"……Mnh……"
Elsa woke suddenly. It was roughly four-thirty in the morning.
The faint, pre-dawn light filtered softly through the shoji screens. Looking to her side, she saw Jin slumbering with a peaceful expression.
"……My husband," she whispered.
Snuggling closer to him, Elsa closed her eyes once more.
By the time the morning sun hit his face and Jin woke up, it was five-thirty. The summer sun had already climbed high, and it was bright outside. It looked to be another beautiful day.
Jin slowly sat up. Beside him, Elsa was still asleep, a look of pure bliss on her face.
"I’m in your hands now, my wife," Jin murmured in a voice intended for no one’s ears. He reached out and gently brushed a stray lock of hair from her forehead. The sunlight leaking through the gaps in the shoji caught her platinum blonde hair, making it shimmer beautifully.
"……Nnh?"
Perhaps the light reaching her eyes woke her, for Elsa began to stir.
"Ah…… Jin-nii?"
Finding that Jin was no longer lying beside her, she turned her head and met his eyes as he sat there.
"Good morning, Elsa."
"……G-Good morning."
Likely remembering the events of the previous night, Elsa’s face flushed a deep crimson. Caught by her bashfulness, Jin felt his own cheeks redden slightly as well.
"……Shall we get up?"
"……Mm."
Jin rose slowly. Elsa remained tucked away, wrapping the blanket tightly around herself. Sensing her modesty, Jin made sure to get dressed first.
"I’m going to go soak for a bit. Do you want to come, Elsa?"
"……Yeah…… I’ll go, in a little while."
Leaving behind a shy, downcast Elsa, Jin stepped out of the room. Once he was gone, Elsa sat up and slowly began to dress.
A short while later, carrying their changes of clothes, Jin and Elsa headed toward the Hourai Island hot spring. Since the bathroom in the "house" was a bit cramped, they opted for the larger facilities. The main hot spring was located right next to the laboratory.
"Good morning, Father. Good morning, Elsa-sama."
Reiko, who had been waiting at the entrance, greeted them both.
"Morning, Reiko."
"Good morning, Reiko-chan."
"Are you heading for a bath?"
"Yeah. We’re going to enjoy a morning soak."
"Have a pleasant time."
Even so, the hot spring was a mere twenty-meter walk from the front door. As Jin headed toward the changing rooms, Elsa’s feet came to a sudden halt.
"What’s wrong?"
"……A-Are we…… going in…… together?"
Her face was bright red.
"……Is that no good?" Jin asked.
"Ah, well, when it’s light out…… I, um……"
Jin found the sight of a flustered Elsa with a beet-red face quite adorable, but he decided it would be cruel to tease her too much.
"I understand, I understand. Let's go in separately today," he said.
"……I’m sorry."
"Don't worry about it. Let's just take it easy."
"……Mm."
And so, Jin and Elsa went their separate ways into the men's bath and women's bath.
"Ah, this is the life."
As a lover of hot springs, Jin found morning soaks to be a particular delight. After a good long soak in the main tub, he decided to move to the open-air bath. The facility was designed so guests could enjoy both the indoor and outdoor sections. It was a rare day where no other members of the Jin Family were around and even Reiko wasn't present.
"Morning baths really are the best."
Stretching out his arms and legs, Jin basked in the morning light while submerged in the hot water. It felt exceptional. Just then, he heard the sound of splashing water from the women's side, separated only by a wooden partition.
"……Elsa?"
Currently, there was no one else in the baths besides the two of them.
"……Yeah," a soft reply came from over the partition.
"The water feels great, doesn't it?"
"……Mm."
"The sky is so blue. It’s going to be another nice day."
"……Mm."
Even with the partition between them, her replies were more halting than usual. Jin found that side of her incredibly endearing.
"If you soak too long, you'll get dizzy. I’m going to get out soon."
"……Mm."
With that, Jin stepped out of the tub. After drying off in the changing room, he cooled himself down with a blower—a magic tool that generated Breeze. Unfortunately, they didn't stock things like coffee milk or fruit milk; only water was available.
"Even the cold water tastes amazing."
By the time his sweat had receded and he had dressed and stepped outside, Reiko was waiting for him.
"Father, it is nearly seven o'clock. Everyone should be arriving in about thirty minutes."
"Ah, right."
They were all supposed to eat breakfast together. As they spoke, Elsa emerged from the bathhouse. Her face was flushed a lovely cherry-blossom pink from the heat.
"Oh, perfect timing. Everyone will be here soon, so let's head to the laboratory and wait."
"Mm."
The two walked close together toward the laboratory, with Reiko following faithfully behind them.
＊ ＊ ＊
"Hey there, Jin!"
"Good morning, Elsa!"
At the scheduled time, the rest of the group arrived from Kunlun Island.
"The weather is just wonderful today," one remarked.
"Elsa, you didn't lose too much sleep, did you?" another teased.
Though they all had different things to say, they were united by their genuine friendship for the couple. Hourai Island was remote and isolated from the rest of the world, but the bonds shared by those within it were incredibly warm.