Spring Comes

This is a Wonderful Inn

One month had passed, and in that time, Yayoi's father had closed the deal on a new house. It was modern, made of brick with a second story terrace that had a garden of flowers on it. It was in a perfect location, almost equidistant from Momo's school and Kaibara Municipal High School, so there was no problem if Momo wanted to stay there on a weekday. Yayoi had helped pick out new furniture to go in her bedroom.

Looking in from the doorway, on the left side of her bedroom, there was a tall skinny shelf that was for displaying art pieces. Then there was a stylish pastel purple utility cart. Next to that was a long L-shaped desk in the corner with a rolling chair; there were shelves above the desk which would soon be split between holding art supplies and school supplies. Then there was a trashcan and another tall, skinny shelf, and a wide closet. On the far wall of the room was a small night table, which had an alarm clock on it, next a queen-sized bed. The bed had a white comforter that had chenille pompom-like dots in rainbow colors and a yellow sun-shaped throw pillow with a cute smiling face on it on top of two standard pillows in white pillow cases. At the foot of the bed was a blue chunky knitted blanket. On the other side of the bed was another night table with a lamp on it. After that, the window started; it was shaped like an L and came around the corner and covered part of the wall on the right. Sheer white curtains framed the windows. In this corner with the windows was a low, white square-shaped table with purple seat cushions on top of a round white shaggy rug. Then, along the right wall was a dresser with a mirror on top. Aside from the night tables, which were blue, and the shelves, which were white, all of the furniture was tan wood. The walls were white, with some colorful paintings made by Yayoi decorating the blank spaces on the wall. The art supplies on the shelves were acrylic and oil paints and everything that went with them. There were also packs of polymer clay and sculpting tools.

At school, Yayoi had been restricted to painting and sculpting with plaster in her art classes and during art club meetings; but Yayoi could take up her hobby of sculpting polymer clay again now that she would have free access to an oven whenever she wanted. Yayoi wanted to be an artist and planned to get an art degree when she went to college.

But she had other things on her mind at the moment. She was still in boarding school, but her father's White Day gift to her was that he was giving her permission to leave school, so she could enjoy her brother's gift to her—an overnight visit to a hot springs. So she was just arriving at Shigure's house, where she and her bother were going to spend the night, since he planned to take Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo with them, too. Yayoi wished Hatori could come, too, but he was busy with work.

—∞—

Yayoi rang the doorbell at Shigure's house, and Tohru answered.

"Hello! Are you excited about the hot springs?" Tohru asked with smile, letting her in. She looked like she was fresh from the bath.

Yayoi guessed that Momiji had already sprang the surprise on her then. "Yep! And you?"

"I'm a little troubled that he's going to so much trouble on my account, but I'll do my best to have a blast!" Tohru said, determined to make the most of it.

"That's the spirit," Yayoi said, smiling.

"Yay, Yaya's here!" Momiji cheered, hugging her. He transformed into a rabbit with a puff of smoke. "Have you had your bath yet?"

"I made sure to bathe this morning," Yayoi said. "You?"

"I'm getting in next after Yuki," Momiji said.

"You might want to wait until you transform back into a human," Yayoi said, leaning down to pick up his clothes, too.

"Ja, I probably should have thought of that," Momiji said, though he didn't seem too concerned.