Haruto and Mari gazed at the traditional Japanese ryokan, its serene wooden architecture nestled against a backdrop of steaming hot springs, added with yellowish ginkgo trees that surrounded it, it was such a beautiful and peaceful place.
Mari clung to Haruto's arm, her face lit up with excitement.
"Wow, I can't believe we're actually on vacation together," she exclaimed.
It was rare for her to go on vacation with a friend, moreover with her boyfriend, just the two of them.
Her mind was full of the possibility of the things that they would do, enough to make a little blush to her cheeks.
"Yeah, well, getting here felt like a battlefield," Haruto replied, sighing as the memory of the tense encounter with her parents resurfaced.
Mari's father, Mr. Hayasawa, a renowned politician, was fiercely protective of his only daughter.