After spending some more time wandering around the Swordsmith Village that afternoon, once the lingering summer warmth of early autumn had faded and a touch of autumn chill had set in, Kanzaki Kumo also "just happened" to arrive near the hot springs with Kanae.
In the entire Swordsmith Village, aside from the homes of the Village Chief and Haganezuka, the place Kanzaki Kumo knew best was the hot springs.
As for the reason...
Don't ask. If you did, the answer was that he liked soaking in hot springs (certainty.jpg).
"Ahem, Kanae, since we're already here, why don't we... give it a try?"
Seeing Kanzaki Kumo act casual on the surface while barely managing to hide a certain eager anticipation in his eyes, Kanae blushed too.
"Mm... if it's with you, Kanzaki-kun, then sure."
Suppressing her embarrassment, Kanae nodded.
Then, each occupied with their own thoughts, the two entered the hot spring building together.
In fact, neither could stop imagining what would happen next, causing them to overlook the signs along the way pointing toward the men's and women's baths.
Since this time of year wasn't particularly suitable for soaking in hot springs, there wasn't a soul nearby apart from one attendant performing routine maintenance.
And when that attendant saw Kanzaki Kumo and Kanae walking hand in hand in the same direction, they tactfully moved farther away.
As he undressed in the changing room, Kanzaki Kumo could clearly feel his heartbeat speeding up. He wrapped a towel around his waist and adjusted a certain awkward spot a little before leaving the changing room.
When he reached the edge of the hot spring, Kanae was still in the changing room.
"Kanae?"
"Kanzaki-kun... go ahead and get in. I... I'll be right there..."
There was unmistakable embarrassment in Kanae's voice. Kanzaki Kumo said