The next morning, Arata woke up in a soft, large bed.
He shook his head, feeling exhausted as if he had just finished a marathon.
The memories of last night were a bit blurry.
From the bathroom to the sofa, from the sofa to the floor-to-ceiling window, then from the window back to the bed...
So much so that Rangiku was still immersed in a beautiful dream and hadn't woken up. The tear stains on her face were barely visible, and the red marks on her body were the best proof of the spanking she had received last night.
Arata touched his slightly drained abdominal muscles and waist, then sighed quietly to himself.
The quality of this artificial body was still limited, far less durable and strong than the spiritual body he had refined in Soul Society.
He quietly got out of bed, ordered hotel breakfast, then went into the bathroom to wash up and shower.
Warm water ran down his strong body, washing away the fatigue accumulated during the previous night.
After a while, a hotel worker entered with a breakfast cart.
"Sir, here is your breakfast."
After greeting Arata, she quietly left, but before leaving, she slipped a small piece of paper into his hand.
On it was a series of numbers – [1403].
It looked like a room number, and it was on the same floor as their room.
Arata completely ignored this impossible "encounter," simply tore the note and dropped it into the toilet bowl.
On the silver trays on the cart were perfectly fried bacon and sunny-side-up eggs, toast with an enticing wheat aroma, and a small bowl of fresh fruit salad.
Of course, two such breakfasts were prepared.
He sat in a single armchair in front of the panoramic window, enjoying the simple breakfast while watching the view of the sea outside.
"Mmm... smells so good…" Rangiku suddenly turned over in bed, her long golden hair spread messily across the white pillow.
She half-sleepily opened her eyes, her nose twitching slightly like a kitten that had sniffed out food.
Arata deliberately raised a piece of bacon and waved it in the air. "You're awake? Want something to eat?"
Rangiku rubbed her sleepy eyes, her gray pupils faintly glowing in the haze of sleep. "I do…" Her voice was still hoarse from waking up, with a slight tone of spoiled laziness.
Arata took the tray to the bed and sat down, then lifted a piece of fruit on a fork and brought it to her mouth.
Rangiku opened her small mouth, her soft pink tongue wrapped around the strawberry on the fork, and she slowly, lazily chewed it.
"I almost forgot you haven't brushed your teeth yet. Come on, get up and go brush your teeth first." Arata said teasingly with a smile, as if he had just remembered something.
"Oh please… an artificial body doesn't have physical odors!" Rangiku replied righteously.
Arata raised an eyebrow, his face taking on a strange expression. "Oh? Really?…"
"Ah! You jerk—"
Rangiku jumped like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, all her fur bristling in an instant. She grabbed a pillow from the bed and threw it at Arata.
Arata quickly dodged to the side, then caught her slender wrist and pulled her into his arms.
"Ambushes are a bad habit." His low, deep laugh made Rangiku's ears burn.
The skin under his fingers was like the finest silk, with the warmth of morning and a gentle scent of gardenia.
Rangiku squirmed a bit trying to push him away, but his weight suddenly pinned her between the mattress and his strong chest.
"Wait! Wasn't last night enough—" Her protest vanished into his hot kisses. Arata's artificial lips parted her pearly teeth, his tongue sweeping across her mouth with the chill of mint toothpaste.
The belt of her nightgown came undone at some point, revealing a large area of snow-white skin, still marked by ambiguous red traces from the night before.
…
When Arata finally let her go with satisfaction, the wall clock already showed ten in the morning. Unnoticed, they had been "fighting" for another full two hours.
First a battle, then pleasure!
Rangiku curled up on the damp sheets, her golden hair stuck to her sweaty neck, even the tips of her fingers had taken on a light pink hue.
"We agreed to go to the beach today…" She looked at the culprit who was tying the belt of his bathrobe. "Now… I barely have the strength to stand…"
Arata chuckled, leaned over, and kissed her swollen lips, as a faint green light shimmered in his palm.
"Although this artificial body from the Technological Development Bureau can only store a sliver of spiritual pressure, it's enough for basic Kaidō."
Warm energy flowed from his palm into her limbs and bones, and Rangiku suddenly felt her stiff waist become light again.
"Hmpf! You're cheating…" Rangiku murmured while propping herself up with her hands to stand. Suddenly she noticed the red light on the alarm clock by the bed. "Wait! I booked a full hotel massage treatment last night!"
She screamed and jumped out of bed, almost tripping over the sheets wrapped around her ankles. "Oh no! Only twenty minutes left till the appointment!"
Arata raised an eyebrow, watching the woman panicking as she rushed into the bathroom, then slowly picked up the wrinkled nightgown from the floor.
"Careful not to trip. Twenty minutes is more than enough."
In the mirror, several fresh red scratches were reflected on his back. It seemed the Kaidō healing speed still couldn't match the speed of his orange cat's claws.
Fifteen minutes later, Rangiku, wrapped in a towel, was fixing her appearance in front of the floor-to-ceiling mirror when neatly folded clothes were suddenly pushed into her hands.
"Wear this." Arata pointed to a casual outfit similar to the one he was wearing. "After the massage we can go straight to the beach, no need to change."
"Eh? But I wanted to wear something new I bought…" Rangiku untied the wine-red dress with the deep V-neck, but the moment Arata's gaze darkened, she immediately changed her tune: "Never mind, better to listen to you."
She had no desire to be forced to sit in front of the closet listening to a half-hour lecture just because she was "too revealing."
…
The massage center on the hotel's third floor was filled with the scent of lavender essential oil.
When the masseuse gestured for her to loosen the robe, Rangiku very clearly heard a dry, disapproving cough behind her.
"Sir…" the receptionist awkwardly stopped Arata who was already trying to enter. "This is the ladies' area. You must wait in the outer lounge."
Arata glared threateningly at the masseuse's fingers on Rangiku's shoulder, so intensely that the poor woman almost dropped the oil bottle.
"I'll wait for you in the restaurant." In the end, he relented and let the door close. Before turning away, he leaned in and whispered in her ear: "If I find out anyone touched what they shouldn't have…"
"I know, you're so jealous you even get mad at women." Rangiku, blushing, pushed him through the glass doors, but when she turned around, she secretly lifted the corner of her lips.
This strong feeling of belonging to someone, she felt it for the first time in her life.
It really makes the heart beat faster.
On the soft massage table, Rangiku was enjoying the professional massage of her shoulders and neck, when suddenly from the neighboring spa room she heard a familiar voice.
"Ah… Lieutenant Matsumoto really looks good."
Unohana Retsu emerged from the misty steam, wearing a wine-red bikini covered with a layer of sheer gauze.
Drops of water slid down the elegant line of her neck straight into the shadow of her deep cleavage, tempting one to sin.
"Captain Unohana—" Rangiku hastily tried to get up and salute, but Unohana gently pressed her back onto the bed.
"Don't be nervous, relax." The woman's fingers softly grazed the back of her head. "I heard you went shopping yesterday and bought quite a lot…"
That seemingly casual question made Rangiku inexplicably uneasy.
"Y-yeah… I bought a lot of local specialties." She unconsciously twisted the towel draped over her body, not noticing how the other woman's gaze swept over the kiss marks on her collarbone that hadn't completely faded.
"Young people… you're so full of energy."
Unohana smiled meaningfully.