The night was quiet and alluring.
Moonlight filtered through the window in scattered beams, casting a soft glow over the pink bunny plush beside the bed.
Gion had been lying there for a full half hour before the flush on her face finally began to fade.
She pushed her exhausted body upright and sat up, taking off her Marine cloak.
After a full day of intense training followed by a duel with Daren, she was drenched in sweat, and her skin felt uncomfortably sticky.
As someone who liked to stay clean, there was no way she could fall asleep without taking a bath.
Just then, the image of Daren carrying her back surfaced again—along with the way he had looked at her toes while helping her take off her shoes. Her cheeks reddened once more.
"He... probably didn't smell my sweat, right?"
Random thoughts ran wild through her head as she dragged her tired body into the bathroom and turned on the hot water for the tub.
Suddenly—
Knock knock knock—
The unexpected knock startled Gion.
Is he back!?
Panic kicked in. For reasons she couldn't explain, her usual tough demeanor vanished completely, and like a startled bunny, she dove back under the covers.
"Ahem... Gion, it's me."
Tsuru's voice came from outside the door.
Gion froze.
It's Tsuru? Not that jerk?
Relief washed over her—but at the same time, an inexplicable twinge of disappointment crept into her chest.
Thinking back to how she'd reacted just now, her face warmed again.
"I'm here, Tsuru-nee."
She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, and called out.
Staff Officer Tsuru pushed the door open.
When she saw Gion sitting at the edge of the bed, bruises on her arms and legs, a flash of pain flickered in her eyes. She shook her head slightly.
"I just came to check on you."
Gion blinked, then smiled.
"I'm fine, Tsuru-nee."
"You... are such a stubborn girl."
Tsuru pointed at her, half exasperated, half amused, and walked over to sit beside her.
"I ran into Tokikake earlier this evening."
"That kid had a black eye and a swollen nose, his upper body wrapped in bandages and casts. The moment he saw me, he dropped to his knees, bawling and begging for mercy…"
She rubbed her temples.
"You took your frustration out on him again, didn't you?"
Gion pursed her lips and muttered,
"He wasn't actually hurt at first... but during sparring, he tried to grope my butt, so I went all out."
Tsuru: ...
"...Good job."
After a pause, she finally let out the words slowly.
Then, after thinking for a moment, she asked,
"So what made you go after Daren?"
Gion froze.
"H-How did you know…"
Tsuru gave her a look.
"The way you showed up at Sengoku's office with a sword in hand—do you know how many Marines you scared half to death?"
Gion's face turned red, and she lowered her head without a word.
Seeing her like this, Tsuru frowned slightly and asked out of nowhere,
"Gion, be honest with me. Do you like Daren?"
"—How could I possibly like him!?"
Before Tsuru could even finish her sentence, Gion exploded, flustered and angry.
"He's a total pervert! Sloppy, careless, arrogant, cocky...!"
Tsuru said nothing. She simply watched the disheveled girl in front of her with a calm, steady gaze.
"…He's the worst scumbag in the history of the Marines. I-I could never…"
Under that gaze, Gion's voice trailed off into a whisper.
Tsuru let out a long sigh in her heart.
With her experience, it was obvious what Gion was feeling.
"Well, it's good if you don't like him."
She smiled and patted Gion's shoulder.
"Then there's nothing more to say. I just wanted to check on you."
"Now that I see you're doing alright, I can rest easy."
She stood up slowly.
"Get some rest, Gion. And don't be so reckless next time."
"Oh, and…"
She pointed to the dusty boot prints on the wooden floor and smiled.
"Next time that brat comes in, remind him to take his shoes off."
Gion's face flushed bright red.
She opened her mouth to respond, but Tsuru waved it off with a smile.
"It's fine. You're growing up—I understand."
"That punk Daren may have a lousy personality and questionable morals, but he's got his good points."
"And at your age, bad boys can be pretty appealing."
"If you really do like him, you'll have to work for it."
"That girl he brought back from the New World? I've met her. She might look soft and delicate, but she's actually calmer and stronger than you."
"…I know, I know. You don't like him. I'm just saying."
Seeing Gion about to flare up again, Tsuru quickly added with a helpless smile.
"Get some rest."
...
Steam filled the bathroom.
Gion soaked in the hot water, arms wrapped around her bent knees, her chest pressed into a dramatic arc. Her face, half-buried in bubbles, was flushed with warmth.
Blub... blub...
Like a fish blowing bubbles, she stared blankly into the water, exhaling softly beneath the surface.
Even though she kept denying it outwardly, Tsuru's words lingered in her mind, refusing to fade.
Could it be... she really had fallen for that bastard?
No way... right?
How could she possibly like someone that lecherous?
She hadn't said it aloud, but she clearly remembered the subtle shift of his fingers when he carried her back. There had definitely been... some movement.
And the way he looked at her feet—he might've hidden it well, but now that she thought about it, it was definitely a little pervy.
"Gion, are you an idiot? You can't fall for someone like that..."
Frustrated, she plunged her head beneath the water, a mess of emotions churning inside her.
When did this start?
When had her impression of him changed?
Was it when he singlehandedly took down Germa 66?
When he helped her out in front of the Celestial Dragons?
...
If she had to pinpoint it, Gion realized—it was probably the moment she saw that father and daughter still alive.
"I take the money, I get the job done."
Daren's voice echoed in her mind—low, calm, domineering, and filled with unshakable confidence.
He protected the people she couldn't.
That was when she realized just how naïve she'd been.
She... had misjudged him.
Even while keeping up her cold front, from that day onward, she'd been watching him in secret.
During training, she would quietly position herself behind him.
Watching him push himself to the limit... even when she was dead tired, seeing his drive would reignite her own, making her want to keep up with him.
Her thoughts would often drift back to the time they spent together in the North Blue—bickering, challenging, going head-to-head.
And then it hit her...
He had been indulging her all along.
Silently. Gently. Always yielding without a word.
From then on, her feelings had grown more and more tangled.
She found herself growing curious about his past. So much so, she even used Sengoku and Tsuru's connections to pull his file.
Climbing from the very bottom, clawing his way up step by step.
Fighting, bleeding, battling through injury and fire...
The more she learned, the more she realized how turbulent Daren's path had been.
Behind the prestige of his title as "King of the North Blue" was a mountain of burdens.
Political maneuvering, power struggles, life-and-death fights, financial manipulation...
Daren protected the North Blue and pursued justice in a way that was entirely his own.
And knowing how hard his life had been only made Gion feel guiltier, her heart tightening even more.
But what shocked her most—and made her admire him even more—was that a Marine like Daren, who had risen from the lowest ranks, should have been cautious and calculating.
But he wasn't.
Even in front of the Celestial Dragons, the ones who controlled the world, he didn't flinch.
He killed them without hesitation.
Sure, there was no solid proof, but Gion trusted her instincts.
For the sake of his "justice," Daren didn't care about the Celestial Dragons in the slightest.
And when she returned to headquarters, she suddenly realized...
All those countless suitors from before—wealthy, well-born, promising young elites—compared to Daren, that so-called "scum," they were nothing but trash.
Once you've seen the brilliance of the sun, how could you ever be content with the dim glow of a candle?
When a woman starts to feel curiosity, pity, and admiration for a man, affection is sure to follow.
That's why, when she heard about what happened to him in the New World, Gion had been truly worried.
Seeing Amatsuki Toki at his home left her both angry and ashamed.
But thinking of Daren's injuries, she forced herself to swallow that anger and went out to buy the freshest fruit she could find, bringing it over for him.
But then...
"How could he say something like that to me!?"
Fuming, Gion finally broke the surface of the water, gasping quietly for breath.
She leaned back against the tub, staring up at the foggy ceiling, lost in thought.
After a long while...
"Is my temper... really that bad?"
She covered her flushed face with both hands and murmured softly.
Then, her eyes suddenly turned resolute.
"It's fine... I was here first."
...
Daren had always thought of himself as a free spirit. Back in the North Blue—or even after moving to Marine Headquarters—he would usually stay out late, only returning to that empty "home" well past nightfall.
He wasn't the sentimental type. He had few close friends and had long grown accustomed to living on his own.
But in this moment...
When he saw that single light left on for him in the family quarters late at night, and the quiet silhouette waiting by the oil lamp, even someone as emotionally reserved as him couldn't help but be moved.
A small house, a warm light, a waiting woman, and a table of food gone cold...
Maybe that's what it means to have a home.
His heart softened. Stepping inside, Daren said apologetically,
"Sorry I'm late."
"You should've eaten first. You must be starving."
Amatsuki Toki, dressed in a delicate pink kimono, slowly opened her eyes and looked at the travel-worn Daren. Without hesitation, she walked over, took the cloak from his shoulders, and gently hung it up. A soft smile curved her lips.
"It's fine. I'm not hungry."
"And... I wanted to wait for you."
As Daren turned to change his shoes, he muttered,
"I'll try to come home earlier from now on."
"Mm. Did you get her home safely?"
His hands paused mid-motion.
Amatsuki Toki smiled faintly.
"You smell like her... It's lovely. Roses. I remembered the scent from when she visited this morning."
The corner of Daren's mouth twitched.
He was just trying to think up an excuse when her voice came again—soft, almost distant—from behind him.
"I thought it wouldn't matter... but in the end, it does."
"Toki..."
"Daren-san."
He turned around.
His pupils shrank. His mind went blank.
Boom—!
A burst of heat exploded in his brain.
He saw something he would never forget for the rest of his life.
Her slender kimono slowly slipped from her shoulders, cascading down along smooth, pale skin and pooling silently on the floor. Her graceful figure was revealed in the flickering light.
Amatsuki Toki raised her hand and removed her hairpin, letting her hair fall freely as she stood before him. Her face was tinged with a soft blush, but in her eyes shone a calm, unwavering courage.
With a gentle voice, she said,
"...become my husband."