Bleach: Watch Closely, This Is How You Use a Zanpakutō novel Chapter 351

Chapter 351: Chapter 351: Not Quite Right, Is It?

Kirio Hikifune knew her request was a bit abrupt.

To avoid making Masatsuki Aozaki dislike her, she had already done her best to suppress her feelings. But human emotions have their limits.

Things were changing faster than her own mindset.

At first, she had thought that the Soul King Palace only had one embarrassing senior, someone hardly worth worrying about. But before she knew it, that same foolish senior had somehow turned into an adorably clumsy junior.

Both in appearance and personality, she had become irresistibly charming to Masatsuki Aozaki.

In comparison, Kirio Hikifune felt like nothing more than a woman who loved to cook and indulge in good food.

She had to admit—she felt a competitive streak towards Senjumaru Shutara, but at the same time, she also carried a deep sense of inferiority.

All she thought about was food, carefree and easygoing.

And then there was Senjumaru, an ever-changing presence—sometimes cold and distant, sometimes playful and cute.

It wasn’t hard to guess which side most people would choose.

The thought only made Kirio Hikifune’s emotions even more complicated.

However, as a man well-versed in the mental states of many women, Masatsuki Aozaki completely understood what Kirio was feeling.

Because he understood, he didn’t act impulsively.

Instead, he met her gaze seriously.

"Of course, I’d love to kiss you. But Kirio, is that really the only kind of kiss you want?" he asked softly.

"!!?" Kirio Hikifune tilted her head, her face full of surprise.

His question caught her completely off guard.

"If all you want is a kiss, I don’t mind. But I don’t think we’re the kind of people who need a kiss just to hold our relationship together," he continued.

"...Sneaky."

Blushing, Kirio turned her face away, at a loss for words. Those were the only ones she could force out.

A whirlwind of emotions surged within her—shyness, a hint of frustration, but above all, a quiet happiness.

Masatsuki Aozaki had seen right through her impulsive moment.

A beautiful older woman wanting him to kiss her? That was, of course, a tempting thought.

But if they were to take their relationship to the next level, jealousy wasn’t the driving force they needed.

Especially for someone as pure-hearted as Kirio Hikifune—if she gave in to jealousy, she would surely regret it later.

With a relaxed smile, Masatsuki Aozaki skillfully worked with the Reiatsu cooking technique he had only learned the day before.

"If you have time, could you give me a hand? I need you, Kirio."

"...Fine, I got it."

The master chef, who had just managed to steady her emotions, immediately snapped back into her usual confident self.

Once she was in her cooking zone, her focus and dedication were unparalleled.

As the sole chef of the Soul King Palace, Kirio Hikifune displayed a level of culinary mastery far beyond that of an ordinary chef.

In fact, even her former mentor, Masatsuki Aozaki, had yet to fully grasp the art of cooking with Reiatsu.

Before he could completely master the technique, there was still a gap between their skills.

With Kirio’s full support, Masatsuki’s progress skyrocketed.

At this rate, he would likely master the technique by tonight—but extending the training for a few more days wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Masatsuki Aozaki made a mental note of his plans.

Once he had this skill down, his next stop would be Hōōden to study the art of sword forging.

He was genuinely looking forward to it.

If he could truly learn how to forge a Zanpakutō...

That would be incredible—so incredible, it felt almost impossible to imagine.

Lost in his training, he completely lost track of time. Before he knew it, midnight had arrived.

Masatsuki Aozaki stretched lazily, as if he were truly exhausted, and said,

"That’s enough for today. Time to get some sleep."

"..."

Kirio Hikifune gazed at him, her eyes flickering slightly, but she remained silent.

This man was a true learning prodigy—he had completely mastered her cooking techniques.

"You go ahead and sleep first. I’ll clean everything up before I leave, so don’t worry. Then... shall we continue tomorrow night?"

There, he saw Kirio Hikifune sitting quietly by the bed.

"Still not planning to sleep?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"...Mm," she murmured softly.

"Something on your mind?" _{fre.ewebnov el.com}

He sat beside her, gently taking her hand in his, his voice tender.

Kirio Hikifune’s cheeks flushed as she lowered her head, her voice trembling slightly as she spoke,

"It’s late... So, um... why don’t you just sleep here tonight?"

After saying this, she stole a glance at Masatsuki Aozaki, gauging his reaction.

He arched an eyebrow, a teasing smile tugging at the corners of his lips. After a brief pause, he put on a serious expression and said,

"A man and a woman alone together... that wouldn’t be appropriate."

At his words, Kirio Hikifune’s face turned an even deeper shade of red. She bit her lip, seemingly wanting to say something but too embarrassed to speak.

Masatsuki Aozaki chuckled at her shy expression.

"But I’m afraid of the dark," he added playfully. "So I guess I don’t have a choice."

Kirio Hikifune let out a quiet sigh of relief, finally smiling.

...

Meanwhile, on the other side...

Senjumaru Shutara stood elegantly by her bedroom door, her pose as refined as a sculpted masterpiece.

Her captivating, peach-colored eyes stared lifelessly toward the staircase at the end of the hallway.

"Not coming back tonight...? And after doing that, he doesn’t even bother to apologize to me?" she muttered to herself, her voice laced with irritation. "That damn man."

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Her mood soured further as she narrowed her eyes, turned, and stepped back into her room, shutting the door behind her.

...

(40 Chapters Ahead)

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