Musashi was putting some things together in a bag. Kojiro watched her nervously before realizing it was just a towel and some bottles she had that she usually kept her shampoos and other toiletries in.
"What are you doing?" he asked her.
"There's this nice pond I saw on the way to and from the town." she replied. "The perfect place to clean up and relax." As she put her items together, she noticed Kojiro watching her and asked him, "Do you want to come too?"
"Um, sure," he replied. He began gathering his bathing items. "Nyasu?" he asked, whom was busy polishing his head jewel.
"Yeah," he agreed. "A spa day sounds nice!"
Together, they made their way to the pond that Musashi had stumbled upon during her trip. Kojiro was nervously fidgeting with his clothes as they approached.
"What's wrong, Kojiro?" asked Musashi, suspiciously.
"N-nothing" he mumbled.
"The water will do you some good," Nyasu encouraged, as he leapt into the water. "Nyagh!" he cried, surfacing out of the water quickly.
"Nyasu!" both Kojiro and Musashi shouted, running to the water's edge. "Are you-"
"I'm fine," Nyasu assured them, catching his breath. "This is not a pond,""
"What?" Musashi asked, confused. "Then what-"
"It's a hot spring," Nyasu answered her. "I wasn't expecting the hot water when I jumped in."
"Eee!" Musashi squealed in excitement. "Even better!" She sat her belongings down and began to remove her uniform.
Kojiro blushed in a panic. "Musashi!" he protested, covering his eyes with his hands.
"Relax Kojiro," she replied calmly. She showed her bathing garments underneath her uniform. "I have a bathing suit."
Kojiro breathed a sigh of relief. He removed his hands from his eyes but continued to watch Musashi in a trance as time appeared to slow down while she removed her outer clothes to reveal her perfect ivory skin. Musashi noticed Kojiro's eyes on her and blushed. Looking down at her folded clothes, she cleared her throat to get his attention, along with breaking his admiring stare. "Oy," she said to him, once his eyes were back on her. She smiled playfully and approached him. "Don't be a pervert and just watch me do all the undressing." She gripped at his jacket. "You can start taking your clothes off too."
"Musashi!" he cried out defiantly, holding tightly to his clothes. "Wait!"
"What for?" she responded, continuing to wrestle with him to get his jacket and shirt off. They went at it for a few moments while Nyasu watched them and smartly backed off into a corner for safety.
Finally, Musashi managed to peel both Kojiro's jacket and shirt off at the same time. She held his clothing up in a show of Victory while Kojiro attempted to cover the front of his chest and stomach. "Why are you being so modest?" asked Musashi, still annoyed. "you're a man for goodne-" she stopped when she noticed some marks on Kojiro's body. He was looking down in embarrassment. "Kojiro…" Musashi murmured sadly as her tone and demeanor changed from anger to concern. She walked over to him. He began to walk backwards but she gripped one of his shoulders to spin him around. Kojiro's entire back had the same bruises.
An image came to Musashi in realization. She remembered the Pokemon Hunter's Dosidon and when Kojiro stumbled into Dr. White's home to ask the brat kids for their help. "Was this from...that Dosidon?"
Kojiro, head hung with his back still to her, nodded. Suddenly, he felt Musashi's arms wrap around him from behind. He stiffened at her touch, expecting the bruises to ache in protest. But instead, Kojiro was wrapped in an immense warmth. Musashi rarely hugged him like this. This feeling...he thought while smiling. Is this...Kojiro remembered his dream and what he had last said to Musashi as his face began to get hot. "I'm OK Musashi."
He turned around to face her and saw that she was deep in thought, eying the ground. She looked at him with determination. "Wait here." Musashi ordered before turning her heel and running back towards their campsite.
It's not like I'm going anywherehe thought. Wait, is she running back with just her bathing suit on?! Kojiro was about to call out to her to come back and put some clothes on when Nyasu called out to him.
"Kojiro!" Nyasu called. "Get in the water. You'll feel better." Kojiro nodded at him and slowly began to enter the hot spring. His shoulders slumped in relaxation as he breathed out in relief. "Ooh this is nice," he admitted. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling of the warm water soothing his sore body. He shimmied his body further down so that the water enveloped him all the way to his chin.
The sound of clinking and a thud caused Kojiro to open his eyes. "Musashi?" he called out.
"It's me," Musashi answered, slightly out of breath. She began to fumble around the large black bag she had brought with her.
"You really shouldn't be running around with just your bathing suit on," Kojiro scolded, making a pout with his lips.
Musashi continued to fumble around until she found the bottle that she was looking for. She pulled it out in triumph before looking at Kojiro irritably. "Huh? Who's going to see me?" she retorted. She scooted over to him, whose back was still facing her. "Sit up a bit, will you?"
Kojiro did as he was told and soon felt a stinging sensation on his back as Musashi sprayed the contents of the bottle over his wounds. "Ouch!" he cried out. "Musashi! That hurt! What did you just do?" He turned around to face her, only to have his front area sprayed with the bottle she held in her hand. The area began to sting as well. Kojiro cried out again before asking her what she used on him.
"It's a healing spray for bruises," she answered. "Quit crying like a baby. Do you feel better?" Kojiro turned around in defiance before sinking back into the water again. He hated to admit it, but he began to feel much better than before. Where did she get that bottle anyway?He wondered. He suddenly realized where-no whomshe got it from.
"Where," Kojiro asked. "Did you get those bottles?"
"From Dr. White," she replied matter-of-factly, not realizing Kojiro probably had no idea who that was "Hang on," she said while digging through the bag again. "I think I have a spray for scratches around in here, somewhere…"
Kojiro closed his eyes in annoyance. He'd had it with Dr. White. I thought I wasn't going to hear his name anymorehe growled to himself.
"Found it!" Musashi cried, yanking the bottle from the bag. She wandered over to Kojiro again. "Sit up," she ordered.
"No," replied Kojiro. "I don't want it"
"Eh?" Musashi said. "Why not? This will only take a-"
"I said NO!" Kojiro screamed, his back still facing Musashi. She blinked a few times, taking in the shock of Kojiro raising his voice to her. She scowled at him and shoved the bottle back in. "Fine!" she spat and stomped off to an area of the hot spring furthest from Kojiro. Musashi entered the water and immediately turned her back to him. The both of them went about their washing and cleaning while Nyasu watched them nervously.
Neither party said a word to each other as Nyasu flickered his eyes from Kojiro to Musashi. Musashi would accidentally make eye contact with Kojiro, scowl, and turn away immediately. Kojiro would do the same. However, after a few moments, his glares merged into glances of guilt as he pondered what to say to make the situation better.
I want to say 'Sorry' to herhe thought. But I'm just so upset that she still had something of Dr. White's in her possession. She never even made an effort to explain herself to me or Nyasu. For all she knows, she thinks that neither one of us know of Dr. White and what she almost did.
His thoughts were broken when he heard the water slosh. Musashi had risen up out of the hot spring, a towel already wrapped around her. Her hair, soaked from the spring, cascaded down her shoulders down to her hip.
Wow, mused Kojiro. Even when Musashi was angry, Kojiro couldn't help but feel mystified by her beauty. Musashi, however, wouldn't even cast a glance at Kojiro. She picked up her bathing supplies, the black medicine bag, and walked off towards the camp.
When she was out of earshot, Nyasu glanced over at Kojiro. "You need to talk to her already."
"Well," Kojiro said defensively. "I was waiting for her to bring up anything first."
"You know how private she is," retorted Nyasu. "She doesn't think we know anything that happened between her and that Doctor. Plus, she's confused on your reaction just now. She probably thinks you're just ungrateful."
"Probably," sighed Kojiro. He watched as Nyasu left the hot spring and shook himself free of the water. "I'll see you at camp?"
"Yeah," agreed Nyasu before he bounded off in the direction of the campsite.