From that day onward, Keiichiro began fussing over Keito at every opportunity.
During meals, he gently taught him how to hold chopsticks. He bathed with him, washing his back as if he had always been his father.
“Read this. The bear one.”
Before bed, Keito would cling to him with a picture book in hand.
“Again? This is the third time.”
Even as he said it, Keiichiro straightened his knees properly and read the book aloud to the very end.
His calm voice resonated pleasantly in Hina’s ears as well.
Listening quietly from the corner of the room, she lowered her gaze, feeling tears well up.
—Don’t get your hopes up.
Somewhere in her heart, she repeated those words to herself over and over.
But in the peaceful days at the hot spring inn, the casual gestures, words, and fleeting exchanged glances slowly warmed the depths of her chest.
Even when she tried to convince herself it was all for Keito’s sake—never for hers—every time he narrowed his eyes and smiled, her heart ached sharply.
One day, as Hina was hanging laundry, the innkeeper called out to her.
“Hina-chan. You’ve been smiling a lot more lately, huh?”
“Eh…?”
The innkeeper set down a new basket of laundry by her feet and stretched her back with a groan.
“See, when Keiichiro-san talks to Keito-chan. You’re always watching, aren’t you? …With eyes like that, even he wouldn’t feel bad about it.”
Caught off guard, Hina reflexively clenched the cloth in her hands.
“I… just think that child looks happy.”
It wasn’t a lie.
But she knew better than anyone that it wasn’t just that.
Back in the Saotome household, he had seemed like someone from a distant world, entirely separate from her.
But now, here he was—soaking in the baths, eating meals, reading books to his son.
His profile no longer felt out of reach.
Admiration turned to respect.
Respect quietly sprouted into something deeper, heavier, sweeter—an emotion she couldn’t yet name.
Whether it was “love,” she had no way to confirm.
But one thing was certain—whenever she thought of him leaving this inn, her chest tightened unbearably.
One night, after putting Keito to bed, Hina soaked in the hot spring and sat on the veranda, letting the night breeze cool her. Though she shivered slightly, the chill soothed the tight heat in her chest, leaving her strangely comforted.
Then, a low voice came from behind her.
“You took a bath too?”
Turning, she saw Keiichiro standing in the hallway, dressed in a yukata after his own bath. His damp hair, still carrying traces of steam, glistened faintly in the dim light.
“Yes. There weren’t many female guests today, so…”
As she answered, she brushed her wet hair aside with her fingertips.
Normally, she waited until everyone was asleep before using the bath.
She hadn’t expected that coming a little earlier would leave her feeling so unraveled.
“Aren’t you cold?”
“I’m fine…”
No other words came out.
Just looking at his face made something lodge in her throat, tightening her chest.
For a while, silence lingered between them.
In the faint steam of the hallway, the rustling of leaves and the croaking of frogs filled the quiet.
I should go back soon—
Just as she thought that and made to leave, Keiichiro spoke.
“…I’m sorry about that night. I pushed you too hard.”
His voice was calm, but a hint of hesitation seeped through.
Hina couldn’t respond, only shaking her head slightly.
“I can’t just leave you and Keito alone. So… don’t run away again.”
“…But, Keito is—”
“He’s my child, isn’t he?”
The sudden question left her speechless.
The last time he had asked—she had reflexively denied it.
But now, the words weighed heavily in her throat.
How much easier it would be to just say yes.
That night, she had clung to him out of selfishness. Admitting it now felt like it would end everything.
But if she denied it again—it would feel like rejecting Keito’s very existence.
“Why are you so stubborn about denying it? Judging by Keito’s age, he’s clearly mine. Or are you the kind of woman who would sleep with another man right after leaving the Saotome household?”
“N-No…!”
Tears welled up from frustration and sorrow.
Keiichiro gently wiped them away with his thumb, smiling wryly.
“…Sorry. You were being so stubborn, I got a little mean.”
Despite his words, his touch was unbearably gentle.
That gentleness slowly loosened something deep inside her.
—I can’t avoid this.
Lowering her gaze, she finally spoke.
“…Keiichiro-sama has a fiancée, doesn’t he?”
“That’s just my mother’s—”
“Just your mother’s, but… the words of the Saotome matriarch are absolute.”
She knew that better than anyone.
An engagement publicized in the papers couldn’t be undone so easily.
“And… how would you explain Keito? I…”
Her voice trembled.
“I couldn’t bear… to hear him called a bastard…!”
The words spilled out before she could stop them.
Tears streamed down her cheeks. She couldn’t hold back anymore.
“…You’re right.”
His quiet agreement only tightened the ache in her chest.
It felt like rejection, sharp and painful.
Maybe Keiichiro would go through with the marriage, just as Kiyoe wanted.
The thought gnawed at her.
But then—
“I’ll settle things with my fiancée. Until then… can you trust me and wait?”
At those words, Hina looked up in surprise.
Can I trust him? Can I wait?
But this feeling was no longer something she could carry alone.
“…All right. But promise me one thing.”
“What?”
“While we’re here, we’re just staff and guest. …Nothing like that night will happen again.”
She thought she had been firm.
But Keiichiro’s response carried a smoldering implication.
“Only while we’re here, right?”
She gasped, breath catching.
“Ah—I-I didn’t mean—ah!”
In an instant, he pulled her close, wrapping her in his arms.
Gazing at her flustered expression, he spoke slowly.
“Once my treatment is over, be ready. No matter what… I’m coming for you and Keito.”
The strength in his voice sent warmth spreading through her chest.
There was no running anymore.
No—there was no reason to turn away.
Before she knew it, his words had seeped gently into her heart.
Finally acknowledging her own feelings, Hina gave a small nod.
“…Okay.”
Her voice was as faint as the night breeze.
But it carried the weight of her truest emotions.
The night at the hot spring inn deepened quietly.
Only the time flowing between them remained soft, warm—
As if gently healing old wounds, they leaned into each other’s presence.