Sauna Recommendation

Come in!

…Hello.

Hi! It’s pretty late. What’s going on?

…Here.

Oh, your weekly report. Thanks for recording it while we’re still on our trip. Good work!

Thank you. Also…here.

Oh! A flower…and a vase?!

I thought that you’d need a vase, so I brought one.

I’m really grateful, but you didn’t have to…

(Actually, Nagi-kun did bring a lot of luggage with him. Did he just bring a bunch of flowers…?)

I made sure to bring a lot of flowers, so I could rebalance my yajirobe. But…I’m not sure if it’ll be enough.

This trip might be…too much happiness for me.

(He looks worried. Is there anything I can do to help calm his nerves…? Oh!)

Nagi-kun, you haven’t taken a bath yet, right?

I was about to.

I know there’s a tub in your room, but you should try the public bath. It’s really nice.

They even have a sauna. It’s a great place to relax!

A public bath and a sauna…

Yep!

……

I’ve never been to either of those.

……

Okay. I’ll try it.

…Ah.

Nagi, my man. Hey. You’re gonna love this sauna, brother. The humidity and temperature are just how I like ’em.

Uuuuggghhhh…

You’re here too, Netaro.

I came with Daa after he told me that it is an efficient way to clear your head…

You just got here. And you’re on the level with the lower temperature. So whatcha say, Nagi? Wanna sit next to me on the higher level?

Um, I’ll go with the lower one… Do you like saunas, Buchi-san?

Hell yeah! I’ve been to ’bout 300 of ‘em during my travels. I’m the biggest damn sauna fan you’ll ever meet. I’ve even been to the ultimate holy land of saunas, Finland.

Ohh…

Will this truly clear my head…?

I just came because the chief recommended it.

Oh, gotcha. That means you’re a sauna beginner too. Guess I gotta show you the ropes.

Iwabuchi’s secret sauna techniques: what it means to get sauna-high!¹

Ah, yes. It’s an honor to be learning from you, Master.

Masteeeer.

Oh, one thing before I start. Don’t get into the sauna if you just had some alcohol or a big meal. You don’t want medics to carry you out while you’re butt-ass naked. It’s basic manners.

This is more serious than I expected…

If you finish three sets of sauna, cold bath, and open-air or indoor bath in that order, your sleep quality will improve or whatever.

’Bout seven or eight minutes in the sauna is fine for beginners.

Uugghhh… Five minutes and 52 seconds left, 51 seconds…

What about the cold bath?

Depends, but usually one minute? If the temperature’s in the single digits, I wouldn’t overstay your welcome.

Then you get that sauna-high. Sit in a chair and let the wind wash over you, and the happy hormones in your brain will start firin’ off.

I’ve read about this! Your body feels relaxed, but your brain feels alert! It causes your brain juices to start flowing and makes you feel the utmost pleasure, does it not?!

That sounds scary.

You ain’t gotta chase after the feeling. I think you can get something pretty close to a sauna-high by just usin’ the sauna and nothin’ else.

It’s so hot… I want water…

Yeah. Me too.

Humans got too much goin’ on up here, y’know? Now that it’s so hot that you can’t even think, y’gotta take the opportunity to make your mind a total blank slate.

Just imagine turning off a switch in your brain.

*inhale…*

Three minutes and 59 seconds… 58 seconds…

When you start worryin’ about something, it’s usually either in the past or the future, right? But you don’t exist in either. You get stuck in a loop ’cuz you can’t do anything about it.

When you wanna get away from all of that, the sauna’s your best friend.

The heat’s the only thing on your mind, so your heart feels light. Now THAT’S what I call a detox.

How many…minutes left…? One…?

*wheeze, wheeze…* Wa… S’hot…

Kinda feels like you’re meditating or practicing mindfulness… Woah, hey. You guys listenin’?

Ahahgaghgaah… IT’S SO HOOOOOT! No more! No more sauna-high!

He was bright red.

Hahaha! Well, he ain’t gotta push himself. You’re pretty good, Nagi. A real sauna master in the making.

Maybe I should buy a sauna hat.

Lemme know if you ever wanna. I know the best one in the game.

Okay. Thank you.

……

……

(We both fell silent… Maybe I should say something.)

……

……

(But what should I even say? Something we have in common…)

Wouldn’t it be crazy if that Ryui guy were in this hotel right now?

……

Buchi-san, why…

Huh?

Why didn’t you catch Ryui at Hachiman Zaka?

(He would’ve had a way better chance at catching him than I did.)

Uhhh, well, how do I say this…

……

(I-It’s so hot… I feel like I’m burning… Hurry…)

He ain’t a kid anymore. Thought we should just let the guy come back when he feels like it.

S’about it.

(Come back when he feels like it? Would someone who went missing really do that?)

Really? If he could change his mind that easily, then he wouldn’t have run away in the first place…

Maybe there were some unforeseen circumstances…

(For both Ryui and her.)

(They had… Ah… Ahhh… Agghh…)

Y’know, I had this same thought at the observatory, but you’re surprisingly kinda positive⁠—

It’s too hot…! I can’t do this anymore…!

Haha! Catch ya later!

*sigh…*

(It was so hot… I could never become the “biggest sauna fan people would ever meet”.)

(But my mind does feel refreshed. Is this a sauna-high?)

Ah… They have free popsicles.

……

(Strawberry, grape, orange, pineapple, mango, red bean, condensed milk… There’s a lot.)

(I want something refreshing, so I’ll pass on the red bean and condensed milk. They’d be too sweet.)

(Strawberry and grape are refreshing, but they’re usually not as tart in popsicle form, so they leave something to be desired.)

(Mango… I want to save tropical flavors for tropical trips. Condensed milk suits Hokkaido, but I already said no to that one.)

(Which leaves the ever-popular orange and pineapple flavors. They’ll both be plenty tart. Pineapple is tropical…)

(Okay. I’ll go with the safest choice, orange.)

They’re free… Is this okay? I hope this doesn’t give me too much happiness.

*munch…* So good.

(It’s pineapple. I think I picked the wrong one.)

But maybe this is for the better.

(Pineapple’s good too. And…I actually didn’t run into any misfortune…)

Could it be…?

……

(My theory that my misfortune doesn’t rebound when the atmospheric pressure is stable seems to be true.)

Hm?

(No, this is the HAMA chart. I need the Hakodate one…)

Ugh… An updraft, and tomorrow has a bomb icon on it. This isn’t good…

Huh?

(A weird noise came from the recliners in the back… Is someone else here?)

(They sound like they’re struggling…)

……

Excuse me. Um, are you feeling alright?

Ah, Netaro?

Are you okay? You were groaning. If you feel sick, then I can tell Chi⁠—

Gh…?!

(What’s…happening? Why’s it freezing in here…?)

(I can’t move my legs… Why? I’m kind of scared… No, I’m absolutely terrified…)