The Unforgiven from Shinigami
To outsiders, Soi Fon is a self-disciplined woman whose petite frame belies her great authority.
She was always serious and stern, dealing with her subordinates and colleagues with a cold expression.
She used to have the same expression towards Shiraishi a long time ago, but as they spent more time together, the coldness on her face gradually melted away, and she often revealed the spoiled and willful side of a little girl.
For example, right now.
Despite the mistake being caused by her own distraction, she still insisted on blaming it on Shiraishi. Her beautiful cat eyes widened, and to increase her imposing presence, she put her hands on her hips, raised her head, and puffed out her cheeks slightly.
In her imagination, she was a super ferocious tiger, about to devour someone, scaring Shiraishi in an instant.
In reality, she's more like a kitten, all bared and claws, and looks extremely cute.
Shiraishi really wanted to hug her tightly, but he restrained himself and said softly, "Okay, it's all my fault. I shouldn't have sprinkled so much cumin. I definitely won't let go next time."
"Hmph, good that you understand. I forgive you this time."
Soi Fon turned around, her face flushed slightly in the smoke, her heart calming down as she let bygones be bygones for that oversight.
Shiraishi picked up some vegetables from the plate and grilled them on top. He then casually uncorked the sake bottle on the small table, taking a sip of sake followed by a bite of spicy barbecue.
The setting sun cast its last rays upon the mountaintop and the grove of trees, making everything appear hazy and indistinct.
Such a beautiful scene lessened his desires, and he suddenly felt that even if he didn't succeed, having such a moment was enough to cherish.
"Uh, Shiraishi, this vegetable is burnt, what should we do?"
Soi Fon was a step too late; half of the cabbage was already charred black, so she quickly called out.
Shiraishi returned from the idyllic fairyland to the mundane world, laughing, "Throw it away, bake it again. This time you need to flip it quickly, don't flip it too slowly."
"Oh, oh." She nodded repeatedly, determined to focus on mastering the art of grilling.
When grilling again, she remembered to flip the food frequently. Without Shiraishi's hands-on instruction, she simply followed his verbal instructions: brush on oil, flip, and sprinkle seasoning.
The roasted eggplant, spinach, chives, and chicken were cooked in succession.
She picked up a string of pearls and blew on it gently, unlike Shiraishi, who could just blow on it casually and then take a big bite.
Her tongue is a bit delicate and is particularly sensitive to heat.
My mind was still a bit foggy just now, which is why I didn't blow on it before biting into it, and my tongue almost went numb from the heat.
After blowing on it to cool it down, she slowly took a bite. Without much cumin, it tasted much better. Her eyes narrowed. "Hmm, this time it's much better. It still depends on my cooking skills."
"It's as if you weren't the one who baked it last time."
Shiraishi made a comment.
Soi Fon retorted, "That was because you interfered; it doesn't count as the meat I grilled."
Shiraishi, too lazy to dwell on the matter, smiled and said, "Would you like some drinks? Barbecue with drinks is really delicious!"
Soi Fon frowned, shook her head, and said, "Forget it, I never drink. As the Sōji of the Stealth Force, I must always be sober and ready to deal with any eventuality."
Shiraishi laughed and said, "Nothing serious is happening now. You're overreacting."
Soi Fon filled the grill again and said, "You've let your guard down too much. Hirako might have some kind of scheme up their sleeves. How can we be so careless?"
"Things will work themselves out when they reach the bridge."
Shiraishi believes that you should work hard when you need to and relax when you need to. A life that is busy all day long is too tiring.
"Don't give me that lecture," Soi Fon pouted. She wasn't a real girl; she just looked like one. Her values had already been formed by her age, and no one could change them with a few words.
Shiraishi stopped mentioning those things and started talking about ordinary topics.
The Soi Fon continued to roast; with both hands too busy, only the mouth was free.
Seeing this, he picked up a string of skewers, blew on it, and held it to her lips, saying, "Try it, don't worry, it's not hot."
Soi Fon glanced at it, then opened her mouth and took a bite of the chives.
Ah, Soi Fon is so cute with her honest demeanor...
Shiraishi suddenly showed great interest in being fed, and after finishing one skewer, he was given another.
Time slips away quietly.
As the sun dips below the horizon and night falls, the full moon and stars take center stage, their soft light bathing the mountaintop.
A cool autumn breeze blows, and the woods are dimly lit.
The charcoal in the barbecue grill had gone out, all the food had been eaten, the wooden skewers were in a bag, and four empty wine bottles were stuffed inside.
Soi Fon let out a satisfied burp, her flat belly slightly bulging; she hadn't felt this full in a long time.
"Phew, the barbecue was great tonight. I'm going back to cultivate now."
She turned around, intending to pack her things and leave.
Shiraishi wouldn't have it. As the saying goes, "When you're full and warm, you think of other things." He said, "Don't rush. Cultivating right after a big meal isn't good for your health. Wouldn't it be better to enjoy the night view for a while?"
Soi Fon looked somewhat suspicious and said, "Let me make this clear beforehand: don't expect me to make an exception for anything illegal."
"I just want to see the night view with you, is that not allowed?"
He looked at me with sincere eyes.
Soi Fon hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay, just for a little while."
Shiraishi patted the spot next to him and said, "Sit here; it's a good spot to enjoy the view below."
Soi Fon was convinced by this excuse; she didn't actually want to sit next to him. "You're so strange. You invited me to dinner out of the blue, then asked me to look at the scenery. Do you mean you want to leave Seireitei?"
Shiraishi flicked her forehead. "What are you thinking with that little head of yours? I'm inviting you to dinner and showing you the sights. Can't that mean I like you and want to go on a date with you?"
"Dating?!"
Soi Fon raised her voice, finally realizing that the other party did indeed have ulterior motives, but not for breaking the law or committing crimes; they wanted her people.
"What nonsense are you talking about? I'm going back."
She finally sensed the danger and, like Shiro-chan caught in a net, her first reaction was to run.
The person stood up, intending to Shunpo leave.
Shiraishi wasn't stupid; he could tell that her expression was more like shyness than reluctance.
At times like these, men need to be brave!
He quickly reached out and grabbed her, and as expected, with a slight pull, the petite body fell into his arms. "Aya, this time I won't let you escape."
Calling someone so intimately in your ear is just too much.
Soi Fon's little head was spinning; she wanted to leave, but the hug felt too warm.
I don't want to leave here.
What does this feel like?
Is this feeling unique to me, or do all women experience this?
Like clouds in the sky, you don't need to think about anything; you can let the wind push you and drift freely, or like a leaf falling into the water, drifting with the current.
She had no control over anything, and was simply passively awaiting her impending fate.
Until that moment of shattering, the pain of fate jolted her awake from her reverie, and tears welled up in her eyes.
"Sorry, I should have been gentler."
"Fool."
Soi Fon covered her eyes with her hands, not wanting Shiraishi to see the expression on her face, but unexpectedly, this act of concealment only fueled someone's fighting spirit.