novelnext Chapter 114 Jealousy and rivalry
Chapter 114 Jealousy and rivalry
Bai Yu leaned back on the deck chair by the ship's railing, just as he raised his hand to rub the back of his neck, which was slightly warm from the sun, when he heard two voices coming from behind, both with a natural intimacy in their tone.
"Baiyu-kun, the sun is so strong, you'll get sunburned if you don't wear sunscreen."
Rangiku waved the sunscreen tube in her hand, her long golden hair brushing against her shoulders in the sea breeze. She walked over with light steps, her fingertips already unscrewing the cap, the scent of milk mixed with a faint fruity fragrance wafting out.
Almost simultaneously, Robin also came over with another tube of sunscreen, her fingertips lightly resting on the armrest of the lounge chair, her eyes crinkling: "Baiyu, this one is for skincare, perfect for sunbathing at sea. Let me help you apply it."
The two exchanged a glance, a hint of subtle rivalry flashing in their eyes, before smiling and looking away. They stood on either side of the recliner, leaving Shiraha in the middle, surrounded. He chuckled and raised his hand, about to say he could do it himself, when Rangiku reached out and pressed down on his shoulder, her fingertips gently stroking his shoulder line: "Shiraha-kun, don't move. It's easier to apply it to your back if you lie down."
Robin gently patted his arm, her voice soft: "Indeed, lie down, I'll help you. If Rangiku-san wants to come along, I don't mind."
Since they had already said all that, Bai Yu could only go along with them. He turned to his side and lay on the recliner, his forearm under his chin, feeling his back against the cool recliner. Just as he breathed a sigh of relief, he felt a warm touch on his shoulder. Robin's fingertips were covered in sunscreen, and she gently spread it on his neck and shoulders. Her movements were very light, her fingertips delicate, slowly massaging along his shoulder line, from the sides of his neck to his shoulder blades. The pressure was light and soft but just right, with a faint fragrance, which made Bai Yu's shoulders and back relax slightly.
Rangiku on the other side was not to be outdone. She squeezed a suitable amount of sunscreen into her palm and rubbed it through the thin fabric. Her movements were slightly bolder than Robin's, but also delicate. She slowly applied the sunscreen from the center of his back to his waist on both sides, and occasionally her fingertips would gently massage the muscles on his back with a deliberate gentleness.
"Bai Yu-kun practices quite diligently, his back has a nice line."
Matsumoto smiled and spoke, his tone slightly teasing, but his fingertips subtly increased the pressure, gently circling his waist and massaging the area where the muscles were relaxed.
Upon hearing this, Robin glanced at Rangiku, gently pressed her fingertips on Shiraha's shoulder, and said in a gentle voice, "Rangiku-san is very thoughtful, but the neck and shoulders are the most prone to sunburn, so you should massage it in carefully, otherwise it won't help."
As she spoke, her fingertips gently brushed against the skin on the back of Bai Yu's neck, a sensitive area. The coolness of her fingertips mixed with the warmth of the sunscreen caused Bai Yu's neck to tremble slightly, and her fingertips subconsciously gripped the fabric of the recliner.
Rangiku, with her sharp eyes, noticed this and a slight smile appeared on her lips. She gently massaged Shirayu's waist, moving her palm down to his lower back, a sensitive spot. She lightly circled her fingertips around it, her tone tinged with amusement: "Make sure to apply it evenly to his waist too. The sea breeze makes it easy for him to get sunburned there."
As soon as he finished speaking, Bai Yu's waist and abdomen stiffened again. He coughed softly and was about to say that there was no need to be so meticulous when he felt the forces on both sides suddenly collide. Robin's fingertips rubbed the lower edge of his shoulder blade, and Rangiku's palm happened to press on the same spot. Their fingers touched inadvertently, and their slightly cool fingertips touched each other, and they both froze for a moment.
"Oh dear, I'm sorry."
Rangiku laughed first, withdrew her hand slightly, but didn't move it away. Instead, she rubbed Shiraha's latissimus dorsi with her fingertips, saying in a cheerful tone, "It seems I've bumped hands with Robin-chan."
Robin gently withdrew her fingertips, a faint smile playing on her lips. Her fingertips then moved to massage the back of Shiraha's neck, her voice soft: "It's alright. Rangiku-san's touch was gentler than I expected."
As he spoke, his fingertips gently rubbed the sensitive spot on the back of Bai Yu's neck, leaving Bai Yu speechless.
The two of them moved in this way, one on the left and one on the right, their fingertips tracing over Bai Yu's back, shoulders, neck, and waist. Their movements seemed harmonious, but in reality, they were both subtly competing. Robin's strength was gentle, her fingertips delicate, and she focused on slowly massaging the delicate areas like the shoulders, neck, and back of the neck, allowing the sunscreen to be thoroughly absorbed into the skin, leaving a faint fragrance. Rangiku's strength, on the other hand, was brisk yet gentle. Her palms covered a large area of skin on Bai Yu's back, rubbing the sunscreen in while gently massaging the muscles, slowly circling along the lines of the waist and latissimus dorsi. Occasionally, when she touched a sensitive spot, Bai Yu's shoulders and back would visibly tense up slightly.
Occasionally, their fingertips would accidentally touch again, and Rangiku would wave her hand with a smile: "It seems we think the same thing."
Robin smiled in agreement with her words, but his fingertips would secretly rub Bai Yu's shoulder a few more times, as if silently declaring something.
Bai Yu lay on the recliner, feeling two warm touches enveloping his back. On one side was Robin's delicate and gentle fingertips, and on the other was Rangiku's cheerful and gentle palm. The milky scent of sunscreen mixed with the individual fragrances of the two people, lingering around his nose. In addition, the occasional slight tremor when his sensitive spots were touched made him feel even more unbearable than practicing for several hours.
He closed his eyes, resting his forearm on his chin, and simply let the two of them do as they pleased. Only occasionally, when his sensitive spots were touched, would he cough softly and gently clench the fabric with his fingertips.
After an unknown amount of time, the sunscreen was finally applied evenly. Rangiku stopped first, wiped her fingertips, and patted Shiraha's back with a smile: "Alright, Shiraha-kun, you've applied it all over, so you're not afraid of getting sunburned anymore."
Robin also withdrew her hand, gently smoothing the ruffled stray hairs on Bai Yu's nape with her fingertips, her voice soft: "Yes, they're all smoothed out, they won't clump together."
The two exchanged another glance, their eyes both revealing a barely perceptible competitive spirit, yet they both smiled and looked away, as if their earlier subtle rivalry was nothing more than an illusion.
Rangiku waved the sunscreen in her hand and turned to walk towards the sunshade: "I'm going to see the paper dolls that Connor and Hana folded. I heard they folded a lot of sea fish." Robin picked up the water glass next to her and handed it to Shiraha, gently touching his arm with her fingertips: "Get up and drink some water. You must be thirsty after being in the sun for so long."
Bai Yu propped himself up on his arms, still feeling two warm touches on his back. He took the water glass, took a sip, looked up at Robin, then glanced at Rangiku walking towards the sunshade. He shook his head with a chuckle. These two women were so obviously competing, yet he couldn't get angry at either of them.
He raised his hand and rubbed the back of his neck, his fingertips still able to feel the slightly cool touch of Robin's hand. The warmth of Rangiku's palm lingered on his side, and the fragrance of the two of them lingered in his nose, mixed with the salty smell of the sea breeze, which made this hot afternoon a little sweeter and more tender.
Meanwhile, under the sunshade, Connor was holding a paper shark folded by Retsu Unohana and hopping towards Rangiku. Retsu Unohana leaned against the cushion, watching the little guy's joyful appearance, the tenderness in her eyes warmer than the sunlight overhead.
Upon seeing Rangiku return, he teased, "Well, did you win or lose in your jealousy?"