A little peace and quiet wasn't bad either. Compared to a bustling environment full of people coming and going, having just one or two people around was far more comfortable.
Perhaps because of the lush forest, the temperature in the mountains wasn't high, carrying a hint of coolness compared to outside. After Rita and the idol girl beside her stepped onto a small stone-paved path, refreshing breezes occasionally blew toward them. The rustling sounds carried the unique natural rhythm of the wilderness, gradually calming their overheated hearts.
No wonder the scholars and recluses of ancient times loved living in places like this. If one grew weary of the turbulent mortal world, hiding away here would be a pretty good choice.
Clusters of verdant bamboo surrounded the two as they walked. In truth, this mountain wasn't especially tall compared to the famous ones, so after they had not walked long along the gentle mountain path, they could see the signboard of a hot spring inn in the distance.
A few characters were written on the signboard. They looked like Chinese, but that wasn't strange, since much of Japanese had evolved from Chinese and many characters looked similar.
The sign read Bamboo Spring Inn. The name suited the surroundings well. If there were hot springs inside, with so much bamboo around, wouldn't it be a hot spring among the bamboo?
The hot spring here should be natural, right? It had been quite a long time since she had last soaked in a hot spring, let alone a natural one. It seemed she could enjoy herself properly on this trip.
"We're here. It's not far ahead!"
Upon seeing the sign, Hashiko Yui hurriedly reminded her.
"Yeah, we finally found it!"
Opening an inn so deep in the mountains—she had to give the owner