The first thing I saw when I walked onto the balcony after I woke up were the distant, verdant mountains in the distance. They seed so mighty and beautiful at the sa ti that I couldn't help but marvel at the scene that was produced.
I also couldn't help but think of soone who was also brave and pretty at the sa, also having a shade of verdant dyeing them all over.
That's why I quickly got ready to et that beauty who seed like an aggressive tiger to everyone else. But when it ca to , she beca a little kitten who didn't want to leave at all costs and seed like she would start crying if I were to leave her alone for even a little while.
I gave my mother, who was still sleeping in bed with the blankets rolled around her in a ssy manner, and gave her cute little sleepy face a kiss before leaving the house.
I then ran at full speed towards the hot spring since I knew that in a little while the establishnt would open and the mighty proprietress of that bathhouse would get busy with dealing with custors.
The bathhouse had been busy lately because of all the attention it was getting on social dia from people who've already visited. So, because of that, and Nina hadn't really been able to spend ti with each other like we both wanted to and spent most of our ti calling and texting each other like so kind of long-distance couple.
Of course, I couldn't really allow that to last long, so I was going to et Nina and tell her that I had a solution to her problems of dealing with all the custors and also just to see her ravishing face that made smile every ti I saw her pristine beauty.
I thought that the mont I entered the hot springs I would see Nina at work either carrying a bunch of boxes from room to room, fixing sothing that broke in the heater room, taking the laundry out, dealing with business partners, or dealing with custors like the handy businesswoman she was who solely ran the shop.
This was what I had seen her doing every ti I visited her, along with her face that looked so happy that I visited, which would then beco sorrowful since she wouldn't be able to entertain because of how busy she is.
She would always apologise and say that she would try to make it up to later. But I really didn't mind since I knew she was simply trying to successfully run the shop that her mother left for her.
But to my surprise, this ti I didn't see her running around the hot springs like I thought. Instead, my adorable little tigress nad Nina was sleeping on the main counter with a exhausted look on her face.
Even as she slept, I couldn't take my eyes off her. Her head rested on her hands atop the counter, her breathing slow and steady. A soft, almost imperceptible snore escaped her lips, and I swear it was the most adorable thing I'd ever heard.
The way the light played across her verdant face, the gentle rise and fall of her strong shoulders—it all felt so effortless, so perfect.
I found myself smiling without even realising it, my heart tightening in that familiar way. Every ti I looked at her, I fell a little harder.
How could I not?...She was beautiful, yes, but more than that, she was Nina...Lovable, endearing Nina. And I knew, in monts like this, I didn't stand a chance against her.
As I stood there, unable to tear my eyes away from her, sothing caught my attention—a piece of paper lying next to her on the counter. It was crumpled at the edges, as though it had been folded and unfolded a dozen tis. Curiosity got the better of , and I leaned over to take a closer look.
In her unmistakable, small, almost childlike handwriting, there was a list:
1. Check the water temperature.
2. Refill towels
3. Sweep the pathway.
4. Make snacks for guests.
5. Feed the birds by the garden.
6. ....
I couldn't help but chuckle gently as I read it. She had written it all down—every tiny task she'd planned for the day around the hot spring. It was so…her. Organised in her own sweet way, like she worried she'd forget sothing important.
I glanced back at her, still sleeping peacefully, her hair slightly tousled and her nose crinkling faintly as she shifted. The contrast between this determined list-maker and the sleepy little creature snoring softly in front of was impossibly endearing.
As I scanned the list again, it hit —this was everything she wanted to get done before the guests started arriving.
Knowing her, she'd probably woken up at the crack of dawn, determined to have everything perfect for the opening of her little store by the hot spring. But sowhere along the way, exhaustion must have caught up with her. What she probably intended to be a quick rest had turned into a deep, peaceful sleep.
I glanced back at her, her breathing steady and her face relaxed, blissfully unaware of the impending chaos. Nothing was ready, and ti was ticking. But as much as the responsible part of wanted to wake her, I couldn't bring myself to do it. She looked so serene, so absolutely beautiful, that disturbing her felt almost criminal.
Instead, I leaned down, brushing a strand of hair away from her face, and pressed a soft kiss on her forehead, the spot I knew she loved most.
Her lips curled into the faintest smile, and my chest tightened at the sight. It was as though, even in her dreams, she recognised and felt there. Maybe she thought it was kissing her in her sleep.
That thought alone was enough to make smile. Straightening up, I folded the list carefully and slid it into my pocket. If letting her sleep ant I had to tackle her tasks for the day, so be it.
I rolled up my sleeves and got to work. I checked the water temperature, fetched fresh towels, swept the path until it was spotless, and even managed to put together a tray of snacks.
As I scattered birdseed in the garden, I couldn't help but glance back toward the counter every so often, just to see her still there, still at peace.
By the ti I finished everything on her list, the first rays of golden sunlight were filtering through the windows. The hot spring was ready, the store was prepared, and she was still sleeping soundly. I smiled to myself, thinking that when she woke up, she'd probably panic, only to realise everything was already done.
Let her dream a little longer, I thought...For now, all I wanted was to see that smile on her face when she realised she wasn't alone in this.
With everything on the list done and the morning sun casting a gentle glow over the room, I found myself drawn back to her. She was still fast asleep, her breathing steady, and her face so peaceful it made my heart ache.
The thought of not talking to her, of not hearing her teasing remarks or infectious laughter before the day started, when I ca here to do exactly that would've bothered .
But now?...I was content.
Simply being here, watching the wild, untamable woman I fell for at her most unguarded—it was enough.
I pulled up a chair next to her but quickly decided it wasn't close enough. Before I could stop myself, I shifted to the floor, lying down so I was level with her. From here, I could see every detail of her face, the way her dark lashes fanned over her cheeks, the slight parting of her lips, and the way her hair frad her in ssy strands. She looked like she belonged in a dream herself.
I stayed like that, just watching her, marvelling at how this untad storm of a woman could look so utterly gentle in monts like these.
But as I settled in, her nose twitched, and I froze.
Sniff~ Sniff~
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Then it happened again—like she was sniffing the air, as if she could literally sll . I almost laughed. Of course she would have a reaction like that. She was nothing if not instinctive, almost animalistic at tis.
Her eyelids fluttered, and I held my breath. Slowly, she stirred, her brow furrowing as if her subconscious was trying to piece together the familiar scent that made her feel safe. Finally, her eyes opened, hazy with sleep, and she turned her head toward .
When she saw lying right there beside her, her eyes widened in surprise, and for a second, I could see the gears in her head turning, trying to process how I'd ended up so close...She was quite alert even in her sleep, so she couldn't help but wonder for a second about snuck past her guard.
"Ahhh, Kafka!~"
Then, without warning, when she realised that it was who was lying next to her, she let out a sharp gasp and sprang up like a startled cat, her movents so sudden and instinctive that she almost knocked over the vase on the counter.
Before I could say a word, she was perched on top of the counter, her legs tucked beneath her and her hands gripping the edge, like a tigress ready to pounce on the intruder who had snuck into her safe place...
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