The alcohol content of that bottle was probably only around ten percent. To Chiya, it was no different from drinking water, but for Shirayuki, it was clearly too much.
Her side was dizzy and dazed now. Everything she looked at was blurred, and even Chiya's face appeared as a hazy shadow.
Setting aside Shirayuki's point of view and looking only from Chiya's side, she looked exactly like a girl who had been made drunk. Her pretty face was flushed, a slightly foolish smile hanging on it. Sweat had gathered on her forehead from the heat, and because she had just fallen into his arms, her clothes were a little dishevelled. She looked innocent and adorable, yet somehow dangerously unguarded.
If she had been outside, this state would have been extremely unsafe.
Luckily, Chiya noticed the problem in time.
He could clearly feel Shirayuki's mind growing sluggish. Her drunken nerves seemed to tap against his senses like rain, soft and numb. She clumsily kicked off her shoes, one foot stepping on the other, then reached down as if trying to remove her stuffy socks. But after missing several times, Chiya bent down and slid his thumb under the cuff of the sock, touching the slightly damp cotton.
Shirayuki had come straight over after training and dinner. Her body was still a little damp with sweat. Perhaps that was also why she had gotten drunk so quickly. Her blood was still moving fast.
After he removed her socks, Shirayuki stood barefoot on the floor. The cool sensation flowed into her mind, and only then did she feel a little better.
The air carried the scent of a young girl, sweat, and grape wine. If he let Shirayuki go straight to sleep like this, who knew what kind of smell would be brewed by morning?
Since she was drunk, a bath was not suitable.
Chiya decided to wipe her down with a warm towel instead. He had Shirayuki stumble back to the room while he went to the bathroom and filled a basin with warm water.
My head… feels so dizzy…
For some reason, motion sickness and drunkenness were the same. As long as one body felt it, the other body would react too. But once one side fell asleep, the discomfort on the other side would immediately disappear.
After preparing the warm water, Chiya returned to the room.
Shirayuki had already taken off her outerwear and was lying there in her underclothes. Under the light, her soft, fair body had a warm glow. Perhaps because her clothes no longer fit quite right, they looked a little tight.
Chiya helped clean her body as she lay on the bedding.
He wrung out the towel and wiped Shirayuki's back. At the same time, his own body felt a faint warmth. But the sensation was very blurry. He could not even tell that it was a towel. It seemed Shirayuki's nerves had already become sluggish from the alcohol.
The girl's legs were slightly bent, her calves pressed together as she hugged the pillow beneath her. As Chiya wiped her down, Shirayuki seemed to relax more and more. When he reached her shoulders, he noticed that a small patch of drool had already dampened the sheet.
It was only one bottle of red wine…
And Shirayuki was already completely out of it.
Chiya was speechless.
He absolutely could not let Shirayuki drink again in the future. Otherwise, the consequences would be hard to imagine. He was an adult, so it did not matter much what happened to him. But Shirayuki was different. Chiya still had to properly protect this body of his.
After covering her with the blanket, Chiya rinsed the towel again.
Since arriving in France, Shirayuki's fatigue after training had clearly increased. Although Chiya had already adjusted the training intensity, the heavy turf here still placed a considerable burden on her body.
Every night, Shirayuki could feel the soreness in her legs. Chiya would often help her with recovery care, just as he had done back at Tracen. Without the Director around, he no longer had to be on edge, afraid of being misunderstood.
Holding Shirayuki's foot, Chiya wiped it with the towel. Her soft arch and pale, delicate toes made her foot look almost like a crafted piece of art. Because she had stepped barefoot on the floor earlier, some dust had stuck to her skin. Chiya carefully cleaned it away.
At that moment, perhaps because he had touched a ticklish spot, an unbearable itch suddenly came from Shirayuki's side. Her foot instinctively kicked up.
With a sharp smack, her fair foot struck Chiya right in the face.
Mmph!
My… nose…
Her foot had landed squarely on the bridge of his nose. Chiya bent over in pain, clutching his face. At the same time, Shirayuki, still half-conscious, also vaguely covered her nose.
This was not the first time.
Because of instinct, Shirayuki had kicked him again.
Under the effects of alcohol, Shirayuki could not control her body properly. Right now, Chiya could not even make Shirayuki raise her foot to a specific height. If he used just a little strength, her toes would sweep right past his eyes.
To keep Shirayuki's body from turning into a weapon, Chiya held her ankle. Feeling restrained, Shirayuki let out a small hum without thinking. She curled up, gripped the blanket, and tucked her little toes together.
This was the difference between himself and others.
Even while Shirayuki was half-dazed, he still knew what should be done.
The person who understood him least was himself.
Yet at the same time, the person who understood him best was also himself.
Chiya knew where he was sensitive, what he liked, what he disliked, and how troublesome he became after drinking.
Precisely because he knew everything, he could patiently deal with all of this. There was no awkwardness, no hesitation, and no unnecessary embarrassment.
After wiping Shirayuki clean, Chiya could no longer feel much consciousness from her side.
He went to the bathroom, quickly washed himself, then returned, changed, and lay down on the bed.
Even if Shirayuki could no longer properly feel the security of being in his arms, he could at least still enjoy the feeling of holding his favourite body pillow.
Under the influence of alcohol, Shirayuki's normally cool body felt faintly warm. With no real awareness left, she turned instinctively in his arms and leaned against him.
Enjoying that soft warmth, Chiya closed his eyes.
As always, it was a peaceful and pleasant night.
…
"Trainer! Trainer, trainer, trainer!"
A loud banging came from outside the door.
Shirayuki opened her eyes and yawned, then glanced at the clock on the wall.
It was already eight.
It felt like she had only just fallen asleep.
When Shirayuki tried to move, she noticed an arm wrapped around her waist. Looking back, she saw Chiya holding her tightly.
What an unruly sleeping posture.
He had wrapped himself around her completely.
Shirayuki closed her eyes again.
Then she and Chiya opened their eyes at the same time as the noise outside grew louder.
"Gold Ship…"
The man and woman spoke at once.
Chiya patted his face, forcing himself awake.
What was that girl doing here this early?
After putting on his clothes, he left Shirayuki tucked away in the room and went out to open the door.