Chapter 158: Confrontation In The Bathroom
While Misuzu was occupied with reshoots, Kouhei took the chance to slip away, heading to the restroom to answer nature's call.
After finishing, he adjusted his pants—but before he could even process what was happening, a force yanked him backward, dragging him into one of the restroom stalls.
"Wha—?!"
The moment he was pulled inside, something soft—no, something immensely soft—smothered his face. A warm, plush sensation enveloped him, pressing against his lips and nose, cutting off his breath. It was suffocating, yet undeniably enticing, like being buried in the most sinful kind of comfort.
It was a familiar sensation… but something about it felt different. The size, the shape—these weren't the same ones he had felt before. These belonged to someone else entirely.
His breath hitched as he slowly opened his eyes.
And what greeted him was a deep valley of exposed cleavage, the smooth, supple skin of a pair of breasts that were practically devouring his face.
His gaze trailed upward, and there, looking down at him with an amused smile, was the owner of those perfect mounds.
"Hello there," she purred, her voice carrying a sultry lilt.
"M-Mitani-san?!" Kouhei's voice came out muffled, his words barely escaping past the pillowy softness pressed against his mouth. He flailed slightly, trying to push away, but it was as if his body refused to react. "W-What are you doing?! This is the men's restroom!"
"Shhh…" Chihiro placed a single manicured finger against her lips, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "If you're too loud, someone might hear us. You wouldn't want anyone finding out that we're both in here, would you?" She leaned in, her breath brushing against his ear. "A man and a woman, locked together in a tiny stall… Imagine what kind of scandal that could stir."
Kouhei swallowed hard. She was right—nothing about this situation was appropriate. The last thing he wanted was to be embroiled in a controversy, especially one involving a renowned public figure. More than his own reputation, he was concerned about the damage it could inflict upon hers.
"I-If that's the case," he stammered, "then could you at least remove your breasts from my face?"
Chihiro tilted her head, an innocent expression masking her clear amusement. "Hmm? But I thought you were enjoying yourself."
She pressed closer.
Kouhei sucked in a sharp breath as her warmth seeped through his clothes, her body molding against his in a way that sent warning bells ringing in his head.
"I'm feeling rather hot after that photoshoot," she murmured, trailing a delicate finger down his chest. "So, I thought I'd let off some steam."
Kouhei's brows furrowed. "And you chose here to do that?"
Chihiro didn't react to his baffled expression. If anything, it seemed to entertain her even more. Any other man would have been trembling with excitement, sweating, panting—losing his mind at being pressed up against the Mitani Chihiro.
Yet Kouhei remained composed, his body tense but his face unreadable.
It was… intriguing.
"Come now," she whispered, her lips almost brushing against his ear. "You know exactly what I mean, don't you?"
"Hmph—! Y-You're suffocating me!" Kouhei wheezed, attempting to push her away.
But… why couldn't he?
He was strong—he knew he was strong. His body was trained, conditioned, capable of lifting and restraining with ease. And yet, for some reason, he couldn't pry her off. It was as if she was an immovable force, pressing down on him with an unseen weight.
Something wasn't right.
"I don't normally go all the way on the first day," Chihiro mused, her lips curving into a playful smirk. "But you're just too cute to resist."
But just as she leaned in—
The stall door slammed open.
A sharp, icy presence flooded the cramped space.
Kouhei turned his head—and there, standing in the doorway, was Misuzu.
His breath hitched.
Her gaze was frostbite cold.
The air in the stall seemed to freeze over as she stepped forward, her presence alone making the walls feel smaller, tighter, as if they were closing in.
"Chihiro," Misuzu's voice was calm. Too calm. "Don't you think you've crossed the line?"
Chihiro merely blinked, her expression one of feigned innocence. "Hmm? Whatever do you mean?"
Misuzu's gaze sharpened. "You seriously don't see anything wrong with this? Dragging Okumura-kun into a stall and pressing your breasts against him?"
Chihiro let out a soft, lilting laugh. "Oh, that?" She turned her gaze back to Kouhei, studying his still-composed face with renewed interest. "I was just… testing something."
She traced a single finger along his chest, then sighed. "But it seems like it wasn't very effective."
Her eyes gleamed as she took him in, as if seeing something new, something exciting.
"It's strange… Any other man would have lost himself by now," she murmured, more to herself than anyone else. "They would have taken advantage of this situation without hesitation. But you…"
Her lips curled into a slow, almost predatory smile.
"I must admit… I like you even more now."
"What will Yuuna think if you do this, Chihiro?"
Chihiro's lips curled into a teasing smirk, her eyes gleaming with amusement. She tilted her head slightly, her presence exuding an air of effortless dominance.
"As I expected… this young man truly is the Child of Anti-Prophecy," she mused, her voice laced with intrigue. "I had heard whispers that Yuuna had taken him under her custody, but I never imagined I would see him with my own eyes."
She didn't sound remotely surprised. If anything, it was as if she had known about it all along.
"Well, this is the first time you've brought a human as your bodyguard," she continued smoothly, her tone laced with quiet amusement. "Naturally, I arrived at that conclusion. Did you truly think you were concealing it?"
Kouhei felt a shiver crawl up his spine. He wasn't sure if it was due to the way Chihiro's piercing gaze seemed to strip away his very being—or if it was the overwhelming realization that she had known everything before he even uttered a word.
"W-Wait… Chihiro-san is a demon?" he stammered.
"She is the head of the Mitani Faction," Misuzu stated, her voice cold and unwavering. "The demon who rules the territory north from ours."
Chihiro let out a soft chuckle, placing a hand on her hip as she straightened her posture with pride.
"That's correct. I am Mitani Chihiro," she declared, as if it was a title that should be etched into stone. Then, her attention shifted back to Kouhei, her expression darkening with a strange kind of interest. "Now then, Child of Anti-Prophecy… why not abandon the Yuuna Faction and come live with us instead?"
Her voice was velvety smooth, dripping with temptation.
"The Yuuna Faction is currently engaged in war against the Souichiro Faction, is it not? Yuuna stands no chance," she continued, her words sharp as blades. "You will inevitably find yourself in perilous situations… so why not seek refuge with us? We will welcome you warmly… and I promise, you will be rewarded with far more than you could ever hope for."
The way she said it sent a chill down his spine.
"Chihiro!" Misuzu's voice rang out, sharp and unyielding.
Chihiro turned her head slightly, her eyes half-lidded with amusement.
"Why are you so upset, Misuzu?" she asked, feigning innocence. "Surely, there is nothing wrong with my offer? The purpose of the Child of Anti-Prophecy is to serve the greater good of the demon race in the inevitable war against the Heavens, is it not?"
Her smirk widened.
"Keeping him all to yourself… now that is something the demon race may frown upon."
Misuzu's expression hardened, her eyes burning with defiance.
"Yuuna has already ensured that Okumura-kun remains under her custody," she said, her voice steely. "She will not allow him to be beyond her reach. And more importantly… Okumura-kun trusts us. You cannot have him. He belongs to us!"
A dangerous glint flashed through Chihiro's eyes.
"Oh?" she murmured, her tone slow and deliberate. "I did not expect you to treat the Child of Anti-Prophecy as some sort of possession."
"He is not a possession," Misuzu corrected, her voice unwavering. "He is a member of our faction now."
Chihiro let out a soft laugh, her amusement deepening.
"Oh? I wasn't aware that the Yuuna Faction allowed humans to join their ranks."
Ignoring her taunt, Misuzu took a bold step forward, her presence brimming with authority.
"Regardless, remove yourself from Okumura-kun at once," she commanded, her voice carrying an edge that was impossible to ignore. "Otherwise… you will face Yuuna's wrath. And I am certain you would rather not experience that."
A heavy silence settled between them.
Then, with an easy shrug, Chihiro finally let go of Kouhei. The moment her warmth disappeared, he sucked in a deep breath, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he finally regained the oxygen he had been deprived of.
He had been this close to suffocating beneath the sheer weight of her overwhelming presence—both figuratively and literally.
"Well, that would be terrifying," Chihiro admitted, rolling her shoulders as if the confrontation had merely been a fleeting amusement. "Even I wouldn't want to earn the Blood Princess's wrath."
Then, as if dismissing the entire situation, she turned her gaze back to Kouhei, her lips curving into a slow, knowing smile.
"And… Okumura-kun, was it?" She uttered his name with an unsettling level of familiarity. "Consider my proposition. Come to the Mitani Faction. I assure you…" Her voice dropped into something more intimate—more dangerous. "You would be far better cared for there than in your current faction."
Her words lingered in the air long after she turned on her heel and exited the restroom.
The door clicked shut behind her.
For a long moment, neither Kouhei nor Misuzu spoke.
They simply stared at the door she had just walked through, the weight of her presence still pressing down on them like a ghostly imprint that refused to fade.