Between the massive blood loss and the tears, the clothes Suō Tsukasa was wearing no longer had any salvage value.
Arriving at the changing room beside the hot spring, he raised his hand to untie the fasteners. The tattered outer garment slid from his shoulders with his movements, revealing a well-defined back and solid shoulders.
Holding the ruined clothes in one hand and a towel in the other, Tsukasa stepped out of the changing room unabashed, bare-chested and wearing knee-length cloth trousers.
The washing basin and wooden bucket were outside the changing room; he needed to briefly rinse the bloodstains from his body before soaking in the spring. He tossed the ruined clothes into a charred circular pit on the ground specifically used for disposing of waste.
"Bakudo No. 54: Haien!"
He raised a finger, and a small, disc-shaped cluster of purple flames shot toward the clothing in the pit. The moment the flames touched the fabric, they flared up before rapidly subsiding, instantly incinerating the blood-stained garment until not even ash remained. He often used this spell to deal with household trash; it was quite practical.
Not far away, Matsumoto Rangiku was chatting with Toshiro. Sensing the fluctuation of Spiritual Pressure, she turned her head. Her gaze naturally fell upon Suō Tsukasa.
The blood had dried along Tsukasa's torso into dense, dark-red patterns, forming a sharp contrast with his clean, intact skin.
The washing basin and bucket were just two steps away from the pit. Tsukasa walked straight over, picked up the bucket to scoop up some fresh water, and poured it over his head.
"Phew—"
After several consecutive buckets of water, the dried bloodstains were washed away. The bloody water mixed with the fresh water, forming thin red streams at his feet that seeped into the cracks in the ground.
"Oh."
On the other side, Matsumoto Rangiku's gaze swept over his broad chest and firm abdominal muscles without the slightest hint of shyness. She let out a soft exclamation, crossed her arms, and blinked, scrutinizing him with great interest.
Toshiro glanced at her, then looked at Tsukasa, who was rinsing himself sideways to them, and his lip twitched imperceptibly. He silently walked toward an empty changing room nearby.
Finishing his rinse, Tsukasa came to the edge of the pool and used the towel draped over his shoulder to casually wipe his face. Water droplets dripped from his wet hair, sliding down his neck and chest. His expression was calm, entirely unruffled by Rangiku's blatant staring.
As a grown man, it wasn't as if he wasn't wearing anything; he had nothing to fear from being looked at. As for the custom of bathing completely nude, it didn't exist on his turf—he didn't have that habit.
He sat by the edge of the pool, immersing his legs in the warm spring water, before looking up at the approaching Rangiku.
"Aren't you going to soak for a bit?"
"No, I'll soak before I go to bed. Soaking too much makes the skin dry easily," Rangiku replied with a beaming smile and a shake of her head.
"Fair enough."
Tsukasa gave a light chuckle and slowly sank his whole body into the pool. The warm spring water rose over his shoulders, healing his frame. She followed suit and sat on a rock by the poolside to chat with him more easily.
However, what followed was a playful warning from Tsukasa.
"Hey! Chatting is fine, but don't put your feet in until you've washed them!"
"I know! I haven't even taken off my shoes and socks!" Rangiku was exasperated by his joke and shot him an angry glare.
How rude! This guy's words were truly irritating, yet they somehow made one feel close to him and found him quite interesting.
"Haha."
Tsukasa rested his arms on the edge of the pool, stretching his body out in relaxation. The water rippled gently with his movements.
Rangiku rested her chin in her hand, looking at the smooth lines of his shoulders and arms, and sighed. "Tsukasa, you've really kept your physique in great shape. It's a waste you're not a model."
"Just keep up the daily training. A model? Does the Seireitei even have such a profession?" Tsukasa answered nonchalantly with his eyes closed.
He recalled that in the later periods, the Seireitei seemed to have photo magazines, but he wasn't sure when they first appeared.
Rangiku shook her head and lamented, "Every day? Just hearing that sounds exhausting."
"Just because it doesn't exist now doesn't mean it won't in the future. The profession of modeling has been developed in the Living World for many years. If we don't have it, we can create it."
"With your looks, I'm sure the photos would sell for a good price."
Seeing that Tsukasa could still keep up with her train of thought, she smiled even more happily and continued, "Alright, I'll count on you then. If I'm short on money, I'll contact you."
"Remember to help me get a good price!" Tsukasa accepted the compliment wholesale and joked back.
This body was something he had meticulously tempered day by day; he was very satisfied with his current state. There wasn't a hint of bashfulness or unease in his tone; it was as natural as discussing what to eat tomorrow.
Rangiku had a flighty mind and a lively personality, and since she also kept up with the fashion trends of the Living World, the generation gap between them wasn't too deep. Moreover, she could take a joke; chatting with her felt like talking to a close friend—very relaxing.
Splash—
Toshiro entered the pool from the other side, a short distance away from them, and closed his eyes to rest. The silver-haired boy's face was devoid of expression. Usually, he would enter the pool right next to Tsukasa, but today was markedly different.
The reason soon became clear.
During a lull in the conversation, Rangiku, in high spirits, waved at him with a smile in her voice. "Toshiro, why sit so far away? Come over and join the conversation."
"No thanks. I have nothing to talk to you about!"
Her enthusiasm was met with a blunt and icy rejection. Toshiro didn't even open his eyes, his tone stiff as he leaned further back against the edge of the pool.
Tsukasa, soaking in the spring, watched the two of them trade words and couldn't help but curl his lips upward. He could roughly guess the reason; after seeing Rangiku scrutinize him so blatantly, Toshiro probably didn't want to be used as a point of comparison regarding height and physique.
After all, in terms of height and build, the current Toshiro was indeed still a growing youth.
Tsukasa interjected, his voice carrying an unsuppressable hint of amusement. "Toshiro, do you want to—"
"No! Tsukasa, why are you—!" Toshiro immediately cut him off, his emerald eyes wide with disbelief. He suddenly felt a sense of betrayal.
But it was too late.
Rangiku's eyes lit up as if she had sensed something crucial. She intentionally elongated her words, her smile mischievous. "So that's how it is—. Is our Toshiro worried about that?"
"Who's worried? I just think you're annoying!" Toshiro retorted immediately.
"Yes, yes, of course you're not worried."
"Don't worry, you're still growing. Maybe one day you'll be just like Tsukasa."
"Don't you agree, Tsukasa?" Rangiku nodded compliantly and then turned to look at Tsukasa.
"I believe so," Tsukasa agreed with a solemn nod.
A brief silence fell over the hot spring pool.
"—Do whatever you want."
Toshiro looked at the unabashed Tsukasa and the smiling Rangiku beside him, a strange, indefinable emotion surging within him. Finally, he muttered a sentence and closed his eyes again, his heart as still as water.
Rangiku and Tsukasa glanced at each other and laughed simultaneously.
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