"It's not what you think. I just wanted to teach her a little lesson..."
Byakuya tried to explain to Akira, but his voice lacked conviction.
"You don't need to say anything. I understand."
Akira's expression remained calm, the disdain in her eyes gone.
Byakuya thought Akira was being reasonable and understanding.
But the next moment, Akira's eyes turned into dead fish eyes. "The Director is just a pervert."
"..."
Byakuya was at a loss.
"What does 'pervert' mean?"
At that moment, the One-Tail Shukaku asked, puzzled.
"Probably refers to what Byakuya just did. I don't really understand either. I only know humans seem to have all sorts of strange preferences."
The Two-Tails Matatabi, lying on Byakuya's shoulder, answered in a leisurely tone.
"It is indeed a strange preference."
Shukaku murmured.
"You two are actually discussing this?"
Hearing these two chatting, Byakuya's mouth twitched slightly.
Just then, Eto had recovered.
Though she was still draped over Byakuya, the flush on her face hadn't yet faded.
"You've actually gotten bolder. I'm impressed~"
Eto whispered in Byakuya's ear.
"If you didn't tease me, I wouldn't have retaliated."
Byakuya said bluntly.
"You were this bold this time. Next time, are you going to take me right here?"
Apparently having learned nothing, Eto began teasing Byakuya again.
"You..."
Byakuya's hands made a threatening motion.
Eto immediately darted out of his embrace. Whether or not she had learned her lesson was unclear, but she was definitely scared now.
She didn't dare sit on Byakuya's lap anymore.
"It should be my turn now, right?"
At that moment, Akira spoke up as a reminder.
But she immediately added, "I mean for the massage..."
As if worried Byakuya might think she was requesting the same treatment Eto had just received.
"Mm."
Byakuya acknowledged and moved to sit beside Akira.
Akira didn't sit on Byakuya's lap like Eto had. Instead, she turned to her left, her back facing Byakuya who sat on her right.
Unlike Eto, Akira behaved properly, quietly enjoying Byakuya's massage.
Byakuya controlled his pressure well, effectively helping Akira relieve her fatigue.
"Your technique is quite good. It would be even better without those strange preferences."
Akira commented with her eyes closed.
"I really don't have those preferences. But even if I explained, you wouldn't believe me..."
Byakuya smiled helplessly.
"..."
Akira remained silent, though she hadn't actually taken it seriously.
Anyone with eyes could see that Eto's constant teasing and toying with Byakuya had been too much. The fact that Byakuya had waited until today to retaliate showed he was far too good-natured.
It was just that... his method of retaliation was a bit... well...
...
After the massage ended, Byakuya continued sitting in the office.
There were no tasks requiring immediate attention, so he just needed to wait until the end of the workday.
But it was best not to leave early, in case something happened and he could be informed immediately.
"By the way, the footage of Byakuya fighting Shukaku seems to have spread online. It's extremely popular."
At that moment, Eto suddenly brought up the topic. Apparently, she had also seen those videos. "The first moment I saw the video, I thought it looked familiar. Sure enough, it was Byakuya."
"Mm, but that doesn't matter. I'll need to go somewhere else tomorrow, though I won't need to take time off."
Byakuya said casually.
Barring any surprises, footage of his battle with the Two-Tails Matatabi had also been recorded. But he didn't care about such things.
"Going abroad again? Can you take me with you?"
Eto immediately requested.
"You want to come along? It'll be a bit inconvenient, but it's not impossible."
Byakuya said.
"..."
Nearby, Akira also had some thoughts, but she didn't voice them.
After all, someone needed to be in the Director's office. While Byakuya was abroad handling business, she could stay here and help share his workload.
But if both of them left together for too long, major problems could easily arise.
Considering this, she kept her thoughts to herself.
"Would it be inconvenient?"
Eto pondered, "But I don't want to cause you trouble. If you're willing to take me, I'll go."
"It's not really trouble. If you want to go, just come along. I don't mind."
Byakuya smiled faintly.
Honestly, he didn't think there was much to see. Each time, the Tailed Beast would be summoned, then he'd go to whatever country and finish it off quickly before returning. The whole thing probably didn't even add up to three minutes. Even if you wanted to experience the local culture, there wouldn't be time.
"That works then. Let's bring Akira-san along too."
Eto suggested.
"Eh?"
Akira looked at Eto with surprise.
She hadn't expected Eto to suddenly include her.
"Akira-san is busy in the office all day every day. Wouldn't it be nice to get some fresh air?"
Eto smiled.
"Even if I wanted fresh air, I can't do it during work hours. At least one person needs to be in the Director's office."
Akira said seriously.
"I knew you'd say that. Didn't Byakuya just say he won't even need to take time off? It probably won't take much time at all."
Eto reasoned.
"That's right, a few minutes at most."
Byakuya nodded.
"Just a few minutes... That's a bit short, but it'll do."
Eto murmured to herself.
She wasn't interested in sightseeing anyway. She wanted to witness Byakuya's battle with the Tailed Beasts firsthand.
Though Byakuya hadn't yet told Eto about the nine Tailed Beasts, she could deduce from the current information that there were probably more than two.
For instance, the orderly sequence of "One-Tail Shukaku" and "Two-Tails Matatabi," plus the fact that both Shukaku and Matatabi claimed they weren't the weakest, indicated there were definitely more than two Tailed Beasts.
"Only a few minutes before returning? Alright then... if that's the case, I'd like to see it too."
Akira admitted.
"Good. Then you'll both come with me tomorrow."
Byakuya agreed.
Whether he brought one person or two made no difference to him. At most, it might delay him by about a second.
It would have absolutely no effect on the outcome. At his current level, handling any Tailed Beast was effortless.
...
When Byakuya went to the restroom, Akira, sitting there drinking her coffee, suddenly spoke up: "Eto-san, you don't actually like Byakuya, do you?"
"Oh? Why would Akira-san say that?"
Eto, who had been staring at her computer screen, immediately looked up, tilting her head slightly.
"It was such a good opportunity to have Byakuya all to yourself, yet you voluntarily included me. Why?"
Akira seemed unable to understand this.
"So that's what this is about. I don't see the problem. Liking that guy doesn't stop me from sharing with Akira-san."
Eto smiled casually.
"Sharing..."
Akira found this difficult to agree with.
"Akira-san already knows, right? There are way too many girls that guy has gotten involved with. I've lost count. If you really like him, just accept it. He's a scumbag who's all desire and no guts, who won't make a move but also won't reject anyone, who loves meddling in other people's business, and who's so good-natured you can't find fault with him."
Eto launched into a tirade, listing all of Byakuya's characteristics in one breath.
"..."
Akira was momentarily speechless. What Eto said was indeed accurate.
"But I think it's fine. Being around that guy, there are so many cute and interesting girls who can become material for my writing."
Eto said.
"So you really don't like Byakuya after all. You're following him for these reasons."
Akira said expressionlessly.
"No, no, no."
Eto shook her head. "Liking him is the premise for everything. Haven't you heard that girls like to tease the boys they like?"
"...I only remember the version I heard was the other way around."
Akira found Eto's response increasingly strange.
When a normal girl was asked whether she liked a certain boy, she would be shy—either bashfully admitting it or too embarrassed to acknowledge it. But Eto not only admitted it so openly, she even seemed to be joking about it...
However, Akira's intuition kicked in at this moment. Her instincts told her that Eto probably did genuinely like Byakuya. It was just that the way she expressed it could easily mislead people. Was she deliberately presenting it this way to hide something...?
Akira had long suspected Eto liked Byakuya, so making this judgment based on intuition didn't surprise her.
It was just that some of Eto's words and actions felt a bit odd...
...
When work hours ended, Byakuya took Shukaku and Matatabi home.
Eto and Akira also headed to their respective homes.
However, halfway through her journey, Akira noticed that Eto seemed to be following her.
At first, she was only slightly suspicious, but gradually became certain.
At that point, Akira couldn't help but turn around and address Eto, who had been trailing behind her: "Eto-san, how long do you plan to keep following me?"
"Ara, you noticed?"
Eto grinned.
"You were walking behind me so conspicuously without any attempt at stealth. It would be harder not to notice."
Akira was somewhat exasperated.
"Since I've been found out, I'll just say it directly."
Eto spoke frankly: "I'd like to visit the Mado residence."
"..."
Akira fell silent for a moment. "Are you sure you're not joking?"
She asked this because Eto Yoshimura, as the "One-Eyed Owl," had a blood feud with the Mado family.
Not only had Eto's mother been lost, but her father's personality had also undergone a drastic change. Fortunately, he still loved her.
So when Eto voluntarily proposed visiting the Mado family, Akira couldn't believe she was serious.
"Not at all. I'm really serious."
Eto pressed her palms together in a pleading gesture.
"...Alright."
Akira sighed. "Then come home with me. But be mentally prepared—my father despises you. He might attack you with his Quinque at any moment..."
Pausing here for a moment, she continued, "If it comes to that, I hope you'll spare my father. I don't want to lose any more family."
Akira's tone was calm, without any trace of fear. But this certainly wasn't humility or a joke.
She was well aware of Eto's strength. Besides Byakuya and Arima-san, no one in the entire CCG could stand against her. Even if she and her father joined forces, it would be futile.
"Don't worry. I'm definitely not going there to fight with your father. I really just want to make a visit."
Eto promised.
"Mm..."
Akira acknowledged softly. Her expressionless face made it impossible to tell what she was thinking.
Then Eto followed Akira to the Mado residence.
Akira had sent a text message to Mado Kureo in advance, to prevent her father from acting impulsively upon suddenly encountering Eto.
She hadn't told her father what to do—just explained the situation.
She hadn't received a reply yet. She hoped her father had seen it...
...
Ward 1, Mado Residence.
As Akira lightly pressed the doorbell, Mado Kureo soon came to open the door.
He was wearing an apron—now that he was in a semi-retired state, as a single father, he often cooked for his daughter at home.
"I'm home."
Akira went through her usual routine of greeting, changing shoes, and hanging up her bag.
Eto gave a slight bow. "Pardon the intrusion."
"Come in and sit down. I've prepared an extra portion of dinner. We can eat soon."
Mado Kureo's tone was actually quite normal. He didn't explode the moment he saw Eto.
There was even a faint smile on his face, though it was visibly stiff.
Her father's reaction to Eto surprised Akira somewhat. In her view, it would have been perfectly normal for her father to immediately attack with a kitchen knife. This current reaction actually seemed strange to her.
Eto was also slightly surprised.
Of course, neither Akira nor Eto commented on this.
Then Eto sat down in the living room, and Akira made tea for her as if hosting a guest.
"Akira-san's father is a bit different from what I imagined."
Sipping her tea, Eto spoke up.
"He's probably considering the bigger picture for the CCG. In truth, no one hates you more than my father..."
Akira said directly.
"..."
Eto was momentarily at a loss for words.
"Akira, tell your friend to get ready. We can start eating soon."
Just then, Mado Kureo's voice came from the kitchen.
...
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