Cain had barely finished apologizing when something stirred in Uta's arms before she could respond.
Still half asleep and letting out tiny snores, Bella floated free without fully opening her eyes.
Dazed, she drifted straight back into the refrigerator.
Then she flicked her cloud body behind her and shut the door with a neat click, apparently deciding that the small, chilly space was the safest and most comfortable place to sleep.
Cain stared at the motionless refrigerator door as a drop of sweat slid down his temple.
He hurriedly seized the unexpected opportunity to change the subject.
"Uh… haha. Looks like we don't need to worry about her. She really does like sleeping in the refrigerator."
"Oh, right, Uta! I haven't given you a proper tour of my house yet!"
Before Uta could react, he grabbed her wrist, led her deeper into the house, and pushed open a nearby door.
"This is the bathroom, and the toilet's through there behind a partition. There's enough room for several people to use the place without getting in each other's way."
"There used to be a large stone bathtub here, but after Luffy became a Devil Fruit user, we hardly used it anymore."
"Grandpa insisted the stone tub was perfect for training, so he tore it out, dumped it in the backyard, and made me practice punching it."
"So now there's only a shower."
As Cain spoke, he noticed a note nailed to the doorframe.
The village mayor's crooked handwriting read:
'I know you've had a long journey, so I heated some water in advance. Get some proper rest.'
"Huh? There's already hot water!"
Cain's face flushed slightly as he nudged Uta with one finger.
"Uta, do you want to take a bath?"
Uta's cheeks instantly turned crimson, with a faint blush spreading all the way to the tips of her ears.
Every bit of confidence she had gained from teasing Cain with Shakky's lines vanished at once.
'What do I do? Should I actually do it?'
But if she truly went through with it, the order would basically be…
Wash up, prepare everything, serve the meal, and then let him eat.
No matter how bold Uta acted, when the moment became real, she could hardly bring herself to take the next step.
Talking confidently was one thing.
Actually doing it was something else entirely.
She could joke as much as she liked, but the moment matters became serious, she would be the first to lose her nerve.
When she met Cain's gaze, panic surged through her. She abruptly turned him around and began pushing him out of the room.
"Idiot! Who welcomes a guest by dragging her straight into the bathroom and toilet?!"
"Oh! Right! Sorry!"
Cain stumbled under her pushing and finally realized how questionable his actions had looked.
He hurriedly led her toward the stairs.
The two climbed the creaking wooden staircase to the second floor while Cain scratched the back of his head and pointed out each room.
"My house isn't very large. There are only three places anyone can sleep."
"There are two rooms downstairs. One belongs to Grandpa, and the other was Luffy's. When we were little, I shared with Luffy, but once I got older, I moved upstairs."
"The room at the very end used to be a storeroom. I cleaned it out, filled it with books, and put in a large bed."
"But later, Luffy and I moved in with Dadan, so I only came back and stayed here occasionally."
He paused before adding,
"Grandpa's room is almost always empty. He barely came home a few times a year and spent most of his time at Marine Headquarters."
Once they had slowly toured the second floor and returned to the living room, another awkward silence settled between them.
A strange mixture of intimacy and embarrassment lingered in the air.
Their eyes met instinctively, only for both of them to look away at once.
Cain was finally the first to force out a sentence, his voice sounding slightly unsteady.
"Um… should we… take a bath first?"
Uta's heart skipped another beat.
She glanced at the redness creeping across Cain's ears, then forced herself to lift her chin calmly and teased him in a drawn-out tone.
"You should go first. I'll take mine afterward."
"Or did you forget the last time you stared at me until your nose started bleeding? If something happens again, I might not be able to save you."
Before Cain could reply, she turned and hurried back upstairs, leaving him alone in the living room, touching his burning cheek and unable to recover for quite some time.
…
"What do I do? Am I really going through with this? Shakky, save me!"
Uta buried her entire face in the bedding of the upstairs guest room, kicking her legs wildly across the mattress.
She gripped the Den Den Mushi tightly and kept her trembling voice as low as possible, terrified Cain might hear even a single word from downstairs.
The Den Den Mushi rang twice before Shakky answered with amusement in her voice.
"My, my. What's wrong, little Uta? Why are you in such a hurry? Did something happen?"
"Shakky! Help me…!"
Clutching the receiver, Uta poured out everything in one breath.
Her explanation came out jumbled and disorganized, and by the time she finished, her face felt scorching hot against the blankets.
Shakky chuckled softly from the other end and answered with the confidence of someone far more experienced.
"That isn't something I can decide for you."
"But you know Cain's personality. If you tell him you aren't willing, he would never force you in the slightest."
"But I… it isn't that I don't want to…"
Uta's voice immediately dropped into a shy mumble beneath the blankets.
After all, this was an incredibly rare opportunity.
Aokiji, that enormous third wheel, had finally left. Shanks and the others were busy with their banquet, and even Bella was sleeping soundly.
No one was likely to interrupt them.
More importantly, she was alone with Cain in the house where he had grown up.
Could there possibly be a more fitting time?
She had been looking forward to this ever since the concert ended.
Yet as soon as the thought surfaced, her courage began fading. Her heartbeat raced, her legs instinctively squeezed the blanket, and even her breathing became uneven.
Understanding immediately, Shakky drew out several knowing hums and poked the Den Den Mushi displaying Uta's bright-red face.
"I see."
"In that case, your big sister can give you a few suggestions."
"Hiding won't help you at a time like this. The more nervous you become, the more easily you'll lose control of the situation."
"Listen to me. Don't show weakness."
"Take the initiative."
"Just do exactly as I say…"
…
Inside the bathroom, Cain sat on a small stool while water ran over his body.
He raked his fingers irritably through his wet hair.
His heart was caught between unbearable anticipation and very real fear.
Shanks was somewhere on this island.
Uta might not have considered that a problem, but Cain understood exactly how terrifying the man was.
If Shanks caught them, Cain would be lucky to escape with only one layer of skin missing. Being torn into eight pieces might not be enough to satisfy him.
On the other hand, Cain could not deny that this was an opportunity unlikely to appear again.
While he remained trapped in that internal struggle, the bathroom door was suddenly pulled open.
"Uta?!"
Cain jumped and instinctively began turning around.
"Don't look!"
Uta hurriedly stopped him.
She stepped forward and firmly covered his eyes with a blindfold.
Soft rustling followed as she placed her clothes into the laundry basket beside the door.
"Wh-why did you come in?"
Cain's voice tightened, and every muscle in his body went rigid.
"Why are you panicking?"
Uta tried to sound calm, though her voice still trembled.
"Can't I help wash your back?"
"Uh…"
Before Cain could answer, Uta began.
At first, she behaved properly, using a bath sponge to scrub his back.
But after only a few moments, she remembered Shakky's advice.
Taking a deep breath, she leaned against him and wrapped both arms around his waist, holding him tightly from behind.
The instant her warmth pressed against him, heat rushed straight through Cain's body.
Every drop of blood seemed to catch fire, and he froze completely.
He tried to speak, but Uta moved closer and whispered beside his ear.
"You've been waiting for this day for a long time, haven't you?"
Her voice was hot against his skin.
Cain did not dare move.
Uta silently repeated Shakky's advice to herself.
'Don't panic. Take the initiative.'
The rest of the evening disappeared into steam, flustered whispers, and an intimacy neither of them would ever forget.
…
Much later, Uta's arms were sore, her back had gone stiff, and one frustrated thought filled her mind.
'Why is this idiot so ridiculously tough everywhere?'