Amidst the sounds of rushing water, the bath echoed with the occasional splashing sound as Akeno lay by the edge of the bath, squinting her eyes with a contented expression on her face, while Tenraku gently wiped the girl's body with great tenderness.
"Ara Ara, Tenraku, are you still angry with me?" Akeno smiled as she noticed a persistent frown on Tenraku's face.
"I'm not," Tenraku replied expressionlessly.
"Heh heh heh…" Akeno sat up and hugged Tenraku's neck, then kissed him directly.
"Are you still angry now?" After a long kiss, Akeno asked with a smiling face, as if coaxing a sulking child.
"Hmph, don't think you can get away with it that easily!" Tenraku's lips twitched, and he turned his head away with a cold snort.
"Tenraku, you're so heartless. You are acting like that even though I saved you." Knowing that the usual methods wouldn't calm Tenraku down, Akeno immediately changed her strategy. She pouted and looked aggrieved, while Tenraku, who already had a serious expression, became agitated.
"What do you mean by saved? Even if I had been hit, I would have been fine. Do you know how dangerous your actions were?"
"It's so easy for you to say, but what about me? Am I not allowed to save you when I see that you're in danger?"
"I would have been fine."
"Heh heh… Even when you were in danger because of Vali's power, I still wanted to save you even if I knew you would be fine!"
"Even if it's dangerous, it's my problem. I don't need your help, Akeno!"
"Whether to save or not is my decision. I don't need you to interfere in my decision Tenraku. I will save you no matter what!"
"You!!!"
With each retort, the two of them argued with each other, not giving in. Seeing Akeno's stubborn and determined look, Tenraku became so frustrated that he wanted to flip the table, but there was no table in the bath, so he had to suppress his frustration forcefully.
Feeling annoyed, Tenraku turned away, not letting Akeno see his expression. He never feared powerful enemies. Through the trials and tribulations of his journey across the world, Tenraku had become incredibly strong in his resolve. But when Akeno fell into his embrace, he became afraid!
Silence descended upon the atmosphere, and neither of them spoke again. It was only after a long time that Tenraku felt a soft touch approaching him as Akeno hugged him from behind.
"Akeno, even if you…" Tenraku was about to say something, but Akeno interrupted him directly.
"Tenraku, I beg you, don't take away this little right from me."
"I know I'm weak, and you've always been protecting me. But I also want to protect you, I want to help you. I will work hard to become stronger, so please…"
"Please don't reject me!"
Turning around, Tenraku looked at the girl, her face already streaming with tears, and he couldn't bring himself to say anything he had planned. It seemed that he had been too domineering all along, always thinking about protecting Akeno and the others, but never considering their thoughts.
"I'm sorry, Akeno…" Tenraku spoke softly as he gently wiped the tears from the girl's cheeks.
He truly wasn't a good man. He had let his beloved shed tears
…
"Tenraku, you don't need to apologize. It's me who should apologize. I'm always so willful, even though I can't do anything well, I still like to pretend to be strong." Shaking her head, Akeno felt a wave of self-reproach when she heard Tenraku apologising to her.
Akeno also knew that her seemingly grand gesture of 'Sacrifice' was actually causing trouble for Tenraku. But she couldn't bear to see Tenraku in danger while feeling helpless herself. Even if it meant being foolish in her approach, she wanted to protect Tenraku. Just once would be enough…
She felt like the softest part of her heart had been touched as Tenraku sighed and directly kissed her lips.
"Wū wū wū…" The intensity of their passionate kiss grew, as they hungrily tasted each other, it was as if they wanted to merge into each other's bodies.
After a long kiss, they gazed into each other's eyes and burst into laughter simultaneously. They realized how silly they were to argue and quarrel over such a trivial matter. They both looked like idiots.
"I'll forgive you this time, Akeno, but don't do it again next time," Tenraku said while gently stroking the girl's cheek.
"No matter how many times, I'll still do it. Even you won't be able to stop me!" Akeno shook her head as she displayed a determined expression on her face.
On this point, she would never back down.
"Then at least don't foolishly rush in like that. I don't need Akeno to be my shield!" Tenraku retorted, feeling frustrated that his previous moment of vulnerability had been wasted.
"But… I was just too worried at that time. Next time, I'll approach it differently." Akeno blushed, feeling both embarrassed and regretful.
Looking back now, Akeno realized how foolish she had been at that moment. Instead of mindlessly acting as a human shield, she could have just used defensive magic to protect Tenraku. Her actions had worried everyone needlessly.
Feeling a mix of annoyance and amusement, Tenraku gently rubbed Akeno's forehead. Akeno leaned against his chest, feeling the warmth of his embrace. The two of them enjoyed this tender moment…
"Akeno, let's go on a date tomorrow," Tenraku suddenly said as he caressed the girl's long hair.
"Date?" Akeno raised her head, surprised.
"Yes, we've never been on a date before. Wouldn't you like to give it a try, Akeno?"
"But… we have school tomorrow…"
"Anything related to school can be postponed. Our Date is the most important thing."
"What do you think, my princess? Will you go?" Tenraku asked, his eyes filled with anticipation. Akeno's heart was deeply moved and she began to feel warm inside.
Unable to refuse and not wanting to refuse…
"Okay!" Akeno nodded and accepted the invitation.
Gazing into each other's eyes, their lips met once again…
Meanwhile, outside the bathroom…
"That's great! Tenraku-San and Akeno-San made up," Asia exclaimed happily.
"Hmph, we worried for nothing because of that guy, Tenraku!" Irina pouted, trying to maintain a tsundere expression.
"Tenraku and Akeno are going on a date tomorrow. Has anyone else had a date with Tenraku?" Xenovia's main focus seemed to be on the date as she looked at their companions.
"Hehe, I've had a date with Tenraku-San," Asia replied, her face filled with envy.
"It was nothing special, just hanging out here and there. It was tiring," Irina added with a proud yet dismissive tone, but anyone could see her satisfaction.
The envy among the girls grew, and Xenovia, lost in thought, stroked her chin. Then she turned to Rias, who was standing nearby.
"Rias, have you ever had a date with Tenraku? After all, you're his legal wife, right?"
A flicker of panic flashed in Rias' eyes, but she quickly regained her composure.
"Of course, I've had a date with him. It was similar to what Irina mentioned," Rias replied.
"I see…" Xenovia didn't inquire further, and Rias secretly breathed out a sigh of relief. However, there was a hint of resentment in her heart. She hadn't had a date with Tenraku yet!
Thinking about it, Rias and Tenraku had already done everything they should or shouldn't have done. Dating now seemed somewhat meaningless, to the point that even Rias herself had overlooked it. It was frustrating for her to realize this now.
A romance without dates wasn't complete. That infuriating Tenraku, she would make him make up for everything he owed her!
To be continued…
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