The next day.
6:48 AM.
Golden morning sunlight slipped through the gap in the curtains that weren't tightly closed, diagonally illuminating hotel room number 29—a silent witness to a passionate night between a pair of lovers.
The air inside the room still felt warm and laden with a mixture of sweat, faded perfume, and something more primal.
Their clothes were still scattered on the floor. Beside the bed, on the table, lay empty condom foil wrappers and several used condoms tied and carelessly discarded, remnants of evidence of their intensity.
"Mhm~"
Naoki felt a gentle poke on his cheek and a comfortable weight on top of his body. He was forced to open his eyes still heavy with residual sleep and exhaustion.
His vision focused on the figure on top of him: a completely naked Tenka lying prone on his chest and stomach, her chin resting on her cupped hands, looking at him with a mischievous smile.
"Good morning, sleepyhead~" Tenka greeted sweetly. She leaned forward, giving a gentle kiss on Naoki's cheek. "You slept so soundly, you didn't react to anything. It made me unable to resist teasing you~"
"Good morning, Tenka. Yaaawn~" Naoki answered while yawning widely, then instinctively his free arm hugged the naked body on top of him tightly, holding her closer. That skin-to-skin contact still felt very pleasant.
Feeling something hard and beginning to grow slipping between her thighs, Tenka narrowed her eyes, her mischievous smile widening further. "Look at yourself, Naoki-kun. It's still early morning and you're already so enthusiastic."
"That's a natural physiological phenomenon for men when waking up, truly beyond my control." Naoki reasoned with a forced serious expression. "And also, if my body showed no reaction in a situation like this, wouldn't that mean there's something wrong with me? That would be an insult to you."
Tenka laughed softly, then pressed her forehead to Naoki's forehead, looking directly into those still-foggy dark red eyes. "You have a point. So... want to continue?"
"I want to, but..." Naoki paused for a moment, taking a breath. Gently he pushed Tenka slightly away, and they both sat facing each other on the messy bed. "We need to shower first. Our bodies are sticky and still full of sweat from last night."
"Mm." Tenka nodded, then asked with a mischievous glint. "Shower together?"
"Don't ask something whose answer is already obvious, Tenka." Naoki shook his head but his smile was irrepressible.
So, they both went to the bathroom. Under the warm shower, they washed each other's bodies with soap, touching and exploring again the curves and muscles that were now very familiar yet still arousing.
After cleaning themselves, they soaked in the hotel bathtub that was quite large. Naoki sat behind, Tenka leaned between his legs, her back pressed against his chest. Warm water and comfortable silence enveloped them.
That morning's lovemaking session occurred naturally in the water, though not as wild as last night but still full of passion, lasting about half an hour before they were truly satisfied and ready to face the day.
After dressing neatly, they stood near the door. Tenka stood in front of Naoki, gently straightening his collar, then giving a long and sweet goodbye kiss on his lips.
"Well then, I'm leaving first, Naoki-kun. Take good care of yourself at school."
"Okay. Be careful, Tenka. See you later." Naoki returned that kiss lightly on her forehead, then waved his hand.
*CLING!*
Tenka raised her hand. With the characteristic gentle sound, «Ame-no-Mitori» was activated.
A round and stable portal opened in the air, accompanied by visual effects of several strands of white bird feathers shimmering as if appearing from the air and falling gently around them. Tenka stepped inside, the portal closed behind her, leaving Naoki alone in the hotel room with memories of an extraordinary night.
However, Tenka didn't immediately return to the Sixth Unit headquarters in Mato. The first portal brought her to a hidden area in the city. From there, she walked to the nearest pharmacy that had just opened. With an ordinary expression but heart slightly pounding, she bought a box of contraceptive pills.
There was no other choice.
One box of Okamoto 001 that she bought last night turned out not to be enough. In the heat of the moment, in the midst of peak satisfaction, Tenka finally allowed Naoki to ejaculate inside her more than once.
The need and desire for total intimacy at that time overcame logic.
Fortunately, according to her calculations, this was her safe day. Otherwise, Tenka worried she might already be carrying Naoki's seed at this moment. She wasn't ready to become a mother this soon, even though she had already imagined it.
As for why not ask Naoki to pull out or ejaculate outside?
In their state of being carried away by the atmosphere and the desire to experience the peak together without barriers, such thoughts hardly crossed their minds, and even if they did, would be easily dismissed.
That night was about union, about claiming and being given unconditionally. These contraceptive pills were the consequence and responsibility of that choice.
◆━⊰✿✧✿⊱━◆
Mato Dimension, Sixth Unit Anti-Demon Corps Headquarters.
As soon as the portal closed behind her, Tenka was back at her unit's headquarters. Her steps were light, there was a small irrepressible smile on her lips.
"Welcome back, Commander! I already heard from Yachiho-san, she said you went on a date last night? What kind of man is your boyfriend? Tell me quickly~!"
That voice full of enthusiasm and curiosity came from a beautiful young woman with a proportional body and long hair adorned with small ornaments on the right side.
She was Wakasa Sahara, a member of the Sixth Unit.
"I'll introduce him to everyone later, just wait for the right time." Tenka subtly declined to share further details at this time.
"Too bad~" Sahara was slightly disappointed. However, her attention was immediately diverted to the small plastic bag clasped in Tenka's right hand. "Eh, Commander, what did you buy?"
Tenka looked at the bag, then looked back at Sahara. Her expression remained calm and open, without the slightest bit of embarrassment. "Contraceptive pills."
"Huh?"
Sahara was stunned. Her facial expression changed from curious to blank, then disbelieving. She must have misheard.
In an era where women dominated and relationships were often unequal, buying contraceptive pills wasn't something commonly heard, especially from a commander who always appeared so graceful and controlled.
"Sorry, Commander, can you repeat that? I think I misheard..."
Tenka sighed softly, then in an honest tone, she repeated.
"You didn't mishear, Sahara-chin. It's contraceptive pills."
"C-C-CONTRACEPTIVE PILLS?!!"
Sahara's scream pierced shrilly, full of unbridled shock, so loud it was heard all the way to Yachiho's room. Her voice echoed off the wooden walls of the headquarters.
Sahara's face turned bright red. Her eyes widened, staring at Tenka as if seeing a ghost.
"C-Commander, don't tell me you... already... did it?" Her voice was nervous and full of embarrassment that oddly was actually worse than Tenka who was the subject of discussion.
Tenka just winked one eye, a mysterious and slightly mischievous smile appearing on her face. "What do you think, Sahara-chin~?"
"..."
Sahara couldn't speak. Her eyes unintentionally focused on Tenka's neck. There, on the side of her throat, were several faint small reddish marks... not mosquito bites or any other insect.
She knew exactly what those marks meant.
"Don't think too much about it." Tenka said casually while patting Sahara's still-stiff shoulder. "My personal relationship won't affect my performance. Don't worry. Now, I'm leaving first, I need to take these pills before it's too late."
With steps still light and slightly hurried because there was indeed a time limit for contraceptive pill effectiveness, Tenka left Sahara who was still standing frozen in place.
Sahara stared at her commander's retreating back.
"No wonder Commander's aura feels... different from yesterday." she muttered to herself in a soft voice. "That must be because she's already climbed the ladder of adulthood..."
Whatever image or scenario appeared in her mind, but suddenly Sahara's own face turned as red as a boiled shrimp. She shook her head vigorously, as if wanting to drive away those strange thoughts.
"Ah, I can't! I have to do something!"
Sahara decided to go to the nearest patrol zone in Mato and exterminate several groups of Shuuki—the best way to divert her mind from things that confused her.
With that determination, Sahara turned and walked quickly toward the preparation room, leaving the corridor that returned to silence.