This time, Talulah didn't give him that icy stare. Instead, she seemed much calmer.
Thinking back on the past, sadness spread through her chest. Only the warmth she could feel in her body kept her clear-headed.
Her thoughts churned.
She imagined countless versions of what it would be like to see Ch'en again.
What would it be like?
What would she say?
She couldn't even picture it anymore… She couldn't even imagine what Ch'en had grown up to look like.
And it wasn't just Ch'en she thought of. There was also… Wei Yenwu.
The man she'd hated, the man who'd once terrified her.
"Don't worry. I'm here. Even if everyone on Terra tried, they wouldn't be able to stop you two."
As her partner in sin, Tatsuki understood her unease perfectly.
Talulah's body and mind trembled.
If it were anyone else making promises, she wouldn't believe them so easily. But if it was Tatsuki, she was willing to trust him.
If he said it, then it would be true.
With Tatsuki's reassurance behind her, Talulah chose to follow her heart, "I want to go see Ch'en."
"Okay."
Just that simple word, and he made it a done deal.
"Thank you, Tatsuki-sama."
This time, Talulah leaned in and kissed him on her own initiative.
Unlike the first kiss—stiff and cold—this one carried a hint of warmth, softer and more tender.
…
A few minutes passed in the room.
Out in the living room, Alina felt like she'd lived an entire lifetime.
Click.
The door opened.
Alina hurriedly looked over and saw Tatsuki and Talulah step out, fully dressed.
Thank god!
Alina finally let out a breath. She knew she hadn't misjudged him—Tatsuki absolutely wasn't that kind of person.
"We're done talking, so I'm heading back," Tatsuki said, leaving on his own.
Talulah stayed behind to explain things to the two people staring at her anxiously, but just as Tatsuki reached the elevator, he ran into two people who'd just stepped out.
Akame and Kurome.
They were wearing matching long, oversized sleep shirts that went past their knees.
"Akame, Kurome—what were you two up to? You look kind of down."
"Eh! Tatsuki-sama!" Kurome's eyes lit up the moment she saw him.
Even Akame's gloomy gaze regained its spark.
In fact, the two of them had just gone downstairs looking for Tatsuki, only for Kanae to tell them he wasn't there.
As for why they were looking for him…
Akame and Kurome exchanged a glance, a silent decision passing between them. Each of them grabbed one of Tatsuki's arms.
Kurome smiled sweetly, her tone playful. "Tatsuki-sama, we have something we want to show you."
Akame's cheeks flushed faintly, her voice a little stiff. "Yeah. It's in our room."
As she spoke, she hugged his arm tighter, pressing it deep into that generous softness.
Even through the fabric of her sleep shirt, the feel was unbelievably real.
Kurome wasn't about to lose.
Unfortunately, she was a bit smaller than Akame, so she started swaying Tatsuki's arm from side to side, making his palm slide with the motion.
His hand brushed over a firmer little point now and then.
In an instant, Tatsuki understood—this "show you something" clearly wasn't the main point.
Something to drink? He sniffed.
Both girls' cheeks were rosy, and there was a faint scent of alcohol on them.
"You two were drinking?" Tatsuki asked, curious.
Kurome kept rubbing his arm gently, humming as she answered, "Mm-hm. With Leone and the others."
He didn't know what exactly had happened for things to turn out like this, but he definitely wasn't the type to refuse when someone was willingly throwing themselves at him.
Tatsuki pulled his arms free.
Disappointment flashed in Kurome and Akame's eyes—they thought that meant Tatsuki wasn't interested.
They were seriously overthinking it.
Tatsuki slid his big hands around them and pulled them into his arms. His palms pressed down boldly, kneading through the fabric, fingers finding those soft-and-firm sensitive peaks.
Feeling the distinct texture grow clearer under his touch, Tatsuki's mouth curled into a wicked grin.
"If you've got something to show me, then what are we waiting for? Let's go take a look."
"Ha… o-okay," Kurome and Akame breathed, exhaling warm, flushed air as they stuck close to his sides.
Together, they entered Room 702, crossed the empty living room, and went into the bedroom.
"Akame, Kurome—what exactly are you trying to show me?" Tatsuki asked.
Once inside, he didn't see anything at all.
Kurome's lips curved into a meaningful little smile.
"Hey, sis. Take it out. The one we bought today."
Akame blinked her innocent big eyes. "Bought today?"
Kurome stepped out of Tatsuki's embrace, walking over to Akame with a light, bouncy stride, teasing, "Obviously the mussels we specifically went to the seafood market to buy today. Didn't we say we'd treat Tatsuki-sama and let him try them?"
"…" Akame suddenly had the feeling she'd forgotten something.
Kurome shook her head helplessly. "So you really did forget. Or are you trying to hide them so you can sneak-eat them? Then I'll have to find them myself."
As she spoke, she shoved Akame onto the bed like Akame was in the way.
Then Kurome started rummaging around on her.
In the end, she found the mussels Akame had hidden under her sleep shirt—and pried open the freshest one, presenting it to Tatsuki.
"Tatsuki-sama, please enjoy as much as you like!"
If you ignored Akame's face—so red it looked like it might drip blood—Kurome's bright smile was genuinely adorable, but to Tatsuki, Kurome acting like a little devil was adorable too.
Especially the way she personally pried the mussel open for him—it put him in a fantastic mood.
"Well then, let me see if your mussel sashimi is any good. I only like it fresh," Tatsuki said.
Kurome's smile turned even more radiant, brimming with confidence. "Of course. The mussels my sister bought are the freshest."
Tatsuki didn't argue. Whether it tasted good or not, he'd have to try it himself.
Seafood tainted by nuclear wastewater? No chance he'd touch it.
Luckily, the mussels they'd bought were clean and unpolluted.
He didn't even need to check—just looking at the tender, fresh flesh told him enough.
So he lowered his head, opened his mouth, and took a light bite.
The instant his lips touched the meat, Tatsuki felt how tender it was—along with a faint sweetness and the clean, briny scent of the sea.
In that moment, he was certain: this was top-tier, world-class seafood, no exaggeration at all.
And when his tongue pressed into it, that soft, springy give pushed the deliciousness to a ridiculous level.
"!!!"
Just from the sensation, Akame knew Tatsuki had started tasting the mussel she bought.
She was scared—and also excited.
Scared of what he'd say next.
Excited for what he'd say next.
Tatsuki could tell from the slight trembling in her body as she held the mussel for him that she was being overly cautious. He lifted his head and looked at her.
"Akame, the mussels you bought are incredibly fresh. The sweetness is perfect. I really like them." (T/N: That seafood thing was a sexual reference then?)