The next morning, the sun rose as usual.
"That feels good," Masatsuki Aozaki muttered, stretching and yawning as he slowly got out of bed. The warm morning light greeted him.
He absentmindedly tugged at his slightly disheveled clothes before blinking a few times, taking a moment to adjust.
Another night of sharing a bed—though, unlike before, this one had been completely innocent.
He had done his best to keep his mind clear, but realistically, he could only keep this up for a few more days at most.
"Should I start sleeping in my own room again...?"
As he stretched his body, full of energy, the thought crossed his mind—one of those trivial questions that only seemed to surface after the fact.
But whether or not he returned to his own room was hardly the most pressing issue right now.
It was almost seven o'clock, which, according to some human experts in the World of the Living, was the ideal time to wake up.
"Ah—time to make breakfast for that sleepyhead."
The thought of it brought a pleasant image to his mind, and with renewed enthusiasm, Masatsuki Aozaki strode toward the kitchen.
However, just as he stepped into the living room...
Standing at the entrance, waiting for him—who knew for how long—was Senjumaru Shutara.
The moment she saw him, her face lit up with a radiant smile, her eyes narrowing into delighted crescents.
But almost immediately, she seemed to catch herself.
Realizing she shouldn't be grinning so cheerfully at this irritating little brat, she coughed twice, as if resetting her demeanor. Then, in the blink of an eye, her expression shifted into one of composed seriousness.
"Good morning, Masatsuki-chan!"
With her hands neatly folded in front of her, Senjumaru Shutara offered him an elegant bow.
At first glance, she truly resembled a noble lady from a prestigious family.
However, Masatsuki Aozaki, who knew her real nature all too well, instinctively took a step back, immediately on guard.
He raised his hands in front of his face in a defensive stance—a secret technique from the Genryū school.
It was a move he had learned from Shunsui Kyōraku back in his student days, primarily meant as a precaution against getting smacked in the face whenever old man Yamamoto lost his temper.
"What do you want? Have you finally snapped and gone full yandere?"
"Just so we're clear, while I am fully in control, I'm not into yanderes. Even if you got my body, you'd never have my heart."
"...What nonsense are you spouting, you little brat!?"
Did spending the night with Kirio make him lose his senses? Or was his brain clogged with something ridiculous?
Senjumaru Shutara tilted her head in confusion, her expression full of doubt.
For a brief moment, Masatsuki Aozaki froze, his eye twitching.
Senjumaru Shutara—this woman—was actually looking at him with pity.
The sheer audacity made him click his tongue in annoyance.
"So what exactly are you doing here? Are you some middle schooler who comes to the cafeteria at the same time every day?"
"You may look like a mature woman, but deep down, you're just an overgrown little brat!"
Hearing this, the dignified senior instantly puffed out her cheeks, protesting fiercely,
"That's not true! Why does everyone treat me like a child!?"
"I'm a legitimate royal operative! A Shinigami who was promoted to the Royal Guard centuries ago!"
"Show some respect to your seniors, brat!"
"Operative or not, the word 'spy' doesn't exactly scream legitimacy," Masatsuki Aozaki muttered under his breath.
"That's irrelevant! You haven't forgotten our agreement, have you? Today, I'm learning how to make that dessert," Senjumaru Shutara declared seriously.
Now that she mentioned it...
There was something like that, wasn't there?
But Masatsuki Aozaki hadn't given it a second thought.
Yesterday, after getting this so-called noble lady to properly use an egg whisk, he had intended to teach her more.
However, her lack of enthusiasm had made it painfully clear—she had no real interest in cooking.
Then again... wasn't she completely flustered last night?
Why was she suddenly so full of energy today?
Masatsuki Aozaki glanced at her, puzzled.
And then, he noticed—Senjumaru Shutara, head lowered, looking somewhat sulky, her hands subtly fidgeting under her clothes.
"I was planning to talk to you about it tonight, but you didn't come back all night..."
"Huh? What did you say?"
Masatsuki Aozaki froze.
Did he hear that right?
She had been waiting for him all night?
"It's nothing! Anyway, you have to teach me today!"
The moment Masatsuki Aozaki questioned her, Senjumaru Shutara's defensive instincts kicked in. Without looking back, she briskly walked into the kitchen.
Feeling him follow behind, she shot him a sideways glance, her expression sulky yet determined.
"To make sure you don't slack off while teaching me, I even studied the recipe last night! I'm definitely going to get it right today."
"Whoa... You even studied on your own? That's pretty dedicated."
Masatsuki Aozaki rubbed his chin.
"Alright then, show me what you've learned."
He pulled up a chair, crossing his arms as he watched her closely.
Thankfully, from her movements, it was clear that she hadn't completely forgotten what she had learned yesterday.
Aside from asking where some of the ingredients were stored, she worked in silence.
With surprising dexterity, she cracked open the eggs, separating the yolks and whites before mixing them thoroughly in a bowl.
Masatsuki Aozaki, however, couldn't help but frown.
While her technique was decent, she had clearly left out some key ingredients.
Was she following some new method he wasn't aware of?
Did Kirio come up with this?
But considering that Senjumaru was still a beginner, he decided to step in.
"Aren't you missing a few things? Granulated sugar, milk, rum—I always add those together. Is this some new technique of yours?"
"Uh? Oh, right, I know about them... but how do I use them?"
"Wait, hold on. So you spent all last night..."
Masatsuki Aozaki reached out, gently pinching both of her cheeks before giving them a light tug.
"...learning what exactly?"
"Unless, of course, you're telling me you're a culinary genius who can figure out how to cook without guidance. In that case, I'd be very impressed."
"..."
Senjumaru Shutara suddenly froze.
The confident smile on her face stiffened, like a mask cracking apart. Her head tilted slightly.
And then, in an instant—
Her lips trembled, her nose twitched, and she looked as if she was on the verge of bursting into tears.
"It's all your fault, Masatsuki! I was planning to go over it with you when you got back! I barely looked at it myself!"
What the hell is with this woman?
"Oi, oi. You don't look like a senior at all right now. And while I'll admit it's cute, now's not the time to be acting adorable."
Masatsuki Aozaki sighed, feeling completely defeated.
The Soul King seriously chose the Royal Guard to protect him, huh?
Just what kind of nightmare was he living in that he'd pick someone like this as his bodyguard?
If you're being threatened, just blink!
Is there really no one else left in the Soul Society?
I mean, if you're that desperate, I can introduce you to an old man. Fights like a monster.
What's that?
The old man isn't exactly a respectable person either?
...Never mind, then.
Looking at the teary-eyed, sniffling idiot in front of him, Masatsuki Aozaki sighed again.
Reluctantly, he stepped up to the island counter.
Pulling open the cupboard, he took out all the necessary ingredients.
Seeing Senjumaru's pitiful expression, he gazed at her with the affectionate yet exasperated look of a father dealing with an utterly useless daughter (?).
"This is what happens when you don't take learning seriously. I'll finish making breakfast first, then I'll teach you properly—step by step."
"Masatsuki! Masatsuki-chan! Masatsuki-chan!!!"
Completely losing her composure, the flustered and humiliated older woman let out a cry and, in a blur, threw herself into Masatsuki Aozaki's arms as if she had finally found her last source of comfort.