The moonlight is bright, the night breeze is slightly cool.
Inside the cabin of the Endgame.
Shano embraced Robin, walked through the long corridor, gently elbowed open the door, and stepped into her room.
The weight of the person in his arms was lighter than he imagined.
Moonlight spilled through the porthole, as Shano carefully placed Robin onto the bed.
Robin curled up unconsciously, like a black cat that finally found a safe corner, her hair scattered on the pillow, her breathing even and long.
The faint smell of alcohol mixed with the unique elegant scent of a mature woman, entered his nostrils, along with the surprising elasticity he felt when his arm accidentally brushed against her...
It's hard not to be moved.
But his gaze remained clear, after covering her with a thin blanket, he stood quietly by the bed.
Looking at Robin, deeply asleep and flushed, Shano sighed.
She really drank too much.
In full view of everyone, she even dared to say something like "Are we just partners?"
It really surprised him.
Perhaps...
The meeting with Aokiji today finally dispersed the nightmares of childhood and removed the heaviest shackles from her heart.
That's why she relaxed to the point of losing composure.
"If I didn't have Observation, knowing you were really asleep..."
Shano squatted down, hugged his arms, and said with a smile, "I would've thought you were testing me, Sister Robin."
He couldn't endure too many tests.
One more time and he really wouldn't be able to resist.
After all, who wouldn't like a black-haired, straight-haired big sister?
But...
His relationship with Robin still hasn't reached that point.
Robin was the last to join the ship, compared to other companions, during the past month or so, she was still in the stage of gradually integrating into the group.
It was not until today's daytime events unfolded that it was like tearing away the last layer of barrier.
Does Robin have feelings for him?
Perhaps a little.
But Shano knew very well that Robin's dependency exhibited after drinking in the restaurant just now came more from a craving and indulgence in a sense of security.
Rather than other emotions.
At such times.
To take advantage of her while she is unconscious would tear apart the unconditional trust she had so painstakingly built.
As for how their relationship would develop afterward.
... Let it progress naturally, slowly.
"Goodnight, Robin."
Shano stood up, gently closed the door, and his footsteps gradually faded away in the end of the corridor.
...
Until the figure disappeared at the training room door.
Swish, swish, swish, three heads popped out from behind the wall corner from top to bottom.
Black hair, orange hair, and blue hair.
"Haha, what did I say? Brother is always upright, not that type of person!"
"Why do I feel he noticed we secretly followed? Too bad, if we weren't here, would things have worked out?"
"Don't!"
"Hmm?" Nami and Nojiko looked up, surprised, above them.
"Don't what?"
"..." Someone paused, realizing they had just blurted out what they were thinking.
"..."
The Young Swordswoman slightly lowered her eyelids, expressionless, "I mean, don't continue spying here, go back to sleep, this isn't good."
Hmm?
Weren't you the one urging us back in the restaurant?
Nami and Nojiko exchanged glances, both seeing the doubt in each other's eyes.
Hiss, why does it feel like...
Sister Robin on the ship seems to be more than just one person?
......
In a blink.
It was already early morning the next day.
When Robin opened her eyes, sunlight filled the entire room.
The hangover made her head a bit dull, she rubbed her temples, the memories of last night slowly flooding back like a tide.
"Under the warm orange light, she tugged at Shano's shirt"
"Ah, are we just partners?"
As soon as this sentence surfaced in her mind, her ears immediately burned.
"What on earth did I do..."
She annoyedly buried her face into the pillow, unable to muster the courage to turn around for a long time.
Really, it's so embarrassing.
The words, the actions from last night, now thinking back, are so humiliating one could suffocate.
Wait, the captain shouldn't take it seriously, right?
"..."
Robin took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.
She slowly sat up, scanning the room—
On the bedside table was a glass of water and hangover medicine, probably left by Shano this morning after seeing she hadn't woken up yet.
Aside from that, the room showed no signs of disturbance, and looking down at herself, it was the same.
It seems like nothing happened.
Good...
Is it?
She pressed her lips together, got up to wash up.
The reflection in the mirror had mostly returned to normal, only the ears retained a trace of blush.
Robin stared in a daze for a while, then suddenly lightly patted her cheeks, practicing several times in front of the mirror, finally restoring her usual calm smile.
...
Squeak.
She pushed open the cabin door and stepped onto the deck.
All the companions were there, mostly gathered around the long table under the parasol.
"Over here, over here! Sister Robin!"
Nami, sharp-eyed, was the first to notice her, cheerfully raising a bamboo tube:
"Only you left, don't forget yesterday's promise, come draw lots, time to decide who rides the train and who sails!"
"Here I come, good morning, everybody."
She greeted with a composed smile but couldn't help glancing at Shano.
The young man had already finished his practice, now lying on the wicker chair, drinking coffee to clear his head while lazily basking in the sun.
After hearing the commotion, he turned his head, casually asking, "Awake? Did you take the hangover medicine? Is your head still aching?"