The Road to Kawaguchiko

Shinji’s silver sedan cruised along the highway out of Tokyo, carrying its lively quartet toward the mountains.

In the driver’s seat, Shinji had one hand on the wheel and the other tapping the beat of a pop track on the radio.

Beside him, Naomi sat shotgun. Her oversized, bug-eyed sunglasses took up half her face.

In the backseat, Amaya was pressing her face to the glass enjoying the scenery. Every tree, every rice field, every vending machine they passed got an enthusiastic gasp.

Meanwhile, Akio fidgeted with the collar of his shirt, trying to quell the butterflies in his stomach about the upcoming corporate gala. Corporate bigwigs. Sparkling water. Tiny, expensive food that tasted like nothing. He was already sweating.

“Look, look! Mt. Fuji!” Amaya suddenly squealed, pointing ahead. In the far distance, rising above the horizon like a perfectly scooped serving of vanilla ice cream, Mt. Fuji stood proud against a flawless blue sky.

Akio leaned forward to catch a glimpse and felt his breath hitch. “Wow… you can see it perfectly today.” He momentarily forgot his nerves.

Shinji glanced at the rearview mirror, eyes crinkling. “Lucky us. Fuji-san doesn’t always show itself.” He chuckled. “Must be trying to impress our star performers.”

Naomi and Amaya both flashed equally smug smiles.

Akio watched Amaya’s smile as she gazed at Mt. Fuji. The way her eyes sparkled made his chest feel oddly warm.

He tore his eyes away, cheeks colouring, and cleared his throat. “So, uh, about tonight,” he said, attempting to sound casual. “This gala is going to be really high-class. I just want to make sure we’re… you know, prepared. Dress code and everything?”

Naomi twisted around in her seat, a teasing grin on her lips. “Akio, you’ve only reminded us ten times,” she drawled playfully. “Don’t worry. We won’t embarrass you guys in front of your fancy coworkers.”

Amaya popped her head between the front seats, braids bouncing. “We’ll be on our best behaviour!” she promised, then added with a giggle, “No food fights, I swear.”

Akio groaned. “I appreciate that. It’s just… mixing my work life with, uh, everything else has me a bit on edge.”

Naomi’s expression softened. “It’ll be fine. Trust us.” Then her eyes gleamed with mischief. “And as for the dress code, I guarantee at least two of us will be among the best-dressed there.”

Shinji raised an eyebrow. “Naturally. Akio and I are the most handsome members of the IT team.”

Naomi scoffed. “I meant me and Amaya, obviously. I came prepared.”

Amaya looked curious. “Prepared? What do you mean?”

“Okay, fine. It’s confession time.” Naomi inhaled slowly, as if bracing for impact.

“Truth is... I grew up… like very well of. Private villas, designer dresses, five-star everything kind of well off.”

“So the rumors were true. Our Naomi’s a secret rich girl.” Shinji teased.

Akio’s jaw dropped. Naomi was so down-to-earth he never suspected such a background. He glanced at Amaya, though she looked like she already knew.

“I sort of… ran away from home. Not in the dramatic, storming-out, slamming-doors kind of way. More like, I just never went back.” She gave a little shrug, a bit sheepish.

“I grew up in London. In the kind of household where you play violin before you can spell it, ballet recitals every weekend, tutors for everything. My parents had this perfect blueprint for me: Oxford, then law school, then straight into the family business. No space for mistakes. Definitely no space for, y’know, me.”

She glanced out the window, watching the trees flicker by. “And then one day the circus came through town. Bright colours, loud music, no rules. It was everything I wasn’t allowed to be. So I just… went with them.”

She slipped back into a grin. “I mean, I still have the perks of my past life. Daddy’s credit card exists. I never use it… except, you know, for emergencies.”

She paused, then smiled sweetly at Amaya. “Like last week, when I saw the most stunning gown and thought, ‘Wow, that would look incredible on my best friend.’”

Amaya blinked. “Me?”

“You,” Naomi confirmed.

Akio groaned. “Please tell me it doesn’t have sequins that spell your name.”

Naomi smirked. “Only on the inside.”

Before he could respond, she turned back to Amaya, “It’ll fit you perfectly. Don’t worry, I’ve got a gown for myself too. We’ll make those stuffy executives do a double-take.”

Relief flooded Akio so deeply he slumped back against the seat. “Thank God. I didn’t even realize how terrified I was that you’d show up in clown wigs and roller skates.”

“You wound me,” Naomi said, clutching her chest. “But also… not a terrible idea.”

With spirits high and crises averted, the silver sedan rolled off the expressway and onto narrower country roads. Glimpses of Lake Kawaguchiko shimmered between the trees like it was hiding shyly behind the autumn leaves.

They stopped for lunch at the cozy roadside inn, where they enjoyed a hearty lunch of a local hotpot specialty (hōtō noodles with pumpkin) to warm up. The hotpot was hearty and warming, the kind of meal that made Amaya want to nap in a sunbeam afterwards.

Later, with their stomachs full and cheeks rosy from the steam, the group took a lazy stroll along the lakeshore. The path wound by the water’s edge, occasionally dotted with momiji trees just starting to turn red and gold.

Naomi hopped onto a low stone wall lining the trail, balancing as if it were a tightrope. “Behold, the Amazing Naomi!” she yelled, wobbling.

“Careful, you’ll fall!” Shinji warned, walking alongside her just in case.

Amaya’s eyes sparkled. “If you’re the Amazing Naomi, I shall be your daring assistant!” With a laugh, she scrambled up beside Naomi. The two linked hands for balance, swaying left and right, drawing a few amused glances from other tourists.

They were technically trained acrobats.

You just… wouldn’t know it from watching this.

Amaya lifted one arm above her head, in a ballerina’s pose.

“Aaaand twirl—!”

Her foot slipped.

“Whoaaa—!”

With a yelp, Amaya toppled forward off the wall. Akio reacted in a flash, lunging under her. She landed right in his arms, pressed flushed against his chest. He stumbled back a step, managing to keep them both upright. For a moment, he stood there wide-eyed, with Amaya clutched in his arms.

Amaya blinked, then burst into laughter, still held close to Akio. “Nice catch,” she said, cheeks pink.

Akio realized two things: one, that his heart was hammering; and two, that he was effectively hugging her.

“Y-you should be more careful,” he stammered, gently setting her back on her feet.

By then Naomi had hopped down safely (with Shinji’s steadying hand). She rushed over, concern and amusement mingling on her face. “Amaya, are you okay?”

“Fine! Better than fine!” Amaya giggled, giving Akio an apologetic smile. “Thanks to our quick-thinking knight here.”

Akio scratched his cheek, embarrassed. Shinji clapped him on the back. “Smooth operator,” he grinned, causing Akio to groan. “Please don’t.”

Their laughter spilled out into the crisp mountain air. The little mishap left Amaya and Akio avoiding each other’s eyes for a few minutes (each replaying the close contact in their minds), while Naomi and Shinji shared knowing smirks.

The awkward haze didn’t last long. As late afternoon set in, the sun dipped low and golden over the water. Remembering the schedule, Shinji checked his watch. “We should head back to the inn and freshen up if we want to make it to the gala on time. Can’t have our star performers showing up smelling like pumpkin noodles.”

Everyone agreed, though Akio briefly considered staying in the woods forever.

Back at the inn, they discovered a pleasant surprise: a traditional onsen hot spring bath. With a couple of hours to spare, a quick soak sounded perfect to ease their travel-weary muscles before dressing up.

The inn’s baths were separated by gender, marked with noren curtains (blue for men, red for women) and stylized kanji. Akio and Shinji tied their yukata robes and headed into the men’s side.

Inside the men’s bath, steam swirled in the air, carrying an earthy scent of minerals and mountain stone. Akio rinsed off at one of the stools, then eased into the steaming water with a long, drawn-out sigh.

“This hits the spot,” he murmured, feeling the heat sink into his sore calves.

“Right?” Shinji agreed, submerging up to his chin. “We might need a crowbar to get the girls out.”

Akio chuckled, closing his eyes. He could easily imagine Amaya blissed out and losing track of time.

Not two minutes later, the door to the men’s bath slid open. Akio lazily opened one eye, expecting another guy. Instead, he saw two slender figures step in, one with wild white hair twisted into a messy bun, the other with a tousled blue pixie cut.

Wait.

The steam swirled. Reality caught up.

Wait!

What?!

All thoughts evaporated from Akio’s brain.

Amaya and Naomi had wandered straight into the men’s onsen.

For one long, silent second, both parties simply stared at each other through the haze of steam

“…Why are they in here?” Naomi asked at last.

Akio froze. Shinji slowly slid deeper into the water until only his eyes stuck out like a crocodile.

Amaya’s face slowly turned the colour of a tomato. “Oh, oh no.”

Naomi groaned and clapped a hand over her eyes. “Seriously? This is the men’s bath?!”

Akio slapped a hand over his eyes so fast he splashed himself.

In their flustered hurry, Naomi yanked the door except the door didn’t open the way she expected. She yanked it hard in the wrong direction, collided squarely with Amaya, and the two of them became a tangled mess of limbs, and muffled English swearing.

Akio, now redder than a pickled plum, sank further into the water, practically boiling in place. His hand stayed firmly over his eyes. Part courtesy, part emergency containment for the tiny nosebleed that was threatening to start.

Shinji, eyes shut tight, turned his head away. “We didn’t see a thing. It’s fine. All good. Just, please go before Akio dies of cardiac arrest.”

From the doorway, Naomi’s muffled voice echoed in frustration. “Stupid, fancy, cursive kanji signs!”

“What’s wrong with normal stick figure signs?!” Amaya added.

The two girls finally managed to slide the door open and escape, the sound of panicked footsteps and mortified squeals fading down the hall.

Steam curled lazily around the bath, as if nothing had happened.

Akio and Shinji remained frozen in the hot water, Akio’s face burning hotter than the spring itself.

“Well…” Shinji finally ventured, “that happened.”

Akio removed his hand from his eyes, still seeing bright afterimages of… skin. That was certainly not how he’d envisioned seeing Amaya… if he’d ever envisioned… He shook his head so hard it sent a wave across the bath.

“I-I’m never going to be able to look them in the eye again, am I?” he groaned, voice muffled behind the towel he’d brought to his face.

Shinji laughed outright at that, standing up to exit the bath. “Come on, let’s finish up. We might want to vacate before they work up the courage to come back and murder us.”

Akio hurriedly agreed. Awkward as it was, he suspected Naomi and Amaya were even more mortified than he was.

They dried off, re-donned their yukata, and slipped out. As they passed the women’s side, they heard Naomi’s dramatic wail, “I want to diiiiie!”, and Amaya’s groan, “I’m so sorry!”, which at least confirmed the mix-up was genuine.

They all reconvened (fully clothed, mercifully) to dress for the gala. As promised, Naomi’s “secret” gowns transformed the girls.

Akio had been adjusting the collar of his tuxedo when Amaya stepped out.

And then he just… forgot how to breathe.

She wore an elegant midnight-blue gown that hugged her figure and shimmered as she moved, as if woven with starlight. Her hair, usually in casual braids, was swept up into a loose, graceful bun with a few curls framing her face.

Naomi was equally stunning in a sleek black evening dress with a daring thigh-high slit along the leg, her pixie-cut styled into a glossy sweep.

Akio, felt heat creep up his neck. “You… you both look amazing,” he said earnestly. He’d intended to sound casual, but it came out awed.

Amaya’s cheeks pinked. “Really? I feel so fancy, it’s weird,” she said, doing a playful twirl that made her skirt flare.

“You look like a princess,” Akio blurted, then coughed. “I-I mean, very elegant.”

Naomi elbowed him with a smirk. “And what about me, hmm?”

“You know you look great,” Akio replied, rolling his eyes to hide his embarrassment.

“That’s true,” Naomi said. “But I like hearing it.”

Shinji walked in at that exact moment, tugging at his cuffs. He gave the group one slow, approving once-over. “Okay. Not to alarm anyone, but we look obscenely good.”