When Ran got home, the house was still completely dark, but she had already expected that. Her mom had been following up on a case lately, and it was at a crucial point, so she often came back late.
It was pitch-black outside, and Ran walked into her room without turning on the light.
She went to her bed and buried her face into the quilt.
Bang!
The entire bed made a muffled sound, and the room fell silent again after a moment.
After a while, a faint glow lit up the dark room, casting a gentle blush on Ran's face.
She operated her phone and made a call. It was quickly picked up on the other end.
"Ran, what's wrong?"
The voice was calm and gentle, with no emotional fluctuations, yet somehow had the power to ease a person's mind.
Ran composed herself mentally before speaking.
"Ren, have you decided on your plans for the weekend?"
"No. Do you have anything in mind?"
"Well... there's a reunion for my dad and his former classmates this weekend. The area has a lot of hot spring inns, and there'll be celebrations and fireworks in the evening. A lot has happened lately, and I think we should all go on a hot spring trip this weekend to relax."
"That's a good idea. Everyone's been pretty tense lately. After the Tsukikage Island incident, we should've taken a break, but then we had that private island training. Going to Tochigi for a hot spring trip this month sounds perfect."
Hearing that her suggestion was accepted, Ran finally felt relieved. Then she suddenly remembered what Aunt Yumi had said about mixed bathing.
"By the way, many hot spring inns in Tochigi have open-air mixed baths. Ren, remember to tell Shinomiya and the others to bring swimsuits."
"Open-air? Mixed baths? Can't we pick a place with separate ones?"
"So, that's why I mentioned bringing swimsuits."
Ran knew Ren would find this hard to accept, so she brought up swimsuits. Even in a mixed bath, as long as everyone wore swimsuits, it shouldn't be a big deal. If the girls were okay with it, Ren should be able to handle it too.
"And if Shinomiya is organizing the trip, the whole inn will probably be booked out for us. If we're the only ones there, there's no need to overthink things, right?"
"Besides, even if it's mixed bathing, we'll be wearing swimsuits. It's no different from wearing a swimsuit at the beach. Ren can't be uncomfortable with that, right?"
"…Not really."
Girls' underwear tends to be more private, and some types aren't waterproof. When wet, they turn see-through. But swimsuits are different. As long as they aren't too revealing, it should be fine.
Ren could still accept wearing swimsuits. Just like going to the beach, there would be girls in swimsuits everywhere, so it wasn't a big deal.
"Then it's settled. I'll contact Shinomiya. I went to Tochigi with my dad five years ago, so I know the area better and can explain things to her."
"Alright. I'll leave it to you then."
After hanging up, Ran let out a long breath, flipped over in bed, and lay on her back.
"Ren's already talked to Shinomiya. Now it's up to her."
"This weekend will be a relaxing break for everyone. If we're lucky, we might even run into Dad and the others in Tochigi."
[Take your boyfriend to surprise Mouri.]
Aunt Yumi's suggestion still made Ran blush whenever she thought of it.
She didn't deny having feelings for Ren, but they weren't dating yet. If Aunt Yumi suddenly brought it up, and she really took Ren to meet her dad and the others, wouldn't Aunt Yumi just assume Ren was her boyfriend?
But Ran soon calmed herself down.
If that happened, only Aunt Yumi would think that way. So, it wasn't a big deal. She had already given Dad and Edogawa a heads-up earlier. They both believed Ren was dating Sonoko, so there was no way they'd suspect anything between her and Ren.
After settling her thoughts, Ran no longer felt overheated.
"In that case, the weekend is locked in for a hot spring trip."
"Wait… is the one I bought before still wearable?"
Thinking about the hot spring trip reminded her of something important. Her body had matured more since last year, and maybe the swimsuit she bought back then didn't fit anymore.
She immediately got up, turned on the lights, closed the curtains, and started digging around her room for the swimsuit she'd bought last year.
Eventually, she found a lone swimsuit in the corner of the closet with very little fabric—it was essentially a bikini.
The style wasn't flashy. It was a blue base, but there was barely enough fabric to cover the important parts.
Ran's face twitched slightly, and there was a hint of regret in her eyes.
"I shouldn't have let Sonoko talk me into buying this last year. I didn't even go to the beach, so I never wore it. This year… it's just not appropriate."
Even so, Ran still took off her underwear and put on the swimsuit.
Looking at the back straps in the full-length mirror, they were almost impossible to tie.
"Ugh, what a waste. This swimsuit wasn't cheap."
The key point was—it wasn't cheap.
Thinking about her limited allowance, Ran felt a headache coming on. The swimsuit from last year clearly wasn't usable anymore, and she'd need to buy a new one before the weekend. Otherwise, she wouldn't have the courage to enter a mixed bath like that.
Also, the coverage on this one was just too minimal.
After some hesitation, Ran picked up her phone and called Ren again.
"Ren, I want to ask you something. If you were picking a swimsuit, would you choose one that shows off your figure or a more conservative one?"
"Huh?"
Ren was stunned by the sudden question. Instantly, images of the girls around him in different swimsuit styles flashed through his mind—especially Kaguya and Sonoko. But the setting felt weird—like a public beach—which made him raise an eyebrow.
"Well… I think it's better to go with something more conservative."
Looking at herself in the mirror, Ran already guessed he'd say that.
"So you don't like to look?"
"…Is that really an appropriate question?"
"It's not that private. I'm going to wear it in the mixed bath this weekend. I need to ask so I know what kind to buy."
"It's not that I don't like looking…"
Ren sounded a bit embarrassed. He was still a normal guy after all. It wasn't like he had no interest in that sort of thing. He'd even climbed a wall to peek before, though he'd never actually seen the real thing.
"It's just… if you wear something too eye-catching to the beach, other people will see it too, right? So, I think it's better to be conservative."
Staring at herself in the full-length mirror, Ran chuckled softly.
"Got it. I'll hang up now."
(To be continued.)