Chapter 159: Hot spring trip

Five months pregnant. The morning sickness had subsided, and the memories of our… passionate honeymoon in France were fading.

My belly had grown considerably, and I could clearly feel the babies’ kicks. Aya, fascinated, would press her ear against my belly every time she came home. She looked so cute doing that; it made my heart flutter. The babies, as if jealous, would kick even harder.

I’d been focusing on prenatal care: reading, listening to classical music, knitting… I did everything our parents suggested, but honestly, I was bored out of my mind. I’d secretly been reading spicy Korean web novels using the account my cousin had given me.

I just hoped the babies wouldn’t pick up any… strange habits.

Winter break arrived, and on the first day, Mizuki, her hair now permanently dyed pink, visited us.

“Rina-tan~! How have you been?”
“I’m good. You, Mizuki?”

“Great, of course! I missed you!” Mizuki was as cheerful and energetic as ever. We hadn’t seen each other much since starting university, our different departments and busy schedules keeping us apart, so it was good to see her again. She sat down next to me on the sofa and looked at my belly with wide eyes.

“Wow, my two little nieces are in there? Amazing! Can I touch?”
“Sure…”
“Really?! Heehee, excuse me~!”

Mizuki gently placed her hand on my belly, and one of the babies immediately kicked.

“Whoa! It kicked me!”
“Maybe it doesn’t like you, Mizuki?”
“Whaaat?! Whyyyy?! I’m going to be such a good aunt!”

Mizuki flopped onto the sofa dramatically, feigning distress, while Aya gently pressed her ear against my belly, her soft silver hair falling across it.

“Rina-tan, they’re very active.”
“Yeah… It’s hard to sleep these days.”
“But it’s good that they’re healthy and growing well.”

Just then, one of the babies decided to kick my bladder, and I suddenly needed to use the bathroom.

“Ugh… Bathroom!”

I carefully got up and hurried to the bathroom. This had become a regular occurrence. The babies were very active. The doctor had assured us they were healthy. I just hoped they weren’t fighting in there…

When I returned, Mizuki and Aya were chatting. Seeing them together like this reminded me that… some friendships truly lasted.

“Rina-tan, you’ve become even prettier since you got pregnant.”
“Eh? Me?”

“Yeah! You seem… softer, and your face is glowing. It’s because Aya-ring’s taking such good care of you, right?”
“Hmm~ Maybe.” I smiled and looked at Aya, who took my hand and smiled back.

“That’s right. It’s because I’m taking good care of her.”
“Ugh, you two are so lovey-dovey… I’m jealous!” Mizuki puffed out her cheeks playfully. It was nice to see her familiar pout. We felt like we were back in high school.

“Do you have baby names yet?”

“Ooh, do they switch positions in there?”
“Yeah… but one is quiet, and the other is active, so I can tell them apart. Right?”

As if to answer, one of the babies – the active one, whom we’d nicknamed “Koyori” – kicked again.

“…Ugh.”
“Koyori is a natural-born kicker. She could be a track star.”

“R-Right…” Mizuki chuckled and gently stroked my belly, which tickled.

“You know, your moms were just like this in high school. Rina-tan would stare at Aya-ring all day. I’m a witness~?”
“Ugh, Mizuki, stop telling them embarrassing stories…!”

What was she telling the babies?! I swatted Mizuki’s hand, and she chuckled, patting my shoulder.

“Heehee, anyway, it’s amazing that we’re all grown up now, married, and having babies.”

“I know, right? Time flies…”
“Rina, you’ve changed so much since our first year.”

“Eek… But…” I had to adapt to be with Aya. I nudged Mizuki’s shoulder awkwardly, embarrassed.

“So, have you thought about any names?”
“Not really. I can’t decide between Japanese and Western names.”
“What does it matter? They’ll both be Yukikawas.”
“That’s… true.”

“What do you think, Aya?”

“I’m not sure. Maybe we should ask our parents? I want names with good meanings.”

“As expected, Aya-ring’s not interested~. Then can I name them?”

“As long as they’re not weird…” Mizuki giggled and nodded. Could a friend really name our babies…? I wasn’t sure about Japanese naming customs.

“So, we’re going to that hot spring this winter, right? The one with the snow crab train!”

“Snow crab train…?”

“Yeah, the one we talked about during our trip to Korea.”

That trip… It felt like a lifetime ago. I’d spent half the year practically bedridden and the other half focusing on prenatal care.

“But shellfish can cause allergies, right?”
“Rina, you didn’t have any shellfish allergies on your allergy test.”

When did Aya memorize all that…?

“We have to be careful for the babies… And we should check if the hot springs are safe for pregnant women…”
“Rina-tan, you’ve become so responsible.”

“W-Well… I have to be careful now…”

“It should be fine as long as you don’t overdo it. We can check with an allergist before the trip, and if it’s not safe, we can just skip the snow crab and go to the hot springs.”

“Okay!”

****

Famous last words.
The allergist confirmed that one of the twins, Hiyori, had a mild shellfish allergy. She was the quieter twin, so I was worried. The doctor said it wasn’t severe, but we should still be careful.

Since I’d been avoiding anything potentially harmful to the babies, I decided to play it safe. The snow crab train was off the menu.

Mizuki: No snow crab train…?
Mizuki: ㅠㅠ I’ll just go to the hot springs by myself then.

Aya: …Okay.
Rina: Sorry ㅠㅠ

Mizuki: Don’t worry about it, Rina.
Mizuki: Take care!

Rina: You too!

On the day of our trip, we checked our luggage and boarded the plane to Hokkaido.

Sitting next to Aya, I looked out the window at the fluffy clouds, feeling a familiar sense of excitement, just like when we went to Kyoto for our high school field trip.

The hot spring town was filled with traditional Japanese charm. We took a car from the airport, and the faint scent of sulfur hung in the air. A wooden bridge spanned a slow-moving river, and traditional inns lined the streets. The snow, thick and pristine, added to the picturesque scenery. Snow-covered cherry blossom branches reached over the stone walls, a beautiful sight. As Aya and I walked towards the hot springs, we saw steam rising from between the wooden buildings.

“Wow… This is a real Japanese hot spring town.”
“I know, it feels like we’ve traveled back in time.”

Mizuki, wearing a winter kimono, came running towards us, waving her arms.

“You’re late!”

“We arrived on time.”
“But I was bored waiting!”

We chuckled at Mizuki’s playful complaint and arrived at our reserved inn.

A pleasant aroma greeted us as we stepped inside. Old paintings and calligraphy scrolls adorned the walls, and the soft lighting created a luxurious and tranquil atmosphere.

We unpacked our luggage and headed straight for the hot springs.

As we walked towards the baths, we stopped at the entrance, where blue and red curtains marked the separate men’s and women’s baths.

Blue 男 (Men)
Red 女 (Women)

I chuckled at the sight of the curtains. Entering the women’s bath had become second nature now, but I’d made a mistake once…

Aya, as if reading my mind, said, “Rina, do you remember that time in high school, when you almost walked into the men’s restroom?”

“Huh?”

Aya’s lips curved into a mischievous smile.

“You almost walked into the wrong one.”

“Ugh! Why are you bringing that up?!” I shrieked, my face burning, and Aya and Mizuki burst out laughing.

How could I forget? It was shortly after I’d regained my memories, when everything was still new and confusing. I’d almost walked into the men’s restroom in front of Aya, and that’s when I’d blurted out, “I actually like girls with silver hair and blue eyes!” It was my first, accidental confession. And Aya had just smiled kindly at me.

I realized I was already walking towards the women’s bath. Soft laughter echoed from within, accompanied by the warm, inviting steam.