In the Warm Water, With You ch3

That surprised me...

To think people who say stuff like that still exist in this day and age.
I can't believe it!
That being said, to relinquish her family's hot spring like that...

Even if she's busy as an idol right now,
Let's dance

Izumi was told to "produce an heir". How does Tsubaki feel about this...?

she could get herself a boyfriend if she felt like it...

..Well then, Lady Izumi, I'll be takin' my leave.

Thank you, Gen-san. Be careful on the way home.

Will do. I'll come at noon tomorrow to check the water temperature again.
Eh? It's fine! I can handle that myself!

No.
If there's no customers comin',
then I gotta check the source every day to make sure the water doesn't get clogged.

...That was Yumori-san.
He's keeps check on the water's temperature and quality.
He's like... an artisan who protects this hot spring.

He's been fussing over me since I was a kid.

But he'll need to retire soon...

I see...

Th-This is akward...
What should I talk about at a time like this...?

That yukata looks good on you, Tsubaki-san!
Th-Thanks...

...This yukata feels like it came from an inn.
Ah!
That's right. We used to run a hot spring health resort too.

Health resort?
Yes.
It's where you stay at a hot spring for a long time to cure illnesses and injuries.
When I was a kid,
we'd have lots of guests recouping in the hot spring.

It was small, but we had a recoup room
and a shared kitchen for doing your own cooking,
so people would stay for about a week...

Here.
Good girl, Izumi-chan.
Thank you.

I'm gonna be the future proprieter, after all!

Ooh, I look forward to it.

Sounds good for the body.
It really was!

...But that's all in the past.

Residential development on the other side of the mountain severely reduced the quality of the water
and a lot of guests stopped coming...
Ah, so that's why...

Ah.
...Sorry.
That was insensitive of me.
Hah
It's fine~
That's part of why I'm relinquishing the place, but...

...If only

I had gotten married normally
like the grannies say!

Eh...?
Okay, I'd better get dinner ready!
We're having barbecue tonight♪

What's that supposed to mean?

Okay, cheers!

I've grilled up a lot of me!
Eat as much as you want!

Here you go!
Th-Thanks.

Come to think of it, this is my first time drinking alcohol with you, Tsubaki-san!
...It is?

Yes.
You did treat me to ramen once, though.
That was delicious~

...Is there a reason why she said what she did earlier?

Unlike me, Izumi could probably get married normally.
She can make friends with someone like me, after all...
Hey...

p10

...Don't you get bored hanging around me, Izumi?

Hah...!!
Oh crap!
Was that too overbearing!?

...That was...

p11

...That was the first time you've called me by my first name.
You called me "Izumi"...

Eeeeh~???

Eh~ I'm so happy!
Say it again! Say it again!
Not happening!

p12

I like being with you, Tsubaki-san.
I feel relaxed around you~
Really? You don't find me boring?
I'm unsociable, gloomy, and older than everyone else here...

Not at all!
In fact, I wanna be with you forever!

p13

I see. I've never
had the confidence to be liked by someone.

Okay, let's grill it all up!
Tada~!
I've got fireworks!

Fireworks

I'm glad I came here so I could realise that.
Meeting Izumi makes me really...

p14

Um, Izumi-san...
Why did you come out all this way?

Eh?
Ah, no, um.
I'm sure you were just genuinely worried about me!

But why
would you worry about me so much?

Hmm...
Why, huh... If I had to say...
Ah!
That's right. Y'see...

p15

You remind me of my pet dog.
Woof!

Eh...?
Woof...?

See? You look similar, right?
Particular your eyebrows and the way you smile.
Ah~...

So that's what that was~
A doggy, huh~

Ah.
S-Sorry. Did you not like that?
No, it's fine!

p16

If anything, I'm super happy!
I'm the doggy hot spring idol, after all!

I wonder why.
Even though she's up this close,
it feels like she's far away from me.

p17

Mm...

Huh...?

Izumi's not here...

Where did she go...?

p18

She's crying...?
Why...?

p19

Does she not want to let go of this place after all?
Then why...

I want to know
what your true feelings are...

Izumi's heart wavers... Next chapter coming next Saturday.

Warning