Re: Life In The Original World From Zero [A Re:Zero Fiction]

Chapter 43: Modern Day Life Break Time Part Ten

Feeling that her guesses were getting nowhere, Rem let her mind go blank for a few more minutes before getting out the onsen bath. She took a look over her should at the onsen baths and the area that she found simple yet beautiful and went to dry herself. After putting the yukata back on, Rem went back to the common area, and Subaru was already there, drinking a cup of water and waiting for her. "Subaru-kun," Rem called as she approached him. He smiled and handed her a cup of water like he did in the Sainokawara Rotenburo.

"How was it?" Subaru asked. Rem took a sip of the water and smiled. "The onsen was very good, Subaru-kun. Rem is now all refreshed again. Also, Rem finds the design of the interior quite simple yet charming. Although everything is just wood, its simplicity emits a different kind of beauty." Rem answered. "Wow, I wasn't expecting such a sophisticated answer, but I'm glad you enjoyed it!" Subaru said, laughing, and Rem pressed on, eager to know why Subaru kept her on a cliffhanger earlier.

"What is it that you say we are going to do next, Subaru-kun? Rem gave it a few guesses but she thinks none were correct." Rem said. "Oh, what did you guess? I'm curious." Subaru asked. "Well, Rem thought it could be learning more about the history of the onsen here or other onsen related food?" Rem said, and Subaru shook his head. "Nope, not food, and it's not learning more about onsen history either, though you can think it as learning more of Japanese culture. Come on," Subaru said, holding out his hand at Rem. She took it with a smile, and Subaru lead her to another area in the building.

"Here we are, have a look!" Subaru said as a shelf with rows of clothing with different colors and patterns folded neatly into squares came into their view. Rem approached the shelf, picking up the folded clothing, and an understanding expression dawned on her face. "Subaru-kun, are these yukatas too??" Rem asked, turning to Subaru. "Ou, you're right! Ten billion points for you! For the next three hours, we get to wear these yukatas and stroll around Kusatsu!" Subaru answered, grinning. While he waited for Rem earlier, he'd booked the yukata experience for them. "What we're wearing now is also yukata, but these," Subaru said, picking up one himself. "Are the upgraded versions of what we're wearing, and they make whoever in them look ten times more beautiful!" Subaru said, grinning.

"Subaru-kun..." Rem said, shielding her face with the folded yukata as small hearts started flying out from her. "Let's pick what we wanna try, Rem." Subaru said, and Rem, now showing her face, which was red again, nodded. After about ten minutes, they made their choices, and two workers came to them and brought them to the changing rooms. Subaru chose a set of yukata that was a deep blue that almost looked black with thin white stripes going all the way down to the hangings of the yukata. As for the obi, it was light grey.

Subaru put on the yukata, and drawing back his stomach, he held his breath and wrapped the obi tightly around his stomach just a bit higher than his waist. He adjusted the lengths of the two ends of the obi, turning the obi and making the knot rest over his right hip, and finally, Subaru finished changing and left the changing room to wait for Rem. The yukatas for men weren't so different from the basic yukatas provided in their ryokan, however, the yukatas for women rented here were much more difficult to wear.

The yukata itself might not be so different, yet, apart from the obi used to tie the yukata, in a woman's yukata set, there was another cloth a few more times wider in width than the obi called the shokutai. Tying the shokutai was probably the most difficult part in wearing a woman's yukata, as the way to tie it could be very complicated and vary greatly, and one alone would find it difficult to tie it successfully.

A while later, Rem left the changing room as well. She was in a white yukata with faint, pink linings in the shape of flowers, and there were more red and violet flowers and several small goldfish patterns spreading across the yukata, making it look like a peaceful surface of a pond decorated with flowers fallen from the trees above. The shokutai was a red one that blended very well with the overall coloration of the yukata. "H-How does Rem look, Subaru-kun?" Rem asked, turning around in circle to show him the rest of the yukata. "Subaru-kun?" Rem asked again since Subaru didn't respond but continued staring at her. Slowly, he put his hands up in the air. "YuuuuukaaaaaataaaaAAAAA SAAAAAIIIIKOOOOOOO!!!!!" He shouted with his nostrils flaring.