The coolness that tousled his hair cooled his heated scalp. It was a touch that seemed playful yet gentle.
Leonardo, who would normally push away such treatment telling him not to treat him like a child, couldn't respond at all. He only lowered his head slightly following the touch, then looked up at his partner when it was withdrawn.
'Use it... together?'
He felt inexplicably embarrassed and only moved his lips slightly. Various imaginations flashed through his mind in that brief moment.
Really? This quickly...? Though he was flustered by the sudden suggestion, he also didn't want to miss the opportunity. There were still many reporters outside - wouldn't they follow? But since the owner had personally invited him, it wouldn't be polite to refuse.
As his answer was delayed due to various thoughts, Hugo asked calmly.
"Do you have plans later?"
Leonardo covered the corner of his mouth with the hand holding the gauze and answered.
"...No."
"Then that's fortunate. Since I'm a duke in name, I won't be stood up on my birthday."
Hugo, wearing a faint smile, tapped his cheek a couple of times. Though his confidence that he wouldn't be rejected was absurd, Leonardo didn't particularly deny it. Instead, he sat with a pondering expression before suddenly blurting out.
"Is there a bath there?"
"Mm?"
"A big bath... big enough to swim in."
His golden eyes slyly watched the man's reaction as he asked. Hugo's eyebrows rose loosely before he slowly nodded.
"Of course."
"Then, is there delicious food too? I want to eat steak. Turbot and octopus dishes too, grilled in butter."
"All the delicacies of land and sea are there."
As if evaluating whether it was worth going, Leonardo listed many elements he thought were good. Each time, Hugo readily answered. As if he had gathered all the world's treasures there, he showed no sign of hesitation.
After several rounds of questions and verification, Leonardo finally answered as if generously granting permission.
"Then... let's use it together."
Though he was clearly the owner, it looked like his partner was giving permission. Hugo let out a small laugh.
"Alright."
Soon he neatly brushed back the hair he had tousled with his own hand. Bending his waist slightly to place his hand on the bed table, he approached the round forehead with slow movements.
Leonardo, instinctively sensing what would follow, squeezed his eyes shut. As soon as breath touched the very center, a sharp current flowed.
When the lips lingered briefly then moved away, his trembling eyelids opened again.
"...What was that for, suddenly."
"It's an honor."
The 'honor' bestowed by those curved blue eyes always made his heart weak. Leonardo deliberately put on a sulky expression and looked up at Hugo. Having done worse things already, he found himself ridiculous for closing his eyes just from receiving a kiss on the forehead.
Hugo, who had been caressing the forehead still warm with residual heat, pulled his upper body back. Soon he simply nodded without any additional comment.
"See you later."
Leaving behind that simple promise, he went outside with his draped cloak over his arm. Leonardo's eyes followed the afterimage until the door closed with a click.
As the outside noise that had briefly entered was completely cut off, he realized he was alone. Only then did reality hit him.
His tense Adam's apple naturally undulated. The fishy taste of blood went down his throat again, but he had no time to mind it.
Leonardo, who had been wearing a dazed expression, clutched his bangs in confusion. His forehead, revealed through the gaps, remained flushed red.
'...What should I do?'
As soon as he stepped outside, Hugo asked the guards to strengthen security and was turning the corner when he encountered members coming from the opposite direction.
"Commander, good evening."
"Good evening."
He received greetings from his subordinates who seemed to have something to say while hurrying his steps.
"Yes. You've worked hard."
Usually he would at least pat the shoulders of those working late hours, but he only gave a passing answer and went by emptily.
The members who had been deliberately putting on bright faces looked at each other awkwardly. Then, recalling the Commander's attire that was far from dress uniform, they understood among themselves. He must have been extremely busy with the major issue that occurred earlier, and as a person, the Commander must be very tired.
Moreover, even though there was an opening ceremony, working all night on his actual birthday was a bit much.
The members busily moved, saying they should also hurry to finish work and go home.
Meanwhile, Hugo, leaving them behind, entered a restroom in a corridor with few people. After confirming there was no presence inside, he closed the door.
He froze the door handle so it couldn't be opened from outside, then passed the row of urinals and entered a stall.
Bang—
After roughly closing the door, he threw the cloak he had carried on his arm over the top. Then his lower body, which had been hidden all along, was revealed.
The bulging form was thick, clearly having endured for a long time. Hugo immediately unfastened his buckle with both hands.
Clink, the sound of metal clashing rang consecutively. The moment he pushed aside the button fly that had been holding the front together, he felt relief. The heat and excitement that had been pooled for so long burst out all at once.
His blue eyes, which had been looking down dryly, slowly closed then opened. Irregular veins stood out on his straight temples.
"...I'm not in my right mind."
* * *
Knock knock—
"Excuse me. I'm from Xenogrant League Operations Headquarters. May I come in briefly to deliver match results?"
Leonardo, who had been pacing around the rest room lost in thought, suddenly looked up. Looking at the clock, it was well past midnight, but earlier than expected. He was about to approach the door but scrambled back onto the bed.
Then, as if he had been in that position all along, he folded his arms while hunching his upper body over the table and answered.
"Come in."
As soon as permission was given, the door opened, and contrary to expectations of an official appearing, a familiar face was seen first. It was Ero, from whom he had been separated while being chased by reporters. As an unexpected figure appeared, Leonardo's eyes, which had been setting the mood, widened.
"Big brother—!"
Ero rushed to the bed as if he had come after hearing tragic news about a sworn brother. Then he looked Leonardo up and down in his patient gown, making a fuss.
"B-big brother. What happened? Were your injuries serious? No, the nosebleed..."
"...I didn't tell you to come in."
"Come on, big brother! How disappointing between us!"
"He partnered with Lion in the match, and has been worrying continuously since, so I brought him along."
The operations headquarters official added that Ero had helped capture the reporters by herding them to one location. Therefore, while there should rightfully be penalties for the two who entered the restricted area, considering that they didn't have malicious purposes like leaking league information, there would be no disadvantages regarding the matches.
"While this incident will be settled since there was also negligence on our part in failing to protect the two who left the restricted zone, unauthorized entry to the operations headquarters is actually a very serious matter. Today, a large number of personnel were unavoidably moved to handle arena wall repairs and maintain spectator safety, creating gaps. So we ask that you cooperate with movement radius restrictions to prevent such situations from occurring again."
Polite nagging continued. Leonardo, grateful there were no penalties, nodded saying he would keep it in mind while letting the continuing sermon flow in one ear and out the other.
"So, the results?"
Actually, he hadn't thought about being eliminated at all. Even the Council would find him too valuable to eliminate. There was so much he would show them going forward.
Moreover, Ero's lips seemed to be suppressing a tickling sensation from earlier, so he had roughly caught on. The smiling official calmly conveyed.
"Congratulations, you two. You have passed the Test Part 1 match."
"Waah! Big brother!"
Ero burst into celebration with his own sound effects. Grasping Leonardo's left hand and shaking it vigorously, he expressed his joy.
"This is all thanks to big brother! Hehe, please take care of me during the league period!"
"Who said I'd be with you next time..."
Leonardo was about to deflect once, saying who said he'd be with him next time. However, something more important came to mind, so he immediately asked the official.
"Ah, what about that whip guy? Did he get eliminated?"
"If you're referring to the league alias 'Appendix', he voluntarily withdrew and was eliminated."
"What?"
"Since the number of passers requiring analysis decreased by one, all final portal passers were given final passage without additional discussion."
Leonardo's eyes blinked several times. He wondered what this absurd talk was about.
"Wait, wait. The guy who was so desperate to attack withdrew? That doesn't make sense."
"The operations side also wanted to ask about the circumstances leading to the withdrawal declaration, but the participant himself signed the withdrawal confirmation and expressed his intention not to cooperate with the investigation."
"...Where is that guy now?"
"Information related to participants' personal details is prohibited from external disclosure, so I can't tell you the specifics. Please understand this point."
Leonardo furrowed his brow.
'This makes it even more suspicious.'
Throughout the match, he had appointed himself as gatekeeper, then threw his whole body into confrontation as soon as Leonardo appeared. But then when it seemed he would pass in the end, he voluntarily withdrew and disappeared?
It was a moment when he became more convinced of the guy's purpose.
'Does he know who I am? Trying to eliminate a championship candidate in advance? Or...'
He suddenly remembered the tail that had been following him recently.
'Does he have a grudge against me?'
Ero, who had been observing his increasingly serious expression, tried to change the subject to lighten the mood.
"Big brother, forget about that bastard. Since we're in a good mood, would you like to go out for a drink with me? There are many decent taverns right nearby. I'll pay!"
"According to the medical team, Lion currently has bleeding from nasal mucosa rupture, so it would be better to refrain from alcohol."
"Ah, then let me at least treat you to a meal..."
"No."
Leonardo, who had been deep in thought, only rolled his eyes slightly. Soon he pulled his feet out of the bed and stood up.
'If I ask the Commander, about that guy or whatever, I should be able to get information.'
As he swept back his hair with his heated hand, half his forehead was refreshingly revealed along with hot steam. Looking at Ero and shrugging his shoulders, he gripped the memo in his pocket.
"I have a prior engagement."