It wasn’t until Makoto Senju and Seinosuke Yamada retreated all the way outside the courtyard that they felt the suffocating pressure finally lift.
“Why did the Captain…
suddenly become so terrifying?” Seinosuke muttered, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead with a puzzled look.
Makoto, equally baffled, felt a growing sense of unease.
He furrowed his brows, lost in thought.
*Did I overplay my hand?
Did I lay it on too thick and make Unohana-sensei dislike me?* *Still, even though I planned to lean on her to avoid trouble, my gratitude toward her is real.
Even if she saw through my intentions, she shouldn’t have had such an extreme reaction, right?* *Women.
Sigh, they really are impossible to read!* Makoto clicked his tongue in exasperation.
Turning to Seinosuke beside him, he asked, “Lieutenant Yamada, do you have any spare rooms at your place?” “Huh?” Seinosuke blinked, slow to catch on.
Makoto sighed helplessly.
“Teacher kicked me out, so there’s no way I can go back to the courtyard tonight.
Do you have a spare room where I can crash for the night?
Or maybe…” Makoto raised an eyebrow and said with a sheepish grin, “We could always squeeze in together.” Seinosuke shrugged and replied with his usual biting tongue, “That wouldn’t be appropriate.
Even if I were willing, my wife wouldn’t be.” “???” Makoto.
*Wait, why?
How does a sharp-tongued, abrasive guy like you have a wife while I’m still single?
This makes no sense!!!* *And besides, it’s not like I’m planning to do anything to you!
Why would your wife mind?
Why don’t you ask her?
Who knows, she might actually agree!* Unfortunately, as Makoto watched Seinosuke walk away, he decided against voicing that suggestion.
It wasn’t a question of whether he could beat Seinosuke in a fight.
It was purely because Makoto had a gut feeling that if he said it, this scheming guy would run straight to Retsu Unohana to report him.
With Seinosuke gone, Makoto stood alone in the vast, open central courtyard of the Squad 4 barracks.
A sudden, pathetic sense of isolation washed over him.
*I’m still a single bachelor, yet I’m already experiencing what it feels like to be kicked out of the house.* *Should I…
crash at Risa Aoki’s place for the night?
Her family is at least a mid-ranking noble family…* But Makoto quickly dismissed that dangerous thought.
He turned and headed toward the Gynecology Department, deciding to spend the night training in his office instead.
However, just as he stepped through the doors of the Gynecology Department, a warm, gentle male voice—a rarity in the Seireitei—rang out from beside him.
“Excuse me, sorry to bother you.
Are you Makoto-kun?” Makoto froze.
The gentle, innocent smile he always wore stiffened.
He glanced to his side.
Standing there was a rather ordinary-looking male Soul Reaper, but he exuded a remarkably warm and gentle aura, the kind that naturally made people trust him.
Brown hair, black-rimmed glasses, and a Squad 5 Lieutenant’s armband…
For a split second, Makoto’s breath hitched.
A name instantly flashed in his mind.
*Sosuke Aizen!* A terrifying man whom Makoto had tried his absolute best to avoid ever since entering the Shin’o Spiritual Arts Academy.
He was a monster who had mastered all the Soul Reaper combat arts—Zankensoki—to their absolute limit, single-handedly manipulating both the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo!
Although Makoto had envisioned meeting Sosuke Aizen countless times, he never expected this moment to come so suddenly, let alone so early!
He was completely unprepared at this stage!
Almost instinctively, Makoto’s right hand twitched, reaching toward the Zanpakuto at his waist.
But in the next split second, he forced himself to calm down, adjusting his posture to show wariness but not outright hostility.
*Losing my composure is already unavoidable.
A foolish attempt to cover it up will only arouse more suspicion!
I have to play into my physical reaction…* In the span of a single spark, Makoto analyzed his situation.
Aizen took in every single one of Makoto’s subtle reactions.
He asked, seemingly casual, “Makoto-kun, you seem very tense?” “Heh…” Makoto gave a dry laugh and said: “For an unidentified male Soul Reaper appearing in the Gynecology Department in the middle of the night, don’t you think that question is a bit arrogant?
State your identity and purpose, or don’t blame me for treating you as a creep looking to do something indecent.” For a moment, even Sosuke Aizen was taken aback.
Then, he realized that his sudden appearance was indeed highly suspicious.
Scratching the back of his head with one hand while waving the other in apology, Aizen explained warmly: “Ah, my apologies, my apologies.
I forgot to introduce myself.
I am Sosuke Aizen, Lieutenant of Squad 5.
I’m not an unidentified intruder.” Makoto let his posture relax slightly, though his guard remained fully up.
“And your purpose?” Aizen answered gently, “Two female members of Squad 5, Natsuki Takamoto and Yuki Mikami, have taken medical leave and are currently hospitalized.
As their Lieutenant, it is only natural for me to check in on their condition.” Natsuki Takamoto?
Yuki Mikami?
Although Makoto wasn’t sure if these two people actually existed, Aizen obviously wouldn’t tell a lie that could be easily debunked with a quick check.
Was it a coincidence?
Or a carefully planned encounter?
Yet, Makoto’s presence at the Gynecology Department tonight was entirely accidental.
It deviated completely from his usual, highly disciplined daily routine.
So…
was it really just a coincidence?
If so, then his luck was truly…
atrocious.
If he had known, he would have spent the night at Risa Aoki’s place instead.
Anything would be better than coming back to the department!
While his mind raced, Makoto let his outward demeanor relax completely, saying apologetically: “My apologies, Lieutenant Aizen.
It’s just that male Soul Reapers rarely show up in the Gynecology Department at night, so I was overthinking.
Please forgive my rudeness.” Aizen’s eyes behind his black-rimmed glasses crinkled with warmth.
He spoke in an appreciative tone: “No harm done.
On the contrary, your reaction and actions were excellent, Makoto-kun.
The Seireitei has grown far too lax lately.
The long era of peace has dulled the vigilance of many of our peers.” At those subtly loaded words, Makoto’s heart skipped a beat.
*Brother Aizen, I know you have a way with words, but could you please keep them to yourself?* *I can’t tell if you’re testing me or not.
I’m just a rookie Squad 4 Soul Reaper who joined the Seireitei two months ago.
Aside from healing and clinging to my teacher’s thighs, I really don’t know how to do anything.* *Unohana-sensei, how can you sleep right now?* *Your gentle and pure disciple is currently being interrogated.
Asking for help online, quite urgent…*