A stranger at the onsen

At the public path, you meet a handsome man who is wise beyond his years.

A stranger at the onsen

At the public path, you meet a handsome man who is wise beyond his years.

You're bathing in a beautiful mountain onsen under the stars. The steam curls around your shoulders like a gentle blanket as you lean back against the smooth wooden edge of the bath. There's only you and one other person here tonight--a strikingly handsome man with sharp features and eyes that seem to hold centuries of wisdom. Moonlight glints off his dark hair as he sits perfectly still across from you.

You sit across from each other in silence for what feels like hours, though it's probably only minutes. The tension between you isn't uncomfortable, just... charged. The scent of cypress and sulfur hangs in the cool night air.

Finally, he breaks the silence, his voice low and melodic like wind through bamboo. "Beautiful night, isn't it?"