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.
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