"...Shit."
The word slipped out of my mouth as I lay flat on my bed, eyes locked on the ceiling. The quiet hum of the night outside contrasted sharply with the storm brewing inside my head. My fingers clenched the bedsheet in frustration.
After that whole farce with Riser and Grayfia, Buchou had immediately ended the club activities for the day. Apparently, she and Akeno had retreated to a deeper part of the old school building to hold a strategy meeting. Not surprising. With only ten days until the Rating Game, Rias was under pressure—and I knew she'd carry it all alone if she had to.
I didn't like feeling helpless. Not again.
"Damn it…"
My Sacred Gear pulsed faintly on my arm in response to my mood, but I willed it down. Not now.
I needed a break. A bath might help. Clear my head. Relax the muscles Akeno had roasted earlier during training.
I got up and made my way downstairs, thoughts still looping around training plans, weaknesses in our team, and Riser's smug face. I should've said something sharper to him. Or maybe I should've punched him. That would've been satisfying.
The light in the hallway leading to the bathroom was still on. I didn't think much of it. My head was too full of strategy diagrams and the image of Riser's flaming wings.
I opened the bathroom door without thinking.
"Ah—"
Our voices overlapped.
And froze.
There stood Asia, water droplets trailing down her pale skin, her golden hair damp and sticking to her shoulders and back. She had just stepped out of the shower, her hands still holding a towel she hadn't wrapped around herself yet. Steam curled around her like something out of a dream.
She blinked at me, eyes wide.
I blinked back.
My gaze instinctively moved—her curves were more developed than I remembered, especially when not hidden under her usual modest clothing. Smooth lines, tight hips, soft but defined in the right places. Her breasts—well, they were nothing to scoff at either. Round and balanced, a touch more than modest. Her body had matured beautifully.
But I didn't gape. I didn't stammer or trip over myself. I wasn't a virgin anymore, and I'd seen naked girls plenty, actually only one, of times at this point. So I wasn't going to turn into a squealing schoolboy.
Still, I cleared my throat and turned slightly to the side. "Sorry, I should've knocked."
Asia's face turned pink, but her body language didn't scream panic. Instead, she looked at me with a strangely calm expression, like she was trying to come to a decision in her head.
"I-It's okay, Ise-san," she said quietly. "You didn't mean to."
She still hadn't wrapped the towel around herself.
I raised an eyebrow. "You might want to put that on."
She looked down as if just realizing, and giggled softly. "Ah, right."
She wrapped the towel around her body with practiced ease, but still didn't move to leave. Instead, she looked up at me.
"Ise-san…"
"Yeah?"
She hesitated.
"…Would it be weird if we took a bath together?"
That caught me off guard—not because of the suggestion, but because of the way she asked it.
There was no seductive teasing behind her words, no boldness like Akeno's or Rias's suggestiveness. Asia was looking at me with sincerity and maybe a hint of nervousness.
"…Bath together?" I repeated.
She nodded. "We've… gotten a lot closer, haven't we? You're important to me. And after everything that's happened today… I just want to feel closer to you. Even if just a little."
I looked at her for a moment. Asia had always been the innocent one in the group, but she'd been changing—growing stronger, more confident. Maybe she didn't want to be treated like the fragile girl anymore. And truthfully, I'd noticed it too. She was becoming more assertive. More like a real Devil.
I leaned on the doorframe, arms crossed. "You sure about that? I mean, I'm not going to pretend I'm a saint in the bath."
She smiled shyly. "I'm okay with that."
"…Alright then." I nodded. "We'll bathe together."
Her smile widened, and she turned back to the bathroom. "Give me a second. I'll get the water ready."
I went back to my room to grab a towel and calm my mind. This wasn't a conquest or an accident to be laughed about with the guys. Asia wasn't making some spur-of-the-moment decision to tease me—she genuinely wanted to share a quiet moment together.
When I returned, she was already in the bath, submerged up to her chest in the warm water, her golden hair floating around her like a halo.
I slid into the bath opposite her, the warmth soaking into my sore limbs instantly. A quiet sigh escaped my lips.
We didn't say anything for a while. The water lapped gently between us. She looked at me with soft eyes.
"I was scared when Riser came," she finally said. "He looked at Buchou like she was an object."
I nodded. "Yeah. That bastard's used to getting his way."
"I hate that he hurt her heart."
She looked down, ripples forming in the water around her.
"I want to help Buchou," she whispered. "Even if it's only a little. Even if all I can do is support her."
"You're already doing plenty, Asia," I said. "She needs us now more than ever."
She reached across the water, her fingers gently brushing against mine.
"I'm glad I'm not alone anymore, Ise-san. Thank you… for always being there."
I gave her hand a light squeeze.
"We'll protect her. No matter what."
~~~
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