Rin finished her soak last. As she dressed, Hana the matron slid a cup of hot tea across the counter.
“So is warm water,” Rin replied. “Look, I don’t care who sees what. I need someone big enough to hold a flashlight and not drop my wrench. And they have to go into the women’s side to turn the valve from the back.”
“You didn’t have to go through there,” Hana said quietly. “You could have waited for the repair crew.” sento cfnm
“Here,” the nurse said. “Your knee. Wrap this around the joint. Cold water is bad for inflammation.”
Rin, a junior plumbing engineer with a cracked phone screen and a fierce underbite, was the first to arrive for her 6:00 AM soak. The second was Sora, a champion sumo wrestler currently nursing a knee injury, whose bulk could blot out a doorway. Third came Taro, a retired calligraphy master with shaky hands and a sharp tongue. Finally, Aoki, a nervous office worker who only came because his insomnia was worse than his shame. Rin finished her soak last
Sora climbed out, dripping, and bowed slightly to the women’s side. “Apologies for the intrusion.”
Sora sighed, a sound like gravel rolling downhill. He stood, unfolded his towel, and draped it over his shoulder with the calm of a man who had been naked in front of fifteen thousand screaming fans. “Lead the way, engineer.” “Look, I don’t care who sees what
“I can’t reach the valve,” Rin admitted. “It’s behind the partition, submerged. Someone has to go through.”