Bleach: Watch Closely, This Is How You Use a Zanpakutō novel Chapter 372

Chapter 372: Chapter 372: Estrangement

"Ugh..."

Senjumaru Shutara clutched her chest, feeling her heart pounding wildly as she stumbled into her room. Fumbling with the door, she slammed it shut and slid down against it, gasping for breath.

What the hell am I doing?

She couldn’t tell if she was more embarrassed or frustrated—all she knew was that she kept questioning herself over and over.

For days now, she had barely slept.

No matter how many times she returned to her room, rest never came.

Even lying in bed, her body felt unbearably hot, as if she were trapped in a fever that refused to break.

Images of Masatsuki Aozaki refused to leave her mind.

Kirio Hikifune’s figure would also surface from time to time, alongside a chaotic mess of thoughts, all tangled together, leaving her completely overwhelmed.

Eventually, exhaustion had claimed her, but when she woke again, it was already morning.

She rubbed her eyes, trying to shake off the lingering haze of sleep.

And then...

Without thinking, her hand moved downward.

The moment she realized what she was doing—what had become disturbingly familiar—she bolted to the bathroom in a panic, shame crashing over her in waves.

Cold water poured over her head, sending a shiver through her body.

She squeezed her eyes shut, letting the freezing sensation wash over her, hoping it would quell the turmoil raging inside her.

This had been happening for days now...

Each one felt like a bizarre, endless film, looping the same emotions, the same confusion.

But at noon today...

For the first time, she had felt a sliver of peace.

Her thoughts had settled, her mind finally regaining the composure befitting a senior figure like herself.

And then she saw Masatsuki Aozaki.

In an instant, all of that hard-earned stability shattered.

Her face burned, her heart pounded so violently she thought it might burst from her chest.

Before she knew it, her legs had already started moving—fleeing from the sheer awkwardness of it all.

"Ugh... Why am I like this..."

Hugging her knees, Senjumaru curled up in the corner of the room, mumbling to herself in frustration.

Once again, she couldn’t make sense of her own feelings.

Desperate for answers, she found herself thinking of the Almighty Soul King, silently praying for some kind of divine revelation.

But then reality hit her.

That so-called omniscient king might have a son, but he’d never experienced love, never had a lover, never even had a wife—just a lonely old bachelor who had been single for a million years.

What could he possibly teach her?

With a helpless sigh, she shook her head, knowing full well that no cosmic enlightenment was coming.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself.

It’s just a passing impulse. Give it time, and things will go back to normal.

But deep down, an unfamiliar emotion had already taken root.

Something she couldn’t quite name, something that made her doubt herself more than ever.

She had been an absolute mess these past few days, drowning in emotions she couldn’t control, unable to pull herself free.

But this was only because she had seen things she’d never seen before—thrown off balance by the unfamiliar. _{f|ree(w)ebn\o.vel.com}

Now that she had adjusted, she could regain control.

From now on, she would act like a proper senior, take care of the juniors, and never, ever let her thoughts wander into strange territory again.

That was the plan.

But in the end, the body never lies.

Neither does the subconscious.

And so, Senjumaru Shutara could only bury her face in her knees, torn between frustration and despair, almost on the verge of tears, hiding in the corner until she could finally compose herself.

...

A meal doesn’t take that long, but for a couple in love, it can feel like an eternity.

Kirio Hikifune had been staring at Masatsuki Aozaki ever since she woke up, her gaze locked onto him even as they ate, unable to look away.

She knew he would be leaving soon. That was exactly why she wanted to steal every last glance she could before he was gone.

Masatsuki Aozaki, of course, wasn’t the type to get flustered. He met her gaze just as intently, chuckling softly.

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