novelnext Chapter 189 The moonlight is so beautiful tonight!
Chapter 189 The moonlight is so beautiful tonight!
Chapter 189 The moonlight is so beautiful tonight!
The sake was brought by Ueno Hana Retsu.
This is not ordinary sake, but the century-old brewery of the Golden Emperor. It has a smooth taste, but an astonishingly strong aftertaste.
She laid out the wine cups one by one on a lacquerware tray. The six small celadon cups gleamed warmly in the candlelight, as if they had just been fished out of the moonlight.
The steam from the hot spring had not yet dissipated when several people, wrapped in yukatas, sat down on the edge of the pool.
Outside the corridor, the night was deep and dark. The stone lanterns in the courtyard burned with faint candlelight, casting the shadows of a few slender bamboo stalks onto the sandy ground. When the wind blew, the shadows shattered.
Six people is just right!
Matsumoto Rangiku sat cross-legged, the collar of her yukata slightly open, revealing a small patch of skin below her collarbone, flushed pink from being soaked in the hot spring.
She picked up the wine pot and poured a cup for Bai Yu first.
"Since Shirayu-kun is the only male, he should be the first to drink."
Uchiha Shiraha took the wine cup, his fingertips touching the warm porcelain, feeling the wine gently swaying inside. He had just been held down by four people for nearly an hour, and the sensation of their fingers still lingered on his shoulders and back. His little brother was quite satisfied with the service, especially with Artoria's youthful shyness.
"It wouldn't be appropriate for me to drink alone first—"
"What's wrong with it?"
Artoria's voice came from the side, with a strange stiffness in it.
Bai Yu turned to look at her and found that she had somehow gotten to a seat very close to him, about a fist's distance away. Her yukata was much more neatly worn than usual, with the collar tightly bound and the cuffs neatly gathered, making her look like a sword sheathed.
"Artoria~"
Bai Yu was somewhat surprised.
"When did you sit here?"
"I—I've been sitting here the whole time!"
Her voice rose slightly, then quickly lowered, a faint blush rising to her cheeks.
"You—you were staring at Robin and Violet the whole time, of course you didn't notice me!"
She spoke with a hint of grievance and resentment. After saying it, she froze, her lips slightly parted, as if she wanted to take back her words but didn't know how.
Matsumoto Rangiku burst out laughing.
"Oh dear, oh dear—"
She handed the wine cup to Artoria.
"Is the King of Knights jealous?"
"I don't!"
Artoria's voice rose again as she took the wine cup and drank it all in one gulp.
"Cough cough cough~ What kind of wine is this~ cough cough~"
"This local specialty wine has a strong aftereffect; drinking it like this isn't right."
Rangiku laughed even harder and poured her another cup.
"Drink slowly, don't rush."
Violet sat to Shiraha's left, the hem of her yukata spread out on the water-red carpet like a quietly blooming flower.
She held the wine cup but didn't rush to drink. Instead, she turned her head to look at Bai Yu, her gaze filled with tenderness.
"Baiyu-kun is in better shape than I expected today; my hands are tired."
Her voice was very soft, as if she were talking about something that only the two of them knew.
"Just like a few nights ago—"
"Does Violet also stay up late?"
Artoria was somewhat surprised.
"I always remember you turning off the lights and going to bed very early —"
Violet paused, seemingly realizing she had let something slip, took a small sip of her drink, and fell silent.
Robin sat directly behind Shiraha, in a relaxed posture, one hand supporting her on the ground, the other holding a sake cup. Her yukata was dark purple, which made her skin appear even whiter. Her wet black hair was draped over her shoulders, the ends still dripping water, leaving dark water stains on her yukata.
"Baiyu-kun, have some more—"
The sake is smooth and mellow on the palate, like a warm silk gliding down the throat, then slowly spreading in the lower abdomen, turning into a small flame.
Retsu Unohana was the last to sit down, next to Artoria. Her yukata was pure white, making her seem as if she had stepped out of the moonlight. She put down the sake bottle in her hand, her gaze slowly sweeping across everyone's faces, and then smiled softly.
"It seems the hot springs were very effective tonight!"
Her voice was gentle and calm, like the night breeze passing through a bamboo forest.
"Everyone looks great."
"Where did Sister Hua go just now?"
Matsumoto Rangiku asked.
"Go check on how Kanna is sleeping—"
Unohana Retsu casually brushed it off, then poured herself a glass of wine.
"Now you can finally relax."
"
After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere gradually warmed up.
It's unclear who suggested playing a game, but Matsumoto Rangiku immediately raised her hand in agreement, Violet smiled and nodded, and Robin said, "That sounds interesting."
Artoria said, "What's so fun about games?"
But his body had already moved further towards Bai Yu.
Unohana Retsu took out a card from the room; the December pattern looked antique and elegant in the candlelight.
"What do you want to play?"
"How about the King's Game?"
Matsumoto Rangiku's eyes lit up.
"This is most fun when there are lots of people!"
"The King's Game?"
Artoria frowned.
"What is that?"
"It's a lottery system to decide who will be king, and then the king can order anyone to do anything."
Matsumoto Rangiku explained it casually, as if it were something perfectly normal.
"Anything?"
Artoria's brow furrowed even more.
Yes, anything—
'
Matsumoto Rangiku winked at her.
"Won't the Knight King be afraid now?"
"I—I'm not afraid!"
Artoria straightened her back.
"Let's play!"
Before Shiraha could speak, Matsumoto Rangiku had conjured up six sticks from nowhere, one of which had a red tip.
"The one who draws the red card is the king—"
11
She held the skewer in her hand, only the neat top end showing.
"Here, everyone, take a smoke, no Observation Haki allowed."
Bai Yu reached out and pulled one out, turning it over to look—it was white, not the King.
"Who is the king?"
Matsumoto Rangiku looked around.
"It's me—"
Violet held up the skewer in her hand, the vermilion tip of which stood out vividly in the candlelight.
Her expression remained calm, but the slight upturn at the corners of her mouth betrayed her.
"Then, I'm going to give the order."
Her gaze slowly moved across everyone's faces, finally settling on Bai Yu.
"Bai Yu-jun, please sit in the middle."
"----middle?"
"Yes, right here."
Violet patted the carpet in front of her.
"Then, let's have our Saber say something from the heart to Shiroha, and look him in the eye."
Rangiku Matsumoto was the first to applaud.
"This command is great! I like it!"
Artoria's body stiffened visibly for a moment, but she quickly forced herself to relax.
Bai Yu smiled helplessly, got up and sat in the middle seat.
He sat cross-legged, facing the gazes of five women, some direct, some subtle, some smiling, and some with some indescribable emotion.
When Artoria stood up, her movements were somewhat stiff, as if two forces were pulling each other within her body, one pushing her forward and the other pulling her backward.
She walked up to Bai Yu, sat down, and looked at him.
Then there was a long silence.
Her lips opened and closed, closed and opened again, the color of her cheeks changed from pink to crimson, from crimson to deep red, and finally to a red that was almost dripping with blood.
"Baiyu-kun, I—"
Her voice sounded like it was being squeezed out from between her teeth.
"I----"
She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, as if making a final charge on the battlefield.
Then she suddenly opened her eyes and grabbed Bai Yu's hand.
"I like you!"
Her voice was so loud that it echoed throughout the entire area.
"I—I like you! I've liked you since the first time I saw you! I feel unhappy when I see you with other girls! I feel uncomfortable when I see you surrounded by Rangiku and the others! I want to sit next to you too!"
I want to put my hand on your shoulder too! I want to—I want to—"
Her voice grew softer and softer, the last few words almost a whisper.
"I also want to be an important person to you —"
After she finished speaking, she seemed to have all her strength drained away. She was still holding Bai Yu's hand, but she didn't have the strength to let go.
Bai Yu could feel her palms sweating, warm and damp, like a heart that had been squeezed too tightly.
"----I see."
Bai Yu said softly, and took her hand in his.
"Thank you for telling me that I also like Saber. You are all my wings!"
I don't know when it started, but the distance disappeared.
Perhaps it was the effect of the alcohol, perhaps it was the lingering feeling of relaxation after the hot springs, or perhaps it was the game that made everyone let down their guard.
In short, when Bai Yu came to his senses, he could no longer tell who was sitting where.
He only felt warmth.
A soft, warm, wine-scented aroma wafted in from all directions.
Someone leaned on his shoulder, their hair brushing against his neck, their breathing even and deep.
Someone rested their head on his lap, long golden hair cascading down his knees like a wheat field bathed in moonlight.
Someone wrapped their arms around his waist from behind, their cheek pressed against his back, and he could feel the warmth of their cheek through his bathrobe.
Someone held his hand, their fingers intertwined, and their thumb unconsciously drew circles on the back of his hand.
Someone was lying beside him, breathing so softly it was like a whisper in a dream.
The wine cup overturned, and the remaining wine seeped into the carpet, emitting a faint aroma of rice.
Flower cards were scattered all over the ground.
The stone lantern in the courtyard burned out its last drop of oil, the candlelight flickered twice, and then went out.
Only the moonlight remained, thinly spreading across the sandy ground, casting long, long shadows of the bamboo.
Someone whispered something, but Bai Yu didn't hear it.
The sound seemed to come from a very far place, or it seemed to be coming from one's own chest.
He wanted to respond, but his lips moved without making a sound.
It's not that I don't want to speak, but rather that words seem superfluous at this moment.
Sometimes, words are unnecessary.
Just as the moon doesn't need to explain why it shines, petals don't need to explain why they fall, and water doesn't need to prove why it flows.
Some things just happen naturally.
Under the influence of alcohol, under the gaze of moonlight, and with the tacit consent of everyone.
Bai Yu felt a fingertip gently tracing across his back, as if drawing a map that only she could see.
He felt someone's breath behind his ear, warm and moist, carrying the scent of alcohol.
He felt someone's lips touch the corner of his jaw, as lightly as a petal falling on the water.
He felt someone's fingers running through his hair, the fingertips gently pressing on his scalp with a gentle pressure that made him want to close his eyes.
He didn't know who was touching him.
Perhaps it was Rangiku, but her hands were always the most direct.
Perhaps it was Violet; her touch always carried a kind of passion.
Perhaps it was Robin; her fingers were always so light, as if she were turning the pages of a precious book.
Perhaps it was Artoria; her touch was always hesitant and clumsy, as if she were exploring an unknown territory.
Perhaps it was Retsu Unohana, but her movements were always calm and composed, as if she were performing a healing ritual.
Perhaps it's everyone at the same time.
Perhaps it's impossible to tell who's who, nor is it necessary to tell.
Bai Yu felt his body become very light, as if he were soaking in warm water, or as if he were floating on clouds.
Those hands roamed over his body, with different temperatures and pressures, different rhythms and cadences, like different instruments playing the same piece at the same time.
He was both the listener and the instrument in that piece of music.
Moonlight seeped in through the gaps on the side, drawing a silvery-white band of light on the floor.
The band of light moved slowly, from the back of Bai Yu's hand to his arm, from his arm to his shoulder, and finally stopped on his cheek.
In the darkness, those tactile sensations became even clearer.
Someone was kissing his forehead; their lips were soft and warm.
Bai Yu didn't know who these kisses came from.
Outside, the night wind had stopped.
The bamboo no longer swayed, and its shadow froze on the sand, like a traditional Chinese ink painting.
The water in the pond calmed down, reflecting the round, bright moon in the sky, like a jade disc left behind in the water.
Occasionally, a petal would drift down from somewhere, land on the water's surface, create a tiny ripple, and then slowly swirl before sinking to the bottom.
The night grew deeper, and the moonlight grew brighter.
Someone turned over, and someone let out a very soft sigh. The sound disappeared into the night, as if it had never existed.
He didn't know whose fingers were intertwined with his dry fingers, but they tightened slightly for a moment before slowly loosening.
Those sensations, those temperatures, those scents, all began to become distant and hazy, like the waves at low tide, receding one after another, leaving behind a damp and soft beach.
The morning light seeped in through the gaps in the paper screen.
It wasn't the intense, glaring morning light, but a gentle, cool light, like honey diluted with water, thinly coated on every inch of the surface.
Bai Yu opened his eyes.
No, to be precise, he regained his hearing first.
He heard birds chirping.
It wasn't the kind of noisy, incessant bird calls, but rather an occasional, crisp, and short sound, as if someone was testing the sound, and after trying it out, they weren't satisfied and stopped singing.
Then he heard the wind. The wind blew through the bamboo grove in the courtyard, the bamboo leaves rubbing against each other, making a soft, gentle sound, like an ancient scroll of silk being slowly unfurled.
Then he heard breathing.
more than one.