The Deer & The Owl [Haikyuu x OC]

May - II

I clutched the small towel to my chest, or rather the small piece of cloth that covered me, as I hesitantly opened the door to the women's restroom and was enveloped in a cloud of steam and moisture. Both the dressing rooms and the bathrooms were strangely deserted, but it was dinner time, and perhaps the guests of the ryokan were all in their rooms at this moment, ready to enjoy the delicacies of the inn. At that thought, I felt my stomach growling, but it didn't matter, now my attention was only on the hot bath that was waiting for me.

I washed up quickly, and after folding my towel on a nearby stool, I made my way to the steaming pool of water at the opposite end of the room. I cautiously stepped into the boiling water and felt myself melt away inch by inch, thoughts and every knot in my body slipping away like drops of moisture as I felt my head cloud over as the steam surrounded me.

I had never been to a hot spring before, not even in Canada, but I had always dreamed of experiencing one.

And now I knew it had been worth the wait: I felt completely at peace with the world, like when I fell asleep under the warmth of the kotatsu at maximum temperature.

I tried to keep my eyes open, even though I could feel the tiredness taking over more and more, while I noticed that the pool I had immersed myself in continued until it left the interior of the ryokan and ended in a bamboo fence that protected it from the surrounding vegetation.

As my eyelids grew heavier and my body lighter, I finally tried to relax.

*

"Bokuto-san, if you don't get into the water, you'll catch cold" Akaashi said, positioning himself under one of the hot water jets coming from the rocks surrounding the huge hot spring tub.

Kotaro threw away the towel around his waist and jumped into the boiling water with several splashes.

Seeing him strangely taciturn, Keiji watched him more closely, several hypotheses running through his mind: he certainly felt guilty for what had happened with Nori, but instead of being depressed as usual, he was collected and silent, as if absorbed in his own thoughts, which was quite worrying for someone like Bokuto, who was used to always saying whatever was on his mind, no matter how idiotic or nonsensical it might be.

The Bokuto he knew so well now would have huffed and puffed and complained, heckling him and begging for help, but it seemed that this time, it wouldn't be like that.

He decided to test the ground and try to get some clues as to what was bothering him.

"I hope Nori-san is enjoying the hot springs, by now most of the guests will be having dinner, so she will have the onsen to herself."

"You mean beyond the bamboo fence is the women's pool?" asked Bokuto as he looked around.

"Yes, and I think I saw her go into the locker room just before us."

"Then I'll try to call her, maybe she can hear me! Nooriiii-chaan!"

Kotaro's voice echoed through the wooden panels that covered the inside of the room and then faded into the dark, misty sky.

"Maybe she's already gone, or maybe she's still washing."

"Or maybe she doesn't want to talk to me..." he replied with a heavy sigh.

"Bokuto?" the faint voice of Nori reached them a few moments later, a distant and almost inaudible echo.

Kotaro approached the fence that separated the two bathtubs and caught a glimpse of the shadow of her bare back leaning against the fence, her head dangling over her chest and skimming the surface of the water.