CHAPTER 142: Internal Crisis

As Sung-Sun left, Kazuya gazed into Mila Rose's eyes. "Rose, do you remember our talk on the Ferris wheel?"

"...It's been a long time."

The hesitation in her response was a telltale sign she was lying. It was so out of character for her, as she was usually so direct and assertive. She didn't have to lie as she had rejected his advances before. He had to figure out the cause of her indecisiveness, or he'd be forever stuck at the 'close friend' status.

"I'll remind you then. You told me you'll accept me as you mate if I make it back alive. I've done that twice now."

"I said I'll consider the idea!" Mila Rose shot back, springing up from the plush couch like a lioness ready to pounce. Her gaze, full of conflicting emotions, met him. "I want to be with you. I don't think I can be with you."

The more she thought about her complicated feelings, the tighter the knot in her stomach became. Her anxieties reached a breaking point, compelling her to slam her fist onto the table, shattering it completely. She sank onto the couch, her head throbbing and her breath coming in ragged gasps. "I don't make any damn sense… Skull, I love you but I can't escape this nagging feeling that I can't make you happy. Why do I feel this way?"

He couldn't answer her confusion until he recalled Sung-Sun's statement on Mila Rose's nature. Out of every Hollow around him, only Mila Rose fully embraced her bestial instincts, finding genuine joy in activities such as hunting and leisurely lounging. He had to shift his perspective and adopt the mindset of a lion to help her.

"Skull, say something. Is my gut feeling right? Or am I overthinking things? I'm so… confused."

Facing her vulnerable look, he assumed a serious expression. "You're not entirely wrong, Rose. But you're not entirely right, either."

"You aren't helping, Skull."

He chuckled. "You like to hunt, right?"

She quizzically nodded, still unsure why he brought up her pastime activity. "I love it."

"Do you want to hunt for me?"

Her eyes widened dramatically. "How do you know that?"

"What you're feeling is a clash of your emotions and your instincts."

"Emotions and instincts? I don't understand. Make me understand in simple language…"

{She is a little thickheaded.}

He cleared his throat. "You're a lioness, right?"

"Of course. My Zanpakutō is named the Lioness General."

"What's the role of a lioness in a lion's pride?"

"Pride? Like the lion's group with a harem of lionesses? What do they do?"

Born in Hueco Mundo, she lacked the basic knowledge on animals — the biggest reason for her current confusion.

"A lioness hunts for her pride."

"Okay… what does that have to do with us?"

"It has everything to do with us," he said, shaking his head. "You see me as a mate, the leader of our 'pride.' Your instinct is to always hunt for me and provide me with sustenance. But when I bought the mansion and became a wealthy man, you lost your purpose."

He was a perfect mate with one flaw — his lack of dependence on her, which led her to lose self-esteem in herself as a 'lioness.' Her depression was also deeply linked to her instincts — with her 'mate' far away from her grasp, she lacked motivation to do anything and ended up lounging around all day. When confronted by Apacci, she even tried to prove her worth by hunting Grimmjow and his group for him.

Alas, it wasn't enough to cure her confidence issues.

A look of dawning realization spread across her face, as though she were piecing together a complex puzzle. The weight of this revelation settled over her. "Motherf… I'm useless in your pride."

Gently taking her hand, he brought it to his lips and tenderly kissed her knuckles. "That would be the case if we were beasts living in a forest. Don't forget that we're Arrancars — hybrids of Shinigami and Hollow. We don't need to live by our animalistic instincts."

She raised her eyebrows. "You're saying I can be a good mate without hunting for you?

"Exactly. Aside from hunting, you can do so much more to be a good wife."

She beamed a smile when he mentioned being a good wife. "You glib-tongued pervert, you're suggesting sex."

Clearing his throat as if to downplay her insinuation, he smiled. "Sex is just one of those things."

She giggled at his innocent gesture before moving to straddle his lap. "Alright, Skull. Let's give this thing a shot. Me, Snake, Apacci, Harribel-sama, and you being part of a pride."

He had changed her entire perspective on every male in the world then got rid of the problem that made her fall into depression for months. He was the most reliable man in her eyes, with Harribel coming in second.

"What about Cirucci? She won't be in the pride?"

Cough. Cough. A series of fake coughs pulled them out of their private world. There stood Cirucci, leaning against the banister of the staircase above them, a smile stretching across her face.

Mila Rose shot her an unamused look. "Cirucci, what will you say to my mate's proposal?"

Cirucci shrugged with casual indifference. "What I've always said. Family and mates aren't for me."

"The audacity," Mila Rose muttered and turned her attention back to Kazuya. "What do you say about tying her up?"

"Forget it," he leaned close to her ear. "Is she still depressed?"

"Kind of… I don't understand her sometimes."

He shook his head, his expression turning contemplative. "It's better you don't understand her circumstances."

Healing her Zanpakutō would be a piece of cake but healing her heart would be tricky.

Seizing the moment of his contemplation, Mila Rose leaned in to plant a soft kiss on his cheek. "Kazuya, let's go on a date."

The bold spark in her eyes and the allure in her voice were signals he couldn't possibly misunderstand with his experience. And quite frankly, he was more than willing to take the hint.

***

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