NOVEL WEB Chapter 215
The ageha’s house looked small from the outside, but the inside was way bigger than I expected.
It wasn’t just “bigger than I thought.” I mean the physical area inside was literally much larger than what it looked like outside.
When I opened the gate and stepped in, it was like stepping into a whole different neighborhood. It felt like it could be the size of a small village.
And unlike the outside, which reeked of Japan, the atmosphere inside had a very authentic Japanese vibe.
When I asked Ageha how that was possible, she said it was due to the family’s inherited ‘magic’ ability passed down through generations.
Even though the details and incantations might differ, the end results came out pretty similar, so they combined all those magics to create this place.
“I also contributed a bit. Hehe, learning the magic to expand space when I was little was so much fun… Oh wait, let’s save that story for later. Right now, I should show you where you’ll be staying!”
“Where we’re staying…? Aren’t we staying at your house?”
“Ah, well, the thing is… we don’t have any rooms for guests at home. I wish I could invite you all, but that’s just not possible. Instead, I’ll guide you to an inn run by our staff!”
“An inn…? Like a ryokan? Is that what you call it here…? Anyway, I guess it’s something like that?”
When Minho tried to act knowledgeable, Ageha looked surprised he knew that and was thrilled that her friend knew about their culture.
“How did you know? That’s right, we call it a ryokan! Did you perhaps do some research beforehand, Minho?”
“Research? Not really, I just looked it up in an e-book on the plane. I have no idea what it’s like in reality. I’m excited though, since it’s a place operated by Ageha’s company.”
Seeing the cheeky grin on that guy’s face as if he knew everything made me feel a bit uneasy, but then again, he’s the protagonist, so I let it slide.
Isn’t it natural for him to be a bit slick to score points with the heroine? Still… I hope he’s more honest with Lapiz.
Thinking that he’s acting all smooth with Lapiz… hmm, what would happen then?
For now, I guess I’ll just start spilling all the secrets.
I followed Ageha, worrying about things that hadn’t happened yet, and there it was—an old-fashioned Japanese inn that looked like it had been there for at least 300 years.
“Here it is. It’s modest, but I hope it suits your tastes.”
“Wow… I can’t believe places like this still exist…! I thought I’d only seen this in novels!”
“Yeah, I’ve never seen anything like this… It feels like something from history books. I wonder if there were many places like this before the gate opened.”
The duo from the game, seeing this “traditional” inn for the first time, looked absolutely fascinated, clenching their fists in excitement and widening their eyes in wonder.
“So… we’re sleeping here? Hmm, is this really an inn…?”
“I feel some warm air coming from inside. Ageha, what’s in there?”
Ellis seemed to express some concern about whether we could actually sleep in a place like this, while Seolhwa seemed to have already noticed the existence of a hot spring inside.
“Ah, Seolhwa might have picked up on it quickly since she’s sensitive to heat. There’s a hot spring inside.”
As soon as “hot spring” came up, even Changwon, who had been indifferent, looked intrigued and asked Ageha.
“A hot spring… is that different from a spa?”
“It’s hard to say which is better, but the hot spring is the original. I’m sure it’ll please you, Changwon. You can trust me on that?”
“In that case, I look forward to it.”
“Oh, by the way. Ageha, just to check, are there separate baths for men and women?”
“There are separate baths, but there’s also a mixed bath. You’re free to choose, but I’d love to see your faces, just saying.”
“Oh, then maybe I should check it out too.”
“Good choice.”
As Ageha said that, she subtly hinted that she’d be in the mixed bath, glancing somewhat mischievously at Seolhwa.
Seolhwa must have picked up on that glance because she suddenly clung to Minho, saying she wanted to experience something fun too, although her expression didn’t quite show it.
“Uh, yeah. Sounds fun…”
Watching the catfight unfold in front of me was quite thrilling, but knowing it would lead to something with Lapiz later made me… huh, not too excited about it.
“Miss, you shouldn’t act like that later.”
“Huh? Act like what?”
“…Never mind. Just live without knowing.”
Lapiz, with a bunch of question marks floating above her head, was anxious to know what I meant, but I had no intention of sharing.
“Ahem, feel free to use the rooms as you like. But as a family member of the owners, I recommend one room per person if possible. That’s how the place was designed.”
In addition to that, Ageha mentioned they had various clothes and towels ready for changing, and she left to meet her family for a bit.
“Okay. Have a good time. Take it easy if you can.”
“How can I leave you all alone for long? I’ll come back when you’ve finished unpacking!”
From a distance, love seems to be something mysterious and scary. I can’t help but wonder if that guy Minho can handle it.
There’s a part of me that wants to laugh at him, but I also have a swirl of mixed feelings that I can’t pinpoint.
It doesn’t matter anymore, so I don’t need to worry about it, but it’s intriguing, and a bit boring too.
“It’s not as easy as it looks, huh?”
I teasingly ribbed Minho, who was deep in thought, and he looked puzzled for a moment before he seemed to understand my intention and scowled softly, muttering, “Yeah, I guess.”
The girls were still fiercely engaged in a silent battle, whether they heard me or were just pretending not to care.
They say love is something you conquer, but I pray they don’t turn into enemies over this and moved on to Lapiz’s room to help her unpack.
“Ugh, if I had known this would happen, I should have folded them neatly before packing…”
“That’s what I told you, Miss. You’d regret it terribly if you didn’t pack things well that night.”
As I playedfully scolded her while helping, Lapiz grumbled that I should either help or scold and not do both.
“How could I do that, Miss? There’s a mountain of things to go back through. To save time, we have to handle as much as we can at once.”
“Couldn’t you just not scold me?”
“You’re too unreliable to let that slide.”
Lapiz protested softly that she wasn’t that unreliable, and I wondered if I should remind her of all the lazy things she’s done so far.
“Ugh, fine… It feels like you’ve become sharper with your words since we became friends…”
…That’s because I’m not being honest.
If it was a complete stranger, I wouldn’t care what happened; I could laugh off anything. But with someone close, it’s different.
I just hope for the best.
“Even the lady says harsh things to you. But you know that’s not because she truly hates you, right?”
When I said that, Lapiz seemed to get it and said, “Yeah, but at least try to talk nicely.”
“Is that an order?”
“Well, if it is…”
“Then I’ll follow it. What can I do? It won’t kill me, and you won’t lose much.”
“Then it’s an order. From now on… please speak nicely to me.”
“Got it, Miss. I’ll give it a try. But you have to make sure you don’t give me a reason to scold you, okay?”
Lapiz wrapped her pinky around mine, sealing the deal, asserting she’d do the same.
“By the way, Blanca. How do you wear this…?”
After unpacking all her things, Lapiz called me over, looking bored and pulling out some Japanese-style clothing from the wardrobe.
At first glance, it looked like a traditional yukata, but upon closer inspection, it was a simplified version.
But to someone like Lapiz, who had zero knowledge in this area, it would all look the same anyway.
“Take off your clothes and come here. I’ll help you put it on.”
“Uh, do you really know how to wear it?”
“If you’re surprised, why did you even ask?”
“I just didn’t think you’d actually know how to wear it.”
“I don’t know exactly, but looking at it, I can guess how it goes. It doesn’t look that complicated.”
“Oh, I see?”
Truth is, just like Minho, I knew exactly how, but was playing dumb… Hmm. Thinking about it, I might not be that different from him.
But there’s knowledge and truths in this world that are better left unspoken. Yeah, so I’m off the hook.
After helping her into the drastically simplified yukata, she looked at herself nervously in the mirror, complaining that the tail was uncomfortable but also marveling at how she looked.
“…Should I ask if I can tear it?”
“Of course you can.”
I viewed her finally recognizing her own power with satisfaction.