Training (Part 1)

When Mochi and Miyu returned to the room, they were met with an unexpected scene: Haruka had completely transformed the space. The low table had been pushed into a corner, and in the center of the room she had laid out a futon, as if preparing for a ceremony.

On both sides, two ceramic containers held lit incense sticks, from which strands of sweet, curling smoke rose, filling the air with an intense fragrance.

Mochi sniffed the air several times, both delighted and confused.

—Haruka… what is this smell? It’s very… delicious, but I also feel like… —she blinked several times— like I’m floating just a little…

Miyu also sniffed the air.

—Yeah, it’s kind of sweet but… sticky… is this normal?

Haruka, seated formally beside several jars filled with blue liquid, didn’t even look up.

—It’s completely normal. The incense may cloud your minds a little, but that’s a minor side effect. Its main purpose is to heighten your senses… especially for what we’ll be doing today.

At that moment, someone knocked softly on the door.

—Dear guests, dinner will be ready soon —announced one of the attendants from the hallway.

Miyu’s eyes lit up instantly.

—Awesome! After all that walking I’m starving. I bet they’ll serve us something super fancy, worthy of this room.

—No —Haruka replied firmly—. Dinner will be afterward. The priority is the train—

Grrrrooooow…

A rumble echoed through the room. Miyu and Haruka looked at Mochi, who clutched her stomach with both hands, red with embarrassment.

Mochi looked up at Haruka with a pleading expression.

Haruka sighed, resigned.

—…All right. We’ll have dinner first. But then we train. No exceptions.

Dinner did not disappoint: various dishes, fresh fish, aromatic soups, vegetables, tempura, and small delicacies served on perfectly arranged wooden trays. It looked like a banquet worthy of a festival.

The three of them ate until they couldn’t take another bite.

After a while, the two attendants returned to clear the dishes, this time accompanied by a burly man with enormous arms and a white apron.

—Good evening, ladies —he introduced himself with a slight bow—. I’m the chef of this inn. Was the dinner to your liking? If you’d like any changes or have special preferences, I’ll be happy to accommodate them for the next meals.

Haruka was the one who replied:

—Yes. It was perfect. We’re very satisfied.

The chef smiled, clearly proud of his work.

—I’m glad to hear that. Enjoy your stay.

With another respectful gesture, he left together with the attendants, leaving the room quiet.

—I’m surprised he didn’t say anything about us moving the furniture… or about the incense —Mochi commented as she waved her hand a bit to air out the room—. Maybe they didn’t even notice.

—They surely noticed —Haruka replied calmly—, but chose not to mention it. We’re important guests; as long as we don’t cause a disaster, they’ll avoid meddling unnecessarily.

Haruka brought her hands together and gave a short, sharp clap that signaled the start of the training. —All right. Now then: no more excuses. We’ll do this one at a time. Miyu, you’ll be first.

Mochi, the hot springs are available now; go relax for a while. I’ll let you know when it’s your turn.

—Whaaat?! That’s not fair, I wanted to go to the hot springs with Senpai —Miyu protested, puffing out her cheeks.

—Don’t worry, Miyu, there’ll be more chances —Mochi replied with a laugh—. Well, see you later.

Mochi almost ran out of the room, eager to escape before Haruka changed her mind. She walked down the hallway until she reached the hot springs.

Inside, the warm steam enveloped her. She slowly slid into the water, letting out a long, satisfied sigh.

As she relaxed, she looked at her own tail floating beneath the surface… and her calm evaporated instantly.

She hated how it looked when it was wet.

When it was dry, it was soft, fluffy, shiny… just how a proper catsith’s tail should be. But wet… wet it looked like a skinny, dull rope, something she herself compared to a rat’s tail.

She was very embarrassed by how she looked; she didn’t want Miyu to see her like this. For that reason, she had been avoiding bathing with her.

“Ugh… what am I going to do?” she murmured as she sank herself even deeper into the water, as if she could hide it that way. “Maybe I can cover myself with a towel… but how without it being obvious…?”

She stayed like that, half-submerged and staring at her own tail with a defeated expression, without noticing the passage of time.

—

Meanwhile, Miyu left the room, staggering as if she had just survived a tough battle.

“I’m so tiiired…” she complained as she dragged her feet toward the hot springs.

When she entered the resting area—the place with sofas, vending machines, ping-pong tables, and massage chairs—she stopped dead in her tracks.

On one of the massage chairs was Mochi.

Asleep.

Completely out cold, with her arms hanging at her sides and her tail drooping over the edge like a wet rag.

“Senpai, it’s your turn now,” she whispered at first.

But when she saw that Mochi didn’t even move, she pursed her lips and stepped closer.

“Senpaiii. Haruka says you should go… wake up!” She shook her by the shoulders, harder than she intended.

Mochi opened her eyes very slowly, looking completely confused.

“Miyu…? What’s going on?”

“It’s your turn. Haruka is waiting for you in the room,” Miyu replied, pointing down the hallway.

It took Mochi a few seconds to process it… then she let out a dramatic groan.

“Huh? Oh, right, right, I’m going, nyaaaaaa…” She got up as best she could and stretched, trying to fully wake herself up.

“Senpai, do you want me to wait for you?” Miyu asked with a gentle smile. “That way, when you’re done, we can soak together.”

“No, no, no!” Mochi waved her hands immediately. “By the time I finish, it’ll already be super late. Don’t miss your chance to go in. Well, I’m leaving, or Haruka is going to get impatient.”

Saying that, Mochi fled at full speed, almost tripping over herself as she dashed toward the stairs. Miyu watched her with confusion.

Mochi rushed up the steps and arrived in front of the room. The moment she opened the door, the scent of incense hit her full force. This time it wasn’t just perfuming the air… it was flooding the room.

It was like stepping into a sweet, warm fog that dulled her senses.

“Mochi, what are you waiting for? Come in,” Haruka said from the center of the room, sitting with her back straight.

Mochi entered, carefully closing the door behind her. She approached Haruka, trying not to get dizzy.

“Alright, we can begin,” Haruka announced as she pointed to the futon prepared in the middle of the room. “Mochi, take off your clothes and lie face down on the futon.”

“EHH?!” Mochi jumped backward, her tail bristling like a pom-pom.