Restricted Death

Chapter 194 Rukia's Gift
As night fell, the Spirit Arts Academy was nearly deserted, and Rukia was once again the last to leave. Only the slightly hesitant footsteps echoed in the empty campus. Moonlight streamed through the high windows, casting cool, dappled patterns that reflected the lingering weariness in her eyes. The backlog of student council duties, the pressure of her studies, and the silent scrutiny surrounding the "Kuchiki" surname all weighed heavily on her shoulders. She rubbed her sore eyes, her steps slow and weary, wanting only to return quickly to the mansion, a place of strict rules yet temporarily shielding her from the outside world's clamor.

However, as she pushed open the heavy doors of the Spiritual Arts Academy and her gaze fell upon the figure leaning against the wall across the street, the turmoil churning within her was instantly suppressed by an invisible force. The figure was so familiar that her heart skipped a beat. She herself didn't realize that her steps seemed to quicken, carrying a barely perceptible urgency, her heels tapping on the silent stone pavement. But as she approached the other person, she subconsciously suppressed that outward emotion, acting as if it were merely a chance encounter.

"Why are you here?" she asked, her voice slightly hoarse, but her gaze lingered on his face.

"I missed you, so I came to see you." Xin straightened up, a familiar, somewhat lazy smile on his face, and naturally reached out as if to pull her into his arms.

Rukia took a step back as if startled. The movement was small but clear. She looked around warily, her gaze sweeping over the empty street. Only after confirming that the silence of the night would not be broken by any prying eyes did her tense shoulders relax slightly.

She stopped resisting, her body stiffening tentatively, but finally she obediently nestled into his warm embrace, burying her face in the soft fabric of his chest, her muffled voice coming out: "Do you ever think of coming to see me once in a while?"

“I think about it every day,” Xin said, his chin brushing against the top of her soft hair as he pulled his arms closer. “I’m quite busy, I don’t have much time on weekdays.” He defended himself, his voice low.

"With someone by your side every day, how can you possibly have time to think about me?" Rukia didn't seem to appreciate it; she was naturally referring to Hinamori.

"She is her, you are you, you are different."

"..."

These words were infuriating. It had been several days since she last saw Xin, and the exhaustion from the argument still lingered in her memory. "Forget it," she told herself, "just assume Xin genuinely didn't have time to come."

Xin gently stroked her hair and said, "Come to my place tonight."

Rukia paused for a moment upon hearing this, then shook her head: "I have to go home."

Since becoming a member of the Kuchiki family, apart from her internship in the real world, she has never stayed out all night. This is mainly because she is worried that her brother will find out some things. She is not ready to tell Kuchiki Byakuya about her relationship with Shin.

Xin gently lifted her chin and said, "It's okay if you don't go back once in a while. If anything happens, just leave it to me."

"..."

Rukia looked at him for a while, and the determination in his eyes did make her waver for a moment. Perhaps it was because the night was too deep, or perhaps it was because his embrace was too warm, or perhaps it was because the accumulated fatigue made her crave a moment of respite, but reason quickly returned.

"I can come to your house for a while, but I have to go back later."

Xin stopped insisting, took her hand, and walked towards his home.

However, halfway through, Rukia seemed inexplicably uneasy. The warmth and touch of their palms touching became exceptionally clear at this moment, even somewhat burning.

She quietly and subtly pulled her hand out of Xin's palm, her fingertips curling up and hiding in her sleeve.

Xin had naturally held her hand before, and back then, she not only didn't resist, but also felt shy and secretly happy about it. Now that their relationship had developed to this point, mixed with too many unspeakable things, this open intimacy in the street made her feel uncomfortable, like a transgression that needed to be concealed.

When she arrived at Xin's door, the awkwardness hadn't disappeared. She looked at the familiar door, paused for a moment, and then followed Xin inside as if she had made up her mind.

As soon as he closed the door, Shin tore off his haori and threw it aside. Before Rukia could adjust to the light and atmosphere in the room, he turned around and pressed her against the cold door with undeniable force.

Warm lips, heavy with breath, pressed down on hers, silencing any sound she might make. Rukia instinctively raised her hand to his chest, but he easily grabbed her wrist and pressed it against the door. The friction between their lips was irresistibly aggressive, quickly eroding her feeble resistance. Her breathing became rapid and erratic, and her spiritual academy uniform became loose and disheveled in the struggle.

When Shin's hand tried to slip inside her loose neckline, Rukia snapped back to reality and forcefully pressed down on his restless hand.

"Wait," she said, turning her head away from his burning kiss, her breath unsteady, "I'm going to take a shower first."

Her cheeks were flushed with an unnatural blush, a mixture of excitement and embarrassment.

Xin picked her up and carried her towards the bathroom.

"Wash together."

Rukia was petite, and Shin could easily support her with just one arm, as if holding a child. This completely controlled, suspended posture made Rukia feel a strong sense of shame, her self-esteem slightly stung. In her anger and embarrassment, she lowered her head and bit his shoulder and neck hard.

Shin hissed in pain, but then chuckled softly. His arms tightened around her, and he walked straight toward the bathroom with an irresistible force. Rukia kicked her legs in vain, only to be met with an even firmer grip. Shin suddenly lifted her up, and as the hem of her school uniform flipped up, her porcelain-white calves were revealed, swaying in the night with an alluring curve.

"Put me down!" Rukia's cheeks were burning hot, her voice filled with shame, anger, and a hint of barely perceptible panic.

The bathroom door was violently flung open by spiritual pressure, and warm steam instantly filled the air.

Rukia cried out in alarm, "My clothes! My clothes are wet!"

Rukia, placed under the showerhead by Shin, had her loose school uniform instantly soaked. The red and white fabric became transparent, clinging tightly to her skin and outlining her youthful yet already exquisite curves.

She had originally planned to stay here for only a short time before going back, but how could she wear her clothes now that they were wet?

Xin's unreasonable behavior angered her. Just as she was about to question him, she looked up and met his unfathomable eyes.

He was looking down at her, his gaze burning like a tangible flame, filled with undisguised possessiveness and intense emotion, his eyes fixed on her soaked figure. His gaze was like a deep pool, like a whirlpool, making her heart skip a beat, and the words of question caught in her throat.

"..."

She instinctively hugged herself, water droplets dripping from her eyelashes like silent tears.

Xin's fingers caressed her cheek, his thumb gently stroking her tightly pursed lips, his eyes as deep as a whirlpool, threatening to devour her.

The only sound in the bathroom was the rushing water, washing over the floor and the tense air between them, along with their increasingly rapid, intertwined breaths, which grew clearer and more ambiguous in the rising steam. The steam blurred the mirror on the wall, and also blurred the complex emotions churning in their eyes.

……

After much fuss, the two finally lay down on the bed in the bedroom. Rukia nestled in Shin's arms, the soft bedding and the warmth of the person beside her making her reluctant to get up.

Her wet clothes were still lying on the bathroom floor, but Rukia didn't care about anything at the moment; she just wanted to sleep peacefully there.

This was the first time she had ever been to this house, yet it made her feel more at ease than the room in the Kuchiki family's house where she had lived for several years.

Rukia's gaze searched carefully through Shin's bedroom, as if trying to memorize everything in the room.

She spoiled the mood by asking, "Has Peach slept here before?"

Xin, who was originally feeling relaxed, suddenly felt helpless upon hearing this. Why do women always like to ask such questions?

He chose to pretend he didn't hear it.

Rukia suddenly turned around and lay on top of Shin, sucking strawberries from his chest, collarbone, and neck.

Looking at her masterpiece, she smiled with satisfaction.

Trust, given her playful antics, was unlikely to be erased under normal circumstances, but he could restore it to its original state at any time with the power of his Zanpakuto, should he so choose. Shin's fingers brushed a strand of hair from her forehead as he said, "I have a gift for you."

"what?"

Rukia was curious.

"Close your eyes."

Rukia obediently closed her eyes tightly, a hint of anticipation creeping in.

Xin then used the system's ability to apply the reward feedback to Rukia.

Rukia, who had been just hoping that Shin would bring something out, suddenly noticed a change in her body, her eyes snapped open, and widened in an instant.

"This is……"

She felt a sudden, massive increase in her spiritual pressure, which happened in an instant, leaving her bewildered. She stared blankly at the letter.

Shin has now obtained the home run rewards from Rukia, Hinamori, and Isane, and the reward feedback has reached 30% of the reward obtained. Rukia's current strength is only that of a fairly good spiritual academy student. Such a huge increase has directly brought her spiritual pressure to the level of a seated officer.

“Consider it the power of my Zanpakuto,” Shin said. “Don’t tell anyone.”

Rukia, however, was still immersed in the tremendous changes in her body at that moment, and the powerful spiritual pressure made her very uncomfortable.

After a long pause, she asked the letter, "Will my spiritual pressure remain at this level from now on?"

Xin said, "Not only that, I can continue to make you stronger in the future, but this is all I can do for now."

This level...

Rukia was speechless. Every day, while worrying about student council affairs, she also had to work hard to cultivate at home, all in order to catch up with the progress of those students with excellent grades, so that she, as the student council president, could pass muster academically and not be the subject of gossip.

She devoted so much time to this, yet she accomplished it so effortlessly with the letter.

Xin gently stroked her cheek and asked, "What's wrong? Are you unhappy?"

"..."

Rukia was naturally happy, but this sudden event was beyond her comprehension. She agreed but didn't know how to respond to the gift in the letter. She still felt that her thoughts hadn't calmed down.

"Thanks……"

"What did you say?"

Rukia pursed her lips and looked at him, saying, "Thank you."

"Give me a kiss."

Shin chuckled, and before he could finish speaking, Rukia pounced on him.

"Wait, you're not in pain anymore?"

……

That night, Rukia still didn't go home, and the two of them stayed up all night. Rukia became very passionate, until Shin finally felt sorry for her and stopped.

As the sun rose in the early morning, Rukia was awakened by the light streaming through the window, her face showing undisguised weariness.

Thinking about how he had stayed overnight at Xin's house, he suddenly sat up, his mind going blank for a moment.

"President?"

She called out, but there was no response.

I guess he's already joined the squad.

Then, Lucia felt a wave of worry. She was thinking about how to explain her staying out all night when she got home.

But after feeling the powerful spiritual pressure within her, her mind calmed down slightly.

It's always worth it.

Her clothes were on the bed, already dry. The two of them had been up until late last night before going to sleep, and they didn't know how they had managed to dry them in such a short time.

Rukia didn't think much of it, got dressed, and saw a note on the living room table.

There's food in the fridge, eat before you leave.

After leaving the note, Rukia carefully examined the house again. She had been here many times, but never before had she felt this way, as if she were the lady of the house.

She lay comfortably on the sofa, letting her mind wander.

If only I could be with the president, just the two of us...

The thought made Rukia's eyes dim, but then she felt that Shin was too hateful, so she grabbed a pillow and vented her anger in her arms before she was done with it.

She got up to wash up. There were more than one set of toiletries in the bathroom, some from letters, and some prepared for her.

There's another set, I guess it's peach-themed.

Actually, she discovered it last night, but it was something both of them knew. She didn't say anything then, but seeing it now feels extremely irritating.

Looking at Hinamori's things, it seemed as if Momoko was laughing arrogantly and triumphantly at her in the mirror, showing off her power.

Rukia suddenly felt unwilling to leave like this. Since she had come all this way, she should leave something behind.

She went into the bedroom and rummaged through the closet. Sure enough, she found an area specifically for women's private clothing. The style of dress was clearly Hinamori's.

She stood in front of the wardrobe in silence for a long time, then suddenly bent down, took off the underwear she was wearing, and put it inside.

Rukia thought that Momo would definitely like the gift she left behind.

(End of this chapter)