HappyVainGlory

Bear with me a bit. I'm going to do shorter chapters, but daily updates. In total it should add up to more content, and I should be able to slowly increase the daily word count. But I think this is the most sustainable path for me right now.

Chihiro blushed and clung onto her towel, muttering, "I can't believe we're actually doing this."

Suzume adjusted her towel as well and said, "W-Well... an onsen is nice. And things have indeed been a bit stressful recently..."

Yuri let out a nervous laugh and said, "It's a good idea though, right? Like... our fans will appreciate it... and we can just chat."

The three girls were at a private onsen that John referred them to. Speaking of which..

"How did John even manage to get us a reservation at this place?" Yuri looked around the area and said, "This is that famous Cherry Blossom Onsen, right? Don't you need to book this a year in advance? How did John get us in with just a phone call?"

Chihiro shifted in place, revealing a few tattoos on her back. She shook her head and said, "I'm more curious how John made the owners let me in. I mean... don't onsen hate people with tattoos?"

Yuri blinked and frowned. "That's right... not all of them, but this one definitely has a no tattoo policy. And also a no filming policy... but..."

Suzume gently dipped her toe into the hot spring and smiled. Then she glanced over and said, "Does that truly matter? Uncle John is a man with unfathomable depths... is it not better to keep it that way?"

Yuri hummed, remembering the ramen that he made for her in the past. A ramen that she still didn't understand how to recreate since it was just an ordinary instant ramen... yet somehow it didn't bother her picky 'perfect' tastebuds. "That's true..."

Some things were better left a mystery.

Like how Yuri never really probed her grandfather too much about his younger days. Or what really happened to her parents... or why Mister Maji kept giving her strange looks every now and then.

It might be worth knowing why, but then again, it might be more trouble than it was worth.

And Yuri had a feeling that completely unraveling the mystery that was John Smith would definitely send her life into a spiral of annoyances and headaches. After all, it was already starting to just by being associated with the guy's company, so...

Suzume sipped on a glass of ice cold strawberry milk and let out a content sigh. "It is a shame that we cannot share this moment with Shu..."

Yuri nodded. "Yeah, I bet she needs an onsen relaxation date more than-"

*Oh, I say that I LOVE YOU, it's not just a dream, cuz baby YOU LOVE ME...*

A loud and catchy pop tune sung by a male singer echoed in the enclosed hotspring area.

Yuri blushed and quickly scrambled over to grab her phone. "S-Sorry. I forgot to turn off the ringer..."

Chihiro laughed. "I bet that's Shu." She sipped on a glass of chocolate milk and said, "Must've heard you talking about her."

Yuri checked her phone. True enough, it was Shu. She hesitated, but then she picked it up and said, "Hello?"

"OI! What's with the message about heading to an onsen?!"

Yuri sighed.

The sound of heavy impacts and breaking bones echoed from Shu's line, and then she said, "I'm here beating up old muscular men and then my friends are relaxing in a private hotspring! It's not fair!"

Yuri let out a nervous laugh and said, "Well, we didn't mean to exclude you, Shu. It's just that we kind of ran out of ideas for a collab and Rin Senpai suggested this..."

"It's still not fair!" Shu's voice blared from the phone.

Yuri winced and held her phone away from her ear.

Chihiro laughed and said, "Don't worry. We can go to one when you get back, Shu. Just go win that prize money or whatever at the Dragon Orb Zed tournament."

Shu growled on the phone line, and the sound of a body flying through the air echoed. Then she said, "I will! And it's the Over Heavens Tournament! Just you wait, when I get back, we're going to eat so much fancy food, go to so many fancy spas, and shop til we drop!"

Chihiro giggled and said, "Don't threaten a girl with a good time, Shushu~"

Yuri pressed her phone back to her ear and said, "Sorry again, Shu. But we'll make it up to you, promise."

Shu sighed and said, "You'd better! I swear- Gah!"

A loud crack echoed, and then the phone call suddenly ended.

Yuri blinked. "Uh..."

Suzume giggled. "It seems Shu is having an exciting time in her home town."

"...I guess so." Yuri shook her head and then walked over to the table where they left all their belongings. After that, she reached into her bag and pulled out a small drone.