The Inn

The militia turned out to be a resistance group formed by people who wanted to spend the rest of their days peacefully and were willing to fight for it. They guided Hotaru and Asuka with them into the mountains. Of course, the two weren’t entirely sure if they should trust these people after what they’d just experienced. But seeing how hard they’d worked to protect them despite being complete strangers, they decided to give them a chance.

Also, because their weapons were intimidating.

The group explained that they had come in a pickup truck that waited a mile away, and they’d come to Asuka and Hotaru’s aid while on patrol for the night. They drove up the forest path until they made it to a traditional looking town. It was as though they had been taken back in time to the Edo period.

Rows of beautiful lodges stood on either side of each other, separated by a river that ran through, connected by bridges. They were told that the onsen-town had been transformed into a safe haven for anyone seeking refuge from the chaos of the outside. The sun has risen by the time they arrived, and the militia group they had come with was exchanged with another and they watched them drive back down the path with their weapons.

They are handed off to and welcomed by the people running one of the various ryokan that are situated around the town. The room they’re given is a spacious tatami room with a sliding door revealing an extra sitting area.

At this point, Asuka and Hotaru had been traveling for a long time. They’d had to find a way to escape capture and had been walking all night. The exhaustion and release of anxiety overwhelmed them as soon as they were left alone, and they passed out together on the hard tatami floor.

By the time they both wake up, it’s evening. They sit in the room and eat the rest of the food still in Asuka’s bag, observing the view from below their room. While they’re eating, the room attendants come to the room to invite them to choose one of the baths to freshen up in. Asuka and Hotaru’s eyes swing to meet each other, and they jump at the opportunity.

After being given access to a private, open-air bath, they thoroughly scrubbed their skin and hair. The dirt and grim the grime that had built up on their bodies wash away. When they’ve finished taking turns scrubbing each other’s backs, they move to the onsen. The minerals from the water give off a subtle sulfur smell and steam rises thickly into the cool air. Relaxation overtakes them for the first time in a long time as they step into the water.

“This is crazy,” Hotaru rubs the mineral water into her skin. Her glasses rest behind her on the wooden floor.

“Seriously,” Asuka concedes with her hair wrapped and her towel resting on her face. “Who would’ve thought a place like this was so close to the city ruins?” They soak in the water for a long time. Staying until Hotaru catches Asuka about to faint from the heat.

Steam comes off them as they exit the bath, their skin refreshed and smooth. Two yukata had been for them to change into by the people of the inn while their laundry was done. They admire the town on the return to their room. The sun had set while they bathed, and the cobblestone streets are lit with gas lamps. The sound of the river feels like it’s clearing out their brain and washing it like they had in the bath. They encounter other inhabitants of the village on their walk, nodding their heads slightly in greeting.

When they returned to the room, a traditional feast was waiting for them. In the seating area they had previously fallen asleep in, two trays of Kaiseki were set at each chair. Multiple small dishes were handcrafted to resemble art pieces. After their meal, the two get a chance to speak with the people who have been taking care of them since their arrival.

Kagura and Jirou were two siblings in their 40s who had grown up in the onsen-town taking over the work they’d inherited from their father. Their family’s ancestors had been a part of the town’s history since the earliest days of its history. They all take turns asking each other various questions. When asked about what brought them here, Asuka and Hotaru share the beginnings of their journey together starting from Saitama.

Kagura, is greatly entertained by their escapades. “we’ve never had the chance to set off very far from the town ourselves,” her brother nods. The two of them are surprised by this.

“Is there nothing else you want to do?” Hotaru can’t help but ask.

The siblings share a knowing look with each other. “We just want to spend the rest of our days doing what we’ve always done,” Jirou says simply.

When the futons are laid out for the night, the pair bow to them before closing the door and leaving them to sleep. Hotaru and Asuka settle into the bedding next to each other. The soft sheets caress them; their brains begin to remember what creature comforts feel like.

“I think they’re trying to eat us…” Hoshi mumbles out of nowhere.

Asuka scoffs, “do you have to ruin everything?”

“This is just way too good to be true.” Her hands are folded under her head.

Asuka humors her, “then we’ll sleep in shifts,” she offers.

“Got it…,” she mumbles into the sheets and rolls over. Despite her supposed mistrust, she is the first one to fall asleep. Asuka chuckles softly.

She still doesn’t feel like falling asleep herself, though. Now that they have a break, her brain shifts out of survival mode, allowing her space to worry about the other people in her life. Her thoughts drift to those she left back in Shikoku: Misaki, Kasuga-san, Miyuki, and somehow Youta. She even starts to think about her old bitch friends, Hanako and co.

She still has her phone, Wi-Fi and bars were both very hard to find. As such she had been unable to send or receive messages from anyone since. All she can do is pray for their safety and that they’re doing well in these terrible times...

She’s nodding off when something occurs to her. Crawling out of the futon, she goes to her bag and opens it up. Taking out the cassette case and player, she selects one of the last remaining tapes she has yet to listen to. Asuka only listens to her audio tapes from her brother when she feels safe, so she hasn’t really had the chance to sit down and listen to one in a long time.

There are only about two more tapes to go. Removing one from its case she takes a listen. It’s somewhat dramatic but not overwhelming; the lyrics lament about freeing herself from the rose-colored lenses of childhood naivety. Though it doesn’t exactly fit the mood, she likes it.

Tapping her fingers, she looks out the window; it feels like they’re there, it feels like another world. The outside feels so far away on the other side of the mountains. After all the turmoil these past weeks…months have been, she couldn’t be more grateful to finally have a soft, safe, quiet place to sleep. If they do end up eating them, she just hopes they do it in her sleep.