Reincarnation on a Deserted Island Episode 9: "The Hot Spring is Finally Finished! But a Problem Arises"

I will absolutely finish the hot spring today!

Eri raised her fist in the cave that morning. Her hair was still short, but her expression was full of hope.

Two months after the big failure, the four of them had not given up on their dream of a hot spring.

Let's learn from our previous mistakes and look for a different location this time.

Yumi spread out a handmade map of the island. On the map, drawn with charcoal on bamboo paper, the well they had dug last time was marked with a large X.

I investigated the area around the sacred spring in more detail.

Takeshi reported. Over the past two months, he had become tanned and had fully acquired the ruggedness of an islander.

The ground 80 meters to the northwest is really hot.

It's not just slightly warm when you step on it; it's genuinely hot.

Aya confirmed. With the caution typical of an office worker, she showed a bamboo board on which she had recorded the data.

The four of them headed to the new candidate site with hope in their hearts.

Wow, it's really hot!

Eri was surprised as she placed her hand on the ground.

This looks promising! It's completely different from last time!

The intensity of the geothermal heat is clearly different.

Yumi checked the temperature carefully, like a nurse.

There is a high possibility that this is a hot spring.

Takeshi took out an improved version of their digging tool.

I sharpened the stone blade and made the wooden handle sturdier. I've put the lessons from last time to good use.

We also improved our division of labor based on the reflections from last time.

Aya shows the strategy chart.

"We'll use a 30-minute rotation system to reduce fatigue, and I've marked the digging spots precisely. It's all about efficiency."

"Alright, this time we'll get our revenge!"

The four of them get fired up and start digging.

Applying the experience from last time, their movements were significantly smoother.

"Oh, this is way easier to dig than before."

Eri says, wiping away sweat. Her clothes have also become more practical for island life.

"The soil quality seems softer than last time, too."

Yumi analyzes the condition of the soil.

"I guess choosing the right spot really was the key."

Takeshi says, nodding in agreement as he digs vigorously.

An hour later, they reach a depth of 50 centimeters.

"Going well, going well!"

Aya encourages them while taking notes.

"It took us three hours just to get this far last time."

Two hours later, they reach a depth of 1 meter.

"A much faster pace than last time!"

Eri is excited.

"If we keep this up, we might actually find a hot spring!"

Three hours later, they reach a depth of 1.5 meters.

At that moment...

"Oh, I hear some kind of water sound..."

Eli stops working and listens closely.

"You're right, I hear a trickling sound."

Yumi notices it too.

"Water is coming out!"

Takeshi shouts in excitement.

Warm water began to gush out from the bottom of the hole.

"Now then..."

The four of them cautiously dip their hands in.

"It's warm!"

"It's really warm!"

"We did it! A hot spring!"

"We finally succeeded!"

The four of them hugged each other in joy. Eli and Yumi, Aya and Takeshi, and then a group hug with all four.

Although the four of them were covered in sweat and dirt, their expressions were filled with the biggest smiles.

However, the joy was short-lived. A practical problem emerged.

"But we can't take a bath with just this, can we?"

Eli points out, having calmed down.

"It's not deep enough. We need at least enough height for a bathtub."

Yumi makes a suggestion, considering hygiene like a nurse.

"We need to surround it with stones so the hot water doesn't escape."

Takeshi uses his construction site experience to think about the design.

"It's a hot spring facility construction project, isn't it?"

Aya says excitedly.

For the next week, the four of them were immersed in building the hot spring facility.

They dug the hole deeper, surrounded it with flat stones, and installed stones for seating.

They also completed a simple changing room made of bamboo.

"It's finally finished! Our secret hot spring!"

Eri tears up with emotion.

"It's good water that seems like it would have skin-beautifying effects, too."

Yumi checks the water quality like a professional.

"It's a hot spring we built from scratch."

Takeshi puffs out his chest proudly.

"Everyone, you all worked really hard."

Aya praises the four of them for their efforts.

However, a major problem arose here.

"Um... who's going in first?"

As soon as Eri casually raised the issue, the four of them fell silent.

The atmosphere suddenly became heavy.

"Mixed bathing is..."

Yumi blushes.

"Surely mixed bathing is..."

Aya also looks troubled and looks down.

"I don't really mind, though."

Takeshi starts to say, but is pierced by the sharp glares of the three girls.

"No, that's not right, obviously."

He hurriedly corrects himself.

"Then, let's decide fairly by drawing lots."

Aya makes a constructive suggestion.

"That sounds good!"

Eri agrees.

"But isn't it unfair with one boy and three girls?"

Yumi points out.

"Then, the person who draws number one goes in alone first. We'll discuss the rest later."

Aya sets the rules.

The four of them draw lots using bamboo sticks.

"Ready, go!"

The four of them draw their lots at the same time.

"Oh... I'm number one."

Takeshi shows a short stick.

"So Takeshi wins?"

Eri gives a wry smile.

"Well then, Takeshi goes in first, and we'll go after."

Yumi says reluctantly.

"I feel kind of bad about this..."

Takeshi says hesitantly.

"No, no, we decided it by drawing lots, after all."

Aya says, following up.

"Well then, I'm off."

Takeshi heads toward the hot spring, looking embarrassed.

The three of them decided to wait a little distance away.

"Ah, this feels great!"

Takeshi's satisfied voice can be heard.

"Oh, this is definitely the best! My fatigue is melting away, and my body feels nice and warm."

After a while, a subtle atmosphere began to flow between the three girls.

"Doesn't it feel... a bit lonely?"

Eri mutters.

"It does. We all worked so hard to build it, after all."

Yumi felt the same way.

"Takeshi looks lonely bathing by himself."

Aya says with concern.

"But, men and women together is..."

Yumi blushes.

"Even though we all built this hot spring together, it's a shame we can only go in one at a time."

Eri says, sounding dissatisfied.

"I wonder if Takeshi is even having fun bathing alone?"

The three of them stare toward the hot spring.

They could certainly hear Takeshi's voice, but it sounded somewhat lonely.

"Hey..."

Eri opens her mouth as if she has made up her mind.

"Don't you want to all go in together?"

"Huh?"

Yumi and Aya are surprised.

"But, men and women together is..."

"We can just have them close their eyes!"

Eri suggests.

"Th-that's..."

Yumi turns bright red.

But it's true, we all worked so hard to build it.

Aya also has a complicated expression.

It feels a bit lonely if we go in one by one, doesn't it?

Eri continues.

I think Takeshi is actually lonely too.

The three of them stare toward the hot spring.

If we keep our eyes closed, we can all go in together...

Yumi ponders.

If we're soaking in the water, we won't really see anything anyway.

Aya is also troubled.

Alright! Let's go!

Eri makes a decision.

Huh? Really?

It's a hot spring we all built together. It's meaningless if we don't all go in together.

The three of them look at each other.

But, on the condition that we absolutely have to keep our eyes closed.

Yumi sets the condition.

Of course!

Eri nods.

Then... shall we go?

Aya seems to have made up her mind as well.

The three of them took cloths to use as towels and quietly headed toward the hot spring.

"Takeshi!"

Eri called out.

"Huh? What's wrong?"

Takeshi started to turn around.

"No! Don't look this way!"

The three of them shouted in unison.

"Huh? What?"

Takeshi was confused.

"Close your eyes! Don't you dare turn around!"

Yumi instructed.

"O-okay! What's going on?"

Takeshi sat in the hot spring with his eyes closed.

"We decided we wanted to get in together."

Eri explained, sounding embarrassed.

"Huh? Together?"

"But you absolutely must not look!"

Aya emphasized.

"I won't! I won't!"

Takeshi answers while keeping his eyes shut tight.

The three of them quietly enter the hot spring.

"Ah... it's warm."

Eri whispers.

"It feels so good."

Yumi is also quietly moved.

"Bathing together... it feels like something special."

Aya says with deep emotion.

The four of them are soaking in the same hot spring.

Takeshi keeps his eyes stubbornly closed, while the three girls look shy but happy.

"It really is better to bathe together."

Eri says with satisfaction.

"I agree. It was lonely by myself."

Yumi feels the same way.

"How about you, Takeshi?"

Aya asks.

"I was... lonely by myself, too."

Takeshi answers honestly.

"It's more fun when we're all together."

A special sense of unity had formed among the four of them.

However, an incident occurred during that special time.

"Maybe I should adjust the temperature a little more."

Eli tries to use magic, thinking it's for the best.

"Wait a second, Eli, your magic is..."

Yumi tried to stop her, but it was already too late.

Eli cast a temperature control spell.

"Hot!"

Suddenly, the water turned into boiling water.

The four of them stood up in a panic.

"Waaaaah!"

"Don't look!"

The three of them screamed, but Takeshi kept his eyes closed.

"Cold!"

This time, it dropped to ice-water levels.

"Hot! Cold! Hot! Cold!"

The temperature of the hot spring fluctuated wildly, and the four of them were in an uproar.

"Eli, stop the magic!"

Yumi shouted.

"I don't know how to stop it!"

Eli was in a state of panic.

The four of them, flustered by the temperature change, accidentally end up too close to each other.

"Oh... we're close."

Aya panics.

"Are your eyes closed?"

Yumi checks with Takeshi.

"They're closed! But, for some reason, the temperature is..."

Takeshi is also confused.

"Calm down! Take a deep breath!"

Aya tries desperately to calm Eri down.

Eri manages to stop the magic. The hot spring returns to its original, comfortable temperature.

"Phew... pant... it finally stopped."

Eri is exhausted.

"Honestly, Eri."

Yumi says with a wry smile.

"But, making such a fuss with everyone was kind of fun."

Eri laughs without looking guilty.

"It certainly became an unforgettable first hot spring experience."

Aya agrees while laughing as well.

"It's also my first time making such a fuss with my eyes closed."

Takeshi is laughing too.

A strange sense of unity had emerged from the four of them soaking in the same water and experiencing the same trouble together.

Once the hot spring returned to a comfortable temperature, the four of them soaked in the water slowly once again.

"It really is special when we all get in together."

Eri said with deep emotion.

"That's true. It was lonely when I was by myself."

Yumi felt the same way.

"Since we all built this hot spring together, it wouldn't make sense if we didn't all use it together, right?"

Aya also seemed satisfied.

"I was lonely by myself, too. It's definitely better when we're all together."

Takeshi spoke his honest feelings.

However, he still kept his eyes closed.

"But thank you for keeping your eyes closed properly."

Yumi expressed her gratitude.

"Of course. A promise is a promise."

Takeshi answered dutifully.

In the steam, the four of them savored the feeling of being together, while still maintaining their respective distances.

"My skin is getting smooth, too."

Eri said while stroking her arm.

"So the effects of the hot spring are real."

Aya was also enjoying the feel of the water.

It takes away the fatigue and warms the heart.

Yumi is relaxing.

Just being together makes it feel special.

Takeshi felt the same way.

A new form of bond was born among the four of them.

A special relationship that transcends the boundaries of gender, yet respects one another.

Let's keep bathing together from now on.
I feel like I can't see much even if I don't close my eyes in the steam, Eri suggests.

But let's decide on some proper rules.

Yumi brings up a practical point.

Closing our eyes is the basic rule... she starts to say, then, It's a pity for Takeshi if he can't see, someone says.

Takeshi stays silent with his eyes closed.
No one says anything.

Losing patience, Takeshi says, I'll only open my eyes when everyone says it's okay.

Everyone agreed with that opinion.

The four of them got out of the hot spring at their own pace.

Ah, I feel alive again.

Eri says while drying her hair with a cloth used as a towel.

My skin has become smooth too.

Yumi touches her cheek to confirm.

The hot spring we all bathed in together was exceptional.

Aya shares her thoughts with deep emotion.

"It was the best for me, too. It really is different when we're all together."

Takeshi also seems satisfied.

The four of them, slightly flushed from their bath, each radiated a special kind of beauty.

It was a special experience, sharing the hot spring they had built together through their collective efforts.

"Let's all bathe together every day from now on."

Eri suggests.

"Yes, let's. But we must follow the rules properly."

Yumi emphasizes.

"Of course. By respecting each other."

Aya agrees.

"I will definitely keep my promise."

Takeshi replies seriously.

A new bond of trust had been born among the four of them.

The four of them gaze at the hot spring.

"But, this is fine as it is, isn't it?"

Eri says positively.

"That's true. To think that we could all bathe in a hot spring together—it felt like a dream two months ago."

Yumi says with deep emotion.

“So we can get into the hot spring every day from now on.”

Takeshi says happily.

“The beginning of our hot spring life.”

Aya summarizes.

The setting sun dyed the surface of the hot spring, creating a fantastical scene.

Steam rose waveringly, enveloped in orange light.

“It’s beautiful...”

The four of them are captivated.

“Let’s come back tomorrow, too.”

Eri suggests.

“Of course.”

Yumi nods.

“Every day is going to be something to look forward to.”

Takeshi agrees.

“With all of you, everything becomes fun.”

Aya smiles.

“Next, let’s establish some hot spring etiquette.”

Yumi proposes.

“Oh, that’s a good idea.”

Takeshi agrees.

"Like the Ten Commandments of Hot Springs?"

Eli suggests an idea.

"Let's decide together, everyone."

Aya summarizes.

The four of them gathered around the hot spring and had a fun discussion about their future hot spring life.

"Bathing time is limited to 30 minutes."

"Clean up after use."

"Wash your body before entering the bath."

"Respect each other's privacy."

Rules were decided one after another.

Under the starry sky, the steaming hot spring became a new place of relaxation for the four of them.

It was a day filled with the joy of completing the hot spring and the deepening of the bond between the four.

Even the luxurious problem of modern people, the "mixed bathing issue," was solved in their own way.

"I feel like just having a hot spring has made our lives richer."

Eli says deeply.

"That's true. It's a small luxury, but it enriches the heart."

Yumi agrees.

"One more thing to look forward to starting tomorrow."

Takeshi also looks happy.

"A hot spring we all built together. Let's continue to use it with care."

Aya spoke for the feelings of the four of them.

The hot spring brought new enjoyment and deepened bonds to the four's island life.

It will surely continue to be a place of relaxation for the four of them, creating precious memories for years to come.