Sol held Miyabi in his arms, and the feeling was extremely pleasant.
Cold and quiet as the blue fox might be, hugging her was in no way inferior to holding a soft, sweet pink-white fox.
But he didn't want to be a boy-mom. He wanted to be a boyfriend.
As time passed, Miyabi gradually drifted out of her memories, her whole being becoming much livelier.
She was grateful for an embrace that let her briefly revisit past warmth—but it was time. She needed to return to reality.
She pushed herself up, trying to leave Sol's arms.
But a force pulled her down again, keeping her in place.
Hm?
Miyabi froze.
She tried again, and again she was pulled back.
She realized something was wrong—things between them seemed far too intimate.
"What is it?"
She looked at Sol in alarm, her ruby-red eyes clear and untainted.
"Nothing. I just want to hold you longer."
Sol leaned close to her long fox ears and inhaled deeply—premium quality, straight to the lungs.
As if he'd let her go just because she suddenly felt like it. What was he, someone to be used and tossed?
"Wai–!"
Hoshimi Miyabi's eyes widened, her face instantly going scarlet.
Even she, clueless as she was about romance, knew this was absolutely crossing the line. Much more so than a simple embrace.
"Miyabi, so you don't get any strange ideas, I should tell you something."
Sol hugged her soft body even tighter and whispered by her ear: "Actually, I crave your body."
He was brutally straightforward—no detours at all.
"Oh."
Miyabi nodded, momentarily at a loss for words.
So—Sol craved her body.
Sol craved her body.
Craved her body.
No matter how she looked at it… wasn't that basically a confession?
The sentence echoed in her head again and again, her face slowly flushing pink.
She had countless fans, men and women, loudly confessing to her—but that was mere admiration, and she only encouraged herself not to disappoint those expectations.
But now she was in Sol's arms. This heart-to-heart confession was not friendship, not gratitude—this was genuine courtship.
Her mind went blank. Her mother had taught her many things, but not this—not yet.
Should she refuse? Mother always said not to entrust herself lightly.
But she didn't want to refuse. Sol treated her well. He was a trusted friend, a sparring partner, the mentor who taught her a divine technique…
So—she didn't want to refuse.
Miyabi lifted her delicate face and met Sol's eyes. Nothing particularly special—just a handsome face with a pair of handsome eyes.
But she saw too much in them, and her heart was in chaos.
Bracing her hands against Sol's chest, her eyes held both determination and pleading: "Not here."
No matter what, this training chamber in Hollow Special Operations Section 6 wasn't the place. Yanagi and Soukaku were outside.
This place was absolutely forbidden. That much she was certain of.
"Unexpectedly pure. I like you even more."
Sol released her and brushed his hand over her long fox ears.
"Don't say it like that."
Miyabi turned her head aside.
The restraint had vanished, but she still hadn't left Sol's embrace.
She was confused—but willing to follow her heart.
Sol helped her sit properly on the floor cushion.
Holding her face in both hands, meeting her eyes directly, he said seriously: "Of course I won't be that careless. In a way you can accept—let's start a cultivation of romance."
"Cultivation… of romance?"
Hoshimi Miyabi's eyes brightened.
When it came to cultivation—although this was a type she had never encountered—she felt much more at ease.
"Let's take time to go on dates—watch movies, eat hotpot, clear Hollows and fight Ethereals together, spar a little. I'll teach you the cultivation of romance and be your one and only cultivation partner."
As he spoke, Sol smoothed the wrinkles in her blue haori, smiling.
"That… sounds wonderful."
Hoshimi Miyabi's imagination leapt outward; suddenly it seemed very nice.
"Of course it's wonderful. You can also learn how to hold hands and how to kiss."
Sol looked at her deliberately teasing.
"I agree to the cultivation of romance," Hoshimi Miyabi said, trying to stay calm. "But… the last few lessons… need to be learned slowly."
Her face was completely red. "Holding hands" and "kissing"… she couldn't handle those at all.
"We've got a whole lifetime. We can take it slow."
Sol smiled easily.
Life was long—no need to rush. Pulling carrots was great, but the slow cultivation process was worth savoring.
"Mm." Miyabi nodded, glancing at the chamber door, eager to leave. "So… today's cultivation… should be over, right?"
Before, Sol had announced the end of training. Now she was the one saying it.
Too much had happened. She didn't dare stay in front of Sol any longer.
"Training can end, sure—but I suggest you let your face cool down first."
Sol eyed the steam practically rising off her cheeks and teased her.
"Eh?"
Miyabi touched her face—burning hot, just as he said.
If she walked out like this, Tsukishiro Yanagi and Soukaku would definitely notice.
"Then… eat some melon to cool off before going out." Sol reached out, and a large honeydew melon appeared in his hand.
"Mm."
Miyabi nodded firmly.
With fingers as sharp as blades, Sol lightly traced the melon's surface, revealing its pale golden flesh.
Easily, he divided it into eight crescent slices and arranged them on a conjured crystal plate.
He picked up one slice, held it before her, and said with a smile: "Here."
"Thank you."
Miyabi accepted it carefully and brought it to her lips.
From its appearance, it was certainly sweet.
Because her mother never allowed her to touch knives as a child, melons that could be cracked open became her most eaten fruit—a habit she kept to this day.
But since the fall of the Old Capital, she had never eaten a melon as sweet as those from her childhood.
She took a small bite—her eyes lit up instantly.
The chilled flesh was like cold honey—sweet yet rich with fragrance, refreshing and delightful.
She chewed slowly, reluctant to swallow.
It wasn't childhood sweetness—it was a new happiness.
After finishing one slice, Hoshimi Miyabi was completely relaxed, serene and lovely, her flushed face cooled back to its porcelain-white glow.
Sol admired her delicate eating posture, and only then spoke: "Alright. Now you can go out and face people."
"Mm."
Hoshimi Miyabi nodded lightly, then noticed there were still seven slices left in the crystal plate. "Aren't you eating?"
"Watching you is enough—my cultivation partner in romance."
Sol stood, patted her head, and left the training chamber first.
Miyabi blinked in surprise, then quickly followed him out.