Chapter 70: Onsen
It was time to sleep, but the girls were still too excited to close their eyes.
Yui was half-asleep and kept mumbling the word "onsen."
Even though their bodies were lying on the wooden floor, their eyes remained fixed on the ceiling of the treehouse, thinking about tomorrow's departure plan.
Snow had fallen lightly for two days and two nights straight, and today it finally stopped.
They had finished packing all their things today and were getting ready to leave with Nanako the next morning to search for a hot spring, maybe one hidden somewhere on the island.
The world outside was still covered in white snow.
Even though the girls could only see darkness inside the house, their minds were already imagining the winter scenery outside.
There was no entertainment on the island, so it was hard for anyone to stay inside all the time.
"Hopefully, nothing will happen tomorrow..."
Since he saw that big deer two days ago, Jun had been trying to track it. But he still hadn't found it.
Just like the giant bear back then, the creature vanished as if it disappeared among the trees.
Jun knew that the animal was still in the forest. It was always looking for food.
The only person in the treehouse who could fall asleep right away was Nanako.
Even Yui couldn't beat her at sleeping fast.
"Onii-chan, you're thinking about something, aren't you?"
Megumi noticed that her brother, lying next to her, still hadn't fallen asleep.
She hugged her brother from behind, quietly.
"No, sleep. We have to wake up early tomorrow."
Jun, who was lying on the outside of the blanket, gently patted his sister's hand under the blanket.
Jun's thoughts went back to their childhood.
In the past, they would often lie on the floor and hug each other. They would fall asleep in each other's arms.
But Megumi wasn't going to let go that easily.
Instead, she firmly held her brother's hand, and Jun returned the grip.
Jun finally fell asleep, feeling his sister's soft breath on his neck. He felt both awkward and comfortable.
— — —
The next morning, Jun was still half-asleep when the girls' loud voices were heard.
They were all ready to leave.
Even Yukino had prepared breakfast early.
Jun was the last one to get up from under the blanket. When he opened his eyes, he saw the backs of the girls walking back and forth inside the house.
The morning sun shone through the open window made of wood. Today, the weather was clear.
There was no cold wind coming in, only the warmth from the fireplace spreading slowly.
Even so, the air outside the blanket was still very cold.
Jun put on the bear fur coat and wore boots made from the same leather.
The snowy world outside was still very cold.
"We're just waiting for you,"
Yukino said this as she put a bowl of meat soup on the round table.
The girls had already finished getting ready and were now sitting around the table waiting for breakfast.
Jun quickly rinsed his mouth with snow water, which froze his mouth.
Winter had its charms, but mornings were still too cruel when it was that cold.
After eating, Jun rolled up the white bear fur blanket they had used the night before.
This blanket was really useful, he thought, silently thanking the giant black-and-white bear they had defeated before.
It wasn't easy to get down from the treehouse.
Even though the wooden staircase wound around the tree trunk, it was still dangerous to slip.
Luckily, the girls were careful, so the descent went smoothly without incident.
"At last, we're going outside!"
Yui said this as she stepped onto the snow, which was very snowy.
She lifted her head to the clear blue sky, spreading her arms wide.
"Yes, the outside air is the best."
Utaha took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air.
Even though the damp and cold air went into her nose, it still felt refreshing.
"Nanako, please show us the way, okay?"
Yukino adjusted the round hat on Nanako's head with a smile.
From her face, it was clear she was also very happy to be going out that day.
Nanako blinked, then hurried forward to lead the group.
The winter sunlight made the snowy landscape look even more magical.
And in the snow and sunlight, the girls looked like fairies from another world.
Jun put the white blanket over his shoulder and watched the girls ahead. They were laughing, joking, and chatting.
He smiled genuinely.
But the happiness didn't last long.
After walking for less than two hours, the girls were already tired.
"So tired..."
The all-white scenery everywhere made them feel as if they were lost in a never-ending maze.
Everything looked the same, so they didn't know how far they had walked or how much farther it was to the destination.
This uncertainty made them anxious.
"Let's take a short break. Let's focus on getting past that slope first."
Jun understood their situation and decided to give them a break to boost morale.
"Is it still far, Nanako?"
The girls sat on a white blanket spread on the snow.
They were still moving, so they didn't feel too cold.
But their cheeks were red from the cold wind that kept blowing.
Nanako tilted her head, thinking for a moment.
"We have to go through that area first, and then it's still quite a distance..."
Even Nanako didn't know how long they would have to walk.
Jun thought they had only traveled a quarter or a third of the way.
If they wanted to arrive before sunset, they had to walk faster.
Jun looked at his watch, calculated where they were, and then encouraged the group to keep going.
Even though they were tired, imagining that the onsen was ahead made them want to keep going.
Jun's worries were not confirmed.
Around four in the afternoon, they could already see snow-covered mountains stretching out before them.
"There it is!"
Nanako said this while pointing to a thick forest that was close by.
From above the treetops, warm steam rose into the air.
It looked like the onsen was behind the forest.
— — —
✨ Special thanks to my newest Patreon supporters!
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Joseph Sepulveda, Big Brizzz, Michael Thomas, Austin, Aaron, Naugara02
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Your support means the world and helps keep this series alive!
— — —
📚 Want to read more chapters or get early access?
Join my Patreon here:
🔗 patreon.com/FaaanzKun
✅ Enjoy 100 chapters ahead of WebNovel!
✅ Plus, get 1-2 new chapters every day, exclusively on Patreon!
> Already caught up with the latest chapter on WebNovel?
Continue the journey early for just:
$5/month
Join now and dive deeper into the story—weeks ahead of the public release!
Thank you for your amazing support 💖
— — —