We left the inn and headed toward the parking lot behind the building. There were other routes leading toward the hot spring, but this was the only route that was properly maintained, so we decided to follow this one.
There was no one besides us here, though we figured that out when we arrived. Aside from the sounds of birds and insects, we could only hear the faint sound of the waterfall.
The whole place was serene, a perfect atmosphere for two people to enjoy a leisurely stroll.
"Wait, Maki, we should spray some insect repellent first."
"Ah, right, thanks for reminding me. It's that time of the year, huh? The mosquitoes will be annoying. I forgot to bring mine though."
"…Yet, you brought those with you everywhere."
"…You just had to bring that up, huh?"
Just in case, I brought along the box I had bought at the convenience store. Though, I wasn't expecting to do it outside for our first time, that would be too wild.
Well, let's not think about that. Umi sprayed some insect repellent on my skin. Since I wore a long sleeved shirt and shorts, she only needed to spray it on my neck and legs. I figured that there would be a lot of insects in the mountain and on top of that, the evenings could get quite chilly, that was why I dressed this way.
"Alright, I'm done. My turn, Maki, do me."
"Mm."
It was my turn to spray her.
Currently, she was wearing a polka dot one piece and it looked cute on her. Like me, she wore a layer of clothing on top, but her bottom wear was shorter than mine, so I had to spray a larger amount of the repellent on her white legs.
"Can you do my neck too? Just in case."
"Mm? Sure."
The moment she turned around and brushed her hair up, her white nape entered my sight alongside with the soft fragrance of the shampoo she always used.
This wasn't my first time seeing her nape as she always tied her hair up during P.E., but that situation was vastly different than now. There was a difference between napes that were in plain view and hidden behind the hair. At least to me, there was.
The sight made me gulp a little. Just a little.
No good. What the hell was I thinking in a place like this?
"What's wrong, Maki?"
"N-nothing, don't mind me… A-Anyway, are you ready?"
"Yeah, go ahead."
I shook off the perverted thoughts of mine and lightly sprayed her neck.
Calm down, my mind… Calm down…
But sadly, Umi managed to understand what was going on in my mind.
"Alright, done."
"Thank you, Maki. You pervert."
"W-What? Why so suddenly–?"
"What do you mean, what? It's obvious what's going on in your mind. Jeez, what are you going to do to me in this quiet place?~ I'm scared~"
"You're the one who's scaring me by acting like that."
"Then, do you want to go back?"
"…No, it's not like I mind you doing something like this."
"Something like what?~"
"C-Clinging to me like this, c'mon!"
"Hehe, it's good that you're honest. Let's go."
"…Mm."
After messing around for a while, we finally started walking again.
The path was steep here and there, but it wasn't exactly the hardest path to tread on, mostly because it was well maintained.
Our walk was enjoyable, with us intertwining our fingers while enjoying the scenery around us.
"'Watch out for wild animals'… There's a tanuki and a deer pictured on the sign, I guess they live on this mountain?"
"Mm. I only came here a couple of times, but I used to see them walking around here and there. Though I heard that they're hardly seen nowadays."
"I see, that's good then."
However, there was still a possibility that we would stumble upon them, so we should still keep our guard up. I looked up how to deal with wild animals on my phone as I walked.
As we climbed up the steps, the smell of sulfur got stronger. Eventually, a 'hot spring in 200m' sign came into view. The sign meant that we were about halfway to our destination.
Since it was a perfect place to rest, we did just that and took out the tea that we bought from the convenience store..
"I thought the walk would be easy, but this is more tiring than I thought. Can you still keep going, Maki?"
"Of course. Just think of it as a decent workout."
In the past, I probably would have collapsed at this point, but since I started doing a little exercise everyday, I could manage this much at least.
Well, it was thanks to Umi's daily nagging that I managed to do that. Though, nowadays I felt as much enjoyment from working out as I did playing games. (T/N: Buff Maki when?)
"You seem to gain more muscles lately… Can I touch your stomach a little, Maki?"
"Sure."
"Hmm~ Yeah, your abs are starting to show now… Meanwhile my stomach just gets puffier…"
"Really? It doesn't seem to change much though…"
"It does! Try to touch it if you don't believe me."
She suddenly offered me her stomach. I courteously moved my hand and touched it, though not directly, since her clothes were still there.
…I guess you could call this puffy? It wasn't that noticeable though. Also, it felt really soft and comfortable to touch… Well, I guess this was a sensitive topic for women in general, so I shouldn't say anything unnecessary here.
"Ngh… Maki, t-that place is a little…"
"A-Ah… S-Sorry!"
I was so absorbed in touching her stomach that I didn't realize that my hand was moving to a dangerous place. Umi's body stiffened as I did that.
If things were to continue, it would spell trouble, so I pulled my hand away.
"…Ah, Maki…"
"What is it?"
"N-Nothing, i-it's just…"
She suddenly whispered something to me as she blushed furiously.
"Why are you stopping?"
"Ugh…"
At that moment, my heart pounded much faster than usual.