I am only one world away from Yukinoshita.

"We've finally arrived!"

Orange paper lanterns were hung on the low edge of the wall, and the tiles piled up to form the edge of the house gathered the light, leaving warm shadows on the white wall.

After parking the car in a distant parking lot and dragging my luggage through the quaint streets for a long time, I finally arrived at my destination. Inside the quaint inn with its Japanese-style ambiance, the staff who had come to greet me were already waiting respectfully at the door.

Traveling by car is a boring thing. Even with games and companions, everyone's faces showed some fatigue. Kiyoshi and Nozomi were especially tired. The two took turns driving all day. Not only were their joints and muscles protesting, but they were also becoming a little dazed.

Taking advantage of everyone's inattention, Kiyotori put her hand on her shoulder and rubbed it. Not wanting to disturb others, she could only move it slightly. Perhaps because she had slept in a tent the night before, Kiyotori felt as if her neck and shoulders were being suspended by something since morning, and she could not move them flexibly.

Nozomi was in a better state. Although she looked tired, she was more energetic. She noticed Kiyoshi's discomfort and even offered to help him with his suitcase, but he politely declined.

"Welcome, dear guests."

Inside the door, a receptionist dressed in violet knelt at the entrance. As she slowly raised her head, the hairpin adorned with tassels on her hair seemed about to fall.

"I am Kosaka, who made the appointment beforehand."

Reina stood at the front of the group of six and spoke with the distinguished receptionist.

"Six people, right? Three double rooms?"

With a gentle gesture, he said, "This way, please."

She turned her head and gestured slightly to the people behind her, and someone stepped forward to take the suitcase.

The inn maintains a traditional Japanese style, with a wooden sign outside each room bearing the room's name written in calligraphy. It doesn't adopt modern design, and the slightly dim corridors are adorned only by a row of warm-colored lamps hanging along the walls, creating an elegant and refined atmosphere.

Because one had to take off their shoes and go barefoot to enter the area where the room was located, the steady footsteps of the group made a dull sound on the wooden floor.

The corridor meandered and stretched like a maze until it led out of the corridor with rooms on both sides and into an area with a small courtyard in the middle, where most of the rooms were arranged in a circular pattern.

The receptionist in purple knelt down and opened the paper door with both hands. "This is the room that Lord Kousaka reserved," she said, then stood up and led everyone into the room, which was not particularly large.

The room features a tatami mat, and a gentle sandalwood scent wafts through the air. To the left of the sliding door is a large cabinet containing blankets and mattresses for sleeping. On either side of the room are murals depicting what appear to be stories from Japanese mythology, rendered with remarkable realism. Upon closer inspection, one can even discern fine lines on the murals, suggesting that these are removable walls.

Directly opposite the door is another sliding door, suggesting there might be another space outside.

This is a very special room, with not much furniture.

Kiyotomi walked into the area of ​​the mural and tapped it with his hand until a dull sound suddenly came from the wall, as if there was air inside.

“This was originally a large suite. By pushing the murals on both sides into the walls, it can connect to the two adjacent rooms, balancing the fun and privacy of a group trip like this, where six adults travel in pairs,” she said. She then walked to the sliding door opposite and opened it, revealing a small hot spring with steam rising from it. “Since it was originally one room, the three small rooms share one hot spring. If the adults prefer a larger hot spring, there is an even larger bath on the other side of the hotel.”

"Gentlemen, please feel free to assign yourselves to rooms. Would you like to dine together or separately?"

"Let's go together."

"Then we'll take our leave now. Dinner will be in an hour."

It wasn't until the receptionist and waiters left that everyone seemed to come to their senses.

"I have a feeling... that the person in charge looks a bit like Ms. Michie?"

From the moment she entered the hotel, through the receptionist, and then having her luggage taken by a waiter, Kumiko was in a dazed state.

Kiyoshi smiled. "That person is probably in management here, but Michie-sensei isn't as gentle as her."

When the room was being introduced, the person had a smile on their face the whole time, and their aura was very gentle, with a hint of authority. It was probably for the subordinates, not for the guests.

"Then let's split into different rooms first? We still have an hour before dinner, so we can each rest for a while longer."

Kiyoyori pulled back the murals on both sides, revealing the rooms on the other two sides. Compared to the simplicity of the middle room, the rooms on the sides were more like ordinary Japanese-style rooms, with more furnishings.

"Kumiko and I will use this room."

Rena was clearly also particularly fond of the unique design in the middle.

Kiyoshi gestured to Nozomi and Mizore, indicating that they should choose first.

“Then Mizore and I will take the one on the left,” Nozomi said, taking Mizore’s hand. “Is that alright?”

Ying didn't speak, but simply nodded obediently.

As long as I'm with Nozomi, any place is fine.

"Then Yukino and I will stay in the one on the right," he said, taking Yukino's backpack from her. "How about it?"

"Ah."

Once everyone returned to their rooms and closed the partition doors, they finally relaxed.

Kiyoshi suppressed the urge to collapse onto the tatami mat and helped Yukino tidy up her belongings.

"Alright, you don't need to do anything anymore, go and take a rest."

Yukino took the clothes from Kiyori's hands, skillfully sorted them and hung them in the closet, and then took out two yukatas.

“It’s okay,” Kiyoyori said, putting his arm around Yukino (edited), “As long as Yukino is here, I won’t feel tired.”

"What are you showing off for? You're clearly exhausted and about to collapse, you pervert."

Yukino blushed (edited) and simply let the other person act cute.

After a while.

"Let go quickly."

Qinglai shook his head with a nasal tone, (edited), "Charging."

With a helpless sigh, Yukino gently stroked Kiyori's soft hair, "Just as Aunt Touko said, she's surprisingly good at acting cute."

The person holding Yukino suddenly laughed, but without making a sound; he just chuckled softly, his shoulders shaking.

"I only act cute with Yukino."

"From now on."

Yukino helplessly tugged at Kiyori's earlobe, only to find it flushed and burning, just like her own.

There's just no way to deal with her.

P.S.: Unbelievable! There are all sorts of weirdos out there. Today, my mom's friend's son, probably in middle or high school, came over. He walked right into the bathroom without knocking, and when he saw someone was inside, he didn't even bother to leave or apologize! He just leisurely came in, washed his hands, and left. Me?! Is he blind? It suddenly reminded me of a time I passed through a suburban neighborhood where a little boy was peeing at the door… If I weren't studying medicine, I'd seen too much of that stuff… Boys and girls alike, please protect yourselves in all places. And just now, another brat tried to force his way into my room?! Didn't his mom teach him not to go into girls' rooms?! How can he invade someone's private space without permission?! Who does he think he is?! I hate bratty kids!!!

Please see the announcement if you have any questions.

Chapter 155 Extra - We're 12

Dinner was very lavish. Two huge rectangular wooden tables almost cut Reina and Kumiko's room in half, and all sorts of plates were laid out on the table, making the eyes of the six people who had been eating fast food all day almost blurry.

From sashimi to grilled dishes, almost everything was available, especially the two lobsters placed in the very center, which were particularly eye-catching.

Although there was no fancy plating, the soup was poured over the snow-white shrimp meat that had been peeled off its hard shell, and seasonings were sprinkled on top. The other shrimp kept its original mouth shape, but the plump shrimp tail was cut in half. The crystal-clear shrimp meat glistened with water under the sake. Just thinking about the tender, sweet taste made one's mouth water.

"This is an Ise lobster."

The waiter's four words seemed to startle the people present.

Even Kiyori and Yukino frowned, and Reina, who was in charge of communicating with the inn, was also taken aback.

She didn't recall ever ordering Ise lobster for dinner.

The waiter maintained his smile, as if he hadn't explained clearly enough: "It's peak season for Ise lobster fishing now, so please rest assured that these two lobsters are still very lively before being cooked."

"I wasn't worried about that..."

Kumiko muttered a complaint under her breath; she was now more concerned about whether they would have to work here to pay off their debts after this trip.

Even children from large families like Kiyora and Yukino don't receive much pocket money from their parents. Especially after entering university, Kiyora found a job at a café not far from the school, while Yukino also worked part-time as a librarian at the school.

"Did they serve the wrong thing?" Reina secretly tugged at Kumiko's clothes, indicating that she had accidentally let something slip again, "I didn't reserve the Ise lobster."

The waiter's face showed a moment of surprise. "But does any of you gentlemen have the surname Yukinoshita?"

So everyone turned their attention to Yukino, who was clearly also confused about what was going on.

"I am Yukinoshita."

“Then there’s no problem,” the waiter said, setting out the last dish. “This is the lobster that Lady Yukinoshita ordered earlier. It will be cooked and delivered to Tsubaki-ma shortly.” This is what the proprietress just instructed.

"Camellia," is the name written on the sign hanging outside the room. All the rooms here are named after flowers.

The six people didn't dare pick up their chopsticks until the waiter left.

"Yukino..."

Kiyoshi seemed to have guessed something.

Yukino gently placed her right index finger to her lips, then took out her phone. "I'll make a call first."

"This is the first time I've ever seen an Ise lobster. I thought it would be very small based on the pictures."

Although I dare not touch the food, I can still admire this delicacy that will surely appear at a grand banquet.

“Most Ise lobsters aren’t this big,” Kiyoyori had basically guessed who had made these two lobsters. “I thought they were Australian lobsters at first, but I didn’t expect her to find two that big…”

"'she'?"

"Hmm, I'm afraid it is—"

"Sister?" Yukino answered the phone at that moment.

"Oh my? Isn't this Yukino? Shouldn't she be enjoying a loving soak in the hot spring with Kiyora right now? How come she has time to worry about her poor older sister who was abandoned by her younger sister and went on a trip all alone?"

Yukino was speechless for a moment.

The trip with Yukino was something they had planned long ago after they reconciled, but it was always put on hold because Yukino was always busy with the affairs of the Yukino family and her rest time never matched Yukino's. Just a few days ago, Yukino learned that Yukino was able to take a break and wanted to go on a trip with her sister, but unexpectedly, her sister's vacation had already been taken by someone else, so she had to enjoy her rare vacation alone.

"Just kidding," Haruno, knowing her sister's personality well, laughed it off with her usual laugh. It seemed a bit noisy on her end, like in a train station, and the sound of announcements could be faintly heard. "Ise lobster, is it good?"

Yang had already estimated the time it would take for their road trip. At this time, they should still be having dinner. The "lovey-dovey hot spring bath" comment was just something she used to tease Yukino.

“As expected…” Yukino sighed, “My sister’s surprise almost turned into a shock.”

"Really? But telling you in advance wouldn't be a surprise." Yang Nai's voice was as sunny and bright as ever, just like her name. "It's okay, it's okay. If you don't have enough money, you can just leave Xiao Qinglai there to work. I'll come pick you up and take you home. Anyway, she's working at a coffee shop now, so she's pretty good at greeting customers, right?"

Kiyoyori, sitting next to Yukino, could naturally hear their conversation. "Hey!"

"Huh? Xiaoqing's been hanging around you? We'll tell you secretly next time."

Kiyoshiro pressed her hand on the wildly throbbing nerve, her head aching. No matter the time, Yukinoshita Haruno was always the woman who would most easily provoke her.