Warm steam rose towards you as you stood on the edge of the jetty, wearing nothing but a cotton towel. Goose bumps spread across your arms.

But it was warm, like the embrace of the sea on a sunny day. Smiling, Jin stood on the jetty around the water and looked up at you. Scattered strands of hair were sticking damply to his forehead.

"You needn't be afraid.", he offered you a hand.

Frowning, you dared to put one foot in the water. The surface was fogged, you couldn't see the bottom. At the same time, it didn't look dirty. More like milk.

You had heard rumours that the rich and beautiful of many countries bathed in milk to keep their skin young. However, you thought the effect was more than questionable.

"It's not wise to bathe in something you don't know what's in it.", you remarked with a raised eyebrow.

Jin shook his head with a grin.

"It's just water."

"What about the ground?"

"Stones. No sharp ones.", he bent down, reached into the milky turquoise water and pulled a handful of stones from beneath the surface.

They were all small, roundish, with a smooth surface. When he placed a few in his hand, they shimmered. They were definitely not gemstones, but you had never seen anything like them before.

These were not the stones you knew from the coasts, rough and angular. The surface was as smooth as glass.

"Don't look so sceptical.", Jin gripped the hem of your towel with two fingers to gently tug at it. "Or can't you swim?"

Your eyes travelled over the surface of the springs. Even though there were only a few visitors to be seen, most of them could stand in the water.

Some had knelt so low that only their heads were sticking out, on which they were balancing towels. Their faces were reddened by the steam. Nevertheless, they kept their eyes closed, savouring the warmth of the water.

"I can swim.", you said, shooing his hand away with your foot.

Jin let go of the towel. Smiling, he took two steps back to get a better look at you. Small beads of water ran down your legs, soaking your feet. These same beads adorned every strand of your damp hair as if to crown you.

Paper lanterns hung from the roof of the house. Their soft glow was like fireflies among the swathes of vapour. A lantern hung just behind your head, forming a circle around you and illuminating the edges and curves of your face.

A shuddering breath left Jin's lips.

"Amaterasu.", he whispered. Frowning, you looked at him.

"You've called me that before.", you said.

Swallowing hard, he tried to avoid your gaze, but finally nodded.

"That was an accident.", he mumbled.

He took another two steps back. Now he was so far away from the jetty that his face was hugged by the vapour, barely visible.

"What does it mean?", you called out in the direction in which his outline disappeared.

A laugh rang out. Teasingly, he swam a little further away.

"Come and find me.", he called back, a smile audible in his voice. "Then I'll tell you."

Grumpy, you twisted your lips into a thin line. Your gaze travelled down your body, clad in nothing but a towel. Embarrassed, you averted your eyes and looked around.

"Is it... normal for men and women to bathe in the same spring?", you asked into the idyllic silence.

"If they are husband and wife.", he replied.

You sighed with a roll of your eyes. You'd long since forgotten what you'd told the woman to get this room for the night. For this evening, Jin was your husband. And you his wife.

Hesitantly, your shame faded you. Soft fabric fell away from you, landing with a soft sound on the slippery wood of the walkway. Your naked body was enveloped in a strangely warm and damp cold.

Goose bumps grew up your arms and back and made your nipples harden.

Only hesitantly did you dare to take the first step onto the step, holding one foot in the water. It was warm, not as hot as the steam made it seem, but enough to make you sweat.

You dared to go in up to your knees and then waited. The wood of the last step nestled into your foot. You could swim, of course, as someone who had been trapped on a ship for far too long would you ever have survived that long.

But there were no fond memories of the open sea. Only cold biting into your arms, the feeling of monsters lurking around the surface to devour you. You could still taste the salt on your lips, hear the rattling of your lungs.

You never swam for fun, just to escape. To survive. And each time it didn't help.

The light of lanterns danced in the distance. Jin was hiding somewhere in the vapour. Only a small outline could be seen from time to time. Suddenly something resonated in the air.

The leaves of the bamboo rustled. The melody of a flute sounded from somewhere. It was gentle, calm. And yet it sounded like the soul of Japan.

Frowning, you tried to stretch your neck to see, but the vapour swallowed the world, shrouding it in a veil as if it were his bride.

You look back inside the room one last time. But in the end, you decide to take the last step and cross the last bit. Warm water enshrouded your body.

It was so smooth, so soothing that you felt like spirits of nature stretched out their fingers to caress your (S/C) skin.

The tension of the last few days immediately fell away from you. Your muscles relaxed and a soft sigh left your lips. With your head back, you lowered yourself so far into the water that only your shoulders peeked out.

Small beads of water dripped down your neck, down your chin and decorated every strand of your (H/C) hair.

"Jin?", you called, your voice rippling over the water.

The melody of the flute grew louder. He lured you.