Whew!

As fun as today's shoot was, they had us do so much!

They told us that it'd be for a camping special, but chopping all that firewood was harder than I expected...

<We actually had a lot of fun watching you though.>

<Yeah.

I think the special's gonna turn out really great!>

Hehe. That means a lot coming from all of you.

Still...

We really worked up a good sweat.

I was hoping to take a bath... Why don't we all go together?

I really wanna join you, but I still need to get my bags all sorted...

Now that you mention it, Minori, you do have all your bags laid out...

I've also been thinking about getting my things sorted, so I'll also join you in a little bit.

I still have a few emails left that I need to reply to, so I'll head over once I'm finished with those.

Okay.

Then, I'll go on ahead.

<No fair!

I wanna take a dip in the hot spring!>

<Yes, it would've been nice to give my skin a refreshing treatment. Is there any way for you to bring back some of the water?>

That may be difficult... Instead, we can bring back some manju. I'm sure you'll enjoy them very much.

<What?!

You mean the ones Saito brought over yesterday?>

<Awesome!

I promise to wait and be really patient♪>

<Oh, you. But I understand your excitement.>

(The baths should be... Ah, this way.

Thank goodness for all these signs.)

(Still, this inn really is lovely...

Our room feels relaxing, and the staff here are so kind...)

(We talked it over a little after that...)

(And we agreed to respect Saito's decision to help keep her family's business going.)

(And I...agree with that, but...)

You're Ms. Hinomori, correct?

Huh...?

Ah, I had a feeling.

Thank you for always being so kind to my granddaughter.

I apologize for not introducing myself sooner. I am the previous proprietress of this inn, as well as Ayaka's grandmother.

Her grandmother...?!

No, I should be the one telling you how grateful we are for all the kindness she's given us.

Hehe. I appreciate that very much.

And I'm so glad that I finally got to meet you.

But... I suppose all the stories I'd heard were true. She really has been working with you...

You're the reason why she decided to start working part-time at events, so it seems fate is not without a sense of humor...

Wait, I am...?

Oh, did she not tell you?

No, I... I knew that she's been a big fan of mine for a very long time...

But I had no idea that she chose to start helping with events because of me.

Oh, I see...

If I recall...

I believe it all started about three years ago.

Something about meeting you for the first time at a meet and greet...?

At a meet and greet? About three years ago...?

Oh...

That may've been the event where everyone from the third generation was introduced.

I can't recall many details, but I do remember Ayaka making a bit of a mistake while helping out here and feeling bad about it.

Apparently, you asked her if she was okay after noticing that something was bothering her.

What...?

After that, she gained an interest in working as an event staff member.

I suspect it's because she saw firsthand the power that events have to move hearts.

Saito...

But I doubt she ever dreamed of having the opportunity to work with you yourself someday.

Oh, speaking of which, you should've heard how happy she was when she called home after working on one of your group's events for the first time.

She even kept sending us messages saying, “It's so amazing how hard she works,” and, “I'm giving MORE MORE JUMP! all the support I can!”

But above all else, she sounded the happiest when telling us how the event she helped put together actually succeeded.

Oh...

Yes...

She also told us the same thing.

When she told us that, it became clear that she genuinely has a passion for our line of work... Her words left me speechless.

Ah, yes, I'd imagine so.

Which is why I posed a question to her.

If she likes it that much, then why not pursue it as a career?

...!

How did she respond...?

She said...

We kept going around in circles after that...

But she was so adamant that I ended up saying, “It seems it really is your dream to take over.”

However, I'm still having a hard time actually believing that...

So... Is her mother aware of any of this?

No.

I've taken it upon myself to hear what Ayaka has to say since her mother doesn't know much about the entertainment industry.

Also...

This subject became a secret between just us after she said that...

A secret between the two of you...?

However, I have a feeling that her mother would say the same thing as me.

What...?

I mean, what parent doesn't want their child's dreams to come true?

(She's right...)

(Saito certainly seems to be placing the happiness of those she cares about above her own dream...)

(And yet, those same people want her to pursue what she wants... They believe that's what will make her the happiest.)

(They all care so much about each other, but... They're not on the same page at all.)

Oh, look at the time.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to give you our whole family's story.

You were about to take a bath, yes?

Our spring's known for being both rejuvenating and good for your skin. I hope you have a soothing bath.

Oh...