The Onsen Encounter
Ch. 2
by Bottou-chan
Author's Note: A few terms... "onsen" is a hot spring; "okami-san" is a term for the landlady who runs it. Mixed bathing in Japan was common pre-WWII; however, in postwar Japan, most hot springs have segregated bathing. Kon'yoku is the term for mixed baths, an onnaburo designates the women's bath, and otokoburo is the men's bath. "Doroyu" refers to mud bath. "Geta" refer to the special sandals guests at a hot spring wear, and guests usually wear light summer kimonos called "yukata" which the hot spring provides, although in the winter time, they wear heavier robes called "tanzen". And if you didn't figure it out from chapter 1, "shugaku-ryoko" refers to the lengthy school trips that junior and senior high school students make to other cities for cultural exposure and a break from studies, seeing that the Japanese school year is so intensive.
"It's them," said Neon scowling darkly, looking much less benevolent than she had ten minutes ago, on the steps of the onsen. "What are they doing here?"
"Do you think they know what we're up to?" inquired Raiha, his voice steady, but his green eyes flecked with worry.
"Ahhh, what does it matter?" shrugged Joker, leaning against the wall with the utmost indifference. "Do you think they'll walk up to us and say, 'Hey, long time, no see! Any messages from the past, wink wink, nudge nudge?' They'll probably ignore us, and they'll be gone in two days. Don't make a big deal out of it, and they'll never know."
Neon looked uncomfortable. "I don't like having them under this roof," she said flatly. "They have a habit of getting involved with things they shouldn't be involved in. What if they find out?"
"That doesn't sound like my Neon-han," remarked Joker, and Neon, recognizing the intensity in his voice and the importance of the situation, didn't bother to debate his use of the possessive pronoun. "None of us have a history of blabbing; we should be perfectly fine."
***
"Did you see that guy with the purple hair? He's soooooo handsome!" giggled one third-year girl.
"I saw him, too, by the entrance to the doroyu. Do you think I'm his type? That's what I need--- a romance would make this trip perfect."
"I wouldn't mind being in the kon'yoku with *him*," the first girl giggled, obviously surprised at her own daring. Her friend told her as much, and then added,
"At least wear something cute to dinner. Maybe we'll see him. Does he work here, or do you think he's a guest?"
Fuuko's hands trembled as she rummaged through her suitcase. She kept her purple head bowed, her blue eyes focused unseeingly on the garments in her hands, trying her best to be invisible enough to be spared being dragged into the conversation. There was only one person to whom they could be referring; she had caught a glimpse of him herself as they had filed off towards their rooms. Seeing Raiha had made her hands go numb and her knees grow unaccustomedly weak. Her heart was filled with conflicting emotions at seeing him again; he was the man who had trained her, who had saved her, who had tried to kill her…
"This is no place for such a long face, Fuuko!" said Yanagi brightly at dinner. The meal was beautifully arranged; the hot food was hot, the cold food was cold, and it tasted every bit as good as it smelled. "You come to an onsen to relax and unwind!"
"It's not just Neon. Raiha's here," said Fuuko glumly, helping herself to a riceball.
Recca paused, his soup spoon halfway to his mouth. "Raiha too?" he asked, looking uncomfortable. Neon, he could handle. She was minus her madougu, anyways. Raiha was another proposition entirely. Each had been unshakably loyal to Kurei in their own way--- but Raiha had an extra layer of mystery to him that made him feel the need to be twice as much on his guard.
"Stick close to us," advised Domon, smacking his fist into his palm suggestively. "If any of them try anything funny, we'll take care of them."
"How?" asked Fuuko wryly. "I mean, the rooms are segregated and the springs are segregated. It would look pretty suspicious for all four of us to be constantly camped out in the dining room--- or for us to go trekking up and down the mountain all day." She glanced significantly at Yanagi.
Recca misunderstood her glance. "You don't think they'll go after Him--- err, Yanagi again, do you?" he asked, his eyes wide, stumbling briefly out of long habit. "Fuuko, don't you dare leave her side, or I'll never forgive you---"
Fuuko sighed, turning her attention back to the meal. Yanagi this, Yanagi that. Why would Raiha or Neon have any interest in Yanagi? Why didn't it occur to them that just because the Fuujin and the Raijin had both been destroyed, and that Kurei and Mori were both gone--- did that necessarily mean that all was resolved? Didn't it ever occur to them that Fuuko might one day be in a little need of rescuing, too?