What kind of feeling was this?
Muten Natsu himself couldn't quite put it into words.
But when he thought back to last night and looked at the money in his hand, it felt... strangely thrilling.
"What are you standing there staring for? Hurry up and get dressed..." Retsu Unohana glanced sideways, a faint blush coloring her face. "Honestly, you..."
"This..." Muten Natsu tried to think of how to explain himself.
"There's really no helping you." Retsu Unohana gave him an exasperated look and raised her hands to tie back her long black hair. "Just don't make too much noise, all right?"
With a gentle push from Retsu Unohana, Muten Natsu toppled onto the bed without the slightest ability to resist, and her boundless tenderness swept away every last shred of reason.
"La la la~" Orihime Inoue hummed as she prepared breakfast.
According to tradition, no fires were lit during the first three days of the New Year. This kept from offending the Kitchen God while also giving the whole family a chance to rest.
That was why enough food to last three days had to be prepared before the New Year.
The dishes were first offered to the New Year deity as a prayer for the family's happiness, then eaten afterward.
Festivals such as the Dragon Boat Festival and Double Ninth Festival had similar customs. These dishes were known as Osechi Ryori.
They were mainly foods that could be kept for a long time, prepared by boiling, simmering, braising, pickling in vinegar, and similar methods.
There was mackerel roe to pray for prosperous descendants, black beans to wish for healthy growth and diligent work in the new year, red and white fish cakes to ward off evil and symbolize purity and sanctity, dried sardines for a bountiful harvest, Idamaki for the flourishing of knowledge and culture, Kanro-seeds for longevity, and Kuri-kin-maru for good fortune and wealth. There were also sea bream, shrimp, yellowtail, blue amberjack, yellow amberjack, kelp rolls, nori rolls, taro, burdock root, shredded red and white daikon radish... Most of it was served cold.
There was, however, one exception. Mochi, which was shared by humans and deities alike.
The freshly cooked mochi was soft and white, sending up wisps of steam that contrasted sharply with the brightly colored Osechi Ryori.
"Orihime..." Rukia Kuchiki rubbed her eyes as she came out of her room. "Good morning~"
"Happy New Year~" Orihime Inoue replied cheerfully. "Breakfast is ready. Go wash up."
"Mm... Happy New Year~" Rukia Kuchiki glanced toward Muten Natsu's room. "He's still not up?"
After quickly washing up and changing out of her pajamas, Rukia Kuchiki was just about to wake Muten Natsu when she heard a knock at the door.
"Happy New Year~" Unlike before, Yadōmaru Lisa wasn't wearing the black coat that completely concealed her Reiatsu. Instead, she wore an obviously modified kimono with a hem as short as a sailor uniform skirt. Her long, pale legs were especially eye-catching in the chilly weather. "Rukia, you've got a package!"
"Happy New Year!" Rukia Kuchiki accepted the parcel. "You don't get New Year's Day off?"
"I do after I finish this last delivery." Lisa Yadōmaru waved goodbye. "See you later."
"Bye."
After closing the door, Rukia Kuchiki set the large package on the coffee table. "Is this... from my older sister?"
"That's a huge package," Orihime Inoue exclaimed. "Is it a New Year's gift?"
"Looks like it..." Rukia Kuchiki opened the package and found an envelope resting on top. She opened it and read the letter, and a warm smile appeared on her face. "These are New Year's gifts from my older sister for all of us."
Orihime Inoue tilted her head. "All of us?"
"Mm." Rukia Kuchiki separated the five stacked lacquered boxes and slid one toward Orihime Inoue. "This one's yours."
Orihime Inoue opened the lacquered box. Beneath the lid was another layer of washi paper, smooth and pleasant to the touch. When she lifted it away, an adorable peach-pink kimono came into view.
"It's... it's so beautiful!"
Orihime Inoue gasped. Her hand reached toward it, only to pull back before touching it.
She removed her scarf and washed her hands before finally lifting the kimono from the lacquered box.
The patterns on the peach-pink kimono were nothing like those found on traditional kimono. They were actually delicately colored cakes and donuts, with cream-colored stripes winding between them like drifting clouds. At a glance, the whole thing somehow looked incredibly delicious.
"Can I really accept something this nice?" The longer Orihime Inoue looked at it, the more she loved it.
"My older sister had these specially made for us." Rukia Kuchiki smiled. "If you refuse yours, the rest of us will feel awkward accepting ours too."
"It's amazing~" Orihime Inoue's eyes sparkled as she carefully felt the kimono's fabric.
Rukia Kuchiki opened her own box and took out a pale purple kimono. Snowflake patterns decorated the cuffs and hem, along with several adorable Rabbit Chappy bunnies.
The person who made the kimono was clearly extremely skilled. Even the unconventional patterns blended perfectly into the clothing, giving the whole piece a natural sense of harmony.
"What's going on?" Retsu Unohana opened the door to Muten Natsu's room and stepped out. "Was someone here just now?"
"Captain," Rukia Kuchiki looked up, "my sister sent us..."
The instant she saw Retsu Unohana, Rukia Kuchiki froze.
There wasn't any obvious change in Retsu Unohana's appearance, yet the impression she gave was completely different.
Looking more closely, her eyes seemed brighter than before, her lips more lustrous, and her flawless pale skin almost seemed to glow. Her entire body radiated an air of joy and... satisfaction.
She was like a perfectly ripe peach moistened by the morning dew, shimmering with a hazy radiance beneath the sunlight.
That look, as if something once parched had been filled to the brim and was now almost overflowing, could only mean...
Rukia Kuchiki realized something. "Has your power recovered?"
"Hmm? Ah... yes." Retsu Unohana smiled faintly. "Maybe it's because of the New Year. My state of mind changed a little, and my power recovered far more than usual."
"That's wonderful!" Rukia Kuchiki was genuinely delighted for her. "If you keep working at it, you should be able to recover completely before long, right?"
Retsu Unohana instinctively avoided her delighted gaze. "It's probably... better to take things slowly."
"Oh, right." Rukia Kuchiki finally remembered the question Retsu Unohana had asked. "My older sister sent everyone a kimono. Take a look and see if you like yours."
Retsu Unohana opened the lacquered box and took out a vivid red kimono decorated with mo-hua flowers. The pure white blossoms were simple and elegant, so lifelike that they almost seemed to give off a faint fragrance.
Retsu Unohana absentmindedly traced the ink-flower pattern with her fingertips.
The snow-white blossoms were pure and flawless...
Pure and flawless.
"Captain?" Rukia Kuchiki noticed the strange look on her face. "You don't like it?"
"I like it so much that I got a little lost looking at it." Retsu Unohana hugged the kimono to her chest and smiled at Rukia Kuchiki. "I love it. Please thank your sister for me."
Rukia Kuchiki finally relaxed. "I'm glad you like it~"
"Yawn~" Muten Natsu walked out of the room, yawning. "Good morning~"
"It's almost noon, idiot." Rukia Kuchiki snorted. "You slept this long and still look half-asleep... Here."
"Hmm?" Muten Natsu casually accepted the lacquered box. "What's this?"
Rukia Kuchiki gave a concise answer. "A gift from my sister."
"Hurry up and open it!" Orihime Inoue was just as eager to see what Muten Natsu's would look like.
Muten Natsu glanced at the kimonos everyone else was holding and quickly understood. He opened the lacquered box and took out a pure black kimono.
It wasn't as though he was being treated differently. Men's clothing was generally simple and understated like this, which was supposed to convey maturity and composure.
"Huh?" Orihime Inoue peered at it closely. "I think there's something on it."
Muten Natsu adjusted the angle. As the light shifted across the fabric, he soon spotted the subtle woven pattern of flowers.
The effect had been created during the weaving process by varying the tension of the threads at different points on the loom, producing a textured pattern with a sense of depth across the surface.
It was the very definition of understated luxury. Easy to miss at first glance, but striking once you noticed it.
"My sister really put a lot of thought into these." Muten Natsu sounded impressed. "Let's all go thank her later."
"I'm glad you like it." Rukia Kuchiki pushed the final box toward Ririn. "Ririn, this one's yours."
"I get one too?" Ririn opened the box. "There are two of them!?"
Inside the lacquered box were two apricot-yellow kimonos, one large and one small. One was made for her doll body, while the other was for her Gigai form.
Ririn touched one, then the other, unable to stop admiring them. "Rukia, from now on, your sister is my sister too!"
Seeing how happy everyone was made Rukia Kuchiki feel warm inside as well.
"Now that we have kimonos, let's go for the first shrine visit later!" Orihime Inoue suggested, only to pause as something occurred to her. "Wait, do Shinigami even need to go for a first shrine visit?"
"It's just for good luck. There's no difference." Retsu Unohana set down her kimono. "Let's eat first."
The cold dishes served on the first day of the New Year had retained most of their flavor, while the steaming mochi was soft and chewy.
Muten Natsu ate with tremendous enthusiasm, as though he were desperately replenishing his energy after strenuous exercise.
Ririn got the feeling he might start stealing her food, so she couldn't help eating faster.
Seeing Muten Natsu enjoying the meal so much filled Orihime Inoue, who had prepared the food, with satisfaction.
Rukia Kuchiki held her bowl in both hands and took a small bite of mochi. When she pulled away with her chopsticks, the mochi stretched into a long strand.
Her glossy little lips moved as her rosy cheeks puffed out, slowly nibbling away at the stretched mochi like a little rabbit munching on grass.
The adorable sight drew Retsu Unohana's gaze, and a smile filled with tenderness and affection appeared on her face.
By comparison...
Retsu Unohana turned toward Muten Natsu.
Whether it was last night or right now, this child was like a starving big bad wolf.
Retsu Unohana pressed her rounded thighs together, picked up a piece of hot mochi, and placed it in her mouth.
Mochi didn't have much flavor on its own, but the texture was wonderful. Soft, smooth, sticky, warm, and delicate.
The only problem was that mochi was difficult to digest. Eat too much and your stomach would feel uncomfortably full.
Ririn ultimately chose to go out in her Gigai form so she could better appreciate all the details of her kimono.
Since the weather was still somewhat cold, the kimonos were also paired with fluffy shawls.
Even the shawls had different designs for each person.
The shawl paired with Rukia Kuchiki's purple kimono was a long, strip-like design that wrapped from behind her back to rest across her shoulders in front, making her already slender figure appear even lighter and more delicate.
Orihime Inoue's peach-pink kimono came with a fluffy shawl closer to a short cape, covering most of her upper body and balancing the overall look.
The shawl paired with Retsu Unohana's red kimono resembled a wide collar, emphasizing her elegance and composure.
Ririn's was more like a scarf, lively and adorable.
As for Muten Natsu...
He could just freeze.
Tatsuki Arisawa, dressed in casual clothes, waved at them from a distance. "Orihime, over here!"
Orihime Inoue hurried over. "Tatsuki-chan, Happy New Year!"
"Happy New Year!" Before Orihime Inoue had even reached her, Tatsuki Arisawa was already staring in admiration. "That kimono is beautiful."
"Rukia's older sister gave it to us." Orihime Inoue spun around lightly. "Tatsuki-chan, aren't you wearing a kimono?"
"I don't like them. They make it hard to move." Tatsuki Arisawa swung her arms a few times. "And they're a pain to put on, so I couldn't be bothered."
"They really are troublesome, especially the obi." Orihime Inoue nodded. "I only managed to get mine on because Unohana-san helped me."
"Exactly." Tatsuki Arisawa ruffled Orihime Inoue's hair before greeting Retsu Unohana. "Happy New Year, Unohana-san. Thank you for always taking care of Orihime."
"Happy New Year." Retsu Unohana smiled. "When it comes to taking care of people, you're the one who's done more for Rukia and Muten. Rukia is easy enough, but Muten has a somewhat difficult personality. I'm sure he's caused you plenty of trouble."
"Not at all." Tatsuki Arisawa waved a hand. "Muten is just very straightforward about the way he does things. Most of the time, I'm the one asking him for help. And Rukia's always been popular in class. Everyone wants to be friends with her. I'm actually the one people envy."
"With a friend like you, I can truly rest easy." Retsu Unohana's smile was gentle. "If they spend more time with you, I'm sure they'll grow into wonderful people like you."
Rukia Kuchiki, Orihime Inoue, and Muten Natsu exchanged glances.
Why did this feel so much like a pair of parents meeting and exchanging pleasantries?
"Happy New Year~" Ririn, now in the form of a little blonde girl, waved cheerfully. "Tatsuki!"
"That voice..." Tatsuki Arisawa bent down slightly. "Ririn?"
"That's right!" Ririn planted her hands on her hips. "You've never seen me like this before, have you? Hehe! What do you think?"
"You're even cuter than I imagined..." Tatsuki Arisawa said admiringly. "Why don't you usually stay like this?"
"You have no idea how convenient a doll body is~" Ririn gestured animatedly. "No unnecessary socializing, so I can focus on whatever I want to do. And everything I eat feels like a super-sized portion!"
Tatsuki Arisawa imagined it for a moment. "That actually sounds pretty nice..."
"See!" Muten Natsu finally found someone who understood him. "I knew I wasn't the only one who was jealous."
"Yes, yes~" Rukia Kuchiki shot him an exasperated look. "You're not alone. I'll get you a fish doll next time. Then you won't even have to bother walking."
Muten Natsu hesitated. "Then how would I eat?"
Orihime Inoue immediately perked up. "I can feed you."
Tatsuki Arisawa: "..."
Don't spoil him that much.