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For Bokue Keikain, it had been a good night's sleep. By the time he opened his eyes, it was already morning, sunlight streaming through the window and illuminating the room.
Judging by this light intensity, it's probably around nine in the morning...
Hmm?
Just as Bokue was thinking this, he suddenly felt something wasn't quite right.
His neck seemed to be constricted.
Looking down, he saw a pair of lotus-like arms coiled around his neck from behind like water snakes.
At the same time, Saeko Busujima's deliberately resentful voice came from behind him.
"Finally awake? Kouhai, you're so cold-hearted. Last night you used me completely like your personal possession, but the moment you woke up, you just tossed me aside with your back turned. Even I'll get upset about that, you know?"
"...Huh?"
Bokue paused slightly in surprise.
This was indeed strange. He distinctly remembered falling asleep while holding Saeko last night. Theoretically, with his "auto-targeting" active even while sleeping, he shouldn't have changed embrace targets.
So how had he ended up facing the opposite direction after one night's sleep?
And with Senpai lying right beside him, no less.
Weird.
But there was nothing he could do about it. What happened, happened.
Bokue could only lift the covers slightly, shifting his body to turn toward Saeko's side.
However, just then, as the covers rose and fell, stirring the air currents, an unusual scent suddenly entered the young man's nostrils without warning.
This is... the smell of blood?
Realizing something was wrong, Bokue immediately sat up and threw back the covers.
What met his eyes was the empty futon on his side, along with several drops of dark red scattered on the sheets.
"This is..."
"Did something happen?"
Saeko had been watching the young man's movements the whole time. Seeing Bokue sit up and stare seriously at the sheets beneath him, she couldn't help propping herself up and leaning over curiously.
Then she also froze.
"This... bloodstains?"
Those few dark red spots looked quite familiar—she'd left similar stains at the hotel yesterday when Bokue had thoroughly claimed her.
And judging by the amount and location of the blood, it was undoubtedly the kind of traces only that activity would leave behind.
Most girls did bleed their first time, after all.
But why was it on Bokue's side?
Saeko mentally retraced all the places they'd done it in the room last night. As for the futon, it seemed like they'd only done it on her side at most. Kouhai's side should have been... hmm...
No good. There were too many times. She couldn't remember clearly.
"It's probably just from last night."
Saeko scooted up closer to the young man's side, resting her head lightly on Bokue's shoulder. She pursed her lips slightly, blowing a breath toward his earlobe.
"After all, last night was my first time. Even though I bled at the hotel, Kouhai was so domineering after we got back, not showing the slightest mercy as you relentlessly worked me over. Maybe a bit more came out during that process?"
"Would... it?"
Now even Bokue wasn't entirely sure.
After all, he couldn't exactly monitor the sheets in real-time.
Since Senpai said it was possible, he'd just take it as that.
"Besides, more importantly than that..."
Her words had barely fallen when the swordswoman's voice came to his ear once more.
The Saeko who'd just been leaning against his shoulder now boldly climbed onto his lap facing him, looping her arms around his neck. Using her body weight, she barely managed to suppress the force beneath her that was practically lifting her entire body up.
"Honestly, even though we went so late last night, Kouhai is already this energetic first thing in the morning. But don't worry, just leave it to me to handle."
"Don't worry, it's the same as last night—treat me like your exclusive cup and use me as you please... mmph!"
Before she could say more, Bokue used action to cut off Saeko's remaining words.
❁❁❁❁
Meanwhile, at the well in the back courtyard—
Having already changed into clean clothes, Yura knelt beside a basin as large as a well opening with her sleeves rolled up. Again and again, she submerged the yukata she'd already scrubbed with laundry detergent into the clean water, then lifted it up. Clear well water still trickled down along the garment's fabric patterns.
But it still wouldn't come clean.
Yura had already scrubbed this yukata with detergent three full times, then rinsed it with clean water five times.
Yet by the sunlight shining down from above, she could still clearly see several pale red marks stamped on the hem of the yukata.
"Stupid Nii-san..."
Submerging the yukata back into the water, staring at the stubborn bloodstains still remaining on the hem beneath the water's surface, the young Onmyōji girl couldn't help muttering a quiet complaint. At the same time, a flush of color appeared on her cheeks, her small hand unconsciously pressing against her stomach.
She still remembered that full yet warm feeling when she'd woken up.
Déjà vu—it felt very similar to the sensation when Bokue had infused his spiritual power into her body last night.
And though she'd thought her body would hurt so much she couldn't move at all, the reality was the complete opposite. Aside from slight fatigue, not only did her body not hurt at all, but she actually felt exceptionally refreshed.
Even better than the feeling after seriously practicing for two hours when in peak condition.
But why would it be like this?
She'd clearly only done something bad.
She'd clearly even skipped her daily training this morning.
Could this be the method Brother mentioned for enhancing Busujima-senpai's physique?
Recalling what Bokue had said late last night, and connecting it to seeing the two embracing in the futon this morning, a thought that would never have occurred to her before suddenly arose in Yura's mind.
The Keikain family had always been an upstanding clan, advocating diligent training to develop one's talents. How could they possibly get stronger through such unorthodox methods... ngh!
As she kept thinking, Yura suddenly felt an irrepressible impulse surge up again, seemingly on the verge of becoming uncontrollable.
N-no good!
Realizing her current state, the young Onmyōji girl hastily took a deep breath to calm her mind. She stopped thinking about such things, pulled the kimono from the water, wrung it out slightly, and hung it up to dry. Then she quickly left the back courtyard with the basin.
However, just as Yura returned to the front courtyard, she saw someone else from the Keikain main family arriving at the family head residence's entrance. Spotting the young Onmyōji girl, they quickly called out.
"Lady Yura, there you are! If possible, the old family head hopes you can come to the council hall immediately."
"Right now?"
Yura frowned in confusion.
"Did something happen?"
She didn't remember anything being mentioned yesterday about a meeting this morning.
"Yes... because it happened so suddenly, we only found out this morning ourselves. The three branch families—Yasojū, Fukuju, and Manaka—were all breached by Hagoromo-Gitsune last night. Every single person was slaughtered—not one survivor!"
"...I see."
After a brief pause followed by quickly collecting herself, the young Onmyōji girl responded flatly.
That's good.
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