"Speaking of which, have you been 'venting' recently?" Natsukawa Sosuke initiated the conversation, breaking the silence.
Kushida leaned her head gently on his shoulder, her voice a little languid, "Rarely. Lately... I don't feel as irritable."
"Is it because we've been on dates often?"
"...Less narcissism," Kushida's voice was soft, like a spoiled child.
Natsukawa chuckled, reaching out and gently putting his arm around Kushida's shoulder.
"Kushida, do you know? Actually, you don't have to force yourself to be friends with everyone," his voice was gentle, carrying a guiding power. "In this world, there will always be people who like you, and there will always be people who don't. That's normal."
"Easy for you to say."
Kushida Kikyo moved her face away from Natsukawa's shoulder, pouting, her tone carrying a hint of stubborn disapproval. The misty steam from the hot spring blurred her facial expression, but couldn't hide the deep unease in her eyes.
"You don't understand at all. Some things, once known, can never go back."
"Is that so?" Natsukawa Sosuke didn't argue with her, merely shifted into a more comfortable position, leaning against the pool wall. "Then do you think that living every day wearing a mask, painstakingly trying to please everyone, is very successful?"
He turned his head, his deep eyes appearing exceptionally clear in the mist.
"To maintain this perfect 'Angel Kushida' image, your spirit is constantly tense, and the accumulated pressure needs to be vented through violence. You're afraid of losing approval, so you force yourself to remember everyone's preferences and birthdays, and even dare not refuse any unreasonable requests."
"Kushida, have you ever thought that your current way of living might be more painful than revealing your true self?"
'To untie her knot, mere lecturing is useless. She must realize on her own that her current way of living is more painful than revealing her true self.'
Every word from Natsukawa Sosuke was like a fine needle, precisely piercing the hard shell Kushida Kikyo had built with lies and pretense.
Her body trembled slightly, her lips pressed tightly together, not refuting. Because she knew that everything Natsukawa said was true.
"But... I have no choice," she finally said in an almost whispered voice after a long while.
"No, you do."
Natsukawa Sosuke suddenly reached out to her, the warm pool water slipping from his fingertips.
"In front of me, you don't have to act, do you?"
His voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable power, penetrating the mist and clearly reaching her ears.
"Here, this is your choice."
Kushida Kikyo stared blankly at him, at his calm eyes, as if her soul was being drawn in. The fear of being hated by everyone and bound by the past seemed, at this moment, truly melted by the tranquility in those eyes.
A moment later, her tense expression finally relaxed.
"Pfft—"
A handful of warm spring water splashed onto Natsukawa Sosuke's face without warning.
"Stop acting like a life mentor here!"
A genuine smile, tinged with a bit of embarrassment and anger, finally appeared on Kushida Kikyo's face. Like a small beast finding an outlet, she used both hands to continuously splash pool water at Natsukawa.
Natsukawa Sosuke wiped the water from his face, and a smile also curved his lips as he looked at the girl who was finally no longer suppressing herself and had regained some vitality.
He didn't dodge; instead, he met her, also splashing water with his hands, launching a counterattack.
A small water fight erupted without warning in this secluded hot spring pool.
"That's for bullying me!" Kushida laughed as she splashed water at him, releasing all the accumulated pressure from this period with the splashes.
"I'm helping you relax; you should be thanking me instead," Natsukawa easily blocked and countered with ease.
Their laughter echoed in the empty hot spring area, and an ambiguous atmosphere rose in the steam. Kushida Kikyo seemed to have completely let loose, even attempting to pounce on him to push Natsukawa into the water.
Natsukawa Sosuke, quick-witted, grabbed her slender wrist the moment she pounced.
"Ugh..."
Kushida's movement came to an abrupt halt, her entire body, due to inertia, directly crashed into Natsukawa's embrace.
Their distance was instantly pulled to the extreme.
Warm water droplets dripped from their hair, slid down their cheeks, and finally merged into the pool, rippling in tiny circles. They could clearly feel each other's breath and heartbeat; the air, at this moment, seemed to become viscous.
Kushida Kikyo looked up at Natsukawa's face, so close, and saw her own slightly disheveled but incredibly happy smiling reflection in his deep eyes.
'Doesn't she look much better smiling like this than with that hypocritical angelic face?'
This thought flashed through Natsukawa Sosuke's mind. He could feel that the girl in his arms, at this moment, was real, having shed all her defenses.
After an unknown amount of time, the playful splashing finally subsided.
Both were a little tired, but felt an unprecedented sense of relaxation mentally.
Kushida Kikyo once again leaned her head on Natsukawa's shoulder. This time, there was no more probing or pretense, only a heartfelt sense of peace and dependence.
"Today..." she whispered, "Thank you."
This gratitude was incredibly sincere.
Natsukawa Sosuke could feel the weight in her words, but he merely continued to tease her in a relaxed tone.
"Thank me for what? For accompanying you to the hot spring, or for getting you all wet?"
"...You're annoying."
Kushida lightly punched his chest, but didn't lift her head again.
After staying in the hot spring quietly for a while longer, Natsukawa Sosuke glanced at the clock on the wall.
"It's getting late; we should head back."
He stood up first, the warm pool water gliding down his already somewhat defined muscles. He naturally extended his hand to Kushida, who was still sitting in the pool.
Kushida looked up at him, placed her hand in his palm, and used his strength to stand up.
After they had changed, Natsukawa Sosuke waited for her at the changing room door.
Late at night, the cruise ship corridor was empty, with only the unhurried footsteps of the two of them.
Natsukawa Sosuke escorted Kushida Kikyo all the way to her room door.
"Alright, we're here."
"Mm." Kushida stopped, turned around, but didn't immediately open the door to go in. She just lowered her head, looking at her toes (don't ask if she could see them; if not toes, then other tips).
Natsukawa Sosuke looked at her in this manner, reached out, and, as before, gently placed his hand on her head, ruffling her hair.
"Get some sleep early."
"...Mm."
Kushida Kikyo finally looked up, her eyes, exceptionally bright under the corridor lights, gazed deeply at him, and then she turned and opened the door.
Just before closing the door, she poked her head out again and whispered something in a voice only the two of them could hear.
"Good night."
"Good night."
The door closed softly.
Natsukawa Sosuke stood at the door for a moment before turning and walking towards his own room.
'The Kushida Kikyo storyline is basically on track. However, the darkness in that woman's heart isn't so easily illuminated.'
He walked, calmly reviewing everything from the night in his mind.
'Well, slowly but surely. Anyway, there's still plenty of time.'
...
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