We're introduced to a new character named Akari, who's just returned from a trip to a hot spring in the middle of winter. Akari asks her companion, Miss Alicia, to describe the hot spring, which is described as having nine different types of properties: "acid spring" , "spring with therapeutic attributes," "thermal spring," "spring of healing," "hot spring with restorative powers," and so on. The narrator tells us that Akari has never taken a bath before, and that she's so embarrassed that she doesn't even want to go into the room with her companions. She's also surprised that the old couple that owned the place turned the entire mansion into a hot tub, which adds to the beauty of the place. A lot of people go to hot springs to get rid of stress, but Akari says that she likes the place so much that she can't imagine why she wouldn't go in there with her friends. She also says that they can only go in the hot tub at night, though, because it's by the ocean and they don't want to get caught in the cold weather. They drink a peach-flavored cocktail, which Akari describes as "sweet" and "weak" .