfully soft and squishy. Well, aside from that—
“Whoa, what is this? Your skin’s unreal… Wait, you don’t even own skincare stuff, do you?!”
“Skincare? What be that?”
“No way! That’s so unfair! You look like this with zero care?! That’s criminal!”
“Whaaa!? What is the meaning of this!?”
As Hikaru suddenly burst into indignation, Inari’s ears shot straight up in surprise. But even adorable fox ears weren’t enough to pacify Hikaru’s wrath. That kind of thing only worked on Akai. Not that Inari was trying to use it that way.
“Man, life really isn’t fair… I never thought I’d feel this kind of inequality in a bath…”
“Well, I do not know what to tell thee…”
Later, when they emerged from the bath, both of them flushed and warm, Hikaru once again poked Inari’s cheek. In one hand, she held a bottle of coffee milk, while Inari had fruit milk—the ultimate post-bath drink.
But for Hikaru, the shock of Inari’s unfair skin perfection was too overwhelming for her to appreciate the taste.
“Furikake…? Don’t tell me furikake is some kind of beauty secret…?”
Not knowing when Hikaru might snap back to reality, Inari gave vague nods while guiding her back to their room.