Chapter 54 Sleeping Together
What? What did he just say?
What's going on with living at his place?! ! !
"What's wrong?"
"Huh? Uh, no, you live in the team dormitory, right?"
He stopped writing and gave me a look: "Does the position of captain not exist in your eyes?"
Oh, yes, Toushirou is the captain now.
Within the Seireitei, officers above the rank of ninth have their own rooms within the squadron barracks, where most live. Those living outside the barracks also have accommodations appropriate to their rank. Officers below the rank of third have one-room apartments in a collective housing complex, while the captain and vice-captains have large residences known as "mansions."
According to Dong Shilang's habit, he should live directly in the team dormitory.
In other words, the place he lives in now is very big, so I don’t have to worry about having no place to sleep.
But I'm still a little shy!
"But, but I don't have any change of clothes."
"It's just one night. Matsumoto should have some spare clothes in the lounge. If all else fails, I have some over there. We can make do."
No, no, no, this is not something that can be brushed aside!
After finishing the stroke, he put the document aside and took the time to look at me: "If you really don't want to, I can take you back. The gate can be opened at any time, but it's still not safe for you to go alone."
"It's not that I don't want to!" As soon as she said that, she suddenly realized she was a little excited and quickly pursed her lips and sat up straight. "It's just, I'm a little embarrassed."
A vague thought flashed through my mind, and as if possessed by some innate ability, I whispered, "Actually, I'm, uh, a little happy..."
Dong Shilang didn't say anything. He looked at me for a few seconds, said "Oh", turned around and took another document.
Under the warm yellow light, the outline of his ears was reflected red.
There weren't many documents left to begin with, so I helped organize them and he concentrated on reviewing them. Before long, there was only a pile of papers left on the table.
"Okay, let's go." He cleaned up the table. "Aren't you going to the lounge to get some clothes?"
I held my neck with my hand: "I don't feel very good, and Miss Matsumoto's clothes don't fit well, hehe."
However, when I followed Dong Shilang to his dormitory, I still took a deep breath and was careful not to make too much noise in the corridor.
In fact, when we were little, we all slept in the same room with Grandma, each with our own quilt at most. Back then, I was afraid that if I fell asleep at night, my spiritual pressure would escape and cause a fire, so I always stayed up until the very end, taking a nap only when daylight began to fade. Most of the time, I would find a place outside during the day to curl up and rest.
But it was also because of this that I accidentally heard the rumors that Run Linan and the other kids who were close to Hinamori were saying in private, and later when Toushirou's spiritual pressure overflowed, I was able to wake him up in time to prevent my grandmother from getting cold.
"What are you thinking about? You're smiling so happily."
The lighted corridor was a little dim. I stood beside the boy. Even though I had reached the door of the room, the quiet environment still made me subconsciously lower my voice: "I remember my childhood, when we lived with grandma."
Back then, the three of us were crammed into a tiny room. Initially, I was terrified they'd discover our secret and kick me out, but Grandma and Toushirou were very kind. Later, I met Hinamori, a lively girl who didn't find my sudden appearance in Runlin'an strange at all.
So when I was secretly catching up on my sleep in the corner that day, I heard the group of people who usually played well with Hinamori saying that Toushirou was a freak, and that grandma was not satisfied with picking up a freak but also a jinx. I couldn't help but beat up those people.
The captain's room was very spacious. Besides the necessary furniture, there was also a table by the window, on which were some books for reading in his spare time.
While Toushirou was changing his clothes, I moved to the bookshelf to see what kind of reading materials he usually kept in his room.
"Huh? There are also videotapes." They're of the latest popular movies and anime. "You still read boys' manga?"
"I just bought these when I went to the living world." He opened the partition door and changed into a light-colored yukata, holding a pile of clothes in his hands. "Here, I haven't worn this dress because it doesn't fit me."
Can't you buy it in the order of volumes if you just bought it casually? You are just following the serialization.
But I feel like the other person will get angry and embarrassed if I expose it. Never mind. I have some girls' comics stuffed in my room too. It's no big deal.
The undershirt that didn't fit Toushirou was a bit short for me, but since I was wearing it to sleep, it wasn't a big deal.
After washing up and coming out, I saw that the other party had already made the bedding, and I suddenly felt like laughing again.
“I feel so nostalgic.”
"Yeah?"
I squatted down to help him tidy up: "Yes, the atmosphere is very nostalgic, but why is there only one mattress?"
Dong Shilang answered quickly: "You sleep in the bedroom, and I'll sleep in the study next door."
Eh? So that's how it is?
"Actually, it doesn't matter if you sleep here?"
However, as soon as I said this in my mind, I immediately regretted it. But I couldn't take back the words I had said, so I could only shut my mouth and observe the other person's expression.
"There's no difference between the two sides." Someone straightened his clothes, stood up, and looked at me with dead eyes. "Besides, I'm worried that your bad sleeping posture at night will affect me."
What?! Too much!
"I wouldn't do that!"
"Oh, I wonder who would have rolled into the corner wrapped in the quilt when they fell asleep."
Damn it! That was just a reflex, okay?!
etc--
"You, you know?"
"If you mean you used to pretend to be asleep in front of us at night, yes, I know." He walked to the study room separated from the bedroom by a sliding door and continued to talk to me while tidying up. "I also know that when you really fell asleep, you would wrap yourself in the quilt like a sea cucumber and roll around everywhere."
"Stop, stop, stop! That was all in the past! It was all in the past! I'm not like this anymore! If you don't believe me, you can ask those knives--" Oh no!
"Are you still sleeping with those Tsukumogami?"
I saw him pause and swallow. It was a seemingly normal question, but at that moment, my hair stood on end.
"When I was little, I was only in elementary school when I went to Honmaru, and my health wasn't good. Later, when I grew up, they would keep watch outside at night." Some of the truth became smoother as he spoke. "Actually, they didn't sleep with me. It's just that when I was little, I had nightmares, and when I was sick, I needed their help. So... my sleeping position really changed a lot."
Damn it, why am I the one who has to explain, and why am I feeling guilty?!
"Are you jealous when you suddenly ask this?"
"A little."
His confession caught me off guard. Then, someone's expression changed, and they poked me in the forehead. "Isn't it a little too late to realize this now? You really are an idiot, aren't you?"
"Bounce back! The one who calls others stupid is the stupid one!"
I'm angry!
"Go to bed, good night!"
I closed the partition door angrily, quickly crawled into the bed, and kicked my legs twice.
But when I saw the light on the other side of the paper door go out and the whole room fell into darkness, I suddenly regretted it.
Should I have left a gap? Actually, I still have a lot to say to him.
Sleepiness had almost run away from my brain. I stared at the wooden ceiling for a while, climbed out of the quilt, and pushed the entire mattress towards the door.
"Have you slept?"
"Not yet, what's wrong?"
"I want to talk to you about monsters." I reached out and gently pushed the door open a crack. The room was so dark that I could only barely make out Toushirou's figure lying under the covers. "That day when I got home, I saw a ghost."
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The girl's voice was clear in the quiet night, yet soft and light as a feather.
"A demon with red hair, silver eyes, and horns. They chopped off my brother's head, so the demon resurrected."
It was a strange story that sounded unbelievable, but the boy knew it was true. He had learned the name of the red-haired demon from the captain when he was reporting on the battle with the monsters.
Joami, the ancestor of the Jiujing family, was once one of the four great monsters.
"It's so strange. Those people were clearly on Saburo's side, but it was only Shiman-kun who told me the truth."
The light feather flew onto the water and got wet. He could feel that the other party was sad.
"When my brother changed back, there was a moment when he opened his eyes. I suddenly felt like I was looking at some strange being."
However, she was powerless to stop these things, which made the girl feel helpless.
"Hey, Dong Shilang, is it really just a coincidence that I was born into the Jiujing family?"
The stone hit the calm lake surface, causing ripples.
"What's the meaning?"
There was no sound from the other side of the door, but the boy didn't think the other person was asleep. At the same time, his heart sank.
The girl's words reminded him of what Kyoraku Shunsui had revealed to him.
"The Jiujing family carries the blood of ghosts, so they have the trait of attracting monsters and strange things for generations."
When the man said this, he lowered his hat, and his only remaining eye contained an indescribable meaning.
"But that's not the case with Homura. The fire she was born with burned her own mother to death, and even dragged her body to the point of collapse."
"Hitsugaya-kun, do you know what this means?"
The friction sound of the sliding door being pushed open pulled the boy back from his memories. Before he could react, a body swam into the quilt like a fish.
"you……!"
"Kagutechi."
The name uttered by the girl made him stop.
She could feel the other person's body pressed against her back, and her breath was gentle, brushing against the back of her neck, which made her feel a little itchy.
"I spoke to Captain Kyōraku today about Kagutsuchi."
The girl spoke quietly, as if she was afraid someone would hear her.
"My Zanpakutō is different from everyone else's, you know, Toushirou, every time I release it, after a while, I feel like I'm starting to become less like myself."
She seemed to curl up, her forehead resting on his shoulder. The boy could smell the faint scent of gardenia.
"Captain Kyoraku said, 'I am who I am.' Hearing that, I actually felt a lot better. But..."
The rest of his words drifted away in the girl's sigh, and after her breathing calmed down, he turned around.
The girl fell asleep, but her brows were still slightly furrowed, as if she had fallen asleep with sorrow in her heart. I don’t know if she could sleep well.
His breath blew on the boy's face. He stretched out his hand and gently brushed his fingertips across his somewhat sad brows.
The other party did not wake up.
He said nothing, but just placed his hand on the girl's warm fingers and closed his eyes quietly.
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The author has something to say: Hi, we are just elementary school kids in love, you know, we are childhood sweethearts.
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