Winter had fully settled over Japan now and the people on the streets had red noses and ears as they hurriedly walked from one heated building to another. Snow covered the ground and icicles dangled from people’s homes. It was just a few hours before the new year. However, Hajime and the others had gone to a place where the cold wouldn’t bother them—a famous hot springs resort.
Steam rose from the open-air baths, and the wooden buildings surrounding them were all lit with a warm orange glow. It was mostly families and couples that were walking around the hot springs resort, examining the open-air stalls or relaxing in the baths. Even the people out in the cold were smiling happily. They weren’t really feeling the cold, since they were snuggled up with their loved ones and enjoying spending time together. Furthermore, even if they were feeling a little cold, they could always warm back up in the hot springs at any time.
Hajime and Yue walked amid the crowd, examining the stalls.
“Yeah, it looks like my perception-blocking glasses have finally been perfected,” Hajime said with a satisfied nod. He was wearing cargo pants and a fluffy mod coat, while Yue was in a black turtleneck sweater, a belt with ribbons on it, and a cream-colored coat.
Somehow, she was taller than usual, her head coming up to above Hajime’s shoulder. Her boobs were bigger than usual as well and her legs longer. Her golden-blonde hair fluttered behind her with each step she took, and she would have been capturing everyone’s attention if not for the perception-altering glasses.
Today, she was in adult mode, the form that Ehit had preferred when he’d taken over her body, the one that made her look like she was in her mid-twenties. Incidentally, while everyone called it adult mode, there was, in fact, a different name they had for the way her personality shifted when she was in bed with Hajime.
Of course, regardless of which form she was in, she exuded a beauty that transcended personal taste and captivated all who saw her. Why, it was so enchanting that the people who saw her couldn’t help but think she wasn’t human. If it wasn’t for the fact that she looked so happy and innocent, they’d honestly be afraid of her otherworldliness. Yet right now, there wasn’t a single person in the crowd who was bewitched by her siren’s beauty.
“Fu fu, you know I can always just cast a perception-altering spell on myself, right?” Yue asked, adjusting her glasses.
“Please don’t take away one of the few opportunities I have to put you in glasses,” Hajime replied with a perfectly straight face, prompting Yue to burst out laughing. She then rested her head against Hajime’s shoulder.
After a consecutive twenty-three defeats, Hajime had finally perfected a pair of Artifact glasses that properly made her hard for others to notice. And naturally, he was exempt from its effects, so Yue’s charm was on full display for him to see. As he looked down at her, Yue turned to look up at him and smiled bewitchingly at him.
“Do you really want to monopolize me this badly, Hajime?” she asked in a playful voice, then stood up on tiptoe and nibbled on Hajime’s ear.
Instead of answering, Hajime pulled out his phone and took a selfie of the two of them.
“I mean, I do want to, of course,” Hajime said, finally answering her question.
Yue blushed and looked away. For a second, her charm broke through the glasses and people turned to look at her, but then the magic kicked in again and they turned away.
“Ahem! Anyway, are you cold or anything? I can pull out an Artifact if you need one.”
“Mmm... I’m fine. Besides, winter is supposed to be cold. Let me feel the seasons.”
“Can’t argue with that.”
Hajime wrapped his hand around Yue’s and they resumed their walk. Yue stuck both of their hands into Hajime’s pocket to help keep them warm.
“Was it okay to leave Shea and the others behind?” Yue asked.
“Well, it’s fine to spend some time alone just for a bit before we greet the new year, right?”
“Father seemed to be looking forward to bonding with you in the hot spring...”
“I’ll go join him once we get back. Honestly, it’s been so long... Maybe I should offer to wash his back.”
As he said that, a playful smile appeared on Hajime’s lips and he added, “Or what, would you rather have gone on a walk with everyone?”
Yue blushed again and she tightened her grip on Hajime’s hand. Hajime squeezed her hand back, and the two of them kept squeezing each other’s hands back and forth for a bit.
Incidentally, Kaori, Shizuku, and Aiko had been unable to join the Nagumo family’s hot springs trip. The Yaegashi family was having their own New Year gathering, while Kaori’s dad Tomoichi had begged her so hard not to go that she’d eventually acquiesced. Aiko, too, was spending the New Year with her family.
For Hajime and the other students, this was their first New Year since returning from Tortus. There were family members they still hadn’t met that they needed to reunite with, and of course, they still wanted to spend time with their families. Thus, the Nagumo family had gone with just the usual members, plus Liliana.
Incidentally, after they’d finished touring the area in the afternoon, Sumire had urged everyone into the hot springs, which was when Hajime and Yue had slipped out.
“I didn’t think you’d kidnap me so forcefully...” Yue muttered.
Indeed, Hajime had basically stolen Yue away. He’d stuck the perception-blocking glasses on her, picked her up, and then used Riftwalk to dash away before anyone could notice. He hadn’t even used magic because he knew Tio would have sensed it.
“You could have just said you wanted to go on a walk with me... No one would have complained.”
“Yeah, but mom and dad would have teased us, and I didn’t wanna deal with that.”
I guess that’s true... Yue thought, nodding.
“Also, it’s been a while since you changed into adult mode, so I wanted you all to myself.”
That was just how charming Yue was in adult mode.
“Should I stay like this forever, then?” Yue asked, looking passionately up at Hajime. Despite how cold it was out, her skin was flushed. She’d gladly stay like this if that was what he wanted.
“Nah, I love the normal you just as much, so you can just swap freely whenever you want.”
“Did you carry me out just so you can make me blush?” Yue asked, lightly slapping him on the shoulder. His words just made her too happy.
Once again, people glanced at Yue for a few seconds as her happiness overpowered the perception-altering Artifact temporarily.
That aside, Shea and the others had, of course, already figured out that Hajime had vanished with Yue. However, they didn’t mind letting the two of them be alone every now and then, so they’d decided to prioritize enjoying the hot springs and were currently soaking with Sumire.
“Oh, they’re selling hot spring eggs. Do you want one?” Hajime asked as they passed a food stall. People nearby were all enjoying the hot springs classic.
“Hm? Is that like a soft-boiled egg?”
“Not quite. A regular soft-boiled egg still has a solid white, but a hot spring egg is just barely heated so that the whole thing stays liquid-y. They’re called hot spring eggs because everyone eats them at the hot springs.”
“I wanna try one!” Yue exclaimed immediately. She was exceptionally interested in things considered classic for a situation or a certain time, mostly because she wanted to learn more and more about Hajime’s world.
She disentangled herself from Hajime and tottered over to the stall.
“Two hot spring eggs, please.”
“Here you go, enjoy—”