The "Spring" Bath (1)

Izanami’s eyes are hit by the radiant sky as she strolls around her neighborhood. Its a Saturday morning and a piece of quietness around her.

Hello.

“—”

The morning air felt hot, carrying a heavy scent. Though to her, it felt more like a breeze. Quite the contradictory, especially considering her choice of clothing is a hoodie.

…Hello?

“—”

Nothing could be better than a nice sunbath when the sun is not so hot. Where thoughts can linger even after a while. For a Saturday and i guess a day of relaxation, this is perfect.

Oi, why you ignoring me?

She starts to get annoyed from It’s callings. “Can you shut up?”

Maybe today is not a day of relaxation… Poor Izanami.

…Wow, how nice of you.

She clenched her teeth while frowning. Being rude and annoying is one thing, but adding self-victimization as an extra? How heartless.

“Oh, I try.”

Well, try harder.

These two then continued on, clashing and deflecting like sword and shield. The sword comes up with harsh words, but the shield counters back even harsher. How brutal.

Save your breath, dear one.

“Wow, your empathy knows no bounds.”

My empathy isn’t for you to judge.

“Then don’t.”

It didn’t continue to attack, staying quiet as a result, and knowing Its words would be deflected right away. Izanami took this as a win, but questions why his silence lingers.

“..You know you just lost against a human… But are you that mad?”

…No, actually, but I do have to tell you something.

She raises her brow in confusion.

Stop.

She stopped.

Walk a few blocks ahead and turn your left. I sense something there.

Following Its instructions, Izanami did so and at last, turned to her left to only find a traditional bathhouse in sight. …A bathhouse…? Can spirits…take baths?

No…we can’t.

“You can read my mind too?!”

Indeed. A bit basic, but very useful. And this is not the only thing a contracted spirit can do.

“…Wow, I wonder what else you have in store.”

Yesterday, when she got home, she was devastated and in complete denial throughout all of evening til night, wondering where it all went wrong. Laid down on her bed, she had already calmed down, and quit quickly too. This prompted her to ask a question which she wouldn’t have otherwise: “…What the hell even are you?”

Mm, whatever you humans call an unseen form, a spirit?

“Huh, i see. I guess your also in den…confused.”

—?

This moment of remembrance has Izanami in temptation to question what more the spirit hides, but doesn’t.

Izanami had raised her brow in surprise. “Wait, I recognize this bathhouse!”

Are they common?

“Yeah, these traditional ones are heaven on earth.”

To her, a bathhouse is heaven, the promised land, a sanctuary.

“Nothing’ more pleasant than this.” She smiles perversely.

—

“Picture this: you step through the doors and immediately the outside world and its endless stress melt away. You’re enveloped in a cloud of warm, purifying steam that instantly relaxes your muscles and clears your mind! The air is heavy. Heavy with the subtle, comforting scent of cedar, and the only sound is the gentle, rhythmic splash of water that encompasses you!” She continued on rambling, and straight away did the black spirit think how bizarre she sounded. She’s not in her right mind.

Not aware that her imagination is manifesting onto her movement. If she’s to be seen, well…I guess in their eyes a weirdo has been spotted. But luckily, no one else is around…

“I mean, even the post-bath milk is an experience in itself! Every! Single! Time!”

I see…how wonderful…

Bathhouses are common. Its a convenient place to relax and clean off. Even so, its also there because cheap apartments do not have baths. This one particularly is a Sentō, a communal bathhouse.

Excited, she heads in, pulling the cloth that covers the entrance of the bathhouse.

When entering in a Sentō, customers pay for entrance. But to her surprise, no one was there waiting as usual.

“…Huh?”

The person at the counter is nowhere to be seen, which to Izanami, is both a good and bad thing.

“Well, I can’t take a bath sooo…where is this ‘thing’ you sensed?”

Not a ‘thing’, but a spirit. Like me. And a lost one at that.

“How quick of you to categorize yourself…”

Izanami shrugged at Its last remark.

Its inside, for sure. I’m sensing it stronger than before. The black spirit continued after momentarily pausing, …Go through the blue one.

Its talking about the section on the right, in front of her. The bathhouse has two sections: red for female and blue for male.

Though her knowing this, it didn’t come across her mind.

“Oo! It might be easier than i thought!” She confidently said, as she walks and reaches out her hand.

Just as she slightly pulls up the blue cloth, she halts. …Wait, isn’t this—

Izanami pulls the held cloth down and slowly tilts her head to the center of the blue cloth.

During her slow moment of tilting, her field of vision starts to fill with the one thing that could’ve ended it all if she proceeded - both her future career and mentally. Pure black strokes that fill the center of the hung blue cloth. She stopped tilting. She now realizes.

“…The male section.”

That’s right. The very word is “male” in Kanji.

She was petrified. Stood frozen like a statue. As if she’s been turned to stone.

What could’ve been would’ve been if not for thinking twice. And that’s scary for her.

Izanami rushes out of the bathhouse while internally screaming. Not wanting to do anymore in there.

Nearby, she hides behind a corner at the end of the street.

Oi, you almost screwed me over! She thought to the black spirit.

What? I? I only told you to go where it was. And who you calling oi?

Oi! And what?! Oi! Oi! Oi! Oi!

What’s wrong with what I said? …You humans are so complicated.

The Black spirit truly doesn’t know anything. Because of how oblivious It is, she can’t hide her concern.

After her internal yell, she then walks back inside the bathhouse with a face of disbelief.

What’s wrong?

“—”

Ah, it’s whatever.

“Yeah, lets just focus on the mission.”

She had checked the female section and found it empty. Even the male section, which initially she hesitated to enter. At first and foremost, she called out many times, and with no reply, indicated that it was safe to go in despite the risk.

“…Huh.”

Unusually, its quiet. Because no one is here in the male section at the moment, she decides quickly.

“I might as well stay here and look around.”

Izanami examined the area for a few minutes. Its a space with rows of cupboards that can be stored with clothes. Its basically a changing room, and with that, she manages to find nothing. Nothing behind cupboards, not even stored clothes. Nothing around her at all that may be of clue.

“How unlucky.”

Maybe a different room?

“Like where—?”

Clang!

A harsh, metallic sound echoed in the surrounding area. It rattled for a second as Izanami listened while stood still. It landed with a sharp clang that momentarily silenced the conversation.

“What the hell?”

It sounded like it came in there.

“Yeah,” said Izanami as she moved closer to where the black spirit and herself believes the sound came from.

Izanami opened the sliding door, letting loose all the built-up steam that fogged the door’s transparency.

By where the sound was, its definitely in here, the bathing area.

Covering her eyes from the steam flying at her, she grunted due to its heat. After the steam eased down, she scanned the area for any anomalies.

“—”

Though nothing of that sort, undoubtedly there is an object on the floor that looks like it crashed into something.

“So that’s where the sound came from.”

The object is a metal bucket.

Sense anything?

I’d assume to your right.

Behind the bathtub?

On the right was a large square bathtub that was just a graze away from contact from the wall. This would mean a gap is open in between.

Izanami carefully maneuvered around the bathtub after closing the door she came through.

If the spirit on the loose is to her right, she’d go around to her left.

She took a peak behind the bathtub after getting close enough.

There!

“Prrr…”

Instantly, the black spirit called out. Izanami stared at the spirit they finally found. Though It called out internally, somehow Izanami reacted to It, prompting the spirit doing its own thing to turn its back.

“Oh!”

“Prr?”

The spirit turned to Izanami almost instantly. In a moment time, it looked at Izanami if scared. Izanami firmed her stance and leaped down with her hands reached out. The spirit immediately ran away as she failed to catch it.

Now stuck in the gap, she grunts in annoyance.

“—”

Weeell, you tried…?

“…Yeah, thanks for the sentiment…”

———᯽———

Outside and by the side of the bathhouse, she hid. Definitely not because she gave up or is scared, but because people have finally came and entered the bathhouse.

“I’d assume the person at the counter is back too.”

The fact that people are present would make this much harder, you fine with waiting?

“Yeah. You know what? I could definitely do this! No doubt about it! Watch me!” She grunted with determination.

…Did she even hear what It said?