When Setsuko walked into her room, she came across the sight of the man lying down on the bed.. and dozing off. "Seriously, we just arrived here." The woman grumbled underneath her breath and placed her things on the table besides his own items. She glanced over her shoulder to check if he was truly asleep and not creeping behind her.

And he truly was out and even snoring?

She walked to one of the available closets and would find many white robes already folded and prepared for her to wear. It was unfamiliar to her who was used to wearing dark clothes that were more functionable than robes.

Her cheeks heated for a moment as she remembered grabbing the man out of nowhere—and hoped she hadn't exactly smelled. While she rarely cared about it, one's life was more valuable when running away and trying not to get attacked by monsters versus avoiding piles of dirt and mud.. she was a little self-conscious.

All the women here were all clean and tidy, pristine looking like princesses.

She scratched her head and then decided to take a bath, glad for once at the availability of hot water flowing through bamboo pipes into her very own bathroom.. Once she stepped inside of the bathroom, she slipped out of her shirt and then removed her binders, freeing her chest from the terrible tightness that plagued her.

It had been something she always did. Big breasts tended to get in the way when one was running, and it did terrible things on her back too. Setsuko glanced at the mirror and took note of her body. It wasn't often she had the chance to look at herself. It wasn't like she looked bad at all, but hints of dirt still clung to her skin and her hair was a bit of a tangled mess.

"It's.. natural though." Setsuko muttered to herself and then eyed her reflection. She gave one of her breasts a squeeze and then stopped. It kind of hurt.

Setsuko found the bath stone located below the bamboo pole's opening and gave it a press. Water began to pour down from its mouth and all over her arm—she quickly adjusted the temperature by twisting the stone to the right.

Soon enough she took a bath and made sure to scrub all over her body. There were items on a shelf for her to use, a sweet infusion in a spherical shape which she used. She washed her hair carefully, relishing the hot water flowing down and streaming across her body. The sore muscles on her back and shoulder were assuaged, and she ran her fingers through her body and even played with the fuzz below her belly button.

Once she was finished, she found a towel to dry her hair and stared at herself in the mirror again. "Should I.." It was just a thought that crossed her thoughts, before she found her undergarments and opted not to use her binders and finally fitted herself in the white robes worn by almost every woman she encountered in the temple.

—-

Somebody plopped down on his bed and awoke Li Yang from his sleep, and he was given the sight of Setsuko with a towel up her hair and her wearing robes. He took note of the soft and fresh dewy skin on the back of her neck—

"You're awake now, aren't you?"

Li Yang blinked at the sudden words. But he rubbed the corner of his eyes and nodded, "Yes, I am." There was little motivation in him to pretend to be asleep now.

"Did I wake you up by sitting here?" she asked. "We only have one bed, and it's more comfortable here than the chairs, so I sat here."

He yawned and matched her position, sitting beside her and then noticing that she chose not to wear her bra. It was a little distracting, but he turned to look back at the walls like her and said, "I don't mind it. It wasn't an unpleasant waking at all."

"Then what would have been a pleasant one?"

"Would you really like to know?"

"... Are you some kind of pervert?" She eyed him with a noncommittal glance.

He quirked a brow. "I never mentioned anything alluding to that, but there are pleasant ways to get woken up if I dare say understand what you are thinking about. Especially if what I'm thinking is what you are thinking about."

"I wasn't thinking—" she stopped and waved a hand. "Maybe I was.. not that we were both thinking of the same thing?"

"Really?"

"Really."

This little banter made him chuckle before he glanced at her. "What did the other Priestesses say once I stepped inside here?"

"They didn't say anything about you." She told him with a frown.

"I wasn't asking about that—what about the lessons and training I mean? Or do we have a free day to spend together and get comfortable in our surroundings?" he asked.

"Oh, that.. well, we're free to join them for lunch in the dining hall. I expect a lot of women there though, probably a crowded space," she said. Setsuko's brows furrowed together as she said this and shrugged. "And then after that is one of the afternoon classes amongst the more powerful teachers."

"I see... and while that is happening, I'm expected to stay here."

She gave him a look. "You can stay with me during lunch."

"Not much of a consolation," Li Yang admitted with a sigh, the thought of simply being in a room and without any responsibilities or activities to pursue sounded wearisome, and yet.. "At least I'll be able to laze around here for the first time and do nothing."

Setsuko wrinkled her nose at him. "You sound like someone so overworked. Was hunting creatures really that much troublesome to you?"

"No. I found it educational even." Li Yang knew his enhanced speed and reflexes were wrought from using the qi or Ao available here, but he was able to gain more battle experience here, which was what he needed right from the start.

Setsuko grinned at him. "Glad to know that.. and this time, the both of us will learn all about this Ao and the effects of it." She folded her hands together as she said it.historical

"Effects?"

She fell silent for a moment, took a deep breath and said, "I don't know, maybe what are the effects when a person is awakened by someone else? That kind of thing."

"But not everyone is awakened or experiences this as most women have this ability from birth."

"Right.. so I guess it's rare—and you're telling me that it's probably not discussed much, huh?" Setsuko leaned down and covered her face in her hands. "Thanks."

Li Yang frowned slightly. "What seems to be the problem?"

"I'm horny."

—-—-

Author's Note: You'll probably read this a bit late. Thank you for reading and the patience! It's a little slow and focuses a bit more on the relationship between Yang and Setsuko. As well as Setsuko's self-reflection and yes, bodily hair.. it's usually a nay, as far as I know. But ah, a little fuzz hurt nobody. Or do you have any experiences contradicting it? xD