Reze's discarded black socks remained on the ground, and Renji's heart stirred.
He vigilantly looked around, finding that no one was paying attention to this spot. So, he tiptoed over and gently picked them up with his right hand.
Holding Reze's socks in his hand, Renji could feel a faint warmth emanating from his fingertips. Unable to suppress the urge in his heart, he slowly raised the socks to his nose.
As the socks touched the tip of his nose, Renji took a deep breath.
His nasal cavity was instantly filled with the scent of stockings—the kind that only comes from being inside shoes.
Reze had worn these socks all day. In the morning, she was responsible for patrolling the streets and clearing up devil incidents. Devils weren't common, so it was a relatively leisurely job, but Reze still had to walk around.
And in the afternoon, from the start of her shift, she was busy in the store, greeting every customer who came in, and always paying attention to their needs and providing timely assistance.
She was responsible for serving dishes, and after customers left, she had to clear the tables and organize the tableware. That involved a lot of physical activity.
Therefore, calling it a "stocking scent" wasn't entirely accurate. Renji could also smell a slightly sour, sweaty foot odor mixed with sweat and leather.
Would he dislike this sour smell?
No. No, no, no.
On the contrary, he became even more excited.
Renji put Reze's socks into his pocket, feeling pleased, and walked towards the restroom with light steps.
In the restroom, Himeno was leaning lazily against the sink, boredly smoking a cigarette. Amidst the swirling smoke, she saw Renji approach and casually asked, "Are you done talking?"
Renji nodded and replied, "Yes, we're done talking. Let's go, Himeno."
After speaking, Renji turned to walk out, but Himeno suddenly reached out and grabbed him.
Renji was puzzled and looked at Himeno questioningly. Himeno slowly leaned closer to him, a suspicious look on her face.
Then, she slightly tilted her head back and gently sniffed Renji's scent with her small, straight nose.
"Hmm...?" Himeno's eyes widened, and she said in disbelief, "No way...? It was just a chat, right? Half an hour? Less than half an hour? You... you already did it?"
"You... what are you talking about, Himeno? How is that possible?"
"But..." Himeno stared at Renji with a puzzled expression, clearly suspicious of the strange smell she had just caught. A strange thought in her heart made Himeno feel that she absolutely had to do something.
So she leaned closer to Renji again, this time almost pressing against him, sniffing hard with her delicate nose.
But that wasn't enough. Himeno then placed both hands on Renji's waist, squatted down, spread her thighs wide, and sniffed vigorously at the location of his groin.
"Hmm, no mistake. Your whole body smells of it," Himeno frowned, looked up at Renji, and said with certainty in her tone.
"Ah... this..." Renji was startled by Himeno's sudden action, feeling inexplicable. He thought to himself, You sniffed right there. Of course, you'd smell it.
And Himeno, for some reason, just felt a bit strange.
Renji was about to ask if she was jealous, but Himeno seemed to sense his embarrassment at that moment and realized her own abnormality. She immediately blushed and became flustered.
A notification chimed in Renji's mind.
Realizing she might have gone too far, Himeno quickly waved her hand and laughed, feigning ease. "Never mind, never mind. I didn't mean anything by it. I was just curious. I don't really care about this, haha... Since we're done talking, let's go, let's go."
Himeno stubbed out her cigarette. Without waiting for Renji to speak, she walked out of the restroom. Renji looked at himself in the mirror, washed his face, and followed her out.
In the coffee shop, Reze was diligently cleaning the residue from under the table and on the floor. Reze had gotten some absorbent paper from somewhere and had absorbed everything, having almost finished cleaning.
Renji saw Reze, greeted her, and indicated that he was leaving.
"Wait a moment."
Just as Renji was about to step out of the coffee shop entrance, Reze's voice rang out from behind.
"What's wrong?" Renji stopped and turned to look at Reze.
Reze put down her cleaning tools and ran to Renji with light, quick steps.
She tilted her head slightly, her big eyes sparkling with vivid light, and put her hands behind her back. Then, she magically produced a vibrant rose.
"Boom boom boom boom Congratulations, sir! You are the fiftieth customer of the coffee shop today! This is a gift from the coffee shop~"
Reze's face held a sweet smile, and her lovely voice seemed to melt hearts. Renji looked at this scene, recalling all their previous experiences, and a warm current surged through his heart.
He took the flower Reze offered and gently sniffed its fresh fragrance. It was a very fragrant, unique scent of roses.
"Thank you. It smells wonderful."
Reze opened her arms again and hummed softly. Renji was stunned for a moment but immediately understood Reze's intention.
So he also extended his hands, spread them wide, and then gently embraced Reze.
As the two embraced, Reze slightly turned her head, leaned close to Renji's ear, and quietly said in an incredibly seductive voice, "Does it smell better than my smelly socks that I've worn all day? Hmm?"
These words were like an arrow piercing Renji's heart, instantly making his body tense and causing him to tremble involuntarily.
Reze perfectly noticed Renji's physical reaction. She smiled slightly, released him from her embrace, and gently waved her hand, saying softly, "Bye-bye Remember to come again tomorrow"
It was getting late. The once bustling street was now gradually becoming deserted, with few people around. The dim yellow streetlights along the road emitted faint glows, dispelling the darkness and silence brought by the night.
Renji and Himeno walked down the street. At first, they walked side by side, but soon Renji fell behind.
Reze's image kept flashing through his mind, and her words—both heartwarming and slightly embarrassing—kept echoing in his ears.
Himeno walked ahead, smoking to herself, white smoke curling up into the air and then slowly dissipating.
As she puffed away, she occasionally looked back at Renji, who was lagging behind.
A notification chimed in his mind.
Finally, she stopped, stood still, turned around, and looked directly at Renji, who was still lost in his own thoughts.
At this moment, Renji was completely unaware of Himeno's actions. He was still smiling foolishly, seemingly oblivious to everything around him.
"Renji…?" Himeno called out.
Renji showed no reaction, still deeply immersed in his own world, unable to extricate himself.
"Renji!"
Suddenly called out like that, Renji abruptly snapped back to reality.
"Ah!!!! Huh? Oh…" He jumped. "You scared me. Wha… what's wrong?"