"Captain Unohana, you're joking." Arata lightly coughed and subtly took half a step back, leaning directly against Rangiku behind him.
Unohana Retsu chuckled softly when she saw that. Her gaze shifted between Arata and Rangiku, and a hidden emotion flickered in her eyes. "Looks like I interrupted something."
"No, no!" Rangiku quickly waved her hands, but her cheeks involuntarily turned red.
Instinctively, she tugged at the straps of her black bikini, trying to cover more skin, but only ended up accentuating the whiteness of her cleavage even more.
"Ah~" Unohana elongated her voice meaningfully, "Lieutenant Matsumoto's bikini really is beautiful."
Kotetsu Isane stood behind Unohana; her gaze unintentionally slipped to Arata's well-defined abs, and she quickly looked away as if burned.
She lowered her head and clenched her fingers, even her ears turning red.
"Ahem!" Shiba Isshin timely cut in, "Everyone, Lieutenant Omaeda has already gone to arrange the accommodations. Why don't we... "
"Senpai Arata!" an energetic voice suddenly interrupted Isshin's words.
Hinamori Momo ran up to them, her orange swimsuit shining brightly in the sun. "Shiro-chan said he wants to ask you about the concentration of spiritual particles in the human world!"
Not far behind her, Toushirou was reluctantly being dragged into the sea by Kusanagi. "Hey! Momo! When did I say that... "
"Come on, Toushirou, don't be shy!" Kusanagi grinned foolishly and held his hand tightly. "Since we're at the beach, we have to enjoy ourselves!"
"Let me go! I'm not going in the water!"
"Hahahaha!"
Watching the two of them squabble, Arata couldn't help but laugh.
He turned to Hinamori Momo and said, "I'll find you later, once we settle in. In any case, you students, be careful not to go too far. The human world isn't like Soul Society."
"Yes! Don't worry, senpai!" Hinamori Momo energetically saluted, but her eyes unconsciously slid to Arata's abs.
These abs were completely different from Shiro-chan's flat ones… they looked so big and firm…
"Hinamori!" Rukia wrapped her arms around her from behind; her blue swimsuit made her skin appear even whiter. "Renji said he wants a sandcastle-building contest and we're missing you!"
"Wait! Rukia, slow down—"
The two girls, pulling each other, ran off.
"Ah, youth is wonderful." Kyōraku Shunsui had somehow driven up to them earlier, wearing a colorful shirt and swim trunks, looking like a decadent uncle.
He held a beer bottle in his hand; no one knew where he got it.
"Captain Kyōraku, your wine..." Arata raised an eyebrow.
"Shh…" Shunsui mysteriously raised his index finger. "Don't let Nanao find out."
Just as he said that, a white hand suddenly reached from behind and precisely snatched the bottle from his hand.
"Captain!" Ise Nanao adjusted her glasses, the lenses glinting coldly. "Didn't I make myself clear before we left?"
"Nanao-chan~ just one little bottle~" Shunsui tried once more to charm his way out.
"Absolutely not."
Arata couldn't help laughing as he watched Ise Nanao pull Kyōraku by the ear.
At that moment, the roar of engines suddenly echoed from the end of the beach.
Five long black cars slowly drove up, bearing the Omaeda family crest on their doors.
When the lead vehicle stopped, Omaeda Marechiyo jumped out wearing a Hawaiian shirt and a gold chain around his neck; even his sunglasses couldn't hide the smug expression on his face.
"Apologies for the wait, captains!" he shouted, patting his round belly.
"Twenty presidential suites at the Royal Brighton Hotel, seven days of private beach access, and…" He pulled a deck of gold-sealed cards from his pocket. "These are VIP passes for the best club in the area!"
"As expected of the Omaeda family," Sasakibe Chōjirō rarely gave praise. "They are incredibly efficient and well-connected, even here in London."
Hearing that, Omaeda puffed out his chest even more, his face beaming with pride. "Of course! Our family's trade with London goes back hundreds of years!"
"Everyone, please follow me!"
The group crossed the beach in an impressive procession, attracting the gaze of many tourists.
No wonder – when more than ten men and women, each with their own style but all strikingly attractive, walk together, it's hard not to notice.
"Hey, look over there…"
"Is she a model? What a body!"
"That guy with the purple hair is really hot!"
"And the blonde next to him is crazy!"
Whispers kept coming, and Arata instinctively moved in front of Rangiku, shielding her from too many greedy stares.
"Arata~" Rangiku leaned toward his ear, her breath soft and sweet like orchids. "Are you maybe… a little jealous?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Arata's ears subtly flushed, but he didn't deny it.
The Grand Brighton Hotel was a large white Victorian-style building facing the sea, extremely luxurious.
Thick Persian rugs covered the lobby floor, and crystal chandeliers reflected dazzling light.
"Welcome!" The manager, a middle-aged man with a mustache, immediately approached Omaeda and warmly greeted him. "Mr. Marechiyo, everything is prepared according to your request."
"Excellent." Omaeda waved his hand. "Lead the way."
In the elevator, Arata noticed Rangiku staring thoughtfully at the floor buttons.
"What are you thinking about?" he asked softly.
"Is this modern technology?" Rangiku curiously pressed a button. "It's much more comfortable than the elevators in Soul Society."
"There are many interesting things in this world." Arata smiled. "I'll show you later."
"Really?" Rangiku's eyes sparkled. "I want to eat that… what's it called… ice cream!"
"Alright."
Their room was on the top floor, with a spacious balcony overlooking the bay.
"It's beautiful…" Rangiku leaned over the railing; her golden hair fluttered in the wind, and the sunlight drew a golden halo around her, like a descending goddess.
Arata unconsciously held his breath. At that moment, Rangiku was so beautiful that his heart trembled.
After they finished unpacking, Rangiku excitedly pulled Arata's hand, her gray eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Arata, let's go to the water park pool!"
Arata glanced at the still blazing sun outside the window, then rubbed her blue hair with gentle helplessness. "Didn't we say we'd wait until evening? The sun is still too strong."
"Ooo~" Rangiku pouted and pressed her proud chest against his arm. "The water park is indoors, we won't get burned~"
Arata's throat moved unconsciously. "Alright, alright, whatever you say."
When they changed and went down to the third floor, to the hotel's water park, it was already bustling with people.
"Hahaha! One more time!" Kenpachi Zaraki roared with laughter, his rough voice echoing through the space.
He was holding Yachiru in his arms as they plunged down a five-meter-tall slide together, sending huge splashes of water everywhere.
The pink-haired girl waved her arms in excitement. "Ken-chan! Faster!"
"Captain Zaraki, please be careful!" Ayasegawa Yumichika stood nearby, shirtless, holding a towel and a drink in his hands.
"Yumichika, stop nagging!" Kenpachi nonchalantly waved his hand and pulled Yachiru back toward the slide.
On the other side of the pool, Ukitake Jūshirō was leisurely floating on the water; his face, lit by the water's reflection, looked much healthier.
"Captain Ukitake, how are you feeling?" Shiba Isshin swam over and asked with concern.
"Very comfortable," Ukitake smiled. "The water temperature is just right, and it's good for the lungs too."
"That's good." Isshin breathed a sigh of relief, but then his eyes suddenly widened like he'd seen something. "Hey, hey! What is Captain Kyōraku doing?"
They saw Kyōraku Shunsui sneak into the bar area in the corner, secretly grabbing a bottle of whiskey from the shelf.
"Nanao-chan~ I'll just drink a little~" he murmured to himself, as if Ise Nanao were standing right behind his shoulder.
However, at that moment, a cold voice rang out behind him.
"Captain Kyōraku."