Back on the men’s side, Taro had already lowered himself into the now-steaming bath. He did not look up. Aoki was hiding behind a bucket. But Sora sat on the wooden stool, let the nurse’s towel rest on his knee, and said nothing.
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. sento cfnm
For ten minutes, Rin directed. Sora grunted and turned. Water gurgled. Steam began to rise. And then, with a shudder and a roar, the pump kicked in. Hot water cascaded from the lion’s-head spout. Back on the men’s side, Taro had already