After coming downstairs, the three of them discovered that only a handful of people were sitting in the lobby.
Sato glanced around and turned to Kato Megumi beside him.
"Where are your parents?"
He had originally assumed that Kato Megumi's parents would already be awake by now.
Kato Megumi replied calmly, "They're still resting. It's not often they get a short break, so they'll probably sleep until noon."
Sato nodded in understanding.
As they reached the first floor, the proprietress behind the front desk noticed them and smilingly handed over a printed sheet.
"There are two breakfast set options here. Which would you prefer?"
One was a Western-style set with bread, milk, sandwiches, and similar items. The other was a Japanese-style set with rice and several accompanying dishes.
That's right, Japanese people also eat rice and proper meals in the morning.
Judging by the typical distribution of meals, breakfast accounted for about forty percent, lunch twenty percent, and dinner forty percent.
"I'll just have the milk and bread set."
After Sato made his choice, Hikigaya Hachiman and Kato Megumi ordered the same thing.
"Certainly, please wait a moment!"
The entire Hot Spring Inn seemed to be run solely by the owner and his wife. The proprietress handled everything within the inn, while the owner was responsible for transporting guests. It fit the traditional arrangement of the husband working outside and the wife managing the home.
"Good morning, everyone!"
Entering the lounge, Sato greeted the girls who were already awake.
Although it was nearly nine o'clock, there weren't many people up yet. Sitting in the lounge were Yukinoshita Yukino, Mio, Hirasawa Ui, and a few others.
"Good morning!"
The three returned the greeting, but their gazes inevitably shifted toward Kato Megumi.
Seeing this, Sato gave a brief introduction.
"Kato Megumi, same school as us, second-year student."
"Hello, everyone. I'm Kato Megumi."
"Nice to meet you."
Although they were somewhat surprised to learn that Kato Megumi attended the same school, they weren't familiar with her and didn't have much to say. After exchanging greetings, they lowered their heads and continued eating.
Their breakfasts had already been served, and they had all ordered bread and milk.
Sato and the others sat down on the sofas as well.
With nothing else to do, Sato found his gaze unconsciously drawn to the sight of the girls eating.
Slender, fair fingers tore apart pieces of bread, delicately bringing each piece to soft cherry-colored lips. After taking a few gentle bites, they would lift their milk and take a small sip, leaving a faint trace of white milk at the corners of their red lips.
All three moved gracefully, carrying the orderly precision and careful refinement unique to girls.
"What is there to stare at?"
Suddenly, Yukinoshita Yukino's somewhat cool voice reached Sato's ears.
Looking up, he saw a faint blush on her face. When she noticed him looking over, she shot him a glare tinged with embarrassment and annoyance.
Oh? She's actually shy?
Sato looked at Yukinoshita Yukino in surprise and smiled.
"Then I won't look."
Just then, the proprietress finished preparing their breakfasts.
After finishing breakfast, Sato checked the time. There were still two or three hours before noon.
There was no way they could spend the entire morning soaking in hot springs again...
After thinking for a moment, Sato suddenly looked at everyone sitting on the sofas.
"Does anyone want to go out for a walk?"
Yukinoshita Yukino hesitated briefly.
"I'll pass."
Hikigaya Hachiman lazily replied, "I don't feel like moving."
Mio said, "I still need to go wake Ritsu and the others later."
Hirasawa Ui added, "I need to wake my sister too."
In the end, Sato's gaze fell on Kato Megumi.
Kato Megumi seemed to think for a moment before nodding.
"Mm."
...
Mountain path.
Fallen autumn leaves covered the ground, filling the view with gold and crimson.
Among the four seasons, spring flowers and autumn leaves were undoubtedly the most beautiful. Blossoms in spring signified the beginning of the year, while falling leaves in autumn marked its end. Winter was a season for rest and recovery.
Sato and Kato Megumi walked side by side.
Neither of them spoke, making the atmosphere somewhat stagnant and awkward.
Although they had interacted frequently in the game, the virtual world and the real world were ultimately different things. Just as many people revealed their true nature online, in reality they wore all sorts of disguises, hiding themselves within the complexities of the world.
Both of them were people who followed their hearts, yet once the setting of the virtual world was removed, neither quite knew how to interact face-to-face.
"You seem to have a very specific destination in mind."
Suddenly, Kato Megumi spoke.
Sato had always felt that Kato Megumi's voice was distinctive. He knew she possessed the full range of emotions, joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, yet it was difficult to hear any of them in her voice. Her tone was always calm and detached.
"A destination?"
Sato paused slightly.
Was she saying he had ulterior motives toward her?
Before his thoughts could race too far, the girl beside him added,
"You seem to be heading toward that shrine."
Kato Megumi turned to look at him, curiosity seemingly flickering in her eyes.
So that's what she meant.
Sato let out a sigh of relief.
The slight tilt of her head allowed him to clearly see her entire face. At first glance, one might not think she was exceptionally beautiful, but the more carefully one looked, the more one could appreciate her delicate features and subtle charm. The longer one looked, the more captivating she became.
"Yeah."
Sato took a light breath and nodded.
"Why?"
"I don't know. I just feel like something there is drawing me. You know, my talent is called... Intuition."
Sato suddenly turned and looked deeply at the girl.
Kato Megumi's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly, but her expression remained as calm as ever. If one had to describe it, it was the state of being unmoved by external gains or personal losses.
"So... that game really does have a problem, doesn't it?"
Kato Megumi continued in her gentle voice.
"Of course. You signed a confidentiality agreement, right?"
"Mm."
"In that case, do you really think they'd make such a huge fuss if it were just a game?"
Sato smiled.
Their footsteps crunched through the fallen leaves with soft rustling sounds that felt strangely soothing.
Kato Megumi fell silent.
Before long, they arrived at the foot of the mountain where the shrine stood.
The stone steps paved with green slabs were covered in moss and weeds, and vines had wrapped themselves around the faded torii gate...