"After the Great Battle" Following the vampires' retreat, the Shinjuku battle officially concluded. Aoki and the others returned to Shibuya
"After the Great Battle"
Following the vampires' retreat, the Shinjuku battle officially concluded. Aoki and the others returned to Shibuya with the Shinjuku Defense Force.
Yūichirō Hyakuya fell into a coma, but the rest of Aoki's squad were unharmed. The Shinjuku battle had been quite fruitful for them.
It's worth mentioning that Shinoa Hīragi, concerned for her comrade, sought out Guren Ichinose to inquire about Yūichirō Hyakuya's outburst. Guren Ichinose seemed to have anticipated it, suggesting he knew something.
However, Guren Ichinose's response was evasive, and Shinoa Hīragi gained no useful information.
In the evening, after failing to find Guren Ichinose, Shinoa Hīragi arrived at a certain room in the dormitory.
She stood outside, seemingly wrestling with her inner thoughts, before finally deciding to knock.
Just as her hand touched the door, it opened automatically—it wasn't locked.
She entered without a word, not even calling out to see if anyone was inside.
The room was impeccably tidy and clean, filled with a faint, pleasant fragrance. It was hard to believe it belonged to a boy.
Shinoa Hīragi walked slowly through the room, marveling at its cleanliness, even surpassing her own room. A look of longing appeared in her eyes.
Suddenly, the bathroom door opened, and Aoki emerged, drying his wet hair with a towel. His upper body was bare, revealing surprisingly fair skin and a remarkably handsome physique. Only a bath towel covered his lower half.
Seeing Shinoa Hīragi unexpectedly in his room, he hesitated for a moment.
Shinoa Hīragi stared at him, a hint of fascination in her eyes.
Quickly recovering, she let out a sharp shriek.
"Ah!" She turned away, covering her flushed face with her hands. "Y-y-you… you shameless person!"
"Huh?" Aoki tilted his head, pushing his bangs back. "Hey, you entered my room without permission. Who's shameless here? Me not pressing charges for trespassing is already a great act of mercy."
"Oh, right, what did you want?" Aoki casually continued drying his hair, seemingly unconcerned that Shinoa Hīragi had seen him post-shower.
"Y-y-you… put your clothes on first, then we'll talk," Shinoa Hīragi said shyly, her heart pounding.
After a moment, she expertly suppressed her racing heart, as if it were a common occurrence.
Aoki put on a casual outfit. "Clothes are on. What did you want?"
Shinoa Hīragi slowly turned around, initially covering her eyes with her hands.
Only after confirming through her fingers that he was fully clothed did she lower her hands. "I came to thank you."
"Huh?" Aoki looked puzzled.
"W-when Yūichirō went berserk and was about to kill me, you saved me.
If it weren't for you, I'd be dead. So, thank you," Shinoa Hīragi explained.
Aoki didn't immediately understand. After recalling the Shinjuku battle, he remembered. "Oh, that. You don't need to thank me. Saving you was my duty as a comrade. And if I can't even protect my comrades, I need to seriously re-evaluate myself."
Shinoa Hīragi wasn't offended by Aoki's nonchalant attitude; she'd expected this response.
"Aoki, you usually act like you don't care if we live or die. Why are you saying you want to protect us now?"
Though not angry, Shinoa Hīragi couldn't resist her usual sharp tongue.
Aoki's face flushed crimson. He'd only been trying to act cool, and now he was being called out on it.
Seeing Aoki's blush, Shinoa Hīragi chuckled. "So, Aoki, you're cold on the outside but warm on the inside. You're one of the few truly gentle boys I've met."
As Shinoa Hīragi spoke, Aoki involuntarily recalled a similar phrase.
"Aoki-kun is a very gentle person."
Those were Butterfly Kanae's words.
Thinking of Butterfly Kanae, Aoki's emotions surged.
After suppressing his longing, he said to Shinoa Hīragi, "My lover said something similar, so I said you two are alike, even the words you say are the same."
Aoki had previously said Shinoa Hīragi resembled his lover. Shinoa Hīragi had teased him then, but now, hearing it again, she was intrigued.
"Aoki, tell me about your lover. What kind of girl is she? To capture your heart, she must be extraordinary. I can't imagine anyone at your age who could."
Shinoa Hīragi saw an unprecedented smile on Aoki's face, a genuine smile from the depths of his heart, captivating her.
When she finally snapped out of it, a sense of loneliness washed over her.
"She… how do I explain it? I just… love her. If you ask how much, it's like… my blood circulation needs her, like a heart. Without her, my blood would stop flowing, and I would die."
Aoki's words were simple, but the depth of emotion they conveyed was something no one but Aoki could truly understand.
"I… see. Then she must be incredibly amazing," Shinoa Hīragi said after a long pause.
Aoki nodded. "Yeah, I don't know how others see her, but to me, she's the most amazing person in the world. After all, she captured my heart."
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