"If you promise me, I'll let you go."Renji Kuroda said.
"Ding~ Detected Himeno's shy emotion, system rewards 20 points."
In response to Renji's request—for them to watch each other and come together—Himeno lowered her head again, her voice timid and soft:"Um… Renji… you want me to do this… won't you… won't you feel shy then?"
She truly was embarrassed. A few days earlier, when Renji had stayed over at her place, she had already let the sea tide release in front of him. At that time, she had assumed Renji was a woman like herself.
But who would've guessed Renji's true identity was male? Although Himeno couldn't fully grasp what being "male" entailed, it stirred something strange and uneasy within her.
The thought of having to use the purple stick to bring on the sea tide in front of Renji—not just any tide, but one that surged all the way to Kishibe and even sprayed out—made her extremely self-conscious.
"At this point… I can only… only do this…"Himeno quickly calculated in her mind, deciding to take a gentler approach to deal with Renji's demands.
So she let her eyes water, her voice trembling with emotion, speaking with a sob:"Re… Renji, please let me go… It's too embarrassing, I really can't do this… Please, take your hands back… I can't take it anymore… I'm going crazy…"
As she spoke, Himeno covered her face with both hands, shoulders quivering as if she were genuinely crying.
Renji, seeing her like this, was fooled for a brief moment—until he noticed the sneaky little glance Himeno stole at him through her fingers. He sneered.
"I won't. If you don't agree, I'm not letting you go."
With that, Renji pulled Himeno into his arms and once again squeezed her soft, sweet backside. Her body jolted in response.
"I… I can't do it…"
Renji squeezed again.
"…Ugh… I… I really can't…"
Again.
"Ding~ Detected Himeno's going-to-heaven emotion, system rewards 20 points."
Himeno's expression blurred for a moment, her mind nearly blanking out. She gritted her teeth hard, clutching Renji's arm around her waist to stay upright. Finally, she relented with a soft nod, eyes teary.
"I… I know! I promise! Just please… please let me go… Don't squeeze anymore… please…"
Renji, seeing her reluctant but sincere nod, smiled with satisfaction."Alright, then. It's settled. I'll let go…"
He drew out his words deliberately, watching her closely. He didn't trust her display of weakness—he suspected a trick, so he paused, waiting.
"Go!"
Exactly as Renji had expected.The moment he loosened his grip, Himeno froze in surprise. A flicker of resolve replaced the hesitation in her eyes.
She suddenly spun and reached for Renji's balls with lightning speed.
Unfortunately, she was still too slow.
Renji had foreseen the move and already stepped back, dodging easily. As Himeno's hand swung through empty air, Renji took several steps farther away to maintain a safe distance.
Worn out from going to heaven too many times and physically drained, Himeno stumbled during the burst of movement and half-collapsed to the ground. She pounded her fists against the white floor in frustration, her eyes filled with bitterness.
"Damn… damn it! I missed!!!"
"Hmph hmph hmph… Hahaha… Just as I thought! Senior Himeno, you were faking it the whole time! Lucky I didn't fall for it!"
Himeno lowered her head, her expression dark and conflicted. After taking a deep breath to suppress her anger, she looked up again and forced a strained smile.
"Um… Renji, my legs are too weak… can… can you help me up? Let's go out together, okay? Don't worry… I won't try to grab your balls again…"
Renji didn't take the bait. Too lazy to reply, he turned toward the entrance above and quickly climbed up using both hands on the table, lifting himself out into the open. Once he landed on the floor, he dusted himself off.
His voice echoed from above:"Alright, Senior Himeno. Stop pretending. I'm not falling for it again."
Soon, Himeno's hands emerged from the white paper as she propped herself up on the table, attempting to climb out. But in her current condition, even that simple action felt overwhelmingly difficult.
Renji Kuroda reached out and grabbed her wrists, yanking her up through her sleeves. However, he miscalculated—the force he used was too strong. Although Himeno was successfully pulled out, the momentum caused both of them to lose balance and crash hard onto the floor, landing squarely on their butts.
Renji only felt a sharp ache in his backside, but for Himeno, it was much worse. Her already tender buttocks—still imprinted with vivid red marks from Renji's earlier rough treatment—throbbed in pain.
She immediately shot up, supporting herself with one hand on the table while the other gently massaged her sore rear, her face contorting as she hissed,"Ow… ow ow… that hurts… Renji, you idiot! Just how hard did you squeeze?! That seriously hurts…! This is bad… what if it swells?! Will it look awful when I'm in my Public Safety uniform?"
Back when they were still inside the white paper, Himeno had been overwhelmed with sensation, too caught up in the moment to feel the true force of Renji's hands on her plump curves. Only now, with her mind clearer, did the throbbing pain register, making her brows tighten and her face flush before going pale.
It wasn't just about the embarrassment of ten red finger marks anymore—she was genuinely worried about visible swelling.
"Should I wear a long skirt to cover it…? Ugh, this is the worst! If I don't wear my uniform at work, I'll lose my bonus! Renji, you idiot! Bastard! Dumbass! You couldn't have been a little gentler?!"
Renji, still rubbing his own sore behind, stood up and spoke defensively,"I mean… Senior Himeno, you weren't exactly gentle when you squeezed my little man and the little golden balls. That hurt too, you know."
"Ah~ ah ah~ I'm not listening, I'm not listening~ I'm not listening to stupid Renji~" she chanted, hands over her ears. Then, as if remembering something important, she muttered,"By the way… what about medical expenses? What if they're expensive? Ahh… medical fees~"
Renji got the message.
"I'm sorry, Senior Himeno. I'll cover the medical bills. I really am sorry for squeezing so hard…"
"Ding~ Detected Himeno's happy emotion, system rewards 10 points."
"Idiot."
Himeno shot him a look."You really are such a stupid Renji. I only said that to see if you'd feel bad—I wasn't really blaming you. And besides… it's not like I lost anything, and…"
Her cheeks flushed deeper. She reached up and touched her warm face, eyes darting away. She couldn't meet Renji's gaze.
"And I never said I hated it… cough cough… Also! About the medical expenses—how could I let a junior pay? That's too much. Ahh… it still hurts…"
"Senior Himeno, where are you going? The medical staff are on their way."
"You're seriously such a stupid Renji. Look at me—do you not notice my situation? My pants are soaked, and it's sticky inside! How am I supposed to explain that?! Ugh! You're such an idiot! A fool! A cow!"
Himeno paused, distracted by another thought.
"Ding~ Detected Himeno's shy emotion, system rewards 20 points."
She turned back slightly, flustered, and shouted:"Hey! Renji! Don't you dare forget our agreement! Let me see your white children… if it's 460 milliliters… then I'll let you see my sea tide rising to Kishibe and spraying out…"
Not waiting for a response, Himeno—still holding one hand on her waist and the other massaging her sore butt—snuck out through the noodle shop's back door.
"Ow… ow ow… What am I going to do… Seriously…"