After washing their bodies, Rin, Ellen, Caesar, and Lucy, wrapped in bath towels, arrived at the steaming women's hot spring.
Perhaps because they arrived early, or perhaps it wasn't peak tourist season, there weren't many people in the hot spring.
The spring water came from a natural source, carrying a faint scent of sulfur.
Besides a large, steaming bath that occupied most of the space, there was also a small, stone-enclosed pool next to it.
The water in the small pool was hotter, and beside it were bamboo baskets and small net pouches, specifically for guests to experience cooking hot spring eggs.
"Oh! This is it!"
Lucy's eyes lit up. She took out a few fresh eggs she had prepared earlier, carefully placed them in a net pouch, and lowered them into the small pool.
"After we finish soaking, we'll have delicious hot spring eggs to eat!"
After setting up the eggs, the group eagerly stepped into the warm main bath.
The perfectly hot water instantly enveloped their entire bodies, dispelling the fatigue of their journey.
"Ah... it was really worth coming all this way..."
Lucy submerged her entire body in the water, only her head visible, her golden hair fanning out in the water, a look of pure contentment on her face.
"Hmm, it's really comfortable," Rin agreed, leaning back against the edge of the pool, relaxed.
Ellen's chin rested slightly on the water's surface, her tail swaying in the pool.
Caesar, on the other hand, stretched her limbs expansively, vigorously splashing the water with her arms.
As the group enjoyed the comfort of the hot spring and chatted casually, a gentle and pleasant female voice came from beside them. "Are you ladies also here on vacation?"
They all looked over to see a beautiful woman, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, smiling at them.
She was also soaking in the hot spring, her black hair coiled at the back of her head, revealing her slender neck. Even without makeup, her features were still exquisite.
"Yes," Rin nodded politely.
The woman introduced herself. "Hello, my name is Natori Mishio. I am an actress. I played the girlfriend of kamen rider in kamen rider, and my representative work is the hot spring proprietress in Crimson Spring. This time, I came with the film crew."
"An actress?" Lucy curiously scrutinized her.
Natori Mishio smiled, her gaze lingering especially on Rin and Ellen for a moment, with unconcealed admiration.
"Forgive my abruptness, but I noticed both of you as soon as I came in. Both of you have excellent physical conditions. If you entered the entertainment industry, you would definitely shine!"
Rin smiled shyly. "Thank you for the compliment."
Ellen, however, just blinked, showing no reaction, and continued to soak quietly.
When Lucy heard Natori Mishio only praise Rin and Ellen, she couldn't help but point to herself and ask with a hint of expectation. "Miss Natori, what about me? What do you think of me? Do I have the potential to be an actress?"
Natori Mishio looked at Lucy, carefully observed her, and said earnestly.
"This young lady also has excellent external conditions. She's full of vitality and seems very suitable for playing strong-willed, slightly rebellious tsundere young miss roles."
"T-Tsundere young miss?!" Lucy's face instantly flushed red, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "Who, who's tsundere! This young lady is definitely not tsundere!"
"Hahahahaha!"
Caesar next to her laughed unreservedly, splashing the water.
"Tsundere young miss! That's a perfect description! Lucy, just admit it!"
Lucy glared angrily at Caesar, fuming.
After Caesar finished laughing, she also became interested. She puffed out her chest and asked confidently.
"Hey, Miss Natori, what do you think of me? With my figure, it shouldn't be a problem to become a big star, right?" She had always been confident in her figure.
Natori Mishio looked at Caesar's external conditions, nodded, then shook her head.
"This young lady's appearance and figure are indeed outstanding, healthy and full of strength, very attractive.
However... your height is simply too tall. This is an advantage in the modeling world, but in the acting industry, especially when you need to act opposite male actors,
it might be difficult to find suitable male co-stars of matching height, and your range of roles might be somewhat limited. Personally, I think you might be more suited for a career in modeling."
"Pfft—hahahaha!"
This time it was Lucy's turn to gloat. She pointed at Caesar, laughing so hard she bent over.
"Did you hear that? Tall girl! You're too tall! You can't find male actors to act with you!"
Caesar was a bit dejected by this and grumbled with her arms crossed. "Height is natural, what can I do..."
Just as the group was laughing and joking, the wooden door at the entrance of the women's bath opened again.
Two small figures walked in, Ayumi and Haibara Ai.
Ayumi immediately spotted Rin and Ellen in the pool and happily waved her little hands as she ran over.
"Rin-neechan! Ellen-neechan! What a coincidence, are you also here to soak in the hot springs?"
Haibara Ai politely nodded in greeting, her gaze sweeping over the people in the pool, also a little surprised.
However, when Lucy saw Ayumi and Haibara Ai, she seemed to remember something extremely terrifying, and her face instantly turned pale.
She nervously looked left and right, asking in a low voice. "W-wait! If the two of you are here, then, it couldn't be... that Shinigami Shougakusei called Conan... he's here too, right?!"
Ayumi tilted her head, asking in confusion. "Oneesan, why do you call Conan a Shinigami? But Conan, he really did come with us."
Haibara Ai couldn't help but smile at her words.
The nickname Shinigami Shougakusei was indeed very fitting.
She slowly stepped into the hot spring, letting the warm water rise over her shoulders, and said.
"That's right, Agasa Hakase brought all of us. So, everyone, enjoy the hot spring while no incidents have occurred yet."
...Meanwhile, in the men's bath on the other side of the hot spring inn.
Dr. Agasa, with a towel on his head, was comfortably soaking in the warm spring water.
Conan leaned against the edge of the pool, looking at the mountain scenery outside the window.
Suddenly, a rustling sound caught his attention.
He saw Genta, who had climbed to the edge of the pool at some point, was lying there, holding a peeled egg in his hand, eating it with relish.
Next to him, on the edge of the bath, two or three eggshells were scattered.
"Hmm? Genta, are the hot spring eggs cooked so quickly?" Mitsuhiko swam over, looking at Genta in confusion. "We just started soaking, the eggs shouldn't be cooked that fast after being put in, right?"
Genta, while eating, said proudly. "Hehe, actually... I put the raw eggs I brought into someone else's net pouch. Then I took out and ate the eggs from someone else's net pouch that looked like they had been cooking for a long time!"
"What?!" Mitsuhiko's eyes widened in shock, and he lowered his voice. "You, how could you do that? Those are someone else's eggs!"
Genta waved his hand dismissively, swallowing the food in his mouth.
"Relax, relax! What's the big deal! I didn't steal them! I just exchanged my raw eggs for his cooked eggs! He didn't lose any eggs! And look, these eggs are so delicious!"
As he spoke, he picked up another one, ready to peel it.
"You brat! So it was your doing!"
A thunderous roar suddenly erupted, startling everyone.