落とし穴外伝：冬のお風呂はまた格別 (Part2)
"I see. Well, I suppose it’s for the best that you aren't bringing every little thing to me. If you’re managing to keep things running on your own, that’s a good sign."
Exchanging such words, I stowed my clothes in a locker, pocketed the key, and stepped into the grand communal bath.
"Man, it really is spacious."
"Yeah. Though, isn't your place about the same size?"
"The floor space, maybe. But the variety here is on a whole different level."
"True enough. They’ve got saunas, waterfall showers, not to mention the open-air baths, bubble baths, medicinal soaks, electric baths, and more. I don't think even I have that many options."
"Raiya is right. I’ve kept things strictly simple at home."
"Well, enough talk. Shall we get to washing?"
Prompted by Curse, we splashed ourselves with rinse water and headed to the shower stalls, scrubbing away the day’s grime. The showers were equipped with a mechanism that required the knob to be pressed down periodically to keep the water flowing—a measure to prevent waste. For someone like me who takes a while to wash, it meant occasionally reaching out to reset the flow. It was a bit inconvenient, sure, but there was no denying that leaving the water running would be a waste.
By the time I finished scrubbing, Mauve and the others had already wrapped up and were looking our way.
"All done?"
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"Don't sweat it. It was only a moment. Come on, we’re heading in together, right?"
"You bet."
With that, we made our way to the massive cypress tub—the centerpiece of the bathhouse. I have a personal rule: the open-air bath is reserved for after the sauna. It seemed the others were of the same mind.
As I dipped my feet in, the water felt pleasantly hot. I waded toward the back, placed my towel on the edge, and sank deep into the wood-lined warmth.
"Ahhh..."
The heat of the spring soaked into my very bones. I cupped the water in my hands and splashed it over my face, the searing warmth spreading across my skin in a wave of pure bliss.
"Ah, there’s nothing like a bath to wash the soul clean."
"Man, I used to have no idea what you meant when you said that, but I get it now."
"Yeah. It’s not just the body; it feels like the mind gets a good scrubbing, too."
"I suppose that old noble adage, 'A clean body leads to a clean mind,' was right in its own way."
We fell into a comfortable silence, letting the conversation drift away as we soaked. It felt divine. But simply sitting here wouldn't be doing justice to a super-bathhouse. I stood up slowly.
"I’m heading to the sauna. What about you guys?"
"Ah, I think I’ll hit the bubble bath."
"Then I’ll join you, Yuki. What about you, Curse?"
"I believe I shall try the bedrock bath."
And so, we parted ways to enjoy our leisure time. After sweating it out in the sauna with Raiya, I cooled off in the cold plunge pool, returned to the cypress tub to settle my heart rate, and finally made my way to the open-air bath.
This facility was designed with a double-door airlock to reach the outdoor section. It made sense; the temperature drop in winter was brutal, and without being thoroughly warmed through, the risk of heat shock was real. But once you were properly heated, feeling the biting winter night air against your bare skin was a sensation all its own.
"It’s strange, isn't it? How good the winter wind feels."
"It is. But with a bath like this, there’s no fear of freezing. Just a sky full of stars. It’s a fine feeling."
"Right. Shall we?"
"Yeah."
And so, I fully savored the super-bathhouse, bringing the first half of my evening to a close. Since I’d come with my family, there was a 'promised time' to meet back up. I didn't have the stamina to stay until closing, but I would enjoy this for a while longer.
Watching the steam rise and vanish into the night sky, I let my mind go blank, drifting in the quiet, thoughtless peace of the moment.
Winter really does make the hot springs sink deep into your soul, doesn't it? It’s precisely because of the cold that a warm bath feels so good. Have I finally reached that age?