Chapter 158: Birthday Gift
Human World, Karakura Town.
A heavy atmosphere hung over Class 1-3 of Karakura First High School.
For more than an hour, the only sound in the room was the endless scratching of pen nibs against paper, like a steady whisper.
"Alright. Time's up. Everyone, put down your pens and pass your test papers forward."
Their homeroom teacher, Misato Ochi, suddenly clapped her hands and announced the end of the exam.
A chorus of groans immediately followed.
"No! I haven't finished yet!"
Among them, Keigo Asano's cry was by far the most tragic.
His best friend, Mizuiro Kojima, responded from the side in his usual casual tone, "Even if you had finished, you still wouldn't have passed. It would've just wasted the teacher's time grading it."
Arisawa Tatsuki glanced at the petrified Keigo with pity, then turned to Orihime, who was packing up her things.
"Orihime, how did you do?"
"Ugh..."
Orihime let out a short, pained sound, her face bitter.
"I probably won't be able to keep my third-place rank in the grade."
"..."
Tatsuki's mouth twitched slightly, and for the first time, she found herself sympathizing with Keigo.
"You haven't even attended a full day of classes since the term started, and you still haven't fallen behind. Having a good brain really does let you do whatever you want. No wonder our homeroom teacher keeps letting you take leave to handle other things."
"Hehe... It's not as amazing as you make it sound. I work really hard on my homework every day too!"
"Getting honor student grades just from doing your homework properly already proves you have a good brain. Still, considering your 'part-time job,' it's honestly impressive that you even have time for homework at all... By the way, want to grab dinner together tonight? Chizuru found a newly opened family restaurant. She says they have some magical dishes there, so you might like it."
"Really?! Wait, where's Chizuru?"
"She ran off to the bathroom the second the exam ended."
"I see... Sorry, Tatsuki, I have to go to the Soul Society in a bit."
Orihime pressed her palms together, her expression slightly apologetic.
Tatsuki frowned at once.
"...It's not another case of Ichigo's side running into trouble and dragging you over to help, is it?"
"No. A friend is having a birthday, and I'm going to a party. It's that boy who brought us to the apartment last time."
"Oh. Him..."
Tatsuki nodded in understanding.
"Then it can't be helped. You really should go. After all, he's done a lot for your life... Too bad you didn't tell me sooner. Even if I couldn't come, I would've at least prepared a gift for him, considering how much he's been looking after you... By the way, are you two really just normal friends? When you talk about him, your expression changes. You get way softer than usual. Forget Chizuru, even I feel like hugging you and calling you 'Mama' when I see that face."
"Stop it! That's way too much! It's getting late, so I'm going now! Tell Chizuru for me, let's go to that restaurant tomorrow!"
Seeing Orihime grab her bag and run off in a panic, Tatsuki found the scene strangely familiar and instinctively looked out the window toward the opposite rooftop.
There was still nothing there.
But she no longer felt that old uneasiness.
Because after reuniting with Ichigo, she had also become able to see spirits.
Although Orihime believed that was a bad thing, worried it would make her a target for Hollows, for Tatsuki, it was an irreplaceable comfort.
At the very least, it meant she could now see the same world Orihime saw. If she couldn't even do that, then what kind of friend would she be?
"Still... Orihime's become a lot more independent, and she's braver and brighter too. She doesn't need me protecting her anymore. It's a little lonely, but... it's also reassuring."
A short while later, Chizuru Honshō returned.
After hearing that Orihime had already run off, she let out a miserable wail of her own.
"Stop screaming. You should be thinking more about your final exam scores. If your grades are too bad, you might not even stay in this class next year."
"No way!"
With a single sentence, Tatsuki successfully redirected her attention, provoking an even more tragic scream.
On the other side, Orihime had already rushed out of the school. Once she found a deserted place, she transformed into a Shinigami, opened a Senkaimon with her Zanpakutō, and stepped through.
Moments later, she arrived in Soul Society.
"Inoue! Over here!"
Aside from the exclusive Senkaimon assigned to each division, Seireitei also had public Senkaimon anyone with authorization could use.
Thanks to a certain someone, Orihime had already obtained permanent access to this one.
The moment she stepped into the plaza, she spotted someone familiar waving at her.
"Rukia!"
Smiling brightly, Orihime hurried over.
"Thanks for coming to pick me up!"
"I told you, you don't have to be so polite. Come on, let's go!"
Rukia grabbed her by the hand and hurried off with her.
"Where's Takeru?"
"Probably still buried in gifts. His hands are probably sore from opening them, so we'd better hurry too!"
"Mhm!"
Rukia's guess was exactly right.
Since early that morning, Takeru had been receiving gifts from all directions.
An elegant sake set personally commissioned by Kyōraku.
An ancient book Nanao had treasured for many years.
Goggles bought by Renji.
A hand-carved Wakame Ambassador wooden figurine made by Byakuya himself.
Tōshirō's scarf.
Rangiku's suit.
Retsu Unohana's flower arrangement.
Ukitake's energy tonic.
Yachiru's candy.
Kenpachi's hair conditioner...
From Captains to Lieutenants, including retired Shinigami, everyone who heard about it came bearing something.
Even acquaintances outside the Gotei 13, like Nayura and Kūkaku, were no exception.
And as for the nobles, who had little direct contact with him, they had all found ways to send over lavish gifts through intermediaries.
By the time the sun began to set in the west, the evening bell marking the end of the workday rang out across Seireitei, its sound lingering for a long while.
And yet Takeru still couldn't get up.
Because his desk was boxed in on both sides by mountains of gifts.
"It seems Mochizuki has really adapted well to Ninth Division work."
Takeru let out a faint sigh as he held a freshly printed publication in his hand.
It was the "Eternal Takeru: Squad 9" special edition, presented by Mochizuki and the entire Ninth Division.
A commemorative issue limited to a single copy.
It would never be sold publicly.
In other words, it had been written specifically for him.
He set the publication down and looked at the old painting placed on the desk.
This one had been sent by Yamamoto Genryūsai through an intermediary.
It depicted a monstrous being wreathed in flames that had once appeared in Soul Society a thousand years ago.
For once, Takeru could not understand the old man's intent.
Still, he accepted it.
"..."
He stood up and turned to the wall behind him.
A painting of the moon reflected in water came into view.
Unlike traditional ancient paintings, it was huge, five meters by five meters.
Without question, it was a masterpiece.
Though it consisted only of black ink on white paper, it wasn't monotonous or chaotic in the slightest.
And on closer inspection, one realized that this so-called "Suigetsu" painting was actually formed from the single character [Collapse].
In all of Soul Society, only two people possessed brushwork refined enough to distort perception and blur the difference between image and essence.
And the only one who would specifically gift Takeru that character could only be his teacher, Aizen.
"Woof! Woof!"
Suddenly, the sound of a dog barking rang out.
It interrupted Takeru's appreciation of the artwork.
He turned toward the sound and saw a furry head poking out from the gift pile.
It looked sturdy and full of vitality, staring at him with large, bright blue eyes.
Its fur was black and white.
If anything, it looked even more wolf-like than Komamura, despite Komamura actually being from the Werewolf Clan.
It was a puppy, probably around two months old. The breed certainly didn't seem native to Soul Society.
This was Komamura's gift.
Heaven only knew where he'd found it.
Maybe it had been brought over from the Human World, or maybe it was some rare strain from his clan.
Either way, instead of keeping it as a companion for his own dog, Goro, he had sent it straight to the First Division.
"Grrr!"
The little thing was full of energy. Its strength and bite force were far beyond that of an ordinary Shiba puppy of the same age. At that very moment, it was tearing into an exquisitely wrapped gift box sent by some noble, biting right through it in just a few snaps.
Seeing that, Takeru had no choice but to reach in, grab it by the scruff of the neck, and lift it out of the pile. Frowning, he studied it in silence.
The puppy stared right back at him without fear.
Its eyes were clear and intelligent, and it dared to lock gazes with the Captain Commander of the Gotei 13.
A feat that even many Captain-level Shinigami and formidable enemies would probably fail to accomplish had been casually managed by this dog.
"..."
If he didn't know Komamura's character, Takeru might've suspected this was some kind of mockery of his absurdly destructive fighting style.
"Forget it. It's only a dog. The First Division can afford to raise it... But what should I call you?"
"Kuro? Shiro?"
"Woof woof woof!"
"Not satisfied, huh? Then..."
Watching the puppy twist and struggle in his grip, Takeru fell into thought.
"Since you came from the Seventh Division to the First Division, calling you Seven Seven or One One would be too obvious. Seven minus one is six, so let's call you... Roku Roku."
"Awoo!"
The puppy... now named Roku Roku... instantly wagged its tail and barked with delight.
Or at least, that was how it looked to Takeru.
"Someone."
"Present!"
A member of the Onmitsukidō appeared instantly, kneeling like a shadow at his summons.
But instead of an order, the first thing they received was a puppy dropped into their arms.
Takeru casually handed it over. After watching the poor subordinate scramble to catch it, he gave his instructions.
"Raise it. If it has any talent worth developing, then train it. If not, that's fine too. Just keep it as the First Division's pet."
"Understood!"
"Oh, and where is Suì Fēng? I haven't seen her all day."
"That... my deepest apologies! I do not know. If necessary, I can immediately mobilize men to search for her!"
"No need. You may go."
"Yes!"
Clearly ashamed of failing to provide a useful answer, the Onmitsukidō member silently resolved that no matter what, they would train this puppy into an outstanding "Spirit Hound."
The puppy, meanwhile, yelped in protest as though sensing some terrible future ahead of it, but was completely ignored.
After that, Takeru changed into casual clothes as night fell and headed for the Spirit Arts Academy dormitories.
It was his first time returning since graduating.
And once there, he was forced to admit that Yamamoto Genryūsai's decision not to establish the Academy in Shino Ward, but rather near the outer gates beyond the Gotei 13's main jurisdiction, had been the correct one.
There were simply too few people capable of breaking directly into Seireitei from the outside.
And even if they did manage to force their way through one of the four great gates, very few would choose to abandon the main battlefield in order to circle around and attack the relatively secluded Spirit Arts Academy.
Even during the war with the Quincy just one month ago, only a small detachment of Soldat had managed to break through and reach the Academy.
And they had then been driven back by the former headmaster and the teachers, who had fought at the cost of their lives.
As one of Seireitei's more important institutions, if the Academy had been built in Shino Ward, it would have long since been crushed beneath the boots of Soldat units whose individual combat power rivaled that of Lieutenants.
Everything worth remembering would have burned to ash in an instant.
Instead, it was still standing.
Which meant Takeru still had the chance to walk once more along those familiar stone paths winding through the woods, to see the same old dormitories, to push open the door to Room 001, where he used to live, and to gather once again with old friends.
"Yo, Takeru. You're really late."
"Naturally. I'm the guest of honor, so showing up last is only proper. But you two got here fast enough. I won't even mention Rindo, but did you actually finish all your squad duties?"
Inside the small single room, Ichigo and Rindo were already seated beneath a kotatsu, their legs tucked under the warm quilt, with hot tea beside them. The scene was so cozy that for a brief moment, Takeru had the illusion that none of them had ever graduated.
"Of course I finished. Just like Teacher said, once you survive the worst part, it gets easier. Still, even though I finally managed to get some time off, I have to accompany that girl Rukia during her Bankai training. Seriously... today is the only day I can actually relax. If I'd known being a Captain was this exhausting, I should've refused Mr. Ukitake back then and just followed you instead. I'd probably be a Lieutenant in the First Division or something right now, and life would be way easier."
Ichigo poured out his complaints freely.
To outsiders, he still looked like the cold, hard-to-approach type, but both Takeru and Rindo knew perfectly well that he was actually soft-hearted to the core.
"You overestimate Mr. Ukitake's willingness to let things go. If you hadn't agreed, he would've kept pestering you until you caved. I heard Shiba Kaien only joined the squad back then because he eventually got worn down."
"...So that actually happened. Rukia never told me that."
"Speaking of Rukia... where are she, Orihime, and Hachihara?"
[Preparing dinner.]
Rindo Yu hadn't opened her mouth, yet words manifested in the air.
That superb level of reishi manipulation was the result of a month of direct training under Yamamoto Genryūsai.
"...No way."
Takeru's expression shifted slightly.
"Well, don't worry. With Rukia and Hachihara there, it'll be fine. Besides, it only looks weird. The taste is actually great."
Ichigo's expression also turned somewhat complicated.
Orihime had cooked in Soul Society before.
And more than once.
Her culinary style was just like her imagination, bright, colorful, and impossible to predict. Dishes like Creamy Soy Sauce Stir Fry and Potato Salad Gratin Style Omelet Cake were among her specialties.
In terms of oddity, they were comparable to pancakes that became black holes when flipped or chocolate cake that looked exactly like potting soil.
But as Ichigo had said, they were bizarrely... delicious.
At that very moment, the door slammed open.
Hachihara stood outside the room with an exaggerated flourish, as if announcing the arrival of some grand spectacle.
"Behold... the fruits of our labor!"
After saying that, she stepped aside dramatically.
And then Takeru saw Rukia and Orihime walk in.
That by itself wasn't enough to surprise him.
What surprised him was what the two of them were carrying so carefully between them.
A birthday cake.
More specifically, a Fairy Tale Dragon birthday cake.
Yes.
Today was Takeru's birthday.
Back during that bath a month ago, Ichigo had made a promise to celebrate it properly and had gone out of his way to notify everyone.
Otherwise, there would not have been such an avalanche of gifts.
Nor would they have come all the way back to the Spirit Arts Academy dormitories to hold a party with Hachihara and Rindo.
As for the cake they were carrying...
It was a Fairy Tale Dragon so lifelike it almost seemed ready to move.
"Well? Looks exactly like her, right?"
Hachihara lifted her chin proudly.
"So that's why Brother Kurosaki borrowed my Zanpakutō."
Besides the dragon shaped cake, the real Divine Bird had also followed them in. Her size had been deliberately reduced until she was only as large as a palm, and she settled directly onto Takeru's shoulder.
"Even with a reference, it still took us several hours. And that's not even counting all the research and practice we did beforehand."
Neither of them was wearing a Shinigami uniform today.
Rukia had also changed into Human World casual clothes to make the cake, and after she and Orihime carefully set it onto the table, both of them straightened up and began proudly recounting the hard work they'd poured into it over the past few days.
"Were you disappointed when you couldn't find our gifts in that huge pile today?"
Ichigo smirked as he walked over and began helping insert the candles.
"We figured that instead of wasting time trying to think of some gift you probably don't need, it'd be better if we all worked together and made you a cake. By the way, this was my idea."
"I provided the ingredients!"
Hachihara immediately raised her hand.
[I handled the artistic direction.]
Rindo Yu added in floating text.
"And Orihime and I were responsible for the final construction."
Rukia crossed her arms with obvious pride.
Orihime looked at Takeru with an expression so bright and sincere that it seemed she might start crying from how moved she felt.
"Takeru, happy birthday!"
"Ah... thanks. I really didn't think I'd still get to have something like this after becoming Captain Commander."
A rare smile appeared on Takeru's face.
"What are you talking about?"
Ichigo sat down casually and waved a hand.
"Whether you're Captain Commander or not, if someone does good things for people, those people are naturally going to want to repay that. That's not weird at all. It's normal. So just accept it honestly."
"...I see. You're right."
"More importantly... make a wish!"
Hachihara urged at once.
Under the expectant gazes of everyone, Takeru lowered his eyes to the twenty candles flickering together, and his expression gradually grew complex.
Once upon a time, he had also celebrated a birthday, sung songs, and made wishes.
Then he got hit by a dump truck and was sent to another world.
He could no longer remember what wish he had made that day.
But now...
"A wish, huh... Then I hope that from this point onward, I never get into another traffic accident."
It didn't really matter whether the bandits had been punished or not, but he absolutely did not want to be targeted by a dump truck again.
At the very least, not before he had lived without regrets.
Afterward, everyone gathered around the kotatsu and finished the cake together. Even the Divine Bird took a bite.
Then Hachihara brought out fried chicken, pizza, soda, and more.
At that point, not only Takeru, but even Ichigo and Rindo, couldn't help recalling the dinner party from the first day they entered the Academy one year ago.
The celebration went on until nearly midnight.
Mostly because, beyond the food, there were all kinds of games and entertainment as well.
It was a rare night where Takeru sat down like an ordinary young man, joked with his friends, and simply enjoyed himself.
But fun was fun, and games were games.
Tomorrow still meant squad duties.
He couldn't stay overnight in the dormitory.
Orihime also had classes the next day.
So Takeru ordered a Senkaimon opened directly at the entrance of her apartment building, sparing her the walk home so late at night.
Although in truth, with her current power, it would have been hard for anyone to pose her any danger at all.
When Takeru finally returned to his bedroom in the First Division barracks, the room had already been renovated.
Ever since he'd begun working out of the office, it had practically become a new bedroom.
The funds he'd earlier sent to the Twelfth Division had been refunded that very morning, along with a large number of "smart" furnishings.
The meaning of that gesture had been obvious enough.
Takeru stepped inside, intending to grab some clothes, take a shower, and finally get some rest.
Then he noticed something strange.
To be more precise...
There was an extra person in his bed.
"..."
Without a word, Takeru walked over and pulled back the blanket.
There lay Suì Fēng, dressed in a gothic maid outfit, tied up tightly from head to toe, with even her mouth gagged.
"Mmph, mmph...!!"
She twisted violently in place, a mix of humiliation and rage in her eyes as she signaled furiously for him to untie her.
"What are you doing?"
Takeru first removed the cloth from her mouth.
"Haa... cough cough... Damn it! This is all that bastard Yoruichi's fault!"
"...So what exactly happened? Give me the short version."
"She came to me saying she had a birthday gift for you and needed my help, so I agreed... then she ambushed me with anesthetic! By the time I woke up, I was like this!"
Suì Fēng practically spat out the words through clenched teeth.
Takeru said nothing for a moment.
Then his eyes caught a birthday card lying nearby, and he bent to pick it up out of curiosity.
The instant she saw that, Suì Fēng seemed to realize something and panicked.
"Wait! Don't read that! That's all part of Yoruichi's scheme!"
"..."
Whether it was a scheme or not, the contents certainly carried a lot of impact.
The card explained the whole "truth" of the situation in Yoruichi's tone.
Most of it matched what Suì Fēng had already said.
But there was one extra detail.
"According to this, the outfit was your birthday present to me?"
Takeru looked at the gothic maid outfit Suì Fēng was wearing, his expression becoming increasingly strange. Suì Fēng's face turned redder and redder, the shame and fury visibly building.
"Don't get the wrong idea! I just heard that dressing like this while working would make my superior happy! So I only planned to wear it for today!"
"I see. Then Yoruichi happened to see you in it, got inspired, and decided to deliver you to my bedroom as a gift."
"..."
"As expected of Yoruichi. She really is imaginative."
"Damn it! I'm going to kill her! No matter what, I'm going to kill her! Now hurry up and untie me!"
"...It also says here that the technique used on you is a standard Onmitsukidō restraint. If you truly wanted to escape, you could have already done it. So if you still haven't broken out, that means you're doing it on purpose. In that case... I suppose the best thing I can do is graciously accept the gift while pretending I don't know any better."
"..."
The moment Takeru read that line aloud, Suì Fēng froze on the spot as though she had turned to stone.
"Ah. Sorry. It seems I wasn't supposed to know that."
"..."
After a few seconds of dead silence, Suì Fēng suddenly struggled free of the ropes and bolted to escape. But after only a few steps, her body gave out and she dropped to her knees.
"This is...?!"
"The anesthetic hasn't fully worn off yet. Yoruichi probably predicted that you'd try to run at the very last second, so she adjusted the dose... Urahara likely prepared it specially for her."
"Damn Yoruichi! Damn Urahara too!"
"In your current state, you're not going anywhere. You should stay put. But before you sleep, you need to get cleaned up."
"Wait! I can handle it myself...!"
Ignoring Suì Fēng's protests, Takeru picked her up and carried her into the bathroom.
As a result...
The next morning, neither of them showed up at the office on time.
This left many members of the First Division utterly baffled.
Those two workaholics, their Captain Commander and Lieutenant, had actually skipped work together.
What on earth had happened?
...
[TL: Check out my newly Released fanfic]
[TITLE: Starting in One Piece with Vector Manipulation]