After returning from Squad 2 to the Spiritual Arts Academy, Hasumi Ren finally felt his life returning to a familiar track.
As the sun set, the students on the training grounds gradually dispersed.
Ren sat on the steps by the field, watching Nanao work up a sweat at the nearby Kido practice range.
The flare of Shakkaho blasted the targets to pieces. Nanao let out a soft breath and reached up to wipe her forehead.
Ren could clearly feel that since returning from the Soul Burial internship, Nanao had become even more diligent than before.
"Senior."
A familiar voice came from behind.
Ren looked back and saw Shiba Kaien strolling over, beads of sweat on his forehead—obviously just finished with training as well.
"Yo, Kaien."
Ren shifted to the side to make room for him.
"How was it? Was the Soul Burial internship smooth?"
"It was alright, more or less wrapped up now," Ren said dismissively. "But you, why have you been training so hard lately?"
Kaien smiled, a complex look in his eyes.
"I'm still far behind you, Senior. Your progress inspired me. I felt I should work harder too, hoping not to be left too far behind by you."
Hearing this, Ren felt Kaien was a man of character and reached out to pat his shoulder in encouragement.
'The harder you work, the more I improve.'
Ren was in full agreement with Kaien's diligence.
"By the way, how's Ganju doing lately? He should have gotten in touch with Uncle Ichiraku by now, right?"
Mentioning his younger brother, Kaien's expression immediately became a mix of laughter and frustration.
"Speaking of that, I have to thank you, Senior."
"The delivery job you arranged for Ganju—he's actually taking it quite seriously."
"Now he heads out early every morning with his gang of underlings to run orders. Business is booming."
"Oh? Sounds like he's doing pretty well then?"
Ren was a bit surprised.
"Yeah, Ganju has never been this focused on anything before."
Kaien's tone carried a sense of relief.
"Now that he has something proper to do, the house is finally peaceful. Kukaku doesn't have to chase him around to beat him up every day."
Ren imagined the scene and couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"That's good."
After chatting for a bit as the sky darkened, Kaien stood up.
"Then I won't bother you anymore. If you're free this weekend, Senior, why don't you come over to our place for dinner?"
"This weekend..." Ren thought for a moment. "How about this? Saturday night is on me. Call Ganju and Kukaku, and we'll go to Ichiraku to try the new yakitori."
"That works. That girl Kukaku will definitely be happy. It's a deal then—see you at Ichiraku on Saturday night."
Kaien agreed with a smile.
He nodded to Ren and left shortly after.
Ren watched Nanao, who was still training, picked up a water bottle nearby, and walked over.
"Tired? Take a break."
Nanao indeed felt a bit exhausted upon hearing this.
She stopped what she was doing, took the water Ren handed her, and gulped down two mouthfuls.
Ren took the opportunity to absorb the fragments on the ground.
[SYSTEM: Obtained Kido Insights x12, Kido Experience +60]
[SYSTEM: Kido: lv3 (Experience: 2150/3000)]
A level 3 Kido looked out of place among a bunch of level 4 skills, making Ren click his tongue.
'Seems like it's time to find Kaien and level up my Kido too.'
The sun sank completely below the horizon, and the Reishi lamps on the training field lit up one by one.
The academy students finished their day's training and left one after another, heading to the cafeteria. The training field became empty in an instant.
Nanao and Ren sat together on the steps nearby.
A breeze blew past, carrying a slight evening chill.
"Ren."
Nanao suddenly spoke, her voice very soft.
"Yeah?"
Nanao didn't look at Ren but stared quietly at the distant lights.
"Your strength... it's actually quite high, isn't it?"
Ren fell silent for a few seconds.
He knew this question would come sooner or later.
"Yes," he admitted honestly. "I did hide my strength."
"But I wouldn't call it 'quite high.' At most, it's Seated Officer level. It doesn't really count for much in the vast Seireitei."
'Only Seated Officer level...'
Nanao didn't know whether to laugh or cry for a moment.
She bit her lip and whispered to herself.
"For over four years at the academy, I've spent the most time with you."
"We attended classes together, trained together, went to the library... but I've only just realized there are many things about you I didn't know."
"I know everyone has their own secrets, and I shouldn't be curious about your business, but... but..."
She paused, her voice carrying a hint of trembling that even she hadn't noticed.
"I just can't help but think... that person who always slacks off during training and only starts cramming right before exams... the one who would quietly hand me a cup of hot tea when I was lost in my books..."
"Will all of those memories turn out to be nothing more than my own wishful thinking?"
Her emotions turned into teardrops, falling from the corners of her eyes.
Ren opened his mouth, and looking at Nanao like this, his heart felt a slight tug.
He slowly raised his hand, placed it on Nanao's head, and gently stroked it to comfort her.
"The person you know is the real me."
"Hating training, being obsessed with slacking off, loathing trouble... those are all true."
He paused, his tone softening.
"It might sound a bit cheesy, but honestly, our daily routine together in the library has been my happiest time at the academy."
"It's just that regarding my strength, I need to be cautious," Ren said softly.
"Nanao, you know what kind of place the Seireitei is. If your talent is too high, you'll either be recruited by nobles or targeted by people with ulterior motives."
"I just want to graduate peacefully, join an ordinary squad, and live an ordinary life. When danger comes, I want to be able to handle it easily, just like during the Soul Burial internship."
He looked toward the night sky, his tone carrying a trace of helplessness.
"I won't even mention Tsunayashiro Tokiying; you already know about that. But now, because I showed my strength, the Captain of Squad 2 has her eyes on me."
"She's forcing me to join Squad 2. I fought as hard as I could, but in the end, I'm only being allowed to finish this semester..."
As Ren spoke, Nanao had already quietly wiped away her tears and was listening in silence.
Finally, Ren let out a soft sigh.
"I'm sorry, Nanao. I didn't mean to hide it from you."
"For the time remaining, let's just continue to get along like we always have, okay?"
Just as Ren finished his soft explanation, Nanao gently leaned her head against his chest.
"You idiot, who asked for an apology..."
Ren was stunned. Looking down, he could only see the tips of Nanao's ears turning slightly red.
For a moment, the air fell silent.
Even the wind in the night sky seemed much gentler.
A moment later, Nanao moved her head away and rubbed her reddened eyes, her small face flushed.
"What are you laughing at..."
Seeing the smile on Ren's face, Nanao felt a sudden surge of embarrassment and nudged Ren's foot with the tip of hers.
"Nothing," Ren brushed the smile from his lips. "I just didn't expect our little bookworm to have a side like this."
"Who are you calling a bookworm?"
Nanao glared at him, then gave a soft hmph and turned her head away.
The two sat on the steps like that, quietly watching the night sky.
Before long, Nanao returned to her usual self, a trace of worry flashing in her eyes.
"You just said you were scouted by the Captain of Squad 2 and have to join them after graduation this year, right?"
"Yeah." Ren shrugged. "Plans can't keep up with changes. But since it's come to this, I can only see it through. At least the outcome isn't bad."
The worry in Nanao's eyes didn't fade. She had heard of Squad 2's reputation; it wasn't exactly a place for the faint of heart.
"The missions they carry out must be very dangerous. You must be extremely careful when the time comes."
"Yeah, I know. I'll be careful."
Ren stood up, patted the dust off himself, and reached out his hand to Nanao.
"Come on, time for dinner."
With a slightly red face, Nanao took Ren's hand and stood up.
The two walked side by side.
Just like always.