I woke up when the three of them returned from the hot spring. Apparently, I’d dozed off while waiting for them to come back. Between the fatigue from driving and everything else, it wasn’t surprising. The three of them had flushed cheeks and glossy skin from the hot spring. It seemed the hot springs here really were impressively effective.

“Sorry about that. I guess I was still tired from driving and ended up falling asleep.”

I scratched my head as I apologized to them.

“No, it’s not something to worry about.”

Noa said, shaking her head. Then Nagisa added.

“It’s almost time for dinner, so we should start getting ready.”

“Yeah.”

I got up and stretched, then began preparing for dinner. It seemed the meal would be brought to our room, so we cleared off the table and gathered our belongings while we waited. After a while, a nakai-san came in and started setting everything up. We sat on cushions at the edge of the room, watching as the preparations were made. What was brought out was Tanba-grade shabu-shabu, a local specialty of the region. Since it was summer, crab was out of season, but being able to enjoy this top-quality beef instead left nothing to complain about. Seeing the pink meat, beautifully marbled and arranged on the platter, made all of us swallow hard without thinking.
TN: A nakai (仲居) is a female attendant at a traditional Japanese inn (ryokan).

“Wow… that looks incredible…”

“This is dangerous. You can tell just by looking that it’s high-end beef.”

“Let’s take pictures. This is definitely Instagrammable.”

Once the nakai-san finished setting everything up and left the room, we wasted no time starting dinner.

“Alright then, itadakimasu.”

At my cue, everyone picked up their chopsticks. I grabbed a slice of meat right away and swished it through the boiling broth. As soon as its color changed and it was ready to eat, I dipped it in ponzu and put it into my mouth.

“Mmm! Delicious!”

The fat melted instantly on my tongue as the meat’s rich flavor spread through my mouth, its texture was unbelievably tender. When I cried out in delight, everyone followed suit, bringing the meat to their mouths one after another and letting out their own exclamations of delight.

“What is this? It just disappeared in my mouth!?”

“Mmm… so good… I’m in heaven…”

“I feel like I could eat an endless amount of this…”

Everyone was eating with blissful expressions on their faces. Just watching them was enough to make me feel happy too. After all, sharing good food with close companions really is a kind of happiness that nothing else can replace.

“Hey, don’t forget to eat some vegetables too. If all you eat is meat, it’ll upset your stomach.”

Taking on the role of hotpot boss, I started adding vegetables, tofu, and other ingredients into the pot.

“Oh, Ren. I want to eat shiitake.”

“Got it. Here, I’ll put some on your plate, Nagisa.”

“Thanks!”

I served some shiitake onto Nagisa’s plate. Seeing that, Yukina and Noa stopped their chopsticks and stared intently in my direction.

“…Hm? What is it? Do you two want some shiitake too?”

When I asked, Yukina hesitantly spoke up.

“No, that’s not it… Um, I was thinking that I’d like Ren to serve me too.”

“Me too. I want you to put it on my plate, Ren.”

Oh, that’s all. With a wry smile, I served vegetables and meat onto their plates as well.

“Here you go. You should’ve just said so instead of holding back.”

“Thank you very much.”

“…Mm. Thanks.”

After that, we enjoyed the meat and vegetables until we felt like our stomachs were about to burst, and we even polished off the final rice porridge made with the leftover broth without leaving a single grain.

“Phew… I ate a ton.”

“I can’t move anymore…”

“Same here. My stomach feels so heavy…”

Savoring the afterglow of the meal, we sprawled out on the tatami, rolling around lazily. It was perfect. Eating good food, soaking in the hot spring, then doing nothing but lazing about. This really was paradise.

After resting like that for a while, the nakai-san came back and began laying out the futons for us to sleep on. With practiced efficiency, four sets of futons were lined up across the room.

—Not the “river” kanji, but rather a formation of four lines.
TN: The kanji for ‘river’ is written as 川.

Once the nakai-san left, only the four futons remained in the room. I hadn’t realized it at the time, but this was where a serious problem was about to arise.

　　　＊＊＊

After the meal was over and the nakai-san had laid out the futons and left, a silence settled over the room. The gazes of Nagisa, Noa, and me were all fixed on a single point.

Yes, it was the futon arrangement. Four sets of futons were laid out side by side, pressed closely together with no gaps between them. That meant that, depending on who slept where, our fate that night would change significantly. Who would secure the spot next to Ren? This was war. A holy war. Ren, meanwhile, seemed completely oblivious. He poured himself some tea from the pot set in the corner of the room and drank it calmly. Watching how defenseless he looked, I hardened my resolve. No matter what, I had to defend the position next to Ren.

“…Hey.”

Nagisa broke the silence in a low voice.

“We should decide who sleeps where.”

“Yes. We need to decide fairly.”

“I… want to sleep next to Ren.”

Noa stated her wish straight out. Ever since she’d become aware of her feelings, Noa had grown much more aggressive, or rather, forward. She was no longer the shy-but-guarded Noa she used to be; now she radiated a straightforward desire to be by Ren’s side. She was a formidable opponent.

“Alright, alright, you three. No need to get so hostile.”

Having finished his tea, Ren joined the conversation with an easygoing expression.

“I’ll take one of the ends. I might toss and turn in my sleep, and if I’m in the middle, I could end up bothering everyone.”

Saying that, Ren pointed to the futon closest to the window.

Ren would take the end.

Which meant there was only a single spot next to him.

If Ren had slept in the middle, two people could have slept on either side of him. But now that he’d chosen the end, the battle over that one remaining position grew even more intense.

“So you want the end, Ren? Alright.”

Nagisa nodded. Then the three of us locked eyes with one another. No words were needed. There was no such thing as a peaceful resolution in a situation like this.

“…Rock-paper-scissors, then.”

“Yeah. That’s the fairest way.”

“I’m not losing.”

We faced each other, forming a small circle. Ren looked on blankly, saying, “Huh? What? Do you really need to decide this so seriously?” We ignored him. This was a battle staking our pride as women, our desire… and our feelings.

“Rock-paper-scissors!”

At the shout, our fists cut through the air.

“Rock-paper—”

—scissors!

My hand was paper.

Nagisa’s hand was paper too.

And then Noa’s hand was—scissors.

The winner: Noa.

“…Yes!”

Noa made a small fist pump. Nagisa and I slumped forward in defeat. A one-round decision, no less. Had Noa’s sheer determination dragged victory into her grasp?

“Ahh, we lost. Well, it can’t be helped.”

“Ugh… I let this one slip. Congratulations, Noa.”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

Beaming from ear to ear, Noa dove straight onto the futon beside Ren.

“This spot’s mine!”

Watching her, Ren tilted his head in confusion.

“Noa, did you really want to sleep next to me that badly? I toss and turn a lot, you know. Don’t blame me if I kick you in my sleep.”

“I don’t care if you kick me. I want to sleep next to you.”

Noa peeked out from the futon, looking up at Ren with upturned eyes. …That’s sly. Way too sly. But instead of the calculating air she used to have, what radiated from Noa now was something instinctive and genuine. Faced with such a direct declaration, Ren looked a little flustered too.

“I-I see… Well, I’ll do my best not to kick you.”

Ren scratched his cheek awkwardly. Nagisa and I could only watch the two of them from a short distance away. It was frustrating, but Noa had been truly determined today.

“Alright, I’m turning off the lights.”

Ren flipped the switch on the wall, and the room was enveloped in the dim glow of the night light. Each of us slipped under our futons. Ren was at the very back, Noa beside him, then me, with Nagisa at the very front. As silence took hold of the room, I could hear faint breathing from next to me, not the breathing of someone asleep but tense, restrained breaths. And beyond that, there was Ren’s steady, calm breathing.

Staring up at the ceiling, I found myself replaying everything that had happened today. Ren in his yukata. Ren at the hot spring. Ren serving us food at dinner. Every version of him had been charming, and my heart had been in constant turmoil.

It’s not just Noa. Maybe I, too…

The thought suddenly crossed my mind. I’d assumed it was nothing more than lust. But after hearing Noa talk about love, I’d started questioning what these feelings inside me really were.

Was this impatience deep in my chest nothing more than desire?

Or was it—

Without reaching an answer, I closed my eyes.

Beside me, I sensed Noa quietly turning her body toward Ren. The soft rustle of the futon sounded strangely loud in the stillness of the night.