Ishawari woke to the soft yawns of Prince Hotaru. Jin was brewing something on the stove, and nodded satisfactorily at the distinct scent of fermented soybeans. 

“Mmmm... Miso?” The boy said, groggily rolling over to face Ishawari, who nodded as soon as they made eye contact. The boy made a big grin with his eyes closed, stretching his limbs until they could go no further. “I’m so hungry, I might just eat it all!”

“Let’s go, Han.” Ishawari said, noting the hesitation he still has when calling the prince by his alias, doubting he’ll ever get used to it. “Go get ready for school. Take a bath and try wearing a different colored robe this time, yeah?”

The prince groaned in protest, wanting to stay in bed just a minute longer. “You go take a bath! You go get ready for school! You wear a different robe this time!” 

Ishawari rose from his chair, feeling the knots running taut around his shoulders as he rested his hands on his hips. Prince Hotaru sensed the bodyguard’s agitation, saw the stern look in his eyes, and feared the worst as Ishawari flashed a mischievous grin on his face.  

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“No!!! Akemi-san! Help me! The prince needs saving!” Hotaru cried out as Ishawari carried him over his shoulder toward the exit. He fought and fought, but Ishwari’s hold was too much. He punched and kicked at his right shoulder and ribs, but it did more harm than good as it felt like he was fighting a boulder. In the boy’s last desperate attempt, he went for Ishawari’s armpit, scuttling his hands at the sensitive area like frantic little spiders.

“Gah!” Ishawari’s grip on the prince loosened, but it was just in time, as he dumped the boy into the freshly drawn bath with his green robe still on. Prince Hotaru emerged from the cold water with a shrieking laugh, splashing at Ishawari, then taking off his robe to throw it at him with all of his might. It smacked Ishawari in the face with such a loud whip that Prince Hotaru nearly choked on bath water from laughter. After peeling off the prince’s robe from his face, he barked:

“Scrub good! Stay in there until your fingers prune!” 

The boy’s bald head bounced up and down along the bath, flashing his fingers at him mockingly. Then he smelled them, and contorted his face with disgust. 

“Ew! Your armpits stink, Takumi-san! You should take a bath until your fingers fall off!” The prince laughed. Ishawari finally broke from his serious exterior, chuckling as he ran up to him, playfully threatening to topple the bath onto its side. Ishawari eventually let him be, and when Hotaru checked to make sure every finger was adequately pruned, he leaped out of the bath and into a towel prepared by the bodyguard. Off to the side on a tree stump were dark brown pants, a blue robe, and wheated sandals waiting to be put on.

“Good, now go inside and see if Akemi-san needs any help. I’ll be there in a bit.” The bald prince nodded, mocking Ishawari’s serious face while he marched back into the house. Ishawari shook his head with a grin as he dumped the bathwater, preparing the wooden tub with his own, which was much more colder. Yes, it was shaping up to be another regular day in Hanowa village, and the bodyguard couldn’t be any more content with that. 

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“Hello, Akemi-san! Takumi-san is taking bath.” The prince bowed, eyes fixed on the boiling pot as he was visibly salivating the morning’s feast. “Can I help?”