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"??? "
If Aozaki Reiji were asked what he felt right now, he would say he felt like a ghost-fire youth who saw a girl he liked and wanted to take her home.
But… where the hell was the ghost fire?!
"Kirio! What do we do?! I'm going to die! It's turned into something weird!"
"…Reiji, calm down…Yes, it is a tragic thing."
The distraught Aozaki Reiji hugged Hikifune Kirio tightly, burying his head in her broad chest and wailing loudly:
"Wahhh, Lady Kirio, what kind of hellish place is this? I can't cook anything at all!"
Hikifune Kirio was about to comfort him.
She had been the same when she first arrived.
Only later did she understand.
The Reishi concentration in the Soul King Palace was too high; cooking required the cooperation of Reiatsu.
But her clever little head immediately reacted, and a sly smile appeared at the corner of her lips.
She then gently stroked Aozaki Reiji's hair, chuckling softly:
"Hehehe, Reiji, you're still too naive~"
Aozaki Reiji heard this, looked up, and gazed at Hikifune Kirio with teary eyes, saying aggrievedly:
"How pitiful, Reiji, you can't see anything at all."
"You've made a pile of unrecognizable objects that are utterly unappetizing; I can't teach you anymore."
"Even if you're really begging, don't say it so directly?! That makes me very sad!!"
Aozaki Reiji let out a wail, although his tears only welled in his eyes, he hugged Kirio even tighter.
Seeing Aozaki Reiji completely turn into a pitiful baby made Hikifune Kirio even more secretly delighted, almost unable to suppress her laughter.
Since he couldn't even make the most basic dishes, then no matter how talented Reiji was, he would have to start from scratch.
At the very least, during his stay in the Soul King Palace, he would likely remain by her side.
And it would be just the two of them, an unprecedented opportunity.
Hikifune Kirio, whose mind had completely excluded a certain senior, was now full of future plans, already beginning to think about how to train Aozaki Reiji.
Meanwhile, on Aozaki Reiji's side, after the initial shock, he continued to lean on Kirio's ample bosom like a large rag doll, being held by her as they walked towards the room.
What to do now? He couldn't use the excuse of cooking guidance to deepen his relationship with Kirio… he thought with a headache.
He had just put on a big act, but he didn't expect… The steps were correct, so why couldn't he make it?
Did he really have to go back to the apprentice stage now?
Actually, it wasn't impossible.
The rational part of Aozaki Reiji's mind offered a suggestion.
In the years before Kirio entered the Soul King Palace, he had already taught her many things.
Now that he couldn't teach her anymore, it was perfectly acceptable for her to teach him!
Of course, this would require her consent; he couldn't force her.
Now he was going to be at her mercy…
Thinking of this, Aozaki Reiji couldn't help but sigh, lamenting his helplessness once again.
"Alright, alright, Reiji, you've been busy for so long, you must be tired, right?"
"It's okay, I've prepared a meal I made myself in the room. You can rest well after eating."
"!"
However, the moment they stepped into the entrance hall, Aozaki Reiji and Kirio, the room's owner, simultaneously felt a sense of alert.
Someone was here.
They both realized this and sensed an unusually powerful Reiatsu.
The other party had not deliberately concealed her presence.
But the Reiatsu fluctuations unintentionally emitted were so dense that they completely surpassed the Captain-class Shinigami level.
"In the kitchen!"
Kirio said with a smile.
That's right, there was even a hidden kitchen in her bedroom!
Aozaki Reiji's mouth twitched.
However, he was already mentally prepared, so he strode towards a paper door.
As he got closer, the smile on his face became more pronounced.
"Creak~"
As he pushed open the door, someone who had already stood up was covering her face and chuckling softly at Aozaki Reiji.
The ornate golden headdress on her head swayed slightly, making a crisp sound.
"Reiji-kun, and Kirio, why are you here?"
Aozaki Reiji and Hikifune Kirio, who followed closely behind, just looked at the woman.
They didn't speak, seemingly waiting for her to continue.
Aozaki Reiji blinked, then looked again at the elegant and beautiful woman before him.
Especially those captivating peach blossom eyes, which were truly enchanting.
The clothes she wore did not expose her hands.
However, three pairs of skeletal arms extended from the back of her clothing, giving off a mysterious and dangerous aura.
The noble woman with a gentle smile slowly lowered the skeletal arms covering her face, revealing her rosy lips stained with unknown crumbs.
"Weren't you two preparing a meal? Are you finished already?"
"I have been waiting for a long time, you know. Have you thought about how to make it up to me for wasting so much time?"
She wore a blossoming smile, every movement of the Zero Division adult exuding composure and elegance.
Aozaki Reiji narrowed his eyes and slowly approached her.
He seemed to have noticed something unusual, his eyes flashing with a playful look.
The Zero Division adult looked at the young man in front of her with curiosity.
Did this little fellow discover something?
She tilted her head cutely.
However, the other person present—Hikifune Kirio clearly knew that Aozaki Reiji's expression at this moment meant he was in a playful mood.
Hikifune Kirio silently turned her head, wrinkled her nose, not wanting to get involved in the potential conflict.
Then, Aozaki Reiji…
"You woman, you've been doing bad things behind our backs!"
"…Eh, how did you know?!"
Shutara Senjumaru widened her eyes, then immediately corrected herself.
"No, I didn't give in and secretly eat."
"Senjumaru-senpai, you've already exposed yourself! And…"
Aozaki Reiji leaned his face closer and reached out to Shutara Senjumaru.
"Before you lie, at least deal with the evidence of your crime first!"
His finger lightly brushed across Senjumaru's lips, his two fingers rubbing a few crumbs.
"This was specially prepared for me by Kirio. Since you've done such a bad thing, are you ready to accept your punishment?"
Shutara Senjumaru's smile froze on her face, and she blinked innocently.
......
"V-very sorry…"
Half an hour later, after finally sitting down in the dining room and Aozaki Reiji had eaten his fill, Shutara Senjumaru lay prostrate on the floor, offering a sincere apology.
After Kirio pointed out that "one should not wear strange outfits at home," she immediately took off her skeletal arms.
Now she was only wearing her soul reaper uniform and haori, with her two hands, usually hidden inside her clothes, properly extended from her sleeves.
Although she tried her best to appear polite and serious, her personality was actually very eccentric.
Aozaki Reiji and Hikifune Kirio both knew her true nature.
Hikifune Kirio, as the host, sat in the main seat, leisurely holding a ceramic cup.
A half-smile played on her lips as she watched the show, as if it had nothing to do with her.
Across the table, Aozaki Reiji sat with his arms crossed, his expression serious, scrutinizing Shutara Senjumaru.
On the other side, Shutara Senjumaru appeared somewhat restless.
Her hands distorted in her lap, a guilty expression on her face, as she occasionally stole glances at Aozaki Reiji.
Aozaki Reiji suddenly snorted through his nose, his gaze sharp as he looked at Shutara Senjumaru, questioning her with a hint of displeasure in his tone:
"So, as I just said—you, you ate my dessert, didn't you?"
His voice was low and serious, as if he were prosecuting a criminal.
Shutara Senjumaru immediately trembled, involuntarily stammering:
"N-not eaten secretly! It's just… that thing called tiramisu… was placed in such an obvious spot."
"And Kirio rarely makes Western desserts, so I accidentally… that's all…"
As her explanation deepened, Shutara Senjumaru's confidence waned, and her voice gradually grew softer.
Finally, she didn't even dare to look directly into Aozaki Reiji's eyes, beginning to avoid his direct gaze.
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