I’m dirt poor!

I immediately looked at Mayu. She smiled at the old man and gave him 10 coins that look like old Japanese coins that have a small square hole in the middle. They don't look like gold but it has a yellowish color and circular. When the old man said chips I first thought of potato chips but when he said cash or credit I thought 'Oh no!'.

I didn't know that even being a ghost that I will still need money! No wonder in Chinese tradition they burned those paper money for their deceased relatives! It's for this purpose that they still need to spend money even in the afterlife! This is the first time that I encountered a ghost asking for payment. Why is that when I was staying in the presidential suite back home there was no one collecting the bill from my 1 week stay there?

I tugged Mayu's sleeve and motioned her to the side. "What is it?" She asked me after I made sure that we are a little bit far from the old man. He was watching me like a hawk and it's a scary look!

"Well, it's like this… I don't have money." I awkwardly told her.

She looked at me and laughed her ass off! "Well, we are dead so of course we don't have money! You are so silly!" She was still clutching her stomach while laughing at me.

"Well, I know that! What I mean is I don't have any of those coins that you gave the old man! In other words, I'm dirt poor!" I told her with obvious panic in my voice.

"You're WHAT?! Then how did you pay for the plane and the train ticket?!" She blurted out and she was looking at me like I'm some kind of alien.

"Well, that's the thing. I didn't pay for them and no one even asked me to pay for any of the tickets. I know this can be embarrassing, but can I borrow money from you to pay for staying the night here and then I'll figure something out to pay you back?" I shamelessly asked her for the money.

Mayu looked at me for I don't know how long and then she heaved a long sigh. "Okay, just this once. But remember to pay me back okay!?" She said and then went to the old man to hand out another 10 coins. The old man was smiling now and bowed towards us and then left the room.

I looked at Mayu and was thinking of how to ask her how to make money or where to get it. "Let's go out and take a bath first. I know Hiro will just take a bath and will sleep in due to jet lag. We will go out tomorrow and tour you around. We can talk while soaking in the open-air bath." Mayu suggested and gave me a yukata. The yukata is mainly white with dark green bamboo design and it's the same as the ones in the inn.

"How can we take a bath when we're ghosts? It's not like we will get wet or able to soak in the water?" I asked her confused while I was changing into the yukata.

"Silly girl! Of course, we will be able to take a bath in there. The water came from the underground hot spring and it has a rich spiritual essence that we ghost can use to revitalize our energy! Gosh, You don't even know this common thing?" She gasped when she saw my facial expression.

"Don't worry! Your senpai here will teach you all you need to know!" She proudly puffs out her chest and even pounds on it to show that she knows it all. Oh, she's my senpai now? This girl changes our relationship with every other sentence.

"Sure please enlighten me oh great one!" I said with sarcasm but instead of getting angry at me he eyes sparkles at how I address her! She's not right in the head.

"Come on let's go! If we're too slow all the good spots will be taken!" She pulled me outside the door and we went downstairs towards the bathhouse.

We went inside the door that has Japanese letters on it and as I was trying to look at it, Mayu just pulled me inside. When we are inside, I saw shelves on the left side with small rectangular shaped white plastic baskets. I saw Mayu took one and she was able to hold it! Curious, I also tried to touch it and it felt solid to the touch! I inhaled and braced myself to see if I can grab it and I was able to! I was so amazed and happy that I stood there frozen and not know what to do next!

"Hey! What are you dazing there for? Grab your towel and take off your clothes so that we can take a bath already! I feel so dirty, I want to be refreshed!" Mayu scolded me so I hurry up and took off my clothes and put them on the basket. I wrapped the towel around me and followed her outside.

As I walked outside towards the open-air bath, all I can see are steam everywhere. I can't even see Mayu around. But what I noticed is that the steam that surrounded me started to linger around me and I can feel this warm feeling enveloping me. It was so shocking for me because this is the first time since becoming a ghost that I was able to feel this warm. Before going here, I didn't feel anything from my surroundings at all.

While I was in a daze, someone crept behind me and grabbed my towel from behind! "Aaahhhh!" I screamed while covering myself! I know I mentioned I'm not a virgin anymore and haven't had any action lately but the thought that there might be a perverted ghost going around and might do creepy things to me is not something I want to happen!

"Hahahaha! What kind of scream is that?! So not feminine at all! Come let's go in the water now!" It was Mayu that played a trick on me and was laughing her ass off!

I want to learn everything from her so that I can pay her back for all this! I thought of all the things that I can do to her once I become stronger than her and smiled. I followed her to an area where I can see a large man-made onsen bath.

It's circular with huge rocks on the left side with water flowing in between them like it was a mini waterfall. There are two small houses or look like shrines that have a light in the middle. I can see Mayu walking towards the edge and soaked her foot and when she stood inside the water is about as high as her waist but there are small rocks that are shaped like a chair that she can sit on and won't submerge her head in the water.

The funny thing is, I can see the water glistening on her skin and water droplets falling from the edges of her tied up hair. I looked at myself self and I can also see that my skin is glistening that looks like sweat due to the warm steam surrounding me. Amazing!