"Captain U-Unohana…"
"Oh… Could you, please, repeat what you just said, Isane? There's so much steam in the hot spring I can't hear you clearly." Unohana Retsu approached with a gentle smile on her face. Her body was dressed in a blue and white one-piece swimsuit, revealing only a pair of slender legs and the line of her hips.
Compared to Isane and Rangiku, her swimsuit was considerably more conservative.
If Arata had been there, he would have known why Unohana Retsu dressed that way, only to hide the large scar on her chest and bury her past as the first Kenpachi.
Faced with the question from her captain, Kotetsu Isane, who was sitting in the hot spring, felt as if a heavy snow had suddenly fallen in the middle of summer. As if she were about to cry. "Captain Unohana, um… I said something stupid, please forgive me!"
With her gentle, timid nature, she immediately raised the white flag to gain Unohana Retsu's forgiveness.
"So, you said something wrong, but earlier when you spoke, it sounded very sincere." Unohana Retsu stepped forward and sat by the edge of the hot spring pool. She dipped her beautiful legs into the water, sending up ripples.
"That… that…" She didn't know whether it was from soaking in the hot spring too long or from the pressure she felt in front of Unohana Retsu, but Kotetsu Isane's head was growing increasingly foggy. She wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come out.
Seeing that her vice-captain was already on the verge of confusion, Unohana Retsu stopped pressing her. In fact, she didn't mind if Isane took a little rest. Moreover, she herself wished that the Fourth Division had less work.
Then the members could step away from their shared quarters and relax a bit, and she would have more time for deep conversations about kendo with Arata.
It just happened that she heard what Isane said, so for the sake of captainly authority, she had to play the part.
"I'll forget it this time, but don't let it happen again."
"Thank you, Captain Unohana!"
Thus, Kotetsu Isane finally breathed a sigh of relief, lifting a heavy weight from her heart and able to continue enjoying the hot spring in peace.
However, out of sheer curiosity, Isane couldn't resist stealing a glance to the side. Captain Unohana's swimsuit was even more conservative than hers, but the captain's figure was clearly stunning.
Not even the closed one-piece swimsuit could hide the allure beneath the fabric. The shape she usually kept hidden under her wide haori was in no way inferior to Sister Rangiku.
And for some reason, Captain Unohana's waist was much slimmer than hers.
There was no flaw on that body. The only slight flaw might be the braid tied behind her head, which slightly disrupted the overall impression of Unohana Retsu's beauty.
But when it came to the most provocative, it was still Sister Rangiku. Her curves, bordering on vulgarity, were truly the envy of many.
Kotetsu Isane lay on her back beside the pool, thinking all sorts of nonsense.
She didn't know how much time had passed, and just as her consciousness began to blur, a hand gently patted her shoulder, followed by a magnetic female voice that slowly brought her back to reality.
"Isane, it's time to get out. If you soak any longer, it'll harm your body."
Isane looked up, and before her eyes appeared a rounded shadow large enough to block half her vision.
What is…?
She rubbed her eyes and pulled back slightly, only then clearly seeing the scene before her. Her cheeks, already flushed from the hot spring, turned even redder.
It turned out to be Rangiku, who had already finished bathing and gotten up. She leaned forward to look at Isane still in the water, and her voluptuous breasts naturally hung forward under the influence of gravity, just enough to block Isane's field of vision.
"Okay, okay, I'm getting out now." Isane shook her head, gathered some strength, and quickly got out of the hot spring, with help from Rangiku's outstretched hand.
The skin of both women, already fair, looked even smoother after the hot spring, like fresh milk, with a light fragrance, delicate like a baby's skin.
"Sister Rangiku, are we heading back to the room?" Isane gently stretched her stiff joints and looked toward Rangiku.
Matsumoto Rangiku didn't respond right away, instead gazing up at the moon in the sky. "We just soaked for about half an hour after dinner, and now the real nightlife is just beginning."
"…Nightlife doesn't exactly sound like something for me." Kotetsu Isane smiled awkwardly. She didn't like drinking like Rangiku, nor did she have the habit of going out and wandering at night.
Perhaps because of strict family discipline and upbringing, or maybe because of the more conservative spirit of the Fourth Division – her nights were mostly reserved for studying and training.
"Hmm… true. You really don't seem like someone who enjoys going out, Isane." Rangiku curled her seductive lips, pondered, and began to think about where to go next.
Night market? Out of the question. Her waist had noticeably thickened lately; time to lose weight. If she ended up at the food stalls, she definitely wouldn't be able to resist the snacks.
Izakaya? That didn't quite fit either. Isane didn't drink, and she herself had recently inexplicably lost interest in alcohol and started to get used to tea.
Hm? As soon as she thought of tea, a great place came to mind.
"Isane, let's go to the Kendo Club for tea with that kid!"
"I'm in!"
The two women didn't notice that, at the other end of the hot spring pool, Unohana Retsu slowly opened her eyes. Steam had fogged her vision, and in the depths of her eyes flashed an opaque glint.
Shinō Spiritual Arts Academy, Kendo Club lounge.
Gulp gulp… ha!
"The tea here is still the best. The one they buy in the 10th Division doesn't even have this flavor." Rangiku downed the freshly poured tea in one gulp and exclaimed excitedly.
She paid no attention to ladylike manners; she didn't even notice the thin stream of tea trickling from the corner of her mouth down her neck.
Opposite her, Isane carefully sipped the tea in small gulps, paying attention to its color, aroma, and taste. While Rangiku had already emptied her cup, Isane hadn't even drunk a third.
"It's so nice to drink such good tea after the hot spring." Isane gently set her cup down and let out a sincere sigh.
Arata, just like last time, sat across from them in the role of the tea server. "Ms. Rangiku, I gave you two gift boxes earlier. Didn't you open them?"
Of course she had opened them and not only that, but she had eaten most of the cookies inside the same day, even taking those meant for the captain.
When the captain asked her, she shamelessly excused herself by saying, "There was only tea in the gift box."
As for the tea Arata had given her, Rangiku didn't drink it lightly. She usually brewed it once or twice a week; when she was too tired from work, she'd make some to refresh her mind and relax her heart.
Of course, she didn't have the guts to admit all that. She just shook her head and started complaining: "I opened it all, but I don't know if the problem is in my brewing method, it just doesn't have the same taste as your tea here."
Arata noticed how she was addressing him now and was briefly surprised, but didn't dwell on it.
"I agree with Rangiku," added Isane. "When I returned to the Fourth Division, I tried to brew the tea you gave us, Arata-san, but I couldn't achieve the same taste as when you make it."
Arata, who thanks to his past life knew a thing or two about tea ceremonies, had to admit they were right. Different brewing methods give different flavors.
"Well then, since you both brought it up, I'll teach you how to properly prepare tea."
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