To help Yoruichi regain her usual spirit, Masatsuki Aozaki spent the entire night indulging her in reckless fun.
His physical endurance was no less than hers, but when it came to certain "aerobic exercises," things were always a bit unfair for men.
By the time they were done, his body was still holding up fine, but his spirit had given out first. As a wave of exhaustion swept over him, he drifted into a deep sleep.
When he opened his eyes again, he was still soaking in the hot spring. The water had cleared.
Hearing movement, he turned his head—
And what he saw left him utterly stunned.
Yoruichi was crouched at the edge of the hot spring, stripping Suì-Fēng—who was unconscious—of her clothes before casually tossing her into the water.
Masatsuki Aozaki's jaw dropped. Then, unable to help himself, he swallowed hard.
What the hell was this?
She went out of her way to bring Suì-Fēng here, stripped her completely…
Yoruichi, I freaking love you.
"Oi, oi, could you at least wipe that look off your face? I'm still standing right here, you know!"
Yoruichi unfastened her obi and let her Shihakushō slip from her shoulders, completely unbothered as she revealed her smooth, bronze-toned skin.
She dipped a foot into the water but suddenly paused, tilting her head toward him with a teasing smirk.
"Does this count as breaking our promise?"
Masatsuki Aozaki wanted to slap himself.
The original agreement had been about "in front of others," and technically, Suì-Fēng was included in that category.
Had he just shot himself in the foot?
Regretting his past self's decision, he still shamelessly replied, "I think, given how times are changing, it's only reasonable to update the terms of our agreement!"
Yoruichi blinked. "?"
Masatsuki Aozaki spoke with complete seriousness.
"After extensive research and consideration, I propose that the term 'others' be revised to 'other men.' Thoughts?"
"I still have one request I can make, right? I'll use it now."
"You really are a piece of work," Yoruichi sighed. "But no need. I owe you this time."
"What's yours, what's mine—do we really need to be so particular?" Masatsuki Aozaki groaned dramatically.
Yoruichi chuckled, settling onto his lap. She placed a soft kiss on his cheek, like one would when comforting a child.
"Alright, alright. No more keeping score, okay?"
"That's more like it."
Masatsuki Aozaki's grin returned as he leaned in, pressing his forehead against hers, their noses brushing lightly.
"So, why did you bring Suì-Fēng here?"
Yoruichi let out a small, helpless laugh.
"Fēng-chan got hurt pretty badly. The 4th Division said she'd need a long time to recover."
"When she found out, she cried her eyes out, saying she wasn't worthy of staying by my side—that she had to return to her clan and accept exile."
"I didn't know what else to do, so I asked her if she wanted to recover faster. If she got better soon, she could stay with me."
"She agreed, so... I stole her from the 4th Division."
"Stole her? Well, can't blame you. She really is a rare treasure." Masatsuki Aozaki chuckled.
Yoruichi's expression darkened. "You better not try anything with her."
Masatsuki Aozaki scoffed. "Do I look like that kind of guy? Not everyone is as reckless as you, you know."
He treated people differently depending on what kind of relationship he wanted with them. For those he wished to keep around long-term, he was willing to be patient—to take his time.
Right now, it was obvious that Suì-Fēng wasn't ready.
"It should be about time," Masatsuki Aozaki murmured, turning his gaze to Suì-Fēng. Yoruichi did the same.
The petite girl floated in the hot spring, completely motionless. At first glance, she almost looked like a drowned corpse.
Hmm… a cute drowned corpse.
Yoruichi suddenly dove forward, swimming toward Suì-Fēng in what could only be described as a feline version of the dog paddle.
It was a graceful and fluid motion, much softer and more elegant than its canine counterpart.
Then again, maybe it was just because Yoruichi was stunning, and Masatsuki Aozaki's mind had conveniently applied a beauty filter to the scene.
Yoruichi glided beside Suì-Fēng, lazily paddling her hands across the water.
Then, she waved at Masatsuki Aozaki, beckoning him over.
"Masatsuki, come help me hold her while I check her injuries."
"Uh… that doesn't seem like a good idea," Masatsuki Aozaki hesitated.
Yoruichi turned her head—only to find that Masatsuki was already right beside her. His speed was so fast that even she hadn't reacted in time, leaving her both exasperated and amused.
"If only you'd put this kind of enthusiasm to good use."
"What are you talking about? This is me showing concern for my comrade!" Masatsuki Aozaki raised an eyebrow. "Besides, how is this not the right way?"
Following Yoruichi's instructions, he carefully lifted Suì-Fēng, letting her rest against him.
Feeling the softness against him, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Yoruichi had an impressive figure, though not quite as voluptuous as Kūkaku Shiba's, but she was certainly among the top of her generation.
Compared to them, Suì-Fēng… well, it was as if her presence was barely there.
Still, even if her figure was as non-existent as a certain ahoge-wearing fool from his childhood, Masatsuki had to admit—he liked her.
After all, Suì-Fēng was both adorable and cool. Who cared about such trivial things? They were completely irrelevant!
To make it easier for Yoruichi to examine her, Masatsuki shifted his grip, sliding an arm behind Suì-Fēng's back to support her with one hand.
Yoruichi remained focused on her examination.
For some reason—perhaps due to the hot spring's healing properties—Suì-Fēng let out a soft whimper and slowly opened her eyes.
As her vision cleared, she took in the sight of Masatsuki Aozaki's face—
And realized she was nestled against his chest, his arms holding her steady.
"M-Masatsuki… Masatsuki… Third Seat Masatsuki…"
Her delicate face instantly turned scarlet, and she began struggling to sit up.
Masatsuki had been wearing a playful grin, expecting an immediate counterattack.
But when she merely blushed and tried to escape—
He froze.
This reaction… was completely different from what he had anticipated!
Shouldn't she be cursing him out and stomping on his face by now?
Masatsuki shook his head in disappointment.
Yoruichi, well aware of his thought process, rolled her eyes before turning to Suì-Fēng with a stern expression.
"Suì-Fēng, stop moving. I'm checking your injuries."
"Y… Yoruichi-sama!?"
The familiar voice made Suì-Fēng's entire body tremble, her face turning an even deeper shade of red.
She panicked—then promptly fainted in Masatsuki's arms.
"She really is easily flustered," Yoruichi chuckled, shaking her head before glancing up at Masatsuki.
"What are you thinking about?"
"I was ready for an angry outburst, maybe even an attack, but nothing happened," Masatsuki mused. "And she blushed when she saw me."
Yoruichi scoffed. "Wouldn't a normal girl blush in this situation?"
Masatsuki blinked. "Wait… since when do you know how normal girls behave?"
"Huh?" Yoruichi's eyebrow twitched.
Sensing danger, Masatsuki quickly waved his hands and changed the subject.
"I just don't think she blushed out of embarrassment…"
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake