The next day…
4th Division, Combined Relief Station, First Treatment Room.
"..."
Toshiro, lying on the hospital bed, slowly opened his eyes.
"Hmm? This style of ceiling, and this layout... the 4th Division?" Toshiro, just waking up, said somewhat drowsily. "That's right... Hyorinmaru! Where's Hyorinmaru?!"
After lying on the bed in a daze for a while, Toshiro suddenly remembered what had happened last night and quickly sat up.
"Ugh..."
As soon as he sat up, a sudden sharp pain shot through Toshiro's body.
Toshiro looked down and saw that his upper body was wrapped in bandages, and he was wearing a white hospital gown. His sudden movement had caused some of his wounds to reopen, soaking the bandages and his gown with blood.
But Toshiro didn't care about his injuries. He only glanced at them before hurriedly looking for Hyorinmaru.
Then Toshiro noticed his Zanpakuto placed beside his pillow, so he immediately grabbed it.
"This feeling... No! Hyorinmaru isn't inside here!!"
Then Toshiro lay back down again, looking dejected.
"Hyorinmaru... have you finally left my side after all...?"
Just then, with a 'creak', a figure pushed the door open.
"You're awake, Toshiro!" The newcomer exclaimed with surprise.
"Hy... Hyorinmaru?!" Toshiro exclaimed in astonishment.
The newcomer was none other than Hyorinmaru, whom Toshiro had thought had left him. Moreover, Hyorinmaru was holding a bowl of medicinal soup in her hands.
After returning to Toshiro's Zanpakuto last night, Hyorinmaru quickly recovered her strength and wounds using Toshiro's power. Then, early this morning, she materialized again and appeared by Toshiro's side.
However, when Hyorinmaru saw that Toshiro hadn't woken up yet, she suddenly had the idea to prepare medicine for him herself. That's why Toshiro didn't see Hyorinmaru immediately when he woke up.
"Toshiro, come on, drink this medicine. I personally prepared it." Hyorinmaru walked over to Toshiro with a bowl of medicinal soup, her expression inexplicably proud.
"You... personally prepared it?" Toshiro looked at Hyorinmaru doubtfully.
The aloof, ice-queen-like Hyorinmaru claiming she had prepared medicine for him was truly 'shocking' to Toshiro.
"Hmph, although I didn't know how to brew it, I personally watched Unohana do it, and I carried it over myself. I deserve some credit for that, so why can't it be considered medicine I 'personally' prepared?"
Hyorinmaru argued speciously.
Originally, Hyorinmaru had indeed intended to prepare the medicine for Toshiro herself. Unfortunately, despite being overwhelmingly powerful in combat, Hyorinmaru had no talent whatsoever for brewing medicine.
After wasting several portions of medicinal herbs, Unohana, unable to bear watching any longer, ultimately took over the task of brewing the medicine from Hyorinmaru.
However, Hyorinmaru didn't leave in the end. She observed the entire process of Unohana's method, and after the medicine was ready, Hyorinmaru brought it over.
Thus, the medicine brewed by Unohana became medicine 'prepared by Hyorinmaru's own hands'.
Just then, Hyorinmaru suddenly noticed part of Toshiro's gown soaked with blood.
"The wound reopened? Here, quickly drink this medicine, Toshiro." Hyorinmaru said, her expression tense with concern.
"Mm, alright." Although he disliked taking medicine, Toshiro didn't refuse, wanting to recover faster.
So Toshiro used his hands to support himself, trying to sit up to drink the medicine.
"Let me do it!" Hyorinmaru quickly stopped him.
To prevent Toshiro from straining his wound while sitting up, Hyorinmaru temporarily set the medicine aside and carefully helped Toshiro sit up.
"Hmm? There isn't even a cushion? And this is supposed to be the best room in the 4th Division?" Hyorinmaru frowned slightly.
She had intended to find a cushion to put behind Toshiro, so he could lean against the headboard and comfortably drink his medicine. But to her surprise, whether due to negligence by the 4th Division's staff or because there simply wasn't one, the 'First Treatment Room', considered the most 'luxurious' ward in the 4th Division, didn't have a single cushion in sight.
"Well, whatever..."
Hyorinmaru muttered discontentedly, took off her shoes, stepped barefoot onto the hospital bed, sat down at the head of the bed, and pulled Toshiro's body to lean against her.
"Ugh..." Feeling the soft sensation at the back of his head, Toshiro couldn't help but shudder.
Hyorinmaru, however, paid it no mind. She picked up the nearby medicine bowl, scooped up a spoonful, gently blew on it, and brought it to Toshiro's lips.
"No need, my hands aren't injured. I can drink it myself." Toshiro turned his head away, somewhat embarrassed, and didn't drink the medicine Hyorinmaru offered.
"Tch! What's there to be embarrassed about? It's just feeding you medicine. You got hurt because of me. Consider this my personal apology. Just accept it gratefully!" Hyorinmaru said proudly, poking the spoon back to Toshiro's lips.
"You're impossible..."
Toshiro, with a mix of reluctance and acceptance, opened his mouth and drank the medicine offered to him.
And so, Toshiro rested his head on Hyorinmaru's 'lap pillow', enduring inner embarrassment while enjoying Hyorinmaru's service of feeding him medicine.
After finishing the medicine, Toshiro couldn't help but breathe a long sigh of relief.
Although being personally fed medicine by Hyorinmaru was an enjoyable experience, it was undeniably also quite embarrassing.
While Hyorinmaru was very beautiful with a great figure, and Toshiro occasionally fantasized about having some inappropriate moments with her, Zanpakuto were born from a Shinigami's soul, an inherent part of the Shinigami themselves. If something were to happen with his Zanpakuto, Toshiro always felt a strange sense of self-involvement.
'But still... the 'lap pillow' was indeed very comfortable...'
"Toshiro..." Just as Toshiro was letting his mind wander, Hyorinmaru suddenly called out to him.
"Ah!" Hyorinmaru's sudden speech startled Toshiro.
"Wha... what is it, Hyorinmaru?" Toshiro asked, a little guiltily.
"I'm sorry..." Although she had finished feeding him the medicine, Hyorinmaru hadn't let go of Toshiro... she still held him from behind.
"Huh? Why are you apologizing?" Toshiro put aside his frivolous thoughts and asked seriously.
"Because... if it weren't for me willfully leaving, you wouldn't have gotten hurt trying to stop me, and you wouldn't have almost died." Hyorinmaru's expression was filled with guilt.
"Don't blame yourself, Hyorinmaru. Ultimately, I wasn't good enough. If I had spent more time with you, not let you feel lonely, would you have wanted to leave? In the end, it's my own fault. I can't blame you, Hyorinmaru." Toshiro comforted her.
"No, Toshiro. Compared to other Shinigami, you always try to spend as much time as possible with me. You... have done more than enough. I am already very satisfied. The reason I..."
"...The reason I suddenly decided to leave your side wasn't because I felt lonely or anything, but because... I was afraid."
Hyorinmaru trembled as she held Toshiro in her arms. Toshiro could clearly feel the terror and unease within Hyorinmaru's heart.