As Yuzuru continued teaching her how to swim, time passed quickly—
and before they knew it, it was noon.
They left the pool for the time being and decided to have lunch.
Their destination was the restaurant inside the facility.
Yuzuru ordered katsu curry, while Arisa chose a hamburger steak plate.
“That was better than I expected.”
“Yeah, it was.”
It wasn’t a high-end restaurant by any means, but after exercising, it tasted especially good.
The question was what to do after filling their stomachs—
“After this, how about we check out the baths?”
He figured it wouldn’t be good to exercise on a full stomach.
And since they’d been active all morning, it was also a bit of consideration for Arisa, who was likely tired.
“That sounds nice. Since it’s here, it’d be a waste not to try it.”
With that decided, they left the restaurant, changed back into their swimsuits, and returned to the pool area.
Their first stop was the heated jacuzzi pool.
The water temperature was just under forty degrees.
Too lukewarm for a bath, but pleasantly warm for a pool.
There were areas where you could lie back, with bubbles rising from below—
likely designed for a light massage effect.
Yuzuru and Arisa lay down side by side.
“Not bad, this.”
The bubbles and water flow hit his shoulders and back.
It felt surprisingly good.
“I’d prefer something a bit stronger.”
On the other hand, Arisa—who had stiff shoulders—seemed to find it lacking.
The mild stimulation only made her more aware of the tension, and she began rubbing her neck.
“Then let’s try the baths.”
“Yes, let’s.”
Once they’d had enough of the jacuzzi, they got up and headed to the bathing area.
As they opened the door, a wave of heat and steam greeted them.
There were several types of baths, including medicinal ones.
They first entered a standard bath filled with plain hot water.
The temperature was just over forty degrees—
not too hot, not too mild.
“Ahh… baths really are nice.”
The moment she stepped in, Arisa stretched her body.
Yuzuru did the same, relaxing his limbs.
Looking around, most of the people there were elderly.
Next were families.
Yuzuru and Arisa seemed to be the only couple.
“…Still, bathing in swimsuits feels a bit strange.”
Yuzuru muttered.
To him, baths were something you entered naked.
As a Japanese person, he couldn’t help but feel a slight sense of discomfort.
“Yeah… it does feel a bit odd. …Is there something on my face?”
“No… I was just thinking, this is technically mixed bathing.”
At his words, Arisa’s cheeks turned faintly red.
“W-why would you suddenly say that?”
“Well… it’s not wrong, is it?”
“That’s… true, but…”
They were wearing swimsuits.
Nothing inappropriate was visible—just like being in the pool.
Even if older people saw them, it wasn’t a big deal—as long as no one stared.
But still—
“…Now I’m conscious of it.”
Saying that, Arisa dipped part of her face into the water.
She seemed slightly embarrassed by the situation of bathing together with Yuzuru.
“You don’t mind bathing with me?”
“…It’s not that I mind.”
It didn’t seem like she disliked it at all.
Seeing that, Yuzuru voiced a thought that came to mind.
“Then… how about we bathe together tonight?”
“…”
Arisa fell silent for a moment.
Then, looking up at him, she answered—
“…If we’re wearing swimsuits, then… okay.”
His fiancée had given her permission.
Yuzuru couldn’t help but smile.
“Just bathing together, that’s all.”
She added firmly, as if laying down a condition.
Yuzuru nodded seriously.
“Of course… trust me.”
“I wonder about that…”
Arisa gave him a sceptical look.
“You were staring at me strangely during practice.”
“…I wasn’t.”
“And you touched me a few times.”
“That was… unavoidable.”
While teaching, it was inevitable that his hands might accidentally brush against her chest or legs.
It hadn’t been intentional.
…Though he couldn’t deny there were certain perks.
“If you don’t trust me, why agree to bathe together?”
“Well, that’s…”
Arisa faltered.
Then she stood up and said, as if changing the subject—
“Shall we try the next bath?”
“…Alright.”
Yuzuru responded with a wry smile.
