"Or maybe you don't want to be alone with your teacher?"
Her actions made Arata's entire body stiffen. He could clearly sense the faint scent on Unohana Retsu's body, mixed with the aroma of alcohol, which inexplicably quickened his heartbeat.
"Teacher, what are you doing..."
"Shh..." Unohana Retsu touched his lips with her finger. "See you tomorrow night in the hotel lobby at eight. If you dare to stand me up..."
She slid her fingers down Arata's chest and started drawing circles on his abs. "You know what the consequences will be, don't you?"
After saying that, she gracefully stood up, her shawl fluttering in the wind. After leaving one more meaningful smile, she slowly walked toward the bar area by the pool.
Arata sat there frozen for a while, taking some time to snap out of it.
He looked down at his abs, still feeling the touch of Unohana's finger, and his lower stomach felt hot.
"Arata!" Rangiku's voice suddenly rang out from the pool behind them. "What are you daydreaming about? Come help us! Aaa—!"
Arata turned and saw Rangiku being "besieged" by Soi Fong and Nanao, while Isane hid behind her and occasionally peeked out to shoot a water stream.
"O... o! I'm coming!" He temporarily pushed Unohana's "ultimatum" aside, grabbed the water gun, and joined the fight.
The water gun battle lasted nearly two hours, and the whole water park was filled with laughter and screams.
Thanks to his top-notch shooting skills, Arata quickly turned the tide and helped Rangiku and Isane turn defeat into victory.
"Hahaha! We won!" Rangiku jumped into his arms excitedly, her wet blonde hair rubbing against his neck, tickling him.
"Hey, hey, that's cheating!" Soi Fong was catching her breath with her hands on her knees, her black swimsuit clinging to her body. "You dared to call for help from Arata-kun!"
"Captain Soi Fong, it's called 'all is fair in war'~" Rangiku stuck out her tongue proudly.
At that moment, Yachiru's stomach suddenly growled loudly.
"Zaraki~ I'm hungry~" Yachiru tugged on Kenpachi's shorts with a pitiful voice.
"Huh? You're hungry already?" Kenpachi scratched his head. "Alright, let's go eat."
"Yay!" Yachiru instantly perked up and skipped toward the changing rooms. "I want to eat lots of delicious food!"
Only then did everyone realize it was almost evening, so they gathered their things and began preparing for dinner.
Omaeda truly lived up to the title of the super-butler of this trip. He had already arranged dinner for everyone in the Sky Garden restaurant at the top of the hotel.
"Everyone, please follow me!" Omaeda waved a small flag like a tour guide, his round belly jiggling.
Ten minutes later, the shinigami, now changed into clean clothes, arrived one by one at the rooftop restaurant.
It was a building with a glass dome offering a 360-degree view of the entire coastline.
The last glow of the setting sun filtered through the glass and fell onto the white tables, wrapping the whole space in a warm golden hue.
"Wow~ it's so beautiful!" Hinamori Momo leaned against the glass wall, staring at the distant sea.
"Momo, that's quite improper." Toushirou stood beside her. Although his tone was flat, a hint of amazement flashed in his eyes.
For a child born and raised in Soul Society, everything in the real world was so new and wondrous.
"Everyone, please take your seats!" Omaeda called out. "I've already ordered some of the most famous specialties here!"
Everyone sat according to their name cards.
Arata and Rangiku were seated by the window, next to Unohana Retsu and Kotetsu Isane.
Unohana Retsu had changed into a dark green cheongsam, her long, beautiful legs occasionally peeking out through the slit.
Arata quietly admired her to himself. With such beauty and figure, no one would believe this was someone who had lived for over a thousand years.
Soon after, waiters pushed in food carts.
"Dear guests, this is one of our house specialties – smoked salmon with caviar."
Fine porcelain plates were placed one by one in front of each guest. Thin slices of salmon were rolled into rose shapes and sprinkled with transparent grains of caviar.
"Looks good." Kyōraku Shunsui picked up his fork and took a bite; his eyes lit up immediately. "This fish is excellent, Ukitake, you must try it."
"It's really nice." Ukitake Jūshirō followed suit, took a piece, and nodded in satisfaction. "The fish is very fresh, and the level of smoking is just right."
Everyone started eating, and the restaurant echoed with praise.
However, the pleasant atmosphere didn't last long. When the main course arrived, everyone's expressions froze.
"This is our restaurant's second specialty – Stargazy pie," the waiter explained enthusiastically.
On the massive pie, six sardine heads poked through the crust, their dead eyes staring at the ceiling, as if accusing fate for their tragic end.
"Hey! What the hell is this?" Kenpachi Zaraki widened his eyes, holding his chopsticks in the air, too scared to lower them.
"A pie with fish heads?" Kurotsuchi Mayuri poked the crust with his fork curiously and wickedly asked, "Are these fish still alive?"
"Sir, of course not..." the waiter explained awkwardly, "this is a local traditional specialty. The fish is baked, but the heads are left on."
"Ugh—" Shiba Kaien covered his mouth, his face pale. "Horrifying sight!"
Even the usually composed Aizen couldn't help but cover his forehead. "The appearance of this dish is indeed very... creative, but the smell is a bit..."
"Hahaha!" Omaeda laughed stiffly, trying to smooth things over. "Don't judge just by appearance, try the taste!"
At Omaeda's earnest urging, everyone gritted their teeth and cut off a small piece of the pie.
Arata cautiously took a bite and immediately frowned, the intense fishy smell mixed with the greasy crust created a taste that truly defied description.
"How is it?" Rangiku asked quietly.
"Try it yourself..." Out of noble etiquette, Arata barely managed to swallow the food in his mouth and didn't spit it out.
Rangiku suspiciously lifted a small bite and put it in her mouth. The next moment, she covered her mouth and ran for the restroom.
"Rangiku!" Arata immediately ran after her.
The restaurant instantly descended into chaos. Some rushed to the restroom, others vomited directly into napkins, and even Captain Yamamoto lowered his chopsticks with a grim expression.
"Omaeda!" Soi Fong spoke in a freezing tone, "Is this what you call a specialty?"
"This, this..." Sweat poured down Omaeda's forehead. "I didn't know it would taste that bad!"
"Captain Soi Fong, let it go. Omaeda meant well, don't scold him too much." Shiba Isshin waved his hand. "Let's just order something normal."
In the end, at the insistence of everyone present, the restaurant removed the dreadful "Stargazy" pie and replaced it with regular steaks and pasta.
"Now this is real food. That thing earlier truly humiliated me." Sasaki Yuzuki cut into a piece of soft, juicy steak and sighed in satisfaction.
"Food in London is awful," Toushirou complained while slurping pasta. "Not even close to the onigiri Hinamori makes!"
"Exactly!" Rukia nodded vigorously. "That fish pie is literally the most disgusting dish I've ever seen in my life!"
As regular Western dishes kept arriving, followed by cakes, ice cream, and other desserts, everyone gradually changed their minds about London cuisine.
"I've decided – these desserts will be my main food for the next few days!" Rangiku scooped up a spoonful of strawberry ice cream and closed her eyes in delight.
"Me too!" Yachiru raised her chocolate-smeared hand. "Zaraki, let's go get ice cream from that street stand tomorrow!"
Kenpachi Zaraki, busy stuffing a third slice of Black Forest cake into his mouth, mumbled, "Whatever you say."
"Master Genryūsai," Suzumi Chōjirō leaned in and whispered to Yamamoto, "did you say earlier you wanted to visit the Western Police Headquarters?"
Yamamoto Genryūsai set down his napkin, still wearing a displeased expression. "Yes, I want to personally ask them how they've managed to survive all these years."
He stood up, his staff thudding dully against the carpet. "Captain Kurotsuchi, come with me for a walk."
"As you command, Supreme Captain." Kurotsuchi Mayuri stood up with a sinister grin, his pale face full of malicious delight.
"I'm quite curious about the technology of their Western Bureau as well."