The Neutral Soul--Hozuki x Reader (Hoozuki no Reitetsu)

Chapter 4

(F/N) woke early, struggled out of Hozuki's grasp, and treated herself to a nice, long shower. When she got out, Hozuki was still asleep.

Unable to resist temptation, she stacked marshmallows on his head.

"Seven..." she muttered under her breath, careful not to disturb her creation. This was a new record, after all.

She was about to add the eighth when Hozuki rolled over, glaring at her.

"Eep!" she squealed, backing away. Hozuki grabbed her wrist, fixing her with a stern look.

"What were you doing?" he muttered, picking up a marshmallow.

"Uh...stacking...marshmallows..." she answered. It sounded awfully stupid when said out loud.

"When did you get marshmallows?" Hozuki asked. "They aren't easy to obtain in Hell."

"I bought them when I got lost in the airport," she explained. "I thought we were going to starve, after all."

"I see..."

His eyes narrowed. (F/N) drew back, ready for harsh punishment.

He flicked her forehead, and stood up, running his fingers through his hair. (F/N) rubbed her forehead. There was a hole in it, but she was dead. It would regenerate soon.

"I see you've already showered." Hozuki observed.

(F/N) nodded. "Yep. The bathroom's all yours."

Hozuki nodded, then hesitated. (F/N) tilted her head, and her jaw dropped when he bowed to her.

"I apologize for my behavior last night. I realize it was rude. Please tell me how I can make it up to you."

(F/N) waved her hands. "Ah, no! It's okay! What you said was true, after all. I shouldn't have punched you." She thought for a moment. "Though if you really want to apologize, you could let me pick where we have breakfast."

"You're going to choose a bakery, aren't you?"

She smirked. "Close. Doughnut shop."

"I can't believe it! I had no idea there were so many animals!"

"I take it you've never been to a zoo before?"

"Until I was about fifteen, I wasn't allowed out of the house!"

(F/N) ran to the elephant enclosure, pressing her face against the bars. A few people stared at her, eyebrows raised.

"Don't get lost again," Hozuki warned her. "You can be a real bother, sometimes."

(F/N) grinned at him. "Yeah, but you love me, anyway."

He ignored her, lost in his own admiration of the animals.

By afternoon, she'd dragged him to the ice cream shop, and he'd dragged her to every other corner of the zoo, from shoebills to wallabies.

"It kind of reminds me of the offices of Shoko," (F/N) observed as they walked along, her hugging his arm.

All of a sudden, his eyes widened, and he pointed to their left.

(F/N) followed his gaze, and let out a high-pitched squeak. There were two zookeepers with animals, allowing passers by to handle them.

"Oh, my god!" she shouted. "Is that a Tasmanian devil? Ah! Koala!"

She took off towards the fluffy animals, but he grabbed the back of her tank top.

"You can't just run over! You have to wait your turn!"

(F/N) puffed out her cheeks. "Oh, come on!"

He dragged her into the line, despite her protests.

"Are you going to go first?" she asked, standing on her tiptoes to look at him.

He looked down at her. "Do you want to?"

She smiled. "No. You go ahead."

He frowned. Apparently, her smile made him suspicious, and for good reason.

She waited patiently as he held the Tasmanian devil, and, when it was offered to her, graciously declined it. What she wanted was to see Hozuki hold a koala, and when they handed the koala to him, she wasn't disappointed. Something about the sight made her heart beat fast.

Her mouth opened. She didn't know what she was about to say, but she stopped herself just in time.

What's happening to me?

Hozuki protested having his picture taken. (F/N) assumed he didn't want his terrifying image to be compromised.

He's an idiot...

(F/N) snuck her phone out, and snapped one picture, then another, then another. When she noticed him hand the koala back, she turned around, smirking.

"This is so gonna be my new phone background."

Just as she got it changed, a hand came from behind and snatched it.

"Hozuki-kun!" she snapped. "Give that back!"

He lifted the phone out of her reach. "I don't remember you giving mine back when you took it the last time."

"I-I would have!"

She watched his fingers work on her keyboard, and saw the photos she took get deleted.

"Oh, come on!" she whined. "I can't keep one?"

"Why did you take these pictures, anyway?" he asked, holding her phone above his head. "Do you think I should fill it up with selfies?"

"Oh, come on! Stop teasing me, and give it back!"

He handed it back to her. (F/N) sighed, and accepted the koala the zookeepers handed to her.

As soon as Hozuki turned his back, she smirked.

"He didn't realize I already uploaded them to the internet."