Not a dumb question at all, but yes it does count. There are no onsen events yet and there won't be for a good long while. I don't really want to say more because that whole bit is in a very murky planning state right now.
It's not my place or anyone's place to tell you how to play the game, but I will say that I didn't build this with the intention of grinding as a completion condition. The idea is that these conditions would be satisfied naturally over the course of the game and its updates once I get around to it. You're more than welcome to hang around exclusively for the H-scenes, but for the sake of transparency I should tell you that the erotic stuff is not my only focus here. In fact I hesitate to even call it a focus as it is really more a consequence of this type of story telling. Hope that answers your question.