boyutpedia Chapter 384 This time, Xuanmi heard it.
Chapter 384 This time, Xuanmi heard it.
As for the other party at the center of the incident, Yoshiyuki Tomioka, the moment Shinobu Kocho sat down, his hand holding the sake glass paused almost imperceptibly, and the surface of the sake in the glass swayed slightly.
He was clearly quite surprised by this sudden "invasion".
He turned his head, and his blue eyes, as calm and deep as the ocean, finally refocused as his consciousness returned to reality. With a barely perceptible ripple of unease from being disturbed, and a deeper sense of confusion, he looked at the uninvited Shinobu beside him.
Shinobu Kocho did not immediately meet his gaze. As if it were a perfectly natural action, she tilted her head back and drank the remaining wine in her glass in one gulp, then gently placed the empty glass on the table.
The bottom of the cup made a crisp, clear "tap" sound as it touched the wooden tabletop, which was particularly distinct in the suddenly quiet area.
She still wore that familiar smile, but a careful observer could tell that it was different from her usual formulaic gentleness. It seemed to have less of a deliberate sense of distance and more of a genuine warmth, even...
There was a hint of provocation in the curved corners of his eyes and eyebrows.
She seemed to be testing the waters, or perhaps waiting.
A subtle, almost suffocating silence filled the air. Everyone's heart was in their throat, especially the Pillars who knew Giyu Tomioka's eccentric personality well.
Some people were already mentally rehearsing the various awkward scenarios that might occur next, given Giyu Tomioka's notoriously clueless and socially awkward nature.
For example, he might simply frown and get up to leave without any politeness.
Or he might use his unique "art of conversation" that can instantly freeze the atmosphere, saying things like "There's someone here" or "You're blocking my light," which would spoil the mood and spark a war of words between the water column and the insect column.
Giyu Tomioka's reaction, however, was unexpected by everyone.
After a brief moment of stunned silence, he said nothing.
He showed no displeasure, nor did he show any wariness or deliberately avoid her as usual because of her sudden approach.
He remained silent, as if after an extremely difficult inner struggle, before extending his steady and powerful right hand—the one he habitually gripped with his Nichirin Blade, capable of severing the neck of a demon—and picking up the slightly cumbersome ceramic sake pot on the table.
Then, he leaned forward, his movements somewhat cautious, even clumsy, which was quite out of character for him, and aimed the spout at the empty wine glass in front of Shinobu Kocho, which she had just finished drinking from.
Even more surprisingly, the hand that had been as steady as a rock in battle, wielding the sword with precision and power, was now trembling slightly, causing the clear wine to ripple rapidly as it was poured into the glass.
He stared intently at the wine glass, as if he were undertaking a task even more arduous than fighting an Upper Moon demon.
In the end, he successfully poured her a full glass of wine.
The clear liquor rippled gently in the glass, reflecting the leaping campfire and the subtle, silently changing atmosphere between the two.
Immediately after noticing Giyu Tomioka's slightly clumsy but purposeful movements, Shinobu Kocho breathed a sigh of relief, and the genuine smile in her eyes deepened even further.
Under her gaze, Tomioka Giyuu, as if he had completed some important ritual, hastily withdrew his hand from the wine pot, as if it were burning hot.
To divert his attention, Yoshiyuki Tomioka picked up his chopsticks and quickly glanced at the dishes on the table, which, while not lavish, were mostly tailor-made to his own taste.
Then, he stopped moving.
Among the common sashimi and pickled dishes, his chopsticks precisely reached for a small dish of dark-colored ginger-preserved pickled vegetables that stood out from the other dishes.