Unexpected Encounter

The Onsens

Words in BOLD in between "quotation marks" represent thoughts of characters.
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Alex was very slow in making the decision to tell James everything, but she did. Every detail that she felt needed to be brought to light was said.

"We knew each other back in England. He used to study with me and Crissy, our parents knew each other since before we were born.
Me and Tyler never planned on dating but... Cris hitched us up. I started dating him when I was 13... So, we dated for quite a long time... And it felt like he was gonna be the one, you know? But then he went to Japan for college and we just stopped talking... We never actually broke anything off though..."

As soon as Alex finished explaining, they arrived at their hotel. It was nothing very special, three stars at most.

"I don't mind that you two have history, but I don't know if it's good for him to be hanging around us then... I have no problem with it honestly... But, that it'll be better for him emotionally, it will."

"I understand what you're saying but I can't just tell him to go away now that I'm here..."

"It'll hurt less, that's for sure."

Alex looked down with frustration and sighed. She did not know or believe that it would hurt less if she just ended things with Tyler as soon as possible. But she did understand his first point. Having Alex around, for Tyler, was great. However, the knowledge that she was with someone else did not inspire happiness for him. It made him feel bad for not having explained to her that things could still work out before he left for Japan.

"What gave it away? That we had history, I mean."

"I uh... Dated a girl who wanted to be a psychologist for a short period in my life... That and the fact that I have very good hearing."

That didn't help Alex's mood at all. It made her feel worse, in fact.

"Look, I have a great idea. *looks at James* Do you know why we're here? In Japan, I mean. *Alex shakes head "no"* Well, I took care of the merc back in London, so we are here to get to spend time with each other, to relax. After all that shock and fighting and going to hospitals, you deserve it!"

Alex looked at James a little mad,

"But what about my job?!"

"I took care of that. You can stay out here  for as long as you want. A little... break from work if you will."

They discussed quite a bit on the matter of what James did but agreed they'd uncover what her cover for not going to work was some other time.

"I think I have a pretty good idea of how to help you relax a little. *she looks at James* Ever been to a hot spring before?"

Alex got pretty excited about that idea, she'd never been to one before and always had wanted to go to one. It did not make her feel better to the point that she forgot about Tyler, but better nonetheless. James gave her two options for the day.

"We can either go to 'shibun onsen', where all the wild monkeys go to get warm or whatever, or we can go to 'kurokawa onsen', a little hot spring not far from Mt. Aso in Kumamoto which is where we are at the moment."

The poor tired girl did not want to go very far just for a hot spring. On top of all that, it was still way too early in the morning to be climbing mountains at all. So they went to the kurokawa hot spring. There was a little inn in the middle of the woods where the hot spring was. James soon finished negotiating with the innkeeper, getting them a pretty good deal.