After returning from the National Idol Summit, B-Komachi gathered at the office, and the fatigue was evident on their faces. Yet, interestingly, none of them really complained. They were used to the intense concert schedules, but Ai felt that something was missing. Leaning back in her chair, she thought:
"We never went to a hot spring during the tour, did we?"
Takamine blinked and replied:
"Yeah, I think you're right..."
Fuyuko immediately turned to Ichigo:
"Ichigo-san, why don't we take a trip to a hot spring?"
Ichigo, organizing the papers on his desk, glanced at them from the corner of his eye:
"Aren't you idols? Tours, stages, songs... That's your job. Vacations aren't part of it."
Ai, blinking innocently with a sweet smile, countered:
"But resting is also part of our job. If we're always tired, our performances will suffer, right?"
Ichigo frowned. This argument was dangerous. Ai's sweet voice combined with her logic made it difficult to resist. Fuyuko, Takamine, and the others edged closer with encouraging looks.
"It would be really nice..." Meimei added softly.
Ari crossed her arms and said firmly:
"Ichigo-san, our fans would want us to rest too. Are you going to refuse the wishes of our fans?"
A vein popped on Ichigo's forehead. Inwardly, he muttered:
"So this is the true persistence of B-Komachi."
They showed the same determination for a vacation that they did for a tour. He was proud... but also extremely exhausted.
"But I won't give in so easily," he thought.
For weeks, Ichigo tried every possible way to shut down the idea. But the B-Komachi members were relentless. Finally, one day, Ichigo gave in and shouted across the office:
"FINE! GET READY! WE'RE GOING TO THE HOT SPRING TOMORROW!"
There was a brief moment of silence — then:
"YAAAY!"
The members of B-Komachi hugged each other, cheering loudly. Ichigo sighed heavily:
"Finally, silence... Anyway, I'm coming with you. This hot spring will do me good too."
And so, Ichigo, Miyako-san, and the B-Komachi members boarded the tour bus and set off.
At first, the trip was lively. The girls played games, listened to music, and chatted along the way. But as the hours passed, boredom began to creep in. Meimei yawned and grumbled:
"We're national idols now, but we're still stuck on this tiny bus..."
That was the last straw for Ichigo. He straightened up in his seat, half exasperated:
"You begged for the hot spring! You didn't give me a single day of peace! And now you're complaining about the trip?!"
Ai, placing a finger thoughtfully on her lips, mused:
"Ah, right, we really did pressure you, didn't we?"
Ichigo's forehead vein throbbed visibly. He wanted to say so much... but no words came out. In the end, he just gave up, collapsed onto one of the beds, and closed his eyes:
"This hot spring better be worth it..." he muttered before drifting off to sleep.
When they arrived at the hot spring inn, the girls burst out of the bus excitedly. Miyako, standing in front of the hotel with her hands on her hips, smiled:
"Alright girls, get to your rooms. We're here to relax!"
Dragging his suitcase behind him, Ichigo grumbled:
"There better be something worth all this fuss..."
After settling into their rooms, the girls quickly headed to the hot spring baths. As they entered, the steamy air hit their faces.
"This is amazing!" Watanabe shouted.
Ai and Meimei slipped into the water, letting out sighs of relief. Fuyuko and Takamine sat quietly side by side, enjoying the heat. Miyako closed her eyes and sighed contentedly:
"We've earned this."
Meanwhile, in the men's section, Ichigo sat alone in the hot water, staring blankly at the sky:
"What am I even doing here..." he sighed.
After the bath, the girls returned to their room, changed into their pajamas, and prepared for a night of fun. Takamine grabbed a pillow and grinned mischievously:
"Ready?"
And thus began a great pillow fight! The room filled with laughter as pillows flew. Meimei threw a pillow at Takamine and tumbled onto her futon. Fuyuko grabbed a stray pillow and flung it at Ai. Laughter echoed throughout the room.
Later, everyone applied clay face masks and collapsed onto the floor. Meimei sneakily pulled out a box of cards and grinned:
"Want to play a game?"
Ai eyed her suspiciously:
"Does the loser have to do something?"
Meimei narrowed her eyes and smiled devilishly:
"Maybe..."
The game began, and the loser of each round had to apply a ridiculous cucumber mask to their face. In the end, Takamine's face was completely covered in cucumber slices, and her deadpan expression had everyone in stitches.
Meanwhile, in another room, Ichigo lay alone in his bed, hands behind his head, eyes closed:
"Why am I alone... I want to have fun too."
And with that thought, he drifted off to sleep.
When the vacation ended, the B-Komachi team boarded the bus again, looking refreshed and cheerful. Miyako leaned back and smiled:
"I think it really was a good vacation."
Ichigo, eyes still closed, sighed:
"I admit it... You were right this time."
Meimei clapped her hands cheerfully:
"Look, he admitted it!"
Without opening his eyes, Ichigo continued:
"But if you start nagging for a hot spring trip again, I'll personally take charge of your stage schedules!"
The girls all burst into laughter.
And so, B-Komachi returned to Ichigo Production after a fun and refreshing getaway.
To be continued...