Chapter 178 – Invasion of the Ryokan!
According to statistics, there are more people who eat breakfast regularly than those who do not.
The reasons may vary, but in my case, I liked the freedom of not having a schedule in the morning and the leisureliness that comes from not having a meal process.
Perhaps it’s the influence of my time as a soldier, who always had to stay on edge in unfamiliar places?
Until now, Artemis has not touched my lifestyle habits, but that seems to be over.
“Hey, wake up.”
The first ryokan I am using as my private room. A girl’s sonorous voice resonates in the morning silence.
Was it a feeling of respect as a last resort in private life?
Neither Chrollo nor Rose had ever set foot in the ryokan, which was my own territory. Artemis also refrained from contacting me as much as possible when I was resting here.
But now that she has gained a physical body, she seems to have no troubles.
Suddenly, with the sound of the paper door opening, the outside light came on.
“Isn’t it too much of a stretch just because it’s a holiday?”
“Holidays are meant to be stretched out.”
“Joy! “Nonsense.”
The sound of footsteps lightly tapping on the wooden floor approached. A small, cute, unique sound made when bare feet hit a tree.
“You decided to have breakfast starting today.”
When I slowly open my eyes, there is a girl looking down arrogantly with her arms crossed.
Artemis was wearing only a short sleeveless dress with her back to the wide open paper door.
Her golden eyes sparkle like the sun as her silhouette is darkened by the light pouring in from behind.
“As a top manager, set an example. “You have to be diligent and regular.”
“This is setting an example. “If you work hard on your days off, everyone will notice, and you won’t be able to rest properly.”
“Stop making strange excuses.”
“Besides, how nice it feels to laze around in bed on a holiday morning.”
I glance at the clock and see that it is only 8:30 am. I want to lounge around until at least 10 o’clock.
Did he notice that I showed no signs of waking up?
Woe!
She took off the blanket.
“Under! Even if this happens, it won’t happen?”
Artemis smiles triumphantly as if she’s going to die if she doesn’t wake up.
It’s easy.
“Huh?”
But I was embarrassed when I was lying comfortably without any reaction.
I don’t know what you studied, but cliches and reality are different, lady.
I am the one who fell and fell again in actual combat. This is not the first time I have slept outdoors, leaning against concrete or a pile of dirt, wearing an uncomfortable military uniform and boots and holding a weapon.
It’s impossible to wake me up by removing the blanket when I’m rolling around in a ryokan with just the right temperature, wearing just a pair of panties.
I glanced at her with one eye open.
Grinning.
After smiling only out of the corner of her eye, she lay down and went to sleep.
“I must have laughed at you!”
Did I touch my pride?
Just before she closed her eyes, I saw her neat teeth exposed like a carnivore.
“It’s not going to happen even if this happens?”
She stepped on my back and climbed up. I can feel the soft touch of her bare feet on my back.
It seems that she is trying to exercise her skills to catch up on sleep, but even if a skinny girl steps on an adult man who has trained herself to her limit, it will not hurt her.
From my perspective, I felt like I was receiving a clumsy sexual intercourse massage.
Kuuk. Kuuk.
Was she aiming for a pinpoint attack of her own?
Even I couldn’t help but let out a moan as I hit her shoulder with her rounded heel.
“Gut sound.”
Cool. Comfortable.
Is it okay for her heels, which can kill someone if used incorrectly in martial arts, to be this soft?
“Left a little further.”
“…”
With a sigh of anger, the attack method changed to a multi-hit attack.
I stepped on it as if I was tap dancing, but the sound was as follows.
Kongkong! Bang, bang, bean!
The amount of impact still remains within the scope of massage.
“Profit!”
Artemis’ running in place was now aimed at her buttocks, but there was no further impact there.
“Hi!”
I was on the verge of losing my balance and falling on her squishy buttocks.
She reflexively stretched out her arms and caught her just before she hit the ground.
“Are you okay?”
“… Huh. Thank you.”
Perhaps because she was so surprised, Artemis had become so calm that it was impossible to even think about how angry she had been before.
“Thank goodness.”
I close my eyes.
“No, you’re going to sleep like this again?”
Artemis’s bewildered voice. She reached out her small hand and grabbed my cheek.
“I prepared a freshly harvested fruit salad this morning! It’s the freshest and most delicious right now… Wow!”
He pulled her chattering on his arm
Unlike her adult body seen on the other side of the screen, she now fits in your arms like a plush doll.
The feel is truly heavenly. Even though her body is thin, it is surprisingly soft.
“Wow.”
Artemis tried to escape from the sudden embrace. But what would she do as a girl in the arms of a super soldier?
Every time I struggled in my tight embrace, her face would rub against my chest, and her resistance would quickly subside.
“Let’s sleep a little longer. Artemis.”
“I don’t have to sleep…”
“Okay, okay.”
“Ugh…”
“…”
“…”
After a while, only the sound of two quiet breathing remained in my room at the peaceful ryokan.
Her legs, which were stiffly stretched out in a straight line, slowly dug in between my legs.
She lay calmly in my arms, without even the slightest tossing and turning. But she probably wasn’t asleep.
A machine with no concept of sleep. Does she have any concept of rest?
I wish I could at least share this peaceful and relaxing feeling.
With that thought in mind, my consciousness sank to the other side of the water.
* * *
I fell asleep briefly, but not for long. Has it been about an hour?
Even though she didn’t wake me up, my eyes naturally opened. Even though I only got one hour of extra sleep, I feel completely relieved of my fatigue.
Is it because of her stepping on me or…
“What is this on your head?”
My thoughts were interrupted by Artemis’ words.
“It feels like I got hit by a bomb.”
“That’s because I woke up from sleep.”
Did you want to touch it? She put her hand on her tiptoes and stretched out her hand. But they can’t reach her because of their height difference. When I bent her knees, she grabbed me tightly.
“Ugh.”
“Oh, sorry!”
Surprised, she hurriedly released her hand and touched the area.
Interaction through the body. Unlike androids, it is a body made of fabric that cannot be precisely controlled.
Even the smallest movements would be new to Artemis and unskilled. Failure to control force is not particularly strange.
“Are you okay. “The pain is already gone.”
“Really?”
Her face was very cautious. That’s why I almost laughed.
“Really.”
He wrapped his arms around Artemis’ plump hips and back and hugged her.
“Shall we take a walk? For a morning walk.”
“Even if it’s just a walk, you’re the only one walking like this.”
“That’s true too.”
So we passed through the wooden hallway and landed in the garden attached to the ryokan.
Sabak.
The garden was extremely refreshing because it was managed using the same system as nature. The grass that touches my bare feet is each covered with dew.
It was quite chilly as I walked around the place with plants everywhere, wearing only a thin gown.
But thanks to each other’s body heat, we didn’t feel cold at all.
“This wasn’t the walk I expected.”
Artemis said.
“Not so good? “I like this garden.”
It’s a lot smaller than the shelter’s public park, but is it because it’s my own space attached to my house? It is a hideout that makes you feel more comfortable than anywhere else.
“It’s not a matter of location… This is how a father and daughter take a walk.”
She said, smoothing my tangled hair.
A girl sitting on an adult man’s left arm and hugging his neck.
Well, if you look at us now, 9 out of 10 people would think we have a father-daughter relationship.
“Oh, just like that.”
The hand that had been smoothing my hair came down and pinched my cheek.
“It hurts! “I failed to control my strength again!”
“It’s not a failure. “I was aiming for it.”
“Then shall I drop you off? Would you like to walk hand in hand?”
“… No.”
She relaxed her grip. Instead, he caressed my red cheek.
So we walked around the garden decorated in Japanese style.
A simple pond, koi fish playing in it, trimmed flowers and trees, and carefully carved rocks pass us by.
But Artemis didn’t pay attention to any of them.
It’s not just her eyes.
The scent of fresh grass and flowers, even the refreshing feel of dew on the leaves. I couldn’t get Artemis’ nose off my neck.
After slowly circling around two times, we entered the hot springs.
It is not a small hot spring attached to the room, but a public hot spring located in the middle of the hallway.
Adult gowns and small dresses were thrown into the corner of the hallway. We took off everything we were wearing and entered the large hot spring.
Even when I looked at Artemis’ naked body, I didn’t feel anything. As she said earlier, does it really feel like seeing her daughter?
I am also in her position, having already given her a physical examination and showed her both visible and invisible parts, both inside and out.
According to the rules, bathing naked in a public hot spring is against etiquette, but what’s the problem? This is a place that Artemis and I chartered.
Even if we jogged naked on the upper street, no one would say anything.
I went in first, and Artemis followed behind, carefully putting her feet out on the water.
Her white feet rise and fall in the steaming hot spring water, hesitating.
“It’s not that hot. “The temperature has been lowered, so you can come in with peace of mind.”
For children, hot water is hot water, and hot water is hell water. Moreover, Artemis, not only her body, but also her experience in this area is like that of a child.
She had a determined face.
“I will believe it!”
Then I jumped into the hot spring.
Plop!
It submerged with a white splash, and a few seconds later, boom! Artemis soars.
Unlike when she jumped in, she had a smile on her face. It seems he liked this warmth and coziness.
The brilliant silver hair that reflects light in all directions while retaining moisture is beautiful.
“Don’t you swim?”
“I won’t! “Who are you making fun of?”
She must have felt embarrassed about diving earlier, so after that she calmly enjoyed the hot spring bath in an adult manner.
“By the way, Artemis. How long are you going to stay in that body?”
“Not much time left. Now, let’s move on to the next step.”
Clap!
Suddenly, Artemis’ legs were raised, parting the hot spring water in front of me. The splashes of water hit me directly in the face.
“Hey.”
“Sorry.”
Artemis looks at her leg with a tone and expression that is not the least bit sorry.
Being parallel without the slightest bending is great flexibility.
“With such short legs, you keep putting yourself in humiliating situations.”
“Please bear with me saying that in that way. “I feel like a criminal.”
I grabbed her feet and slowly lowered her down to the hot spring.
“Besides, aren’t legs that long for someone your age really short? Rather, it is very long.”
“I’m not interested in the average of the world. “If I have to tiptoe in front of you, it’s short by my standards.”
A girl who holds her chin up and declares that her standards are her common sense.
As expected, that arrogant expression suits Artemis well.
“But Jinsu.”
“Huh?”
“There are some things you can’t do except now, before you grow up.”
Have I reached my limit after soaking in hot spring water for so long? Artemis said with a somewhat red face.
“What is it?”
After hesitating for a moment, she slowly sank beneath the surface instead of answering.
Like a silver carp swimming in a pond in a ryokan garden, or like a mermaid from a myth, it passes beneath the surface of the water with its silver hair fluttering.
And quietly rose up in front of me.
Because of the size difference between them, they fit together perfectly! Her body coming in close to me.
Her side profile shows her determination not to look back, and her lips are tightly closed as if she doesn’t want to say anything.
Her slender shoulders and back stood tall in front of me.
Without saying a word, I stretch out my arms and take her in my arms. She also entrusts her body to me as if responding.
I kissed her forehead.
“Let’s have lunch together.”
“Yes.”
The feeling of bare skin touching bare skin. We spent the morning of our holiday fully exchanging body heat with each other for the first time.
