Chapter 11: Super Relaxing Hot spring Steamed Trip!
"Look! A mountain!" Momiji exclaimed looking out the bus window.
"Uh-huh."
"And a river!"
"Uh-huh."
"And a field!"
"Uh-huh..."
Momiji has an interesting short attention span.
"It's such a beautiful day!" Momiji jumped back over to his seat, "Right, Yuki? Right, Kyo?"
"I guess," they said in unison, which caused them to turn and glare at each other.
"So why are you guys being so quiet?" Momiji asked them, "You're not sad you came, are you?"
"We hope not," Tohru said, "Especially since you only came to keep us company."
"It's not like we forced them to come," Kagome said as she looked up from her book.
"Ah, forget about it," Kyo said, waving off my concern, "I only came because there wasn't anything better to do at home."
"And I haven't been to the hot spring in a long time. I was happy to come along," Yuki said.
"Oh, I get it!" Momiji said, standing up again, "You were just thinking how nice it's gonna be once we get there, right?"
"Mm-hmm," Both of the girls agreed.
"Then it's settled! Once we get there, we're all gonna try to have as much fun as we can!" He exclaimed throwing his arms in the air in excitement.
"I'm sure that won't be hard to do," Kagome said.
"It's like we're princesses in a fairy tale," Tohru smiled
Momiji smiled widely. "Yeah! You two can be the princesses and I'll be the prince!"
"Ah, give me a break," Kyo said, running his hand through his hair. "It's just a hot spring. It's nothin' you gotta get all worked up over."
"I think it's just ahead," Yuki said, leaning forward in his seat a little to look out the window.
Just as he said the bus soon pulled up to the Sohma Hot Spring resort. When it came to a stop everyone soon filed off the bus and stood in front of the bath house while the driver unloaded the bags.
"Wow, it's beautiful," Tohru gushed.
"Yeah," Kagome agreed, "We're not even inside yet and I already feel relaxed."
"Well, come on, Princesses! Your room awaits!" Momiji said.
"Thank you, Momiji," Kagome gave him a pat on his blonde head.
"This is all so wonderful."
"And don't forget, you're the princesses! Ooh! And I'll be your knight!"
"Knock it off, already!" Kyo snapped, destroying the bubbly fantasy.
"Well, then," the driver said, getting back on the bus. "I'll be back to pick you up tomorrow." Everyone picked up their bags and waved after him. "Okay! Thank you!" Momiji called. "Bye-bye!"
Everyone heard the door to the bath house open, and turned to see an old woman on her knees, her eyes dark and sunken into her sullen face, which was framed by dark hair. She groaned. "Thank goodness... I'm so glad you're here..." The woman smiled. She looked like a ghost or something, smiling at the prospect of guests.
"Oh, don't worry," Momiji said. "She's the Hot Spring Lady."
"I believe the word you're looking for is 'hostess'," Yuki supplied.
"Uh...are you okay?" Tohru asked, concerned by the women's paleness.
Everyone yelped when the woman jumped at them, "Pleeeeeease! Let me show you to your roooooommmmm!" she wailed, scaring Tohru and Kagome out of their wits.
"Guess what!" Momiji said. "The Hot Spring Lady is a Sohma, too! But she gets sick a lot, so she stays here, for the health benefits and all. The Sohma's own this place, you know."
"Really?" Tohru asked, holding Momiji's hand as everyone followed the hostess to the rooms.
"Just how many things does the family own?" Kagome wondered out loud.
The lady turned to the group and smiled at them more gently, "I do apologize if I startled you."
"Oh, you don't have to apologize to us."
"Just so long as you're feeling okay, that's what's important."
"You girls are too kind to an old woman like me...but thank you," she said. She turned to address them all. "I'm surprised Young Master Shigure didn't accompany you today. Perhaps he was too busy with work?"
"'Young Master Shigure'?" Kyo asked. "How old are you?"
Kagome lightly smacked his on his arm for being rude.
"Yes, he had deadlines on two books coming up," Yuki explained to the women.
"Well, that's a shame," she said, "You see, you're the only guests we have today. It would've been a fine chance to visit with him."
She led everyone further down the hallway until she opened the sliding doors to their room.
"Here we are," she stepped aside to allow them all in before coming in herself.
"Wow, it's so big!" Momiji exclaimed, scurrying around the room, touching everything and anything.
"Yes, I made sure we had our best room prepared for you arrival."
"Tohru, Kagome, you've got to look at this garden!" Momiji said, standing over by the doors to the outside.
"I cannot believe how beautiful this all is," Kagome took in the beautiful scenery of the mountains and trees beyond the tall wooden fence.
"It looks like it goes on forever."
"Almost," Momiji said. "See, from that forest over there," He pointed to the tall cluster of trees to the right and moved his finger to the left, "…to that mountain over there -it's all Sohma property!"
Really?" Tohru asked. "It all belongs to your family?"
"Uh-huh! Everything you see!"
"Maybe we could go for a walk while we're here." Tohru suggested.
"You wouldn't be the first to think so," the hostess said, setting out tea for all of us, "Actually we've even had a few guests go walking who never made it back..."
The girls stared at her, wide-eyed. 'Never came back?'
"Tohru, Kagome," Momiji said, giggling. "You were supposed to laugh!"
"Ohh," Tohru chuckled nervously. "It was a joke."
"Yeah, so don't worry; they never lose the guests for too long. There's a professional search party on call at all times!"
"You mean, they have to call in search parties?" Tohru yelped.
"That was a joke too," Momiji said, laughing.
"Oh, right," Kagome sighed, 'A bad joke…'
"Ladies," the woman said, "I've prepared a room for you adjacent to the young masters' here."
"Thank you," The girls said.
"Hey!"
Kagome looked at Kyo.
"I hope you don't think I'm stayin' in the same room as that damn Yuki!"
The woman chuckled. "You two get along as poorly as ever, I see. But, please, don't be upset. There are sliding doors to divide the room."
"That's not the point!" Kyo yelled, getting to his feet, "I didn't come here to-"
"The point is," Momiji cuts in, running over and elbowing Kyo in the stomach playfully, "you just want to stay in the same room as Kagome, don't you?"
Kagome and Kyo both looked at each other and their faces turned bright red.
"How crude."
"Hey! I didn't say that!" Kyo shouted, "So shut up, Momiji! You and your damn mouth!"
"Master Kyo..." He looked over his shoulder at the woman fearfully, "Ahhhh! You should be ashamed of yourself!" she wailed, grabbing his shirt in her hand and shook him, "To think you would even suggest the idea of sharing a room with a young woman! And all this time, even if you are a Cat, I thought you to be a decent young man! Since when have you gotten such lecherous ideas into your head?"
"Hey! Hold on a minute!" Kyo shouted his eyes wide with fear.
"I'm sorry, world!" she screamed. "I must apologize on behalf of this dirty-minded boy! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
"Okay, fine! I'll stay in the room with Yuki!" Kyo cried, over her.
"Pervert!" Momiji laughed. "Kyo's a pervert!"
"I think she's stronger than she lets on," Yuki said.
After a few moments, the hostess finally calmed down, "Alright, then, I'll leave you to enjoy yourselves." She quietly shuts the door behind her and continued to her duties.
Kyo threw himself down in a wicker chair and sighed, "Finally, it's quiet."
"There's still time before dinner!" Momiji took out his bath things from his bag, "So let's take a bath, okay?"
"Okay!" Kagome said getting her stuff out too.
"Let's take it together!"
"Okay!" Tohru agreed, willing to let Momiji bathe with them.
Kyo jumped up and knocked Momiji to the ground, sitting on him. "You little- Now who's the pervert?"
"Aww-ww, what'd I do?"
"Oh, it's fine, I mean, he's so little and all..." Tohru tried to explain.
"Little? What the hell are you talking about?"
"Kyooo! I wanna go in with the girls! I wanna! I wanna! I wanna!" Momiji wailed.
Yuki stood and put his hands on Momiji's shoulders. He stopped wailing, and looked at Yuki, "Why don't we give the ladies some time to themselves? After all, the reason we came here was to give them a chance to relax, right?"
Momiji looked at him for a moment, and then smiled a little. "Right, I get it. But tonight, we'll sleep together, okay?"
"Our first open-air bath," Kagome said, looking out at the steam hovering over the hot water.
Tohru smiled, "It seems like it'd be big enough for someone like Momiji to swim in."
From the other side of the tall fence the girls could hear Momiji splashing and giggling in the water.
Tohru began to wrap her towel around her while Kagome slipped into the open air bath with her hair down. "Ah, this feels great." Kagome sunk further into the water, allowing it to come up to her shoulders, "So relaxing…"
Tohru held her mother's picture in a plastic bag and placed it in the water, "How's the water mom? Feels good, right?"
"Tohru?" Her friend looked at her. "Thanks for being a good friend the past few months." Kagome smiled. "It means a lot."
"You're welcome." Tohru said smiling.
On the boys side of the bath Kagome could hear a loud splash followed by childish giggles. "I'm doing that again!"
"Momiji! Just get in and be quiet."
Momiji held his peace for literally two seconds before she heard his voice closer to the fence, "Kagome, Tohru! How are you doing?"
"You little brat! Didn't I tell you to be quiet?"
"Aw, but they're lonely!"
"How can they be lonely if they're together?"
"Oh, hey!" Momiji called, "I know! Let's sing a song okay? That way, it'll seem like we're all in here together! It'll be a lot of fun, really!"
"A song?" Tohru asked.
"Yeah, yeah! Sing something!"
Tohru looked at the picture of her mom shyly, "I wouldn't know what to sing. I'm afraid I don't know many songs."
"Okay! I'll sing then!" Momiji sang with a light happy tune,
"Who's in the forest strolling?
The birds and the bees sing, 'Momiji!'
The frogs in the pond are calling
Momiji, yes, it's true!
The trees raise their leaves-"
"What the hell is that?" Kagome heard Kyo ask.
"It's my song! I made it up!" Momiji said proudly.
"So why don't you make up something that isn't so annoying?"
"Just sing it! Girls, you sing, too!" He started to sing again,
"Who's in the forest strolling?
The birds and the bees sing, 'Momiji!'
"Your turn!"
Tohru and Kagome blushed lightly as they tried to sing Momiji's song as well and in tune as they could,
"Who's in the forest strolling?
The birds and the bees sing, 'Momiji!'"
Momiji giggled.
"The frogs in the pond are calling
Momiji, yes, it's true!"
"Why frogs, out of curiosity?" Yuki asked.
"Hey! Knock it off already!" Kyo snapped.
"The frogs in the pond are calling
Momiji, yes, it's true..."
Kyo groaned. "Ah! This is driving me crazy!"
"Who's in the forest strolling?
The birds and the bees sing, 'Momiji!'
The frogs in the pond are calling
Momiji, yes, it's true!
The trees raise their leaves together
'Who needs the sun when we've got you?'
Who's in the forest strolling..."
When Kagome started the song over again, she noticed that Tohru started swaying, almost like she was dizzy. Her face got really red and her eyes turned swirly.
"Uh, Tohru?"
She let out a goofy giggle before falling over in the water.
"Tohru!" Kagome jumped out of her spot, grabbed her arms and pulled her out of the water.
"What happened?" Kyo called.
"She passed out!"
"Hold on, Kagome, we'll go get help!"
From the splashing Kagome could tell they were making their way inside the building. While they did that, she did her best to carry Tohru out of the water and onto the gravel. Thankfully not a moment later, the hostess along with female staff, came and helped carry Tohru to another room where they can help her cool down until the dizziness wears off. Kagome wanted to stay to make sure she was alright but hostess told her that she'd look after Tohru.
When they were forced out of the room, Yuki returned to the boys' room to relax a bit before dinner. Momiji ran off to who knows where, doing who knows what.
"Only Tohru would pass out in the hot spring." Kagome sighed, "She had me so worried when she passed out so suddenly. We weren't in there that long…I should've paid more attention…"
"Calm down," Kyo scolded Kagome, softly hitting her on the head, "There's no reason to get worked up about. This kind of thing would happen to Tohru."
Kagome let out a small laugh. Tohru did have the ability to cause trouble, "Yeah, I guess you're right…for once…" She joked stretching her arms above her head, cracking the kinks in her back.
"Hey!" He snapped at Kagome, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing, nothing," Kagome waved her hand, "So, anyway, where's the dining hall? I'm starved." Kagome rubbed her stomach as emphasis.
Kyo pointed down the hall, "It's down here. Come on," He grabbed her wrist and pulled Kagome down the hall without much effort, "We'll sit here and wait for everyone else."
He led her to the dining room and pulled open the sliding door. He allowed Kagome to go in first before sitting down across from her.
They sat in silence for a while. Kyo rested his head on his left hand, a familiar pose he takes when he's bored or thinking. Kagome drew invisible patterns on the table out of boredom.
"Hey…" Kyo said softly, breaking Kagome out of her silent thoughts, "I…uh…got you something…" He trailed off, a faint blush appearing on his cheeks, "…a present…"
His blushing was contagious, Kagome could feel her own cheeks heating up, "You got me a present?"
"Yeah, but it's not all that expensive or anything," He said gruffly, rummaging through his robe, "It's kinda crappy so I get it if you don't want it or anything."
"What is it?" Kagome asked excitedly.
He removed his hand from his robe and placed the item on the table. He had gotten her a small silver necklace with a small sapphire stone on the end of it. "I love it."
"I really couldn't think of anything else," He blushed lightly, "I thought of you when I saw it."
"Thank you very much." Kagome put the necklace on and admired it.
Kyo blushed heavier now, trying to cover it up with his hand, "Alright. You're welcome, already. It's no big deal…"
The tender moment was soon ruined when the cooking staff bustles in carrying tray among trays of fancy looking sea foods, soups, and vegetables.
The others followed in soon afterwards and Kagome was relieved to see Tohru up and around.
Everyone was all wearing light blue robes, the tie around the middle dark blue. Kyo's was only different because he had rolled the sleeves up.
"Wow!" Kagome said, almost drooling, "This is incredible!"
"You think we can eat all this?" Kyo asked.
"Guess I'd better get started serving the rice," Tohru smiled reaching for the bin that contained the white rice.
"Not so fast!" Momiji said, holding his hand out to stop her, "Remember? You're the princess today! I'll do it!"
Momiji removed the lid as he grabbed Tohru's rice bowl. With a care-free smile he scooped lumps and lumps of rice and plopped it in her bowl, some spilling over the side.
"Don't you think that's a little bit much-" Kyo started to ask as he reached for some cut salmon.
Momiji smacked Kyo's hand with the rice spoon.
"What the hell was that?" Kyo snapped.
"The Princesses get to go first!" Momiji insisted to Kyo.
Kagome and Tohru laughed a little.
"Well, Miss Honda, Kagome, what are you going to try?" Yuki asked.
Tohru was a little hesitant, probably unsure of what to try first.
"Hmm," Kagome looking around the table she spotted the crab meat next to the salmon and plucked it off the plate and into her mouth. "Tasty..." Kagome hummed, savoring the juicy meat from the sea.
Tohru finally picked something to eat and placed it in her mouth. With a few chews she's smiled brightly, "It's delicious!"
"Wonderful," Yuki said grabbing his chopsticks, "Let's eat!"
"Pardon the intrusion, " Everyone looked up to see the hostess kneeling at the door, "But the head chef would very much like to pay his respects to the young masters."
He came in after the hostess' introduction, "As always, it is my pleasure to serve you," he said, kneeling and bowing. "Does the cuisine meet with your approval?"
"Oh, yeah," Kyo said, giving him a half-smile.
"It's even more delicious than I remembered," Yuki said.
"A meal fit for a king," Tohru complimented.
The chef suddenly looked up. "Please, make way!" He jumped right between Yuki and Kyo and grabbed a dish from the table. "Ah...it's too cold..."
The hostess gasped.
"Noooo!" he cried, crawling back to his place next to the hostess, deeply bowing his head, "This is inexcusable! I thought I'd seen to it that the young masters' cuisine would be served with the hot foods hot and the cold foods cold! Only my complete lack of confidence as a chef could allow such a lukewarm dish to be served to you! I beg your forgiveness!" He pulled out a pair of chopsticks and held the pointy end to his chest, "Maybe I be cut into a thousand pieces for this outrageous act!"
"No! It was my fault!" the hostess cried, grabbing a pair of chopsticks of her own, "I clearly waited too long to serve your meal!"
"No! It was my fault!"
"It was my fault!"
They started dueling with their chopsticks, still arguing about whose fault it was.
"By any chance are those two-?"
"Related?" Yuki finished. "Yes, they're cousins."
"Weird." Kagome mumbled, plucking up another piece of crab.
After dinner, Kyo had challenged Yuki to a game of ping pong. Tohru wanted to take another bath. Kagome was wary but she allowed her to go alone. Momiji stayed with her as they went to grab some drinks before they went to watch Yuki and Kyo play.
"So, since the hostess is a Sohma too, does she know anyone from the Zodiac?"
"Yeah, that's right. The Hot Spring Lady is Ritsu's mom," Momiji said as they walked down the hall to the hot springs' game room. "Sorry, I thought I told you all that."
"So...Ritsu? That's a pretty name."
"Mm-hmm! But enough about that! Let's play ping-pong, okay? Yuki and Kyo never let me play with them."
Kagome giggled at the thought of Momiji playing with them, "Yuki and Kyo play on a higher level than us normal players."
"Ah! Momiji! Kagome!"
Momiji and Kagome turned around and saw Tohru running as fast as she could in her robe towards them.
"Hi, Tohru. How was your bath?" Kagome asked once she was closer to them, "Did you pass out again?"
She lightly shook her head with a smile, "No, not this time. There was a special bath for those prone to dizziness."
"Oh, that was nice of them to have."
She nodded, "It was. Oh, did you know that the hostess was a mother of a member of the Zodiac?"
Kagome nodded her head, "Yeah, Momiji just got finished telling me about it. We're going to watch Yuki and Kyo play ping pong, wanna go?"
She eagerly nodded her head, "Yeah that sounds like a lot of fun!"
"Yaaaahhhhhh!" Kyo hit the tiny white ball as hard as he could, sending it flying past Yuki's head and onto the floor.
"Out again," Yuki stated tiredly.
Kyo looked at him in shock.
"I told you, you have to let it bounce on the table."
"Shut up! That's stupid! Why would I wanna hit that slow?" Kyo retorted, not liking the way the rules were set up.
"Why? Because those are the rules…" Yuki demonstrated by gently serving the ping pong ball, letting it bounce once before going over the tiny net. Unable to resist, Kyo served the ball back, twice as hard with the same result as before.
"Out again."
Kyo glared at him, a quiet growl forming in his throat.
"Hang in there, Kyo!" Tohru cheered, "You can do it!"
"I thought at least at ping-pong he might have a chance to beat me," Yuki said, smirking at Kyo. "But, as usual, he's hopeless."
Kyo cried out and flipped the ping-pong table, "How can I beat you with all these stupid rules? How 'bout we take this outside?"
"You know, you're the one who wanted to play this game in the first place," Yuki reminded him.
"Well, in that case, I'll play you, Kyo," Kagome said grabbing a ping pong paddle.
"Ooh, that sounds like fun! Play her, play her!" Momiji chanted.
"Are you serious?" Kyo asked in disbelief when she took Yuki's spot.
"Completely!" Kagome even got into a little stance, ready to hit the ball at any time, "Come on! Show me what you got!" She teased.
"Advance warning," Kyo said accepting her challenge, "I'm not gonna go easy on you just 'cause you're a girl."
"When have you ever gone easy on me?"
"Remember, it has to bounce," Yuki said.
"You shut up!" Kyo shot back before gently serving the ball to her.
Kagome served it back just as gently over the net. Kyo hit it back, and she returned it. It continued like that a few times and she grew bored and was pretty sure everyone else did too. So when Kyo served it back, Kagome served it a little harder. Kyo wasn't expecting it and nearly missed it when he served it back just as hard. Soon they got competitive to see who could hit it the hardest and fastest. The ball was pretty much a blur and she couldn't keep her eyes on it anymore and them paddle flew out of her hands and at Kyo's head. Luckily for him he ducked and the paddle smacked against the wall and the white ball bounced on her side before falling to the ground behind her.
"Aw! I lost my paddle!" Kagome whined.
"Yeah, I noticed," Kyo said, smirking even though Kagome knew he wanted to laugh, "You kinda suck."
"Aw, admit it! I was doing well!" Kagome grinned back at him.
"No, you still lost. The ball landed on your side."
"Kyo, don't tell her that!" Momiji scolded.
"Oh, what, you think you can do better?" Kyo asked sarcastically.
Kagome glanced over her shoulder and saw Yuki walk out, his hand over his mouth. Tohru followed soon after. Kagome guessed whatever's wrong with him, Tohru would sort it out.
"Okay, let's play again."
Kagome smiled as they lay abed that night. Kyo was really sweet to give her the necklace.
He can be a gentlemen when he wants to be.
"I'm afraid it's time to say goodbye," the hostess said as they stood outside, waiting for the bus, "But please, all of you, I do hope you'll come again soon." She said a little weakly as she leaned on Kyo's shoulder by her head.
"Do you have to lean on me like that?" Kyo annoyed by the old leaning on him.
"Thank you for everything and take care of yourself," Tohru and Kagome bowed.
"You as well, ladies," she said, leaning more on Kyo's shoulder. "You as well."
"Ah, o-kay, heavy," he said more annoyed.
"I think our driver got lost," Momiji stated looking down the empty road for any sign of the charter bus.
"Momiji, I guess after this we won't get to see you for a while, huh?" Tohru said a little sad she won't get to see the energetic boy as much anymore.
"Huh?" he looked at her, cutely confused.
"You'll be in your first year in middle school or something starting this spring, right?"
"Nope," he said, smiling widely. "This'll be my first year of high school! And, as it turns out, I'll be going to the same high school as you! Yep, that's right! Me and Haru both!"
The girls eyes were wide with shock. Hatsuharu I knew was starting high school, but Momiji…I would never guess he would be starting high school!
"Why you sneaky little-" Kyo growled, "Why didn't you tell us sooner you and Haru were coming to our school?"
"We wanted it to be a surprise!"
"Ladies, I'm guessing you didn't know, but Momiji is actually a year younger than us, same as Haru."
"All this time, we thought he was in elementary school!" Tohru spazzed, "And now he's coming to our high school with Hatsuharu!"
'To think we almost let him bathe with us!' "Should we be excited or worried?"
"Be surprised about everything!" Momiji smiled.
Now that Momiji and Hatsuharu are coming to our high school, Kagome couldn't help but wonder how exciting the new school year would be…