“For the time being, don’t think about anything; just entrust your body to the hot springs and relax.”
When I said that, the weight of Miss Mayudama in my arms gradually lifted, and her hind legs and tail, which had been floating in the water, gently rose to the surface.
“Ah, eek!”
Miss Mayudama let out a small shriek, flustered, trying to push down her hind legs and the tail that had popped up without her realizing it.
“No, it’s okay. Let them float.”
“Eh, but, no, yes.”
Well, indeed, it might look quite undignified by animal instincts… right.
Hot springs are a place where you can expose such vulnerable sides, Miss Mayudama.
“Try closing your eyes.”
Watching for the moment when Miss Mayudama’s body had completely relaxed, I commanded her to do so.
Then, I also quietly closed my eyes.
Suddenly, the world I could see narrowed into darkness, and the next moment, the world of sound unfolded exponentially around me.
The babbling of the nearby river, the powerful echo of the abundant springing hot water, the chirping of birds in the distance, the rustling of leaves, the wind passing through the trees, the waves of the hot spring’s surface.
And then, the sound of my own heartbeat and Miss Mayudama’s breathing.
Even if there are walls that separate oneself and nature in the world visible to the eye, there are none in the world of sound.
The remarkable relaxing effects of the hot springs taught me this more deeply and warmly.
“Ah, this feels nice.”
Miss Mayudama said slowly, exhaling deeply.
Apparently, it was a true voice of her heart that came out without her realizing it. Hm, it seems you’re getting it, little fox.
“Hm, it feels good. And, being lulled by the hot water, you might almost feel the illusion that you’re dissolving into your surroundings.”
“Yeah, kinda feels like I’ve merged with the mountains and forests.”
Good. It seems the pleasant feelings of the hot springs and the basic ways to enjoy them have been fully conveyed. Now, you must understand.
“Hey, Mayudama-san, what would you think if there was a clothed human here right now?”
“Huh? Um, well, I guess I would be really embarrassed.”
“Yes, that’s what it’s about.”
“Ah… I see, not wearing clothes is the norm here, huh?”
It seems he understood. Indeed, if a person is clothed in a hot spring, the ones who should feel embarrassed are not those who are nude, but rather there’s no need to consider the mentality of the clothed individual. It’s the person wearing clothes who is out of place.
The reason goes without saying—it’s because a hot spring is a bathhouse.
And a bathhouse is naturally a place where one is expected to enter without clothes. However, since the advent of bizarre spa resorts, which seem like mockeries of health lands, there’s been an influence, and more young people are beginning to enter these unmanaged open-air baths in their clothes or swimsuits.
Certainly, it may be embarrassing to be completely naked in a natural open-air bath that’s not divided by gender and not managed.
But, you see, a hot spring is a place of communal consciousness. Whether one is embarrassed or not, the basic rule is to be naked. Regardless of age or gender, one must be undressed. You should never arrive clothed in front of people enjoying the hot springs in their nakedness.
Because that would amount to the clothed person shaming those who are nude.
Entering a hot spring while clothed is equivalent to standing in the middle of the street completely naked. One must understand that this is the very basics of hot spring etiquette.
“I see, so we are part of the hot spring, too, huh?”
Exactly, Mayudama-san. As part of the hot spring, we must be in an attire that makes it easy for others to bathe.
“But Master, this is a bit too hot for me.”
Indeed, with all that fur, that would naturally be the case.
“If it’s too hot, then it’s fine to get out.”
“But that feels a bit wasteful… Hmm… Well, it’s okay.”
Saying this, Mayudama-san smoothly slipped out of my grasp and dove into the hot water, twirling around within it.
Then, with a splash, Mayudama-san emerged from the water in human form, rising up amidst swirling steam.
Droplets scattered from her flipped-up hair, and steam swirled simultaneously. Her pure white naked body shimmered even through the steam’s haze, shining conspicuously—I honestly thought it was beautiful. And I was glad to see Mayudama-san, who had so boldly taken on this form, seem to understand the essence of a hot spring, but.
“Don’t splash the water, you fool.”
That is a taboo in the hot spring.
“Ah, I’m sorry.”
She apologized so easily, then smoothly approached me, twirled just before me, and attempted to settle back into the position she had when she was a fox.
A naked girl, trying to straddle… what?!
“What are you doing, you fox?!”
Seeing my flustered self, Mayudama-san grinned and casually replied,
“Oh my lord, aren’t you feeling a bit strange being in the hot spring?”
Gah… This cunning fox, always saying such things.
“There’s no way that’s true.”
“Then it’s all good, embrace me tightly from behind again.”
With that, Mayudama-san entrusted her body to me and let out a “fahhh,” instantly relaxing her muscles like a seasoned hot spring veteran.
…Darn, she’s cute.
Ah, but now that I think about it, to anyone looking, we must seem like parent and child. Actually, this could be seen as a heartwarming scene.
Yes, it’s fine, if I consider it that way it’s completely okay… ah, haha, that’s ticklish…
“Ma, Mayudama-san!”
“What is it, master?”
“Can’t you store your tail?”
“Oh, sorry, it’s in the way, isn’t it?”
With that, the feeling of the tail I was feeling up on my leg vanished with a swoosh.
“Hey Mayudama-san,”
“What’s up, master?”
“You’re something like an Arctic fox, right? Why do you just have normal fox ears and a tail?”
To my question, Mayudama-san hummed in thought and tilted her head, then answered leisurely.
“You see, as I said before, I’m not an Arctic fox, not even an animal for that matter.”
Saying this, Mayudama-san whispered an apology for lying, turned around while still in my arms, and bowed her head slightly.
Well, as for me, I’m not bothered by it at all, but if she’s not an animal…
“Really? Then, are you something like a tsukumogami?”
“You sure know a lot, master, yeah that’s right.”
Tsukumogami. A being familiar to those who are deeply religious or love occult stories, it’s a mainstream entity. The belief is uniquely Japanese, where objects that have been used or cherished by people for a long time become inhabited by spirits.
Still, becoming a tsukumogami and being called a princess messenger of Inari God seems like quite the promotion to me.
Mayudama-san’s true nature is, undoubtedly, cute.
