As expected, no patients came in for consultations over the next few hours.
The only sound in the office was the occasional rustle of Makoto Senju turning pages.
Compared to humans in the Living World, Soul Reapers lived far longer lives.
Someone like Retsu Unohana, for instance, had served as a captain for nearly a thousand years.
Over such long lifespans, the social circles within the Seireitei naturally became much smaller than one might expect.
It was incredibly easy for others to learn which members of Squad 4 were the most trustworthy in specific medical fields, and this knowledge quickly spread among other Soul Reapers and noble families.
Consequently, most newly joined members of a department were simply there to learn in a suitable environment.
Makoto Senju felt no urgency in this regard.
He maintained a steady, unhurried pace as he studied knowledge that was never taught back at the Shin’o Spiritual Arts Academy.
Furthermore, this precious knowledge of Kaido and medical science was virtually unobtainable in any squad other than Squad 4.
This was entirely thanks to his status as Retsu Unohana’s disciple.
Otherwise, Chiyoko Aoki would never have handed over these precious Kaido and medical texts so unreservedly.
This, however, was torture for Risa Aoki.
For nearly half the day, she sat completely frozen in her chair not far from Makoto, feeling utterly awkward and tormented.
*Chime!
Chime!
Chime!* As the bell signaling the end of the shift rang, Risa Aoki shot up from her seat and bolted for the door as if running for her life.
“Risa…” Just as Risa took her first step out of the office door, Makoto’s gentle voice sounded from behind.
Risa’s body froze, and her face flushed bright red again in the blink of an eye.
Shame, embarrassment, helplessness…
She thought Makoto would say something terrible, or mock her for not being able to tell his gender, or scold her for her earlier rudeness.
However, as she stiffly turned her neck to look back, she saw Makoto, his body bathed in the warm glow of the evening sunset, wearing a bright and gentle smile.
“Risa, thank you for looking after me today.
See you tomorrow.” “Huh?!” Risa froze.
She stared blankly at the pure and gentle youth for a long moment before snapping back to her senses.
She quickly bowed slightly.
“Y-Yes…
See you tomorrow, Makoto-kun.” With that, she fled in embarrassment, her panicked, heavy footsteps echoing far down the corridor.
Only then did the corners of Makoto’s eyes curve up slightly, revealing his genuine amusement.
*See you tomorrow, Risa.
I hope you have a wonderful night…* While Risa, consumed by her own embarrassment and social death, might have overlooked something, Makoto certainly hadn’t forgotten Chiyoko Aoki’s gloomy expression from earlier.
If nothing unexpected happened, some “accident” was surely waiting for Risa once she got home.
Tomorrow…
hopefully Risa wouldn’t be limping when she returned to the department?
*Hmph.
A mere lily-lover, yet she dared to offend me?* At that thought, Makoto’s mood improved considerably.
However, when Makoto returned to his courtyard, the smile on his face instantly froze.
“Back so early?” Sitting gracefully on the tatami mat, brewing tea with an elegant and gentle posture, was none other than Retsu Unohana.
“Yes, Sensei.” Makoto sat obediently across from Unohana and took a careful sip of the clear tea she pushed toward him.
His eyes instantly lit up.
The tea was crisp and slightly bitter at first, but it quickly turned into a lingering sweetness.
When he took a light breath, he could clearly feel the refreshing aroma echoing in his mouth.
“Excellent tea!” Although Makoto knew little of the Soul Society’s tea ceremony, he could tell this was undoubtedly top-tier tea—perhaps even a rare variety reserved exclusively for captain-level Soul Reapers and high nobles.
Seeing his reaction, Unohana casually picked up a small gift box beside her, placed it in front of him, and said, “Since you like it, take these tea leaves and brew them.” “Thank you, Sensei.” Makoto thanked her, then noticed the beautifully pre-packaged gift box.
He couldn’t help but ask, “Sensei, how did you know I liked tea?” “This morning, I saw the teacup you left aside…” Pausing for a moment, Unohana continued, “Though the tea prepared in the guest room is decent, it has its flaws.
So, I prepared a small gift for you.
Consider it an apprenticeship gift.” It had to be said that even though Makoto had been thoroughly teased by Unohana’s hidden sadistic streak over the past two days, a wave of warmth still washed over him at this moment.
This gesture…
was truly precious.
Suddenly, Makoto’s finger paused as he caressed the gift box.
He moved his finger aside and was startled to find the insignia of Squad 6’s squad flower on it.
In an instant, Makoto realized that preparing this gift might not have been as effortless as Unohana made it seem.
Perhaps Unohana had personally gone to Squad 6—the squad led by the head of the noble families—just to ask for this tea.
But right then, Unohana, holding her teacup with both hands, suddenly spoke.
“Makoto, did you get along well with Risa today?” “Yes, it was quite…
pleas—” Makoto’s voice faltered.
Cold sweat nearly burst from his forehead as he swallowed the word “painful.” If he wasn’t careful, this apprenticeship gift might very well end up as a tribute for his own funeral.
With curved eyes and a gentle, intellectual demeanor, Unohana continued: “Risa is a very good girl.
You two should get along well.
However, make sure you don’t neglect your studies of Kaido and medical science.” Makoto’s mind raced.
He instantly ignored the first half of Unohana’s words, which were clearly just a cover, and grasped that the true emphasis lay in the second half.
“Yes, Sensei.
Today, I browsed through the books left by Fifth Seat Aoki and came across a few questions…” As Makoto spoke, he pulled a small notebook from his robes and began to consult Unohana with the earnestness of a model student.
Unohana took a sip of her tea.
Her gentle expression remained unchanged from beginning to end.
She made no move to interrupt Makoto, quietly listening to his questions and offering insightful guidance every now and then.
Much later, Makoto returned to his room drenched in sweat.
He collapsed onto the tatami mat, feeling completely drained.
He had only spent half a day in the Gynecology Department.
How many genuine questions could he possibly have compiled in that time?