I Was Cheated on by My Girlfriend but My Devilish Junior Now Yearns for Me - Chapter 45

Chapter 45   Hot Spring Trip 5

“Alright, I think I’ll head to the bath,” Ayaka said, crumpling up the now-empty snack wrapper a few minutes after we had returned to the inn.

“Okay, have fun,” I replied, reaching for my third snack.

Savoring hot tea alongside these traditional treats was one of the simple pleasures of staying at a hot spring inn. As I slowly chewed on the sweet, Ayaka shrugged at me.

“Aren’t you eating too much? If you keep eating before dinner, you’ll be full.”

“It’s fine. I’ll sweat it out in the bath, burning off all those calories. Besides, you were eating those snacks like they were delicious too,” I shot back.

We both knew that dinner would be delivered to the room soon, but the snacks at a fancy inn like this are irresistible, making it hard to stop.

“I ate for my health. You need to have something in your stomach before soaking in the hot spring,” she explained.

“Wait, I thought it was bad to get into the bath right after eating?” I vaguely recalled hearing that on a health show, though I couldn’t remember when or where.

Ayaka shook her head. “That’s only if you’re stuffed. Eating a little snack raises your blood sugar, which helps keep you safe.”

“Safe? We’re still young, aren’t we?” I replied, skeptical.

“You didn’t know? These days, more people die in accidents in the bath than in car crashes.”

“…Now I’m scared of the bath.”

It’s not something you want to believe, especially about something as routine as taking a bath. And on a hot spring trip, no less, you definitely don’t want that kind of risk hanging over you.

“In that case, I’ll eat more snacks,” I declared.

“Hold on, I just told you not to overeat! One snack is enough!” Ayaka said, snatching the treat from my hand. The sleeve of her yukata brushed past my nose.

“Hey! It’s for my health!”

“One is enough! If you’re so worried, I’ll keep an eye on you!” she shot back.

“What are you talking about—”

I almost blurted something out, but I choked on my words. What was she even talking about? I hesitated to reply, and Ayaka let out a sigh.

“I’m kidding, of course.”

“…You really freaked me out!” I exclaimed.

“Well, it’s kind of weird that you took it seriously,” she said, poking fun at me.

“Ugh.”

…Yeah, she had a point. Maybe I mistook her usual joke for something serious because I was still riding the excitement of being at such a fancy hot spring inn. I let out a nervous chuckle at her heart-stopping joke.

“Well, yeah, when you think about it, that makes sense. Anyway, enjoy the bath,” I said, shaking off the moment.

Ayaka smiled and said, “Like you needed to tell me,” before heading down the stairs. I listened to her footsteps fade as I rested my chin on my hand.

Downstairs, there was a private bath area exclusively for guests of our room, which had both an indoor and an outdoor bath. A door separated the two baths.

Honestly… I couldn’t deny the thought that crossed my mind. Even if I followed her, we’d be in separate baths, but there’s still that basic desire that creeps in, imagining us sharing the experience. It’s not a mixed bath or anything, but considering we were on a hot spring trip together, maybe something like that would be okay—a fleeting, innocent fantasy.

“Ugh—”

I downed my still-steaming tea in one gulp. The burning sensation in my throat helped clear my head of any distracting thoughts.

If I were any other guy who didn’t know Ayaka well, I might think that just going on a trip together, even if we weren’t dating, could lead to something more… intimate. Some couples do end up getting together after spending a night on a trip.

But we weren’t a couple, and probably wouldn’t be, anytime soon.

A few of my friends, including Toudou, have asked about my relationship with Ayaka. The fact that people think we’re in this awkward “almost-but-not-quite” phase says a lot about how they view us. It’s not like I haven’t felt the pressure of their expectations before.

Still, regardless of what anyone else thinks, I really value the relationship I have with Ayaka. I don’t want to do anything that could mess that up. I believed Ayaka felt the same way… or at least, I hoped she did.

“…This situation,” the words slipped from my mouth.

Going on a trip, just the two of us—this was a first in our relationship. I still didn’t fully understand what Ayaka was thinking when she invited me. Looking back, I hadn’t really given it much thought before agreeing to her casual invitation. Maybe I should have thought it over a bit more before responding.

While I was genuinely happy that Ayaka trusted me enough to invite me like this, there was a misunderstanding on her part.

Yes, Ayaka and I were definitely close friends.

—But no matter how close we were as friends…

I remembered how she looked in her yukata earlier. The elegant way she wore it, the exposed nape of her neck exuding a soft, sensual atmosphere. There was no way I could see all that and feel nothing.

It’s impossible not to have thoughts, standing before beauty like hers that rivals Shinohara’s. Expecting me to be unaffected is asking for the impossible.

I wasn’t sure if having these thoughts would betray Ayaka’s trust in me. That’s for her to decide, not something I can influence with my feelings.

What would Ayaka think if she knew about the thoughts running through my mind? I wouldn’t know until that moment actually arrived.

In the end, human emotions are often bound by the limits of imagination, unable to fully grasp anything concrete.

Trying to clear the uneasy feelings in my chest, I poured more hot tea into my empty cup. The tea stem, unable to resist the flow, sank into the liquid. Watching the stem waver as it sank, I found myself reminiscing.

Back to high school, back to when I first met Mino Ayaka.

To those spring days of youth.