The Witch and Her Companion: I'm Just a Normal High School Student, but I Became the Familiar of the Highest-Ranked Witch. Also, It Seems I'm the Only Guy in the Witch Organization I Joined

Chapter 28: Ribbons and Buri-Shabu

[Tatsumori Haruto]

—

The renowned Iriie Hot Springs lived up to its reputation when we arrived.

As we stepped out of the train station and headed towards the bus stop, a luxury car was waiting in front of the station. The inn, too, was much more luxurious than it appeared in the photos, and the front desk was bustling with the innkeeper and a large staff welcoming us.

To our surprise, the innkeeper was a witch, and she looked no older than Fuu in appearance. The traditional eye patch she wore with her kimono and the glimpse of her jagged teeth left an impression.

We were given a tour of the inn and the surrounding facilities by a friendly attendant, and Fuu and I were shown to the most luxurious room, the Phoenix Suite. Fuu was excited throughout, and it was infectious.

“This place is incredible. Are we really allowed to stay here for two nights for free?”

To be honest, when I drew the grand prize in the raffle, I had mixed feelings about giving up the vacuum cleaner. I had never imagined that this would be such an all-inclusive hot springs trip.

“Look, Hare, there are some snacks on the table! Do you think we can eat them?”

“You can eat them, but if you eat too much, you won’t have room for dinner…”

Fuu is quite the foodie. She eats at least three times as much as I do in one meal, so a few snacks won’t make much of a difference.

“We have some time before lunch. Is there anywhere you’d like to go?”

“Hare, I want to go see the crocodiles!”

Crocodiles and hot springs might seem unrelated, but Fuu didn’t suddenly decide to go to the zoo. Apparently, the hot springs facility keeps crocodiles.

The innkeeper and the owner’s daughter are big fans of crocodiles, and they keep several Iriie crocodiles, a specific species.

The crocodiles are kept in a specially constructed pond within the facility, and it has become a local attraction. Could it be that the “Iriie” in Iriie Hot Springs comes from “Iriie” crocodile?

“Alright, let’s go see these famous crocodiles!”

—

* * *

In front of me was a sign that simply read “Crocodile Pond.”

The pond, as it was called, was actually a small river that ran from north to south. Steam rose from it, probably flowing from the hot springs’ source.

The sign provided more details. It seems the pond was artificially constructed, and by mixing it with hot spring water, the temperature was adjusted to suit the crocodiles, which prefer warm climates.

The elliptical artificial pond had a double fence installed around it, one to prevent the crocodiles from escaping and the other to prevent people from falling in. It seemed safe enough.

I shifted my gaze from the excited Fuu to the creatures standing on the land in the pond.

“If those things escaped, it would be more than just a ‘murder in the mist’ situation.”

Three giant crocodiles were slowly moving around on the land. Of course, they were real. It was hard to gauge their size precisely since there was nothing in the pond to compare them to, but they were undeniably huge.

“Hare, what does the sign over there say?”

I looked where Fuu was pointing, and there was another similar sign a little further away.

“It has the names of those crocodiles written on it. …’Waichi,’ ‘Wani,’ and ‘Wami,’ it says.”

“Hmm, cute names!”

“‘Wani’ aside, the others are too pitiful, don’t you think? ‘Wani’ is pretty average too, it’s just as it sounds… I’m getting desensitized.”

The owner’s daughter, make up your mind about how much you like crocodiles.

After Fuu enjoyed observing the crocodiles for a while, we decided to head back to our room. Our stomachs were rumbling, and we were looking forward to a meal that wasn’t instant food or frozen.

—

* * *

When Fuu and I returned to our room, the attendant promptly arranged for our lunch. It was a luxurious kaiseki meal.

The dishes laid out before us shone like jewels compared to the three-minute instant meals. Well, it’s a bit presumptuous to compare them, but still.

Fuu is generally happy to eat cup noodles or frozen food, but her eyes sparkled at the sight of the kaiseki meal.

“Wow, it’s even more luxurious than on TV!”

The attendant, who was explaining the dishes, smiled and said, “Thank you.” I found myself smiling too.

“Fuu, you watch cooking shows too?”

“No, I saw it in ‘Murder in the Mist’!”

“You really like that show, huh?”

So, she doesn’t watch cooking shows but does watch suspense dramas. The attendant burst out laughing, and I and Fuu followed suit.

It had been a while since I felt this happy, especially in the last week. There were things that concerned me, but I was glad we came.

I might get killed by Ryuna when we get back, but for now, I just want to savor this happiness. I quietly put my hands together in front of the feast before me.

—

After lunch, we visited the hot springs town to work off our meal. The streets, paved with stone, were lined with souvenir shops and food stalls catering to travelers.

Fuu wanted to try the food at every shop we passed, so instead of working off our meal, we ended up just walking around eating. By the way, the payment here was also covered by the magical ticket Fuu had won.

There were many other shops in the hot springs town besides food stalls, but Fuu was more interested in food than anything else. It’s fine if she’s having fun, but I felt a bit sad that we didn’t have any tangible souvenirs to show for our trip.

So, I bought Fuu a red ribbon I spotted in a shop as we walked by. This was out of my own pocket. I wanted to give Fuu a small gift to thank her for winning the grand prize in the raffle, and I wanted her to use the remaining balance on the magical ticket for herself.

When I gave Fuu the ribbon, wrapped in cute wrapping paper, she was more pleased than I expected, and she asked, “Can I wear it now?”

However, I’ve never tied a ribbon in my hair, and I don’t know the proper way to do it. Still, I tried my best, struggling to tie it, but it ended up looking quite awkward.

Fuu seemed satisfied with the result, despite how it looked, and asked me to wear it.

It’s difficult to tie a girl’s hair, but it’s also embarrassing and awkward. Her hair is so silky smooth, and I could see her white nape… it was a little… thank you for the meal.

Well, after that, we strolled around the souvenir shops, fed the koi in the regular pond, and then returned to the inn to enjoy the hot springs.

The large public bath at Iriie Hot Springs was spacious, and the open-air bath was refreshing.

However, I noticed a signboard that listed the benefits of the hot spring water, which said, “The crocodiles we keep are also growing thanks to the power of the hot springs. They are currently nine meters and twenty centimeters long, setting a new world record.” I wondered if there were any dangerous components in the hot spring water.

Or rather, were those crocodiles that big? They were almost as big as mythical beasts…

—

* * *

When we returned to our room after the hot springs, the room was empty and looked even lonelier with its luxurious interior.

Fuu hadn’t returned yet, and she was probably enjoying her first hot springs experience at her own pace.

I was a bit worried about leaving Fuu alone, but I couldn’t accompany her to the women’s bath, and there was nothing I could do about it. If only Ryuna were here, she’d be a great help… but relying on her too much isn’t a good thing either.

The sound of the room’s door lock being unlocked, “Gachari,” and Fuu appeared from behind the sliding door, dressed in a yukata.

The yukata suited her so well that I felt like I couldn’t breathe. In fact, I stopped breathing.

Her translucent white cheeks were slightly red, probably from soaking in the hot springs. Her golden hair was tied into a beautiful single braid with the red ribbon I had given her.

“I’m sorry I’m late. I couldn’t tie the ribbon properly, so I asked the people at the inn to teach me, and I practiced a bit… How does it look? Did I do a good job?”

I wasn’t sure if she was tired from moving around all day, a little tipsy from the hot springs, or both, but Fuu’s usually lively demeanor had a more mature, slightly sultry air to it.

“……Yes, it’s beautiful.”

The words just tumbled out of my mouth. Was I referring to the ribbon, which was tied beautifully, or to this girl who had practiced tying the ribbon I gave her? I couldn’t say…

“Really? I’m glad. I’ll treasure this ribbon. I love you, Hare.”

—

I’ve tried not to think about this.

Thinking about it makes me feel incredibly deceitful, so I’ve been deceiving and misleading myself.

But I couldn’t do it anymore. I’ve reached my limit.

—

I love Fuu.

I love her as a girl. I’ve fallen in love with her. I care about her deeply, and there’s no way to hide it.

“……I also… I love you, Fuu…”

Once I acknowledged these feelings, they felt so precious, like a treasure only I possessed. I felt an urge to shout to the world that I loved Fuu.

So, it’s probably inevitable that I want to tell her how I feel…

“……I love—”

Just as I was about to say those words, I heard the sound of the door lock being unlocked, “Gachari.”

“Excuse me, your dinner is shabu-shabu with buri (a type of fish). Please be careful as it’s very hot.”

It was the attendant who had been taking care of us since morning. What timing to enter the room! I averted my gaze from Fuu and fell silent.

Fuu was puzzled by what I was about to say, but that was short-lived. She was already engrossed in the buri shabu-shabu. The table was set with a heated pot, a large piece of buri with its head still attached, and seasonal ingredients.

After the attendant who brought the food left the room, I showed Fuu how to eat the buri shabu-shabu, and my head gradually cooled down.

Maybe I soaked in the hot springs too long, or maybe it was the mysterious effects of the Iriie Hot Springs… I almost said something like that…

Well, it’s a feast, so let’s get our minds back on track and eat.

I calmed down a bit, and I put a piece of buri in my mouth. It was hotter than I expected, and I was a little surprised.

Suddenly, the attendant’s words came to mind. “Your dinner is shabu-shabu with buri. Please be careful as it’s very hot.”

I hadn’t thought about it before, but “very hot,” huh? That attendant…

I felt inexplicably embarrassed, and I started shoveling my food in.