The peak season for talent exchange arrived with the influx of graduates into society, and the sudden surge in workload forced Naga to postpone his planned hot spring trip with Miku. Of course, Tsukamoto Sayaka, whom he and Ami were about to capture, was also a contributing factor.
The voluptuous girl who was gradually becoming infatuated with Naga and was willing to throw herself into Naga's arms even knowing about Miku's existence completely transformed into a moth, flying towards the bright and scorching flame, becoming the two's prey.
With half the help of his improved salary and the other half of the help of Ami's casual pocket money, Naga bought a used car and finally said goodbye to his life of taking the train and subway. On his first night as a car owner, he couldn't resist calling Kotone after dropping Miku off at home, and they drove to a secluded place for a long-awaited car sex session.
For almost a month, he hadn't dreamed at all. It was as if even God didn't know what else he needed.
His parents and younger brother gradually changed their opinion of him, and for the first time in his life, he experienced what it felt like to be an older brother. Under these circumstances, no longer being a Dream Eater didn't seem so hard to accept.
In that private hotel room, Naga helped Asami also take possession of Tsukamoto Sayaka. The perceptive Asami noticed Sayaka's hidden masochistic tendencies and happily began to train her.
Just then, the first batch of collected talent data was completed, and Naga finally succeeded in applying for a vacation, getting three days and two nights for a trip.
Miku, who has connections at the parent company, easily arranged her vacation. The two, completely free from work, packed their change of clothes and drove to Hakone in a relaxed and pleasant manner.
Since we weren't tourists from abroad, Naga preferred small onsen ryokans with mixed-gender bathing services to the so-called "seven hot springs of Hakone." There are countless such ryokans near Lake Ashi, and finding a quiet room nestled by the mountains and water during the off-season isn't difficult.
"Ah, how enviable, such a young and handsome couple. This way, please." The innkeeper was a typical figure, dressed in a multicolored checkered kimono and a white headscarf, as if she had been cut from a movie screen.
From the moment they registered for just one room, Miku followed behind Naga with a blush on her face, silently holding his hand.
More than verbal or psychological changes in their relationship, traveling together to a place like this felt like a confirmation to Miku. This subtle female psychology would have been completely incomprehensible to the old Naga, but he could now perceive it to some extent.
Having secretly confirmed that there was a small hot spring for couples to bathe together, Naga asked with great anticipation as soon as she entered the room, "Miku, do you want to go soak for a while first?"
"Hey, you... even if you're thinking about those lewd things, you should at least eat first, right?" Miku's ears were turning slightly red as she knelt next to a traditional Japanese wardrobe, packing their luggage inside, while complaining coquettishly.
We drove slowly through Naga, enjoying the scenery along the way. It was a standard highway of just over 100 kilometers per hour, and by the time we arrived, it was almost lunchtime. We'd had heart-shaped fried egg toast for breakfast at Miku's apartment, and it was mostly digested by now. Her reminder immediately spurred our appetites to return.
"Now that you mention it, I think I'm hungry too." He smiled and went to help her take clothes out of her bag. "But it doesn't seem like there's any really authentic food here. Shall we go outside and look for something? What would you like to eat?"
Miku tilted her head and thought for a moment, "Hmm... ramen, I guess. Hakone's ramen hot springs are so famous that even the hot springs are made to resemble soup bases. The ramen must taste amazing."
If it were Asumi, she would probably choose the most luxurious kaiseki cuisine without hesitation. This thought flashed through her mind for no apparent reason. Naga smiled and kissed her cheek. "I've been promoted twice now, so you don't have to ask me to treat you to ramen every time to save money, right?"
Miku punched him on the chest. "Don't underestimate ramen. The value of food isn't measured by price. Besides, no matter how good the food is, it's useless if I don't like it. If I like it, even if it's just ramen, it's fine."
"Okay, let's find the best ramen shop around here." After relaxing, Naga easily found a simple sense of pleasure. He casually patted Miku's buttocks, which were sticking up high as she put things in the closet. "Let's go."
"You pervert! If you flatten my butt, you'll be fully responsible." Miku blushed and glared at him, her expression of trying her best to act indifferent when she was clearly shy was extremely cute.
Most office ladies are very careful about maintaining the lines of their thighs and buttocks, as the sedentary nature of their work can easily cause these areas, which are originally the most attractive to men, to become withered and loose. However, Miku's buttocks don't have this problem even if she pats them dozens of times a day. The straight lines of her thighs and the elasticity of her round and firm buttocks are clearly the result of sweating for at least thirty minutes every day.
That simple tap just now was enough to make Naga's heart flutter.
The temperature was similar to that of Tokyo, so Miku didn't change her clothes. She wore the same simple outfit as before: a short skirt and casual top. However, compared to her unpretentious clothes, the fact that she had made Naga wait almost forty minutes beforehand resulted in a remarkably refined and charming makeup look. She lost some of her innocent cuteness and gained a more alluring and captivating charm. Her carefully made-up face easily attracted the attention of male tourists on the street.
The satisfaction of her vanity made Naga's steps light and unsteady.
Finally, we chose a time-honored noodle shop. Behind the rustic wooden counter, the noodle master, with graying temples and a turban, waved his muscular arms with a smile, and the aroma of the soup filled the not-so-large room.
Naga decided to save the sake for the hot springs later, so she ordered juice and slowly enjoyed her leisurely lunch.
During their casual conversation, the two tacitly avoided discussing company matters, whether business or personal.
In this atmosphere, it would be unwise to mention any name that might trigger Miku's jealousy.
With some ulterior motives, Naga casually inquired about Miku's family. To his surprise, the joy on Miku's face seemed to freeze instantly, and even the smile that had been on her lips became stiff, like a mask.
"Uh... Naga, can we... not talk about this?" Miku lowered her head, stirred the noodle soup with her chopsticks, and wiped her mouth with a tissue.
"Tell me where you want to go? I've been to Hakone twice before and have been to most of the famous places. This is your first time here, so I'll be your guide. It'll be free." Naga immediately and wisely changed the subject, suppressing her curiosity. After all, they were dating with marriage in mind, and Miku's family situation was something she would find out sooner or later.
"I've never had a trip like this before. You decide." Miku's face regained some color. She rested her chin on her hand and looked at Naga with a sly smile. "If it's not fun, I'll blame it all on you."
Having prepared a camera, Naga confidently nodded, "The famous scenery alone is enough to fill most of our time. But are you planning to wear this outfit for the photoshoot?"
Miku blinked and immediately shook her head. "No way." She paused for a few seconds, her cheeks flushing again. "We're going to the hot springs this afternoon... right? Tomorrow, after I put on my new dress, we can go to the tourist attractions to take pictures."
After swallowing the last bite of noodles, Naga looked at Miku expectantly and said with a smile in a low voice, "Actually, I'd rather take pictures of you in the hot spring."
"You pervert, you're not allowed to take pictures." Miku turned her head to the side, flicked her long hair on her cheek, revealing her red earlobes, and then muttered softly, "I... I'll only show it to you."