What did they go to do? It goes without saying...
This camaraderie from visiting XX together has made Hijikata, Nagakura, and Harada particularly close recently.
“Mr. Tachibana... it’s also thanks to you...”
But she couldn’t control the seating arrangement, and being socially anxious, she didn’t have the courage to ask to change seats, so she had to settle for sitting diagonally opposite Aoto.
Considering all the hard work and contributions Toshisuke had made in today’s competition... Aoto sighed softly, his heart softened.
He lifted his head and glanced at Chokata Mitsuo and Chokata Rintaro not far away — they were engrossed in watching Harada and the others dance, paying no attention to him and Toshisuke.
Aoto, who timely discovered Toshisuke’s intent, hurriedly moved her cup to an even farther place.
Toshisuke happily cupped her wine glass with both hands, promptly and hastily filling it to the brim with her back to Chokata Mitsuo, then gulped it down.
No matter how you look at it, Harada’s behavior of playing around until his face is white and his steps are shaky is really not appropriate.
Toshisuke made murmurs and moans filled with drunkenness.
If one were to use a novelist’s words to describe this morning’s competition with Xuanwu Hall... there’s probably no more fitting phrase than “twists and turns, ups and downs.”
“...Mr. Chokata, it really is impressive. You’ve finally reached the realm where you can freely release and gather ‘momentum’.”
Watching Toshisuke’s blissful expression from drinking, Aoto’s facial lines gradually softened.
But she wasn’t sure if it was her imagination.
For Mukiwa, the seat she most wanted was naturally beside Aoto.
Mukiwa knew that Aoto and Toshisuke were very close.
——Forget it... I’ll find a chance to ask her properly later.
Aoto doesn’t recall doing anything for Toshisuke that could help her break through a realm.
Aoto is still at the stage where ‘momentum’ only appears occasionally, and he has no control over it at all.
If you were to ask what today’s biggest highlight was on the field... it was undoubtedly Toshisuke suddenly unleashing her ‘momentum’ and clashing intensely with Chiba Daisaburo!
At this moment, Toshisuke quietly reached her small hand towards Aoto’s right knee — she wanted to sneakily take back her cup while Aoto and Chokata Mitsuo were not paying attention.
“Mmm... mmm... so sleepy...”
After whining, Toshisuke blinked her big, watery eyes with effort, looking at Aoto with a pitiful gaze like an abandoned puppy.
The emotions contained within the gaze were hard to decipher.
Being stared at by Toshisuke like this... Aoto just felt completely uncomfortable.
As such... all of Aoto and Toshisuke’s interactions just now were clearly seen by Mukiwa.
Since the celebration started, Mukiwa had focused most of her attention on Aoto.
——How strange... is it just my imagination...?
So in comparison, Toshisuke is already one level above Aoto.
Turning his head to look — that squirming shadow turned out to be Toshisuke’s small hand.
If Aoto and Toshisuke were to have a one-on-one match right now, Aoto still has considerable confidence he could win.
“...You can only have one more cup.”
Facing Toshisuke’s gaze, Aoto’s mouth twitched uncontrollably.
She used a sweet, soft voice that Aoto had never heard before... no, it should be more accurately described as “coquettishly pleading” to Aoto.
Such a position has one benefit — any movement on Aoto’s side can be observed clearly by Mukiwa.
After confirming that the Chokata couple weren’t looking their way, Aoto cautiously pushed the cup back in front of Toshisuke.
...
It was evident she didn’t hear Aoto’s question just now at all.
Sitting diagonally opposite Aoto, Mukiwa has been staring fixedly at Aoto and Toshisuke with an investigative gaze since just now.
Aoto feels: He might never have any entanglement with the people from the red-light district in his lifetime!
Hearing Aoto’s praise, Toshisuke raised her hand to brush the light ponytail at the back of her head.
...
After the competition, under Zhouzhu’s guidance, Toshisuke conducted several experiments — while not yet fully proficient, Toshisuke indeed reached the level where she could freely release and gather ‘momentum’!
Aoto tried his best to put on a stern face, deliberately using a severe tone, hoping to make Toshisuke back down.
“Mmm~ just let me have one more drink...~~”
“Thanks to me?” Aoto was taken aback, “Why?”
“Ehehehe~”
——Looks like Miss Chokata is quite drunk...
“Hehe...~~”
“I told you, you can’t drink anymore.”
Seeing that Toshisuke had temporarily lost the ability to communicate normally, Aoto silently thought to himself:
Of course — one cannot simply use whether one can freely release and gather ‘momentum’ as an assessment of personal strength.
Just as Aoto was pondering whether he should find an opportunity to remind Harada to exercise some restraint, he suddenly noticed something squirming in the lower right corner of his field of vision.
Toshisuke gazed longingly at Aoto.
Because of his personal character and the influence of his education since childhood, Aoto has always stayed away from places like Yoshiwara.
He can hardly imagine Toshisuke using this tone and these eyes to speak with him in her normal state.
However, facing Aoto’s serious admonition, Toshisuke nonchalantly chuckled, and then...
“Hey, Mr. Chokata.”
After taking Toshisuke’s cup away, Aoto casually placed it next to his right knee.
She always felt that the interaction between these two... seemed a bit overly intimate...

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