Giyu had been holding the same position for a long time, barely moving. It wasn't that his back was perfectly straight, nor was he fully leaning back; it was an awkward, halfway posture. As time passed, it was visible that his body was gradually stiffening. With every breath, a subtle tension could be felt in his waist, and eventually, his fingertips were gripping the edge of the desk even tighter.

Sanemi watched this in silence for a while. It kept bothering him, and his gaze drifted back to Giyu several times. Finally, he let out a sigh of annoyance and stood up from his seat.

Hey, sitting like that is really going to mess up your back.

He says it as if tossing the words away while approaching Giyu from behind. His eyebrows furrow slightly, seemingly more annoyed by the lack of response.

...Can you even hear me?

Still, there was no answer. Instead, Giyu's shoulders stiffened ever so slightly. Sanemi paused for a moment before finally reaching out. His intention was to press down on Giyu's lower back, but his hand naturally slid a bit to the side. His palm comes into contact with Giyu's flank.

In that instant, Giyu's body gave a small flinch. It was only for a split second, but there was no way Sanemi would miss it. Sanemi's hand stops right there.

...What's this?

Feeling suspicious, he slowly presses the same spot again. This time, it was certain. Giyu's breathing falters for a moment. He tries to hold it in, but the reaction has already been exposed. Sanemi's eyes narrow slightly.

...Is it here?*