Mochi informed the inn's staff about what she had seen: Rin leaving alone in the middle of the night. Only a few minutes had passed since then, but the atmosphere had already grown heavy.
All the employees had gathered in the lobby, including the owners. They wore thick coats, scarves, and gloves, and held lit lanterns, ready to head outside. Through the sliding doors, icy air seeped in, making the flames tremble.
The three girls stood off to one side, watching the situation in silence.
Amid the group's nervous murmurs, a different sound stood out: a muffled sob. Ume, the owner's wife and Rin's mother, was crying inconsolably, clutching her coat.
"Why… why is this happening to us…?" she repeated through her tears. "What did we do wrong…? Is Mizuchi-sama punishing us…?"
Her words made the atmosphere freeze even more.
Miyu was the first to notice the change outside. She approached one of the windows and pulled the curtain aside a little.
"It's starting to snow!" she exclaimed.
The news fell like a bucket of cold water.
The outside temperature had already dropped below freezing, and everything indicated it would keep falling. Staying outside without proper clothing was already dangerous for anyone… but for someone of the catsith race, like Mochi or Rin, that cold could be outright lethal.
"We can't wait any longer," Genzou said in a firm voice, clenching his fists. "We have to go out right now."
The man did not try to hide his anguish. It was his daughter who was out there.
While the group organized the search, Haruka gestured to Mochi and Miyu to step aside a little, far enough that no one else could hear them.
"I'll join the search," she said in a low voice. "Something isn't right. There's too much ether in the air, my senses are clouded… but even so, I can perceive the presence of several powerful anomalies nearby."
Mochi felt a shiver that had nothing to do with the cold.
"While the group looks for the girl, I'll move ahead and take care of eliminating them," Haruka continued. "You two stay here. Don't leave the inn. I'll be back right away."
Haruka turned halfway to join the group, but Mochi reacted immediately and grabbed her arm, stopping her.
"Wait!" she protested. "What do you mean, stay here? If there are anomalies outside, it's better if we go together and help you, right? Isn't that right, Miyu?"
"Of course!" Miyu nodded without hesitation. "Give me a second and I'll go get some warm clothes from the room."
Haruka shook her head.
"No. You're staying here. At your current level, you won't be able to do anything."
"That's not true!" Mochi shot back. "Miyu and I have faced many anomalies these past months. I'm stronger than the last time you saw me fight. Besides, we can't just hide while you carry everything alone."
"You still have a long way to go," Haruka replied coldly. "You can't follow me."
"But Haruka, we—"
"Mochi, I said no!" she raised her voice without meaning to.
Several people who were about to head out turned to look at them. Realizing this, Haruka took a deep breath and lowered her tone again, though her expression remained hard.
"With your current strength, you'd only get in my way," she said quietly but firmly. "Stay here. This is not a game."
"Haruka!" Mochi complained, clenching her fists.
"It's an order," she said, leaving no room for argument.
The silence that fell between them was colder than the snow that had begun to fall outside.
They stared at each other. Neither seemed willing to back down.
Before the argument could escalate, Miyu quickly stepped between them, placing a hand on Mochi's arm and speaking in a gentle voice.
"Senpai, calm down a little…" she said. "Haruka-san must have her reasons for saying it's dangerous. Maybe it's best to listen to her and wait."
"Precisely because it's dangerous, we should go with her!" Mochi shot back, frowning. "It makes no sense to leave her alone."
Miyu slowly shook her head, thoughtful, then spoke more firmly.
"No, senpai. Actually… Haruka-san is right to ask us to stay. Think about it: what would happen if the anomalies attack the inn while she's gone? With Haruka away, it would be our duty to protect everyone who stays here, wouldn't it?"
Miyu looked up at Haruka, seeking her confirmation.
"Exactly," the elf replied without hesitation. "It's just as Miyu says. And now I must go."
She didn't wait for a response. She turned around and joined the search party, which was already ready to depart. Some employees tried to stop her; after all, they didn't want such an important guest to expose herself to danger. But Haruka was resolute—she asserted herself calmly and ended up going with them.
Mochi and Miyu watched as the lantern lights moved away until they vanished into the frozen night.
The atmosphere grew tense.
Miyu noticed it immediately and brought a finger to her chin, thinking about what to do to ease the situation. Then her eyes lit up.
"Senpai!" she suddenly said. "Why don't we go into the hot springs? It's really cold… it would be good to warm up a bit."
"Huh?" Mochi blinked. "Just like that? Aren't we supposed to protect the people who stayed behind?"
"Yes, of course!" Miyu replied with forced enthusiasm. "But, um… to properly protect others, we have to be in perfect physical condition. And for that… we need to soak in hot water."
Without giving her time to react, she began gently pushing Mochi toward the baths.
"Miyu, wait, that doesn't make any sense… You just want to take me to the hot springs, don't you?!"
In the end, she realized the plan. And also that resisting would be pointless.
She sighed, resigned to her inevitable fate, and let herself be dragged along.
"A bath with senpai~♪ A bath with senpai~♪" Miyu hummed cheerfully as she undressed in front of the lockers, no longer bothering to hide her intentions.
Mochi, who had accepted her fate, began taking off her clothes as well. Even so, her mind was racing, desperately searching for some way to hide her tail so Miyu wouldn't see it wet. She thought about covering herself with a towel… until she noticed the clearly visible sign on the wall: No towels allowed in the water.
"Great…" she muttered to herself.
When she finished putting her clothes away in the locker, she felt a gaze fixed on her. Turning around, she found Miyu staring at her shamelessly.
Instinctively, Mochi grabbed her towel and covered herself.
"M-Miyu… what do you think about going in first?" she said nervously. "I need to tie my hair. I'll be right there."
Miyu, who had short hair and didn't need to tie it, nodded without suspecting anything and entered the water first.
Mochi carefully tied her hair and finally stepped in. Miyu was already submerged up to her shoulders. Mochi walked over and sank down beside her, doing everything she could to hide her tail behind her body.
Silence settled between them.
Several minutes passed like that, with only the sound of the water and the steam slowly rising. Until Miyu couldn't stand it any longer.
"Senpai… did something happen between you two?"
Mochi's ears twitched slightly.
"Even before this argument, you already seemed upset with Haruka-san. When I came back from the bath, the atmosphere between you was strange. Did something happen during the training?"
The memory made Mochi blush instantly. Images of that session resurfaced in her mind… along with that uncomfortable pang in her chest that she still couldn't explain.
"Senpai…" Miyu insisted gently.
Gathering her courage, Mochi decided to speak. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer… but she needed to ask the question.
"Miyu…" she said softly. "What did you think of the training? What… what did you feel?"
"Huh? Ah!" Miyu's eyes widened, as if everything suddenly clicked. "I get it now! That's why you two argued!"
Mochi's heart skipped a beat. Embarrassment rushed to her face all at once.
"Y-you know…?"
"Of course! You were upset because Haruka-san's massage was really painful."
Mochi fell silent, processing the idea.
Painful…? Had it really been painful?
"Miyu… did the massage hurt for you?"
"Yes. It wasn't unbearable, but it definitely wasn't pleasant," she replied casually. "Did it hurt a lot for you?"
Mochi scratched her cheek, avoiding her gaze, her face growing redder by the second.
"No… I wouldn't say it was painful…" she murmured. "Actually… it felt… good."
Her voice faded until it became a barely audible whisper.
The answer confused Miyu. She was about to ask what Mochi meant exactly by "good," but when she saw Mochi's flushed face, she understood without needing words.
"Then, senpai… why did you argue?" Miyu asked. "If it wasn't because of the massage, did Haruka-san do something wrong?"
Mochi slowly shook her head.
"No. She didn't do anything to me… I'm the one who got angry. But I don't understand why. Why would the idea of Haruka giving you the same massage bother me? You're a very important friend to me… and even so, I felt upset, like something that was mine had been taken away."
Hearing that, Miyu's heart gave a painful lurch. Under the water, she clenched her fingers tightly, hiding the tension. To her, the answer was as clear as the steam floating around them: jealousy.
She lowered her gaze, trapped in an internal conflict.
If I don't say anything, maybe she'll never notice… maybe she'll drift away from Haruka and come closer to me, she thought, feeling that selfishness burn in her chest.
But when she looked back at Mochi and saw the sincere confusion in her eyes, her loyalty won out. She couldn't allow her senpai to suffer without understanding her own heart.
"Senpai," Miyu finally said, forcing a bittersweet smile that the steam only half concealed. "Have you ever felt bothered when you see Haruka-san acting friendly with other girls?"
"Haruka isn't friendly with other girls," Mochi replied immediately.
"I know, but imagine she makes a new friend. That she's kind to her… in the same way she is with you. How would you feel?"
Mochi fell silent. She closed her eyes for a moment and imagined Haruka smiling at another girl, speaking to her warmly, showing her that expression Mochi knew so well. The same irritation returned, sharp, tightening her chest.
"I don't like it…" she finally admitted. "It makes me feel bad. I don't want Haruka to smile at anyone else. I want that smile to be only for me."
Miyu felt how every word was pushing her a little farther away from her own chance, but she continued anyway.
"Then it's not about the massage itself," she said gently. "It's because it was Haruka-san who did it. And it was the idea that that 'special' moment wouldn't be just yours… that's what really hurt you."
Miyu moved a little closer and placed a comforting hand on Mochi's shoulder.
"Senpai… you're not angry because Haruka-san is kind," she said softly. "You're angry because you want that 'special' way Haruka-san is to be only yours. What you felt wasn't confusion… it was jealousy. It was the fear of sharing the person you like."
Mochi went completely still.
Miyu's words fell over her like a bucket of cold water.
The massage.
The warmth of Haruka's hands.
Her irrational anger at imagining those same hands touching Miyu.
Everything clicked. Every piece of the puzzle fell into place with overwhelming clarity.
"Do I… like Haruka?" Mochi whispered, as if saying it out loud might alter her world.
She covered her face with both hands, this time not because of the water, but because of the intense blush burning her cheeks, surpassing even the heat of the hot springs.
"I'm an idiot!" Mochi suddenly exclaimed, regaining her usual clumsiness as she tried to stand up… and almost slipped on the bottom. "I yelled at her! I have to fix this."
"When she comes back, make sure you apologize to her."
"Yes, I will."
Mochi's excitement didn't last long. Suddenly, she realized she was still standing… and that her soaked tail was completely exposed.
"…!" Without wasting a second, she submerged herself back into the water. "Miyu… did you see it?"
"Huh? See what?"
"Did you see it?" Mochi insisted, far too obviously trying to hide her tail behind her body.
Miyu couldn't help it. It had been impossible not to notice.
"Sorry… yes, I saw it."
Mochi puffed out her cheeks, embarrassed. To ease the atmosphere, Miyu decided to change the subject.
"Senpai, what do you say we get out now? The search group should be coming back soon," she said. "By the way… do you already know what you're going to say to Haruka-san when you see her?"
"What will I say? Well… I'll apologize for getting angry earlier."
"No, that's not what I mean. Are you going to confess your feelings?"
Mochi slowly shook her head.
"It's still too soon. Haruka always worries about protecting me… I want to be able to stand by her side as an equal. I don't want to always be the one who stays behind, the one who's protected. That's why… I won't tell her yet."
"I see."
"By the way… thank you, Miyu," Mochi added, wrapping her in a warm hug. "You really are a great friend."
After leaving the hot springs, the two of them stopped by the window. Outside, the snowfall had grown stronger, covering the landscape in a silent white blanket.
Mochi clasped her hands, closed her eyes, and silently prayed for Haruka's safety.