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Eventually, the virtual fireworks display came to an end, and everyone finished the food they had bought. By now, it was late enough that their options were limited to either sleeping or visiting the hot springs, but Kou still had one important thing left to do.

◇◇◇

The sound of a bucket dropping echoed through the bathroom.

“…Mhm, that looks good. I’d say you pass.”
“Oh… I tried so hard, and it’s still just a passing mark?”

They were in one of the simple wash booths in the bathroom, where the girls were washing up. Kou had just finished washing her body and hair under Hijiri’s guidance, which left her utterly drained.

The process had involved careful combing and attention to countless little details. By the end, Kou finally understood why Hijiri would often complain about being envious of how quick Subaru’s showers were.

After guiding Kou through the intricacies of a girl’s bath routine, Hijiri started washing herself. Since Kou felt too embarrassed to watch, she decided to head to the hot springs first.

It was late at night by now, so most of the other guests had already left. Kasumi, who had arrived with them, was still there, engaged in an endurance contest in the sauna with Hinagiku and Miyuki.

Kou glanced briefly at them before slipping into the main hot spring area, feeling too self-conscious to join the girls in the sauna.

She let out a deep, contented sigh.

“I’m beat…”

Thinking back, from waking up next to Hijiri to that exhausting morning run, it had been a nonstop sequence of mentally draining situations. Now, at last, she found a moment of peace as the warm water seemed to melt the weariness from her body.

Even thinking felt like too much effort, so she let herself float slightly, staring absently at the sky above.

“Ohh, what’s this, Kou? You’re exposing all your cute parts like that.”
“…?!”

Startled by the familiar voice, Kou hastily sank back into the water, covering her chest with both arms. She turned sharply, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and her eyes glaring.

“Why act so shy? Isn’t it natural for a mother and child to take a bath together?”
“It’s been years since you last did that!”

Standing there, laughing pleasantly, was her mother, Amari. She looked like an older version of Kou, her slender, feminine figure making it hard to believe she had given birth years ago.

Kou continued to protest, but Amari remained calm, gracefully slipping into the water beside her.

“Fair, fair… I suppose it was back when you were just starting school.”
“Yeah… Dad explained everything to me already, so it doesn’t bother me anymore.”

For a long time, Kou had harbored a bit of resentment toward her mother for being absent so often. But now, she understood it had been for her sake. Still, she was at that awkward age where being openly forgiving felt difficult, so she simply turned and pouted.

“Have you made any plans for tomorrow?”

They sat in silence for a while, Kou curled up with the water reaching her shoulders. When her mother posed the question, Kou straightened a little before replying.

“Well… nothing specific. We want to enjoy our vacation, so we probably won’t log into the game. For now, we’re just planning to hang out at the beach again.”
“Hmm, I’m glad you seem to enjoy this place.”
“I’m more worried about you and Dad, though. Are you ever planning to take a break?”
“Mm, you’re right. I should be free tomorrow, so let’s spend some time together, okay?”

With that, Amari moved closer and hugged Kou. Kou looked away, her face flushed, finding the level of physical affection a bit overwhelming.

“B-By the way, I feel like lately my vision and physical abilities have really improved…”

Half as an attempt to change the subject and half out of genuine curiosity, Kou brought it up. She could barely imagine someone her size pulling off an alley-oop in PE basketball, yet in the moment, it had felt natural—and had drawn a lot of attention.

“Oh? I assume you’ve already noticed some changes if you’re asking. What sort of things have you managed?”
“In the game… I was able to knock down bullets.”
“Oho, I’m so proud of my daughter!”
“Hey… Stop thattt!!”

Amari happily patted Kou’s head, who wriggled and tried to resist.

“I told you, didn’t I? Once you got used to your new body, you’d be able to outrun an Olympic athlete with ease.”
“So… you actually meant that.”
“Hmm… Still, it might be wise to teach you a few ways to keep your strength under control.”

Amari’s delighted tone only made Kou sigh with uncertainty, wondering what her future held.

“Also… I’ve been wondering, why is NTEC helping with this resort in the first place?”

Any business would look to increase profits, but Kou’s question wasn’t about that.

“Hmmm… You were at the fireworks test run, yes?”
“Yeah, it was incredible. It was so much better than any fireworks I’ve ever seen.”
“Mhm, I’m glad you thought so. What you saw was a recreation of an annual event once held in Akita, known as the Olympics of Fireworks. But that was from a long-lost era, even before you were born. The masters of that craft are no longer with us.”

Kou had heard of it before. It was one of Japan’s three biggest fireworks festivals, a tradition that had lasted for over a century before it was postponed indefinitely as years passed.

“It was really something—especially the drive back home. Since it was two prefectures away, the traffic was so terrible we wouldn’t get home until noon the next day.”
“Really? It took that long?”
“Nowadays, with self-driving cars, it’s hard to imagine traffic like that. But Sora told me it was pretty common back when people drove manually.”

Kou was astonished by the story, and Amari was pleased to see Kou so engaged. But then a thought occurred to Kou.

“So, even something that amazing is already lost to time.”
“Yes… Human life is short. Even though knowledge and skills can be passed down through generations, it only takes one master without a disciple for a tradition to disappear.”

Kou felt a pang in her chest, hearing her mother’s wistful tone.

“Then, all this work you’re doing here…”
“Yes, it’s all to show you something that’s been lost—something I once experienced but can no longer share with you directly.”
“Hm… What do you mean?”
“Just wait for tomorrow. It’ll all make sense then.”

Amari answered with a playful grin, making Kou groan and mutter, “You’re always so mysterious…”