In This Hot Water, With You ch1

She was the sole daughter of a little known hot spring.
Thank you so much for coming, Tsubaki-san.

...It's fine. I had some paid vacation days stacked up.

Here it is.

I was surprised how far out in the country this place is!
Coming all the way out here of all things...
That isn't like me.

But I couldn't help but worry.

Hisamori Izumi
It's too quiet here. The nights are kinda scary all on my own.

But the water here is the best!

There lied a hot spring that was more provincial than I imagined
yet had a wonderful charm to it.

Six months ago...

Igarashi Tsubaki. 32 years old. Single. Works at a major food manufacturer.
Eh? No way!!
Igarashi-san's 32 already!?
She doesn't look it, huh~

Hard to enter the break room like this...
Man~...
But y'know~

If she's thinking about getting married, isn't she cutting it close~?
Regardless of how pretty she is~

Good work today.
Ah, Igarashi-san...
Oh crap...

Sorry, Igarashi-san. We were just curious about you!
Yeah, yeah!
Wondering if you were looking for a marriage partner or something.
Right?

I'm not interested in that kind of thing.

Salty

Eh~ Really~?
Kids are cute, y'know~
Wanna look at mine?
I bet you actually have a boyfriend or...

I said I'm not interested.
Excuse me.
Ah...

Coming~
One adult, right?

If she's thinking about getting married, isn't she cutting it close~?
Kids are cute, y'know~
I bet you actually have a boyfriend or...

Oh shut up...!
Keep your stupid noses out of other people's business!

Phew...
Aah... All that work is exhausting.
Not to mention talking with co-workers...

Well...
At least the occassional hot spring is a moment of bliss.

My murky heart is being purified.
All my stress is melting away in the hot water...

Okay, here comes the warm water~

Close your eyes tight, okay?

Eh? That's a young mom!
Is she about 20 or something!?

...Even I think
that kids are cute.

p10

But I don't think I can handle
living with someone...

Ah, I miss Latte.
Whenever things didn't go well with others,
Latte was always there for me...

Ah.
Wait! No running!

p11

!??

Phew...
?
Sorry~!!

p12

Nice catch, miss!

They look alike...

p13

Geez~ You mustn't jump in the bath like that~
That's bad!
Eh~
Yeah right...
Just my imagination...

Ah, Mama!

Sorry I'm late~
I got a call from work...

Thank you, Izumi-chan~
It's fine~

Huh? She that girl isn't her mom?

p14

She's a follower~
That's right~
A follower??

Izumi-chan~ Could you rinse my back for me?
Coming!
It's the granny regular!

I thought she was a moody old biddy but...

she's actually smiling...

p15

She's a follower~
That's right.
Again!?

Wh-What's with this girl...!?
Well, it has nothing to do with me...

Is everyone all warmed up?

p16

Nice and warm♪

We're the Kamata Hot Spring Idols, Shippo Project!
It's good to be here!

Wait...
Waving our tails♪
Come on everyone, let's get ready♪

What's this? A live show?
Wh-What happened to my personal oasis...!?

p17

Ah
That girl from earlier...!

So she was a member of this weird group, huh...
But still,

she really does look just like Latte...

Ah!
The lady from earlier!

p18

I'm Izumi, the doggy of the group!
Remember it well!!

Geh...
She noticed me.

Quit joking around!
What's with this music!?
What the heck even is a hot spring idol?
I'm going home...

Ah...

Ah, sorry 'bout that!
It's fine...

p19

By yourself, missy?
We're 'bout to go drinkin'. Wanna join us?
Eh...?

Hey! Let's go!
!

What do I do...?
I'm scared...
No, um...

Woof woof!

p20

Hey, Misters.
Come watch our live show♪

p21

Okay~
This way♪

Hey, don't push.
Fine.
I guess I'll check it out.
Alright!!

...Now I owe her one.

p22

One week later...
Nothing beats milk right after a bath!
Thanks for the treat, miss!
Phwah
...I'm just repaying the favor.

Eh?
Did I do something that needed repaying?

they really are alike...

Well, I'd better go...
Ah!
Please wait!

p23

I'm gonna go in for another dip too!
...Eh?
Why?

Because I love hot springs!

In fact, for hot springs, I recommend taking multiple short dips over one long soak.
Short dips?
Soak for three minutes, rest, then go in again... like that.
You're less likely to get dizzy that way~...

p24

Well, the stuff in these hot springs aren't that strong,
so you don't need to worry about it...

...Does the stuff in hot springs have something to do with dizziness?
Ah.
That's right!

Sulphur springs
and acidic springs
are pretty strong, so it's easy to get dizzy when taking long soaks...
Heh~

p25

...You sure know a lot.
Eh?
Ah, well...

I'm a hot spring idol, after all!
Woof!

Ever since, that girl, Hisamori Izumi (20),
would come talk to me whenever she spotted it.
Tsubaki-san~!

p26

Good work with your job today!
Fancy running into you here!
Are you heading for the hot spring too?
We can go together...

Ah!
Tsubaki-san~! Please watch us~!

Look, Tsubaki-san~!
My costume is ready~!
Hah...
We don't get many guests on rainy days...

Listen to this, Tsubaki-san!

p27

We're finally going to perform at a livehouse!
Please come watch us!

I don't go to things like these.
Eh~
Please come~

She's become completely attached to me...

p28

Well,
I'm weak when it comes to her too...

Hey, everyone~

p29

Are you all warmed up~?
!
Nana~!
Momo-chan~!
Kya~

p30

Thank you for coming today!
We've got a special meeting after this...
Ah...
A text from my mom...

1 Message from Mom

You should come home once in a while.
Maybe you could bring along someone nice too?

p31

Mom still hasn't given up, I see...
How does everyone manage to find

just one special person amidst all these people?

Why do they want to marry someone?
How do they fall in love with someone?

p32

I still don't understand.
I never have...
Tsubaki-san~!

p34

A-Are you okay, Tsubaki-san...?
You were acting a little weird, so...
I came running after you.
Why...?

p35

There's never been anyone
who would come running up to me
until now...

In This Hot Water, With You ch2

There's never been anyone
who would come running up to me
until now...

Ah.
Sorry! That's my phone...
Wait, what the heck
am I doing...

What...? Who is it from...?

Did something happen...?

Thank you so much for coming, Tsubaki-san.

Izumi was the sole daughter of a little known hot spring.

It seems her parents divorced when she was young and she had been raised by her grandmother.
I don't know anything besides that, though...

...Feel any calmer now? Um... what with everything.

...Yes. Granny's 49th day went free from accident.
Free from accident... She sure knows some ancient phrases.

Has she lost a little weight...?

Ah!
Bet you're surprised by how retro this hot spring is, huh!

Y-Yeah. It has a provincial charm to it...
Provincial!
Ah, that's a good way of putting it!

You're amazing, Tsubaki-san~
You're so mature~
Not really...
Why am I feeling happy about this...!?
It's like I'm getting fanservice!!

Our hot spring is pretty amazing!
We have a miracle bath that works against any illness~

No diluting or heating.
It's all free-flowing!

Diluting? Heating?
It means it comes in straight for the source without any added water or external heat.
In other words, you get to savor the hot spring the way it's meant to be!

Thank goodness.
She might be forcing it,
but she seems well.

And that's amazing, is it?
Eh~?
It is, isn't it?

Hmm...
It doesn't bother me all that much...
Maybe I just don't get it...
I have been to Kusatsu and Shima, though.
I'm from Gunma, after all.
Eh~!?
I really want to go to Kusatsu!
How nice!
Ah, then...
We can go together next...
Hah

Wait!! Why am I just naturally inviting her!?

Kusatsu hot springs are those really hot acidic springs that make your skin all tingly when you soak in them, right?

That's why after having a relaxing dip in Kusatsu's water, you take a "finishing dip" in Shima hot spring's gentle water
to finish up your skin, right?
Finishing dip...?
What's that?

You really love hot springs, don't you?
Hah
Ah, erm...

Th-
That's cos I'm a hot spring idol!
Woof

...That's not it, is it?

p10

It's because your family runs such a charming little hot spring, isn't it?

Of all the hot springs I've been too,
I love this one the most.

p11

The water's really great
like syruppy beauty lotion.

Ah.
That's because the water here is alkaline with a PH of 9.0.
Alkaline hot springs make your skin all smooth and pretty. What's more, ours is rich in metasilicic acid which gives it a moisturizing...

p12

Heeey! Izumiiii!!!

!?

Grannies! What's wrong!?

p13

Don't you what's wrong me!?
Izumi, are you seriously thinking of handing this place over!?

Handing it over!?
This wonderful little hot spring?

p14

Ah...
Yeah, um...
I talked it over with the mayor.

He said he wouldn't do anything bad to it!
Huh!?
Of course he will! That heartless old coot!

...Izumi-chan.

p15

You mustn't hand over this place!
This is the miracle spring that's been passed down for generations which your grandmother spend her whole life protecting, y'know?
It's an important asset that Micchan left you with.
This is your home. Your miracle spring.
Protecting it is your job.

p16

...

...Izumi.

Your mother was an outside
who left just like that...

p17

Eh?
But you were born here!
You need to carry on Micchan's will by getting married and birthing an heir!!!

!?!

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