Reincarnated as Itsuka Shido: Collecting Spirits as Lovers

"Eh?"

Shido instinctively touched his cheek, feeling the warmth of a tear trickling down. His brows furrowed in confusion as he stared at the moisture on his fingertips.

Despite not being the original Shido, his body's natural instincts had taken over, as if responding to something deeply ingrained within him. The embrace, the warmth, it all felt so painfully nostalgic.

"I'm... crying?" he muttered, his voice laced with disbelief.

Reine, who had been holding him gently, sensed the shift in his emotions. Her expression softened, yet concern flickered in her eyes.

"What's wrong, Shin?"

She slowly pulled away, creating just enough space between them to examine his face properly. The sight that greeted her made her pause.

"Strange… why am I crying?" Shido let out a bitter smile as he wiped at his eyes, trying to stop the tears from falling. His body was reacting on its own, drawn to Reine's warmth in a way he didn't fully understand.

Reine watched him with a soft expression, her gaze filled with an understanding that went beyond words. "It's okay to cry... I'm here." she murmured.

Before Shido could respond, she pulled him into another embrace, however, this one was firmer and more reassuring. 

"I'm okay, Reine-san…" Shido muttered, feeling both touched and slightly embarrassed. Despite his words, he didn't pull away. Instead, he buried his face into her ample breast, sinking into the soft feeling.

Though part of him felt awkward about crying in front of her, his body didn't care. The instinct, the deep-seated longing for something he couldn't quite place, had taken over.

Reine watched as Shido acted like a child in front of her. She move her arms and gently caressed his hair making Shido feel a soothing warm coursing through his head.

Fortunately, the moment didn't last too long. After a few seconds, his tears stopped, leaving behind a strange but undeniable sense of relief.

Just as Shido was basking in the warmth of Reine's embrace, he suddenly felt his lower body was reacting. 

Their position was very ambiguous to begin with, Reine was hugging Shido on the top pressing her body against his, she was sitting on his lap while the only thing that separated them was the thin towel they were wearing.

However, Shido was preoccupied with their talk so he forgot about their intimate position. Yet, now that he felt the burden of his heart disappear, his lower body suddenly showed a reaction, causing Shido to felt awkward.

"Eh?" Reine's eyes widened in surprise and shifted her gaze to Shido who was smiling wryly, unable to look at her eyes.

Seeing Shido grow bashful, Reine suddenly felt amused, instead of comforting him, she decided to tease him.

"It's a natural reaction for a man, so there's no need to be embarrassed." Reine said in a soft, amused tone.

"I know that." Shido muttered, averting his gaze. "But still, you should probably get off now. It might be… dangerous if you stay like this."

Reine tilted her head slightly, her lips curling into a playful smile. "Dangerous? How so?"

Shido could immediately tell that she was toying with him. Normally, Reine wasn't the type to tease others so openly, which made it all the more frustrating for him. He sighed inwardly, realizing that he was completely at her mercy.

But then, a thought crossed his mind.

A mischievous glint flashed in Shido's eyes as he made his move.

Before Reine could react, he suddenly tightened his arms around her waist and pulled her even closer.

Reine's breath hitched, her body tensing for a brief moment. Her playful expression faltered as she processed the unexpected shift in dynamics.

Shido smirked slightly. "If you really don't know why it's dangerous, Reine-san… maybe I should show you."

For the first time in a long while, Reine was caught off guard.

"Ah!"

Her body was swiftly lifted by Shido and put her on his side again, however, he put his hands on her waist and pulled her closer to him, making Reine lean on his chest.

Even though Reine doesn't show her emotion most of the time. This sudden change caught her off guard.

Realizing what had just happened, she pursed her lips and pouted like a sulking child. But instead of retreating, she decided to retaliate. Without hesitation, she reached for Shido's waist and gave him a sharp pinch.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Stop it, Reine-san!" Shido yelped, trying to pry her hands away as she relentlessly twisted his skin.

Reine huffed, narrowing her eyes as she kept up her attack for a few more seconds before finally letting go. "That's what you get," she muttered, turning her head away with a small pout.

Shido, still dramatically rubbing his waist, let out a nervous chuckle. If Reine knew that he was only pretending, that the pain hadn't actually affected him at all, he was certain she wouldn't hesitate to choke him.

"S-Sorry, Reine-san…" Shido apologized, trying to sound as sincere as possible.

"Hmph." Reine merely huffed in response, crossing her arms but making no effort to move away from him.

Though her face was turned, Shido could see the small, satisfied smile playing at her lips.

Although Reine was a bit annoyed by Shido's sudden action, she didn't leave his side. Instead, she leaned in closer, snuggling into his chest, trying to find the most comfortable position for her.

However, she wasn't about to let him off the hook so easily. From time to time, she would let out a small hmph, making her displeasure known.

Shido, feeling helpless, sighed. "I'm sorry, okay? But I still stand by what I said, this is dangerous."

As he spoke, he gently caressed her head, running his fingers through her hair. The soothing motion caused Reine's frown to ease, and she felt herself growing drowsy.

Then, Shido continued in a soft voice.

"You're beautiful, Reine-san. And I'm just a normal man who would naturally react to that."

Reine's eyes flickered at his words, but she remained silent, listening.

"However… if we continue like this, our relationship will change."

A brief silence hung between them as Reine lowered her head, deep in thought.

After a moment, Shido smiled and added, "We should take our time. There's no need to rush things, right?"

Reine finally responded with a quiet nod.

"Mmn…"

Shido chuckled at her rare display of meekness and leaned back, allowing the warmth of the hot spring to soak in.

"Right now, let's just enjoy our time here at this hot spring resort. After all, we're not the only ones here."

Reine let out a small breath before resting her head against his shoulder. "...Mmn. You're right."

For now, under the starry sky and the gentle warmth of the water, they simply enjoyed the peaceful moment together.