Jitsu -A different story-

At this moment, Kurono could be said to be enjoying a rather pleasant situation. His body, below his shoulders, was submerged and stretched perfectly in the hot water of the private onsen as he let his head fall back and kept his eyes closed to enjoy the sensation even more.

Perhaps he would have stayed that way for a while simply forgetting about any worry, but something opened his eyes again and he was greeted with the image of the roof of the place. Kurono could clearly hear the sound of water falling almost constantly, he knew that he was not the culprit of it, and when he turned his gaze a little, he could see the back of that woman who was washing her body properly, but at the same time, made Kurono unable to stop looking at her.

She was not entirely aware of the gaze on her, so she simply continued pouring water over her body while enjoying it. Her hands were running over some specific places, and the movements that caused would make some people swallow some saliva due to the ideas that would form in their minds, but even so, it wasn't long before that ended.

Kurono still didn't take his eyes off her. When that woman turned around, completely showing her beauty without any restriction, he felt his heart begin to beat faster than normal little by little. His expression described very well the possible thoughts he had at that moment, which made a nice and proud smile form on that woman's face.

"Can I accompany you?" That voice had a calm tone, and her question was not directed to anyone other than Kurono, waiting for the answer that she had possibly already guessed.

"I don't want anyone else to do it besides you." It wasn't very necessary to specify, but it had to be said that, for Kurono, seeing Shizune being like that was a total delight for him and he didn't want to reject her in any way.

Although the answer Shizune received was not exactly what she had imagined, even surprising her a little, it was enough for a small laugh to come out of her as she began to move once again until she reached Kurono's side.

Her legs were raised a little and then she felt how they were being wet by the hot water until most of her body entered the onsen as some water overflowed from it. A small sigh of enjoyment had come out of her due to the sensation on her body, but in addition to that, Shizune leaned back and then felt him directly touch Kurono's body behind her.

The next moment, Shizune also noticed how her body was surrounded by Kurono's arms, which made that warm feeling she was feeling even more noticeable and made that moment even more special and one that she would make sure to never forget.

"How do you feel?" Unlike in the past, that question was said by Shizune this time.

"I feel like I'm in paradise." Although it wasn't entirely specific, Shizune could understand what Kurono meant by it, and that very answer made a smile form on her face again.

"If that's the case, it's not much different from how I feel right now. There's nothing to worry about, there's a beautiful view in front of us, and we have each other's company… Maybe this really is what it feels like to be in paradise." Shizune got a little carried away, but her description was actually quite accurate.

Both she and Kurono were on this little vacation to forget everything that could possibly worry them, they were enjoying a pleasant moment with their bodies being relaxed by the hot springs while they watched the landscape full of nature in the distance, but the main and most important thing was that they were together without anything getting in the way of them, and therefore, they could experience the warmth, affection, and love that existed between them.

"I could say that just knowing that you're happy is enough for me, but the reality is that that same happiness is bigger with each passing day."

"Hehe, does that mean it will never stop growing?" Despite the situation, both of them were quite calm and just said what was on their mind without any qualms.

"I guess not… Shizune."

"Yes?" Although she wasn't looking at him directly, Shizune could guess that Kurono had a slightly serious expression when he had called her.

"I would like to tell you that I love you the same way as the first time I realized my feelings for you, but the truth is that I can't do it…" Maybe someone would feel confused by Kurono's words, they might even misinterpret them in some way, but that wasn't the case for Shizune, who understood that Kurono would continue to explain himself properly. "It would be a lie to say it since that has changed… I love you even more than that time, and with each passing day, that same feeling continuously grows. I honestly don't know if there will be a point where I come to believe that I can't love you more than I already do, but if you ask me, I don't want that feeling to disappear, and I hope that it only continues to grow without stopping."

Shizune had heard those words without problems, and although she wanted to give an answer that demonstrated the same feelings that Kurono had expressed to her, she couldn't help but stay a little silent. Shizune had gotten a little lost in her thoughts, her memories had taken her once again to that day when Kurono confessed to her, it was that day when that happiness that she had forgotten returned once again to her life, but especially, Shizune was able to experience the feeling of being loved again for who she was... It was a feeling that she didn't want to lose again, but especially, she didn't want to lose that beautiful love and affection that Kurono showed her every day without fail.

"Kurono…" It was Kurono's turn to notice the slight seriousness in Shizune the moment she called him, but like her, he took the time to listen to her attentively. "…"

At least that was Kurono's intention, but after a few seconds, Shizune's voice had not been heard again.

"I'm sorry…" It wasn't until that apology came out of her that the silence in the room was broken, leaving Kurono a little confused because of it. "When you said all that, I felt my heart pounding. I felt the need to answer your feelings with the same intensity, but at the same time, I also realized that I don't know how to put into words everything that you make me feel… I think there aren't enough words to perfectly describe my feelings."

Despite everything, what Shizune was saying was the truth. She could have simply expressed the love she feels for Kurono, using those words that she had already said in the past many times. It was quite normal for them to show how much they loved each other through words, but in these kinds of moments, when they were being as honest as possible, Shizune felt that it wasn't that easy for her to do so despite all the feelings she had towards Kurono.

"You have nothing to apologize for." In response to Shizune's words, Kurono simply hugged her body tighter as he let out those words. "The truth is, I feel that way too many times. Although I am aware and clear about how I feel towards you, I also feel that using words to express it is not enough… But I think that is normal. When you love someone so much, no matter how many ways you express it, it is a unique feeling, one that makes you happy, and if the person you feel that kind of affection for can notice it, I think that is enough."

Maybe Kurono adapted to the situation a little, but just like Shizune, he was also honest with his thoughts. Not only Kurono's words, but also the small actions he made captured all of Shizune's attention, and the beating of her heart grew stronger.

Shizune had understood Kurono's point of view, and she could also accept it in that way. She knew she loved Kurono; she was happy to have that feeling towards him, but, in turn, she was even happier when it was, he who showed her those same feelings he felt for her. It was at that moment that, without saying another word, Shizune turned around until both she and Kurono could see each other, and without waiting for anything else, Shizune pounced on him so that later the warm feeling caused by the touching of their lips was the only thing that flooded the minds of both.

That was enough to prove what Kurono had said before, they could show their feelings in many ways, perhaps through words they could further embellish what they felt, but, even so, showing their love through their actions, without using words, was the purest and most sincere way they had to do it.