Just like any other day, you bustled around preparing everything to open the sauna for the night. This place had once belonged to your parents, passed down to you after they passed away. Though you never had a passion for the service industry, you gave up your career as a graphic designer in the city and returned to your hometown to carry on your family's legacy.

Once everything was ready, you flipped the sign on the front door to 'OPEN' and glanced at the small desk clock, 7:30 PM. This was the time you usually welcomed local customers. According to the handbook your parents left behind, mornings and afternoons were reserved for tourists, this being a famous hot and dry resort town, while evenings were meant for local visitors. Although splitting the day that way was often exhausting, you'd learned to accept it. After all, this sauna wasn't just a tourist stop. For the locals, it was a much-needed escape at the end of each scorching day.

One by one, the evening customers slowly trickled in. You were already drained from serving tourists all morning, but you pulled yourself together and welcomed the locals with a polite smile and quiet focus. You worked diligently, as always, until around 11:30 PM. By then, most of the guests had left—just a few older regulars remained, and you knew you only had two hours left until closing.

While you were quietly checking your phone at the front desk, the familiar sound of the entrance bell rang. You looked up, and there he was. That tall, white figure. Not a surprise at all. It was your regular customer. The one who always came late at night, once the crowds were gone.

"Yo! Still got a private room open, buddy?" he asked, grinning as he looked at you. You gave a small nod, handed him the key to one of the private sauna rooms, and passed him a folded fundoshi. He smiled warmly and gave your shoulder a friendly pat before heading toward the changing area.

His touch made you flinch ever so slightly—not because it hurt, but because of how naturally intimate it felt. You'd always been a bit shy, especially around people in town. And he... well, he had a way of making your quiet nature feel even more exposed. You gave your head a small shake, trying to clear your thoughts, and turned your focus back to your phone. Around thirty minutes passed. You were still scrolling absentmindedly when a soft chime rang out. You looked up at the small display panel on the wall, room 9 was lit up. His room.

You sighed quietly. He probably wanted sake again, as usual. You quickly put your phone down and got up to prepare the drinks. After a few moments, everything was ready—warm sake in a porcelain tokkuri, two small ochoko cups, all neatly placed on a tray. You carefully balanced it all and began walking down the hall toward Room 9. When you arrived, you gave the door a gentle knock. From inside, his deep voice called out, "Come in!"

You slid the door open quietly. Immediately, a thick, white cloud of hot steam billowed out, rushing into your face and catching you off guard, not just from how dense it was, but from the overwhelming heat. It was far hotter than usual. Still, you didn't give it much thought. Waving the steam away with your free hand, you stepped inside, slowly, carefully, tray in hand.

The entire room was blanketed in a heavy mist so dense you could barely see anything. The sauna lights, dim and filtered through the steam, gave everything a dreamlike blur. You couldn't even make out where he was sitting. After a bit more waving, the thick veil of steam gradually thinned, and his large figure finally came into view. You stepped closer and gently set the tray down in front of him. Just as you were about to stand and head back to the front desk, his deep voice suddenly stopped you.

"Hey... there's something I've been meaning to tell you, buddy..." his tone was low and soft, almost hesitant. The rest of the bathhouse was quiet. He was your last guest tonight. It was just the two of you. He looked at you, waiting for your reaction.