Episode 65 – Sauna ①

This is the second Saturday in February.
On this day, I was headed to a public bathhouse for a change.

I had been at home working on a melody for the next song I was going to write, and I just couldn’t come up with any ideas.

In the past, I had just waited for ideas to flow out of me without doing anything, but now that I had decided to become a composer, I couldn’t afford to take that kind of leisurely approach.
If I am going to do this as a job, I can make deadlines, and such passive behavior may lead me to inadvertently cross deadlines.
So I need to find a way to solve the problem, even if it forces me to do so when I’m stuck.

Thus, the public bathhouse.

With a minimal change of clothes and some money, I headed to a nearby public bathhouse.
It is around 11:00 p.m. and it is already dark all around.

I’ve never lived my life going out at night, so it’s kind of refreshing.

“It feels kind of liberating.”

After passing through a street lined with apartments, restaurants were still open for business with their lights twinkling.
The area is lined with family restaurants and chain taverns, and even at night it is not dark enough to get lost.
Next time, it might not be a bad idea to be canned in a place like this. Lyrics and such could be thought of for places like this.

Euphoria rises in the city at night, which is unfamiliar to me.
It was somewhat unrealistic, like I was in some unknown city.

“Hmm, Hmm, Hhhhmmmmmm~~~”

Was it because I am so excited that I am humming a tune?
I failed to notice the lone woman following me from behind.

When I arrived at the bathhouse, there was a man in his 30s standing at the reception desk.

“Okay, U-Umm….A-Alright”

He was on the phone, but when he recognized me coming in, he smiled.
Still, he is dexterous, as he is able to entertain customers over the phone without interruption in conversation.

As expected, I did not feel comfortable going inside the curtain without permission, so I waited for a few minutes.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

A man at the reception desk approached me from the counter.

“I understand this is your first time here?”
“Eh, Well, yeah”

He confirms in an assertive tone that he remembers every face of every guest who comes in.
And as soon as the receptionist confirmed that it was a first-time visitor, he proceeded to go through the manual, wiping the sweat off his face.

“Please use the lockers in the changing rooms to keep your valuables safe. Please take care of your own keys.”
“Ah, yeah”
“A-Also, we have a sauna and oxygen capsule at your disposal. We will charge you extra for the oxygen capsule, though. The sauna is free, so definitely keep using it.”
“O-Okay……”
“Oh, one more thing. After your bath, please drink the fruit milk we sell in our store. It’s your first time here, so we’ll serve you.”
“Heee, Whaaa”
“Well then, enjoy your stay.”

The waiter had said all he had to say, and when I finished paying the fee, he withdrew to the back of the room.

I was handed the key, and I was left alone with a pout.

“…..Well, Can’t help it”

It kind of looked like the clerk was beating his chest, but it wasn’t really a big deal.
Mm-hmm.

At any rate, I headed toward the men’s baths.

The inside of the bathhouse was covered with very clean white tiles, so much so that I felt as if I might slip and fall.

Resisting the urge to jump into the bath with a zap, I wash my head and body.
The shampoo is probably better than the one I have at home. The containers are different.
It had writing on it that I couldn’t tell if it was English or not, but it smelled like roses.

I scrubbed my head, scrubbed my body, and took a bath first.

“Buhaaaa~”

I take a dip in the hot water, sounding like an old man.

The bath is not a hot spring, so the water is no different from that at home. If I may say so, the temperature is a little high.

Still, it felt fresh.
For some reason, I had a profound realization that life was so free again for the first time.
I guess I hadn’t truly separated from my parents yet, or I didn’t know that I could do these things on my own.

Already this alone was quite a refreshing change of pace and I feel inspired.
Well, so much so that I honestly forgot about the music until now.

The interior design of the bathhouse seems to have no particular attention to detail, and it is safe to say that there are no pictures of Mount Fuji painted on the walls or a bleak landscape.
Perhaps the freshness will wear off after a few visits, but for now, this was fun enough.

“Come to think of it, I don’t see anyone at all.”

As I was observing the bathhouse, I suddenly realized.
There were people in the beginning, but after 10 minutes, there was no one in sight but me.
There is no sound of the shower, no echoing sound of the tub falling to the floor, as a matter of course.

“Well, it’s not exactly a place to linger.”

The water is set at a relatively high temperature, so you cannot stay in the hot water for that long.

I’m definitely going to get a cold sore, too.
It’s time to get out.

After getting out of the hot water, I wipe off all the water from my body with a hand towel that I brought with me.

Then I tried to open the door. ……

“What? It won’t open?”

The door does not open properly.
I tried putting a hand towel nearby and pulling with both hands, but to no avail.

Perhaps someone has carelessly locked the door.

“Oh well, they’ll notice when someone comes along again anyway.”

Then I remembered that I had not yet been to the sauna I was looking for.
The owner of the restaurant also reminded me to [definitely go] and I would be sorry if I didn’t.
My body is just about to cool down again, and I’m feeling just fine.

Follow the floor plan by the entrance. The sauna was located behind the wash area.
A sign on the entrance door warns of heat stroke and dehydration.

“Oh, wow.”

The inside is wooden, a complete change from the bathhouse.
Many, many trees are stacked on top of each other, creating an enclosed space.

“This is a nice place ……”

Perhaps the simplicity of the bathhouse construction was due to the particulars of the place.
It was so well done and had such a calming atmosphere that it made me think so.
I can see why the owner recommends it.

I closed the door and took one deep breath.
As soon as it closes, I feel the high humidity inside.
The crisp air is irresistibly hot. It was a little uncomfortable.

“Hot, Hot hot hothothothot”

I Enter through the entrance and try to sit in the front
There were towels laid out where I sat, but my calves inadvertently came in contact with the wood and were hot.
I felt like I was going to get burned.

“P-Phewww”

Alone in the empty sauna, I cross my arms and bear it.

This could be a spiritual discipline, I thought, as I waited desperately to sweat.
I was slow to perspire, perhaps because I am not a sweaty person, and after about five minutes, sweat finally began to run down my forehead.

“So hot”

Naturally, it’s hot, but I haven’t stuck around long enough to go outside and get a sense of freedom yet.
Let’s try for another 10 minutes.

I put the hand towel on my waist and got myself fired up once more, and that’s when it happened.

“Hi♪”

In the sauna, I had a vision of a blonde woman who was not supposed to be here.