"I am an Oni Samurai."
He said, "I don't need to sleep."
"Then close your eyes and rest."
Kikyo's voice was muffled, as if she were speaking into her pillow. "You've consumed so much demonic power; you need to recover."
Kanbe Hikaru opened his mouth, wanting to say something.
But in the end, he didn't say it.
He slowly lay down.
With his back to Kikyo.
Their backs were almost touching.
Through the thin fabric, he could feel the warmth of her body.
That warmth was very comforting.
So warm that even he, an Oni Samurai who didn't need to breathe, felt a sense of comfort.
The oil lamp finally went out.
The room fell into darkness.
Only a sliver of moonlight filtering in from the window outlined the two figures lying side by side.
Kanbe Hikaru closed his eyes.
He had thought he wouldn't fall asleep.
After all, an Oni Samurai's body truly didn't require sleep.
But whether it was because he had overexerted himself tonight, or because the warm presence behind him made him too relaxed,
His consciousness gradually blurred.
...
The light of dawn was faint.
The thin morning light filtered through the cracks in the dilapidated window, spilling onto the tatami.
Kanbe Hikaru woke up.
Or rather, his consciousness returned.
But he didn't open his eyes immediately.
Because he felt something was wrong.
In his arms.
There was something.
Something warm, soft, and carrying a faint fragrance.
He opened his eyes.
What met his sight was a sea of black.
It was hair.
Long black hair was scattered across his chest, with a few strands clinging to his cheek.
Looking down past the hair—
Was a sleeping face.
Her brow was relaxed, her eyelashes trembled slightly, her lips were parted a fraction, and her breathing was steady.
It was Kikyo.
At some point, she had turned over and was curled up entirely in his arms.
The collar of her white robe had loosened slightly in her sleep, revealing her fair neckline and the faint hint of her collarbone beneath.
Her face was pressed against his chest, her breath softly puffing against the area over his heart.
Those hands that were usually only used to hold a bow were now resting against his waist, as if clutching onto something.
Further down—
The sash of her red hakama had loosened at some point, and the fabric was bunched up at her waist, outlining her slender midsection.
One of her legs was draped over his, her thigh pressed tightly against his side; beneath the thin fabric was a soft yet firm sensation.
Her other leg was slightly curled, her knee pressing against his lower abdomen, and further up...
Kanbe Hikaru's Adam's apple bobbed.
He struggled to shift his gaze upward.
Don't look down.
Mustn't look down.
But—
[shikon no tama: naohi: Favorability +2]
[Current Favorability: 49 (Trust)]
[It conveys a message to you:'She is sleeping very peacefully.']
['More peacefully than ever before.']
Kanbe Hikaru looked at the prompt on the panel.
He let out a breath.
Forget it.
At least this bead wasn't reading the messy thoughts in his head.
He didn't move.
He just stayed in that position.
Feeling the warm weight in his arms.
Outside the window, the roosters crowed louder. The sunlight grew brighter, too.
Kikyo's eyelashes fluttered. She was waking up.
Kanbe Hikaru subconsciously wanted to loosen his grip and let her go.
But the next second, he felt the hand resting on his waist suddenly tighten.
Her fingers dug into his clothes, as if clutching onto something and refusing to let go.
Then, those eyes opened.
The pitch-black pupils still held a trace of sleepiness, looking somewhat hazy and bewildered.
She lifted her head.
Their eyes met.
Their faces were inches apart.
So close that he could see the curve of her eyelashes.
So close that their breaths intertwined.
Silence.
A deathly silence.
It lasted for about three breaths.
Then, the roots of Kikyo's ears turned red.
At a speed visible to the naked eye, it spread from her earlobes to her neck.
"..."
"..."
"Morning."
Kanbe Hikaru was the first to speak, breaking the silence.
Kikyo did not speak.
She simply loosened her hand from his waist, turned around, and sat up.
Her movements were quick and agile.
She sat with her back to him.
Kanbe Hikaru could see that her ears were red enough to drip blood.
"Let's set off."
Her voice had returned to its usual coldness, as if nothing had happened just moments ago.
"It's time to attend to business."
Kanbe Hikaru sat up as well.
He watched her straight back, his expression calm yet natural.
"Alright," he said.
"Let's go."
-------------------------
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