Yuta arrived at the Great Library marked on the map.
The structure resembled a bird's nest with an open center and layers of rings surrounding it.
After entering, he noticed it was separated into four categorized areas: Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hoho, Kido.
Shelves of books stood neatly in each section, sorted by difficulty from beginner to advanced. Students filled the space calmly. Some sat tucked into corners reading. Others clustered at the large open center where trees grew around the sandy practice ground. Pairs of students read techniques from books and tried them immediately within the marked training spots.
Yuta walked directly toward the Kido section.
Everything-from Offensive techniques to binding and restoration spells-all of it was kept there.
Elsewhere in the library, Mikami Asui, Juri Rika, and Kanae Yurika had already sat down together near one of the tables. When Juri glanced toward the shelves, she froze in place, eyes wide with surprise.
Juri softly tugged her friends' sleeves. "Look… classmate Yuta is over there."
"We should ask him to join us and study," she whispered again after a second of silence.
Mikami Asui looked nervous and shook her head. "You go first, Juri…"
"You…" Juri sighed and lightly pushed her friend before getting up herself. Her small ponytail swayed behind her as she walked briskly toward Yuta.
"Classmate Yuta, so you're really studying too?"
Yuta turned as she approached and gave her a nod.
"Are you studying Kido techniques?" she asked again as she stepped beside him with her hands clasped behind her back.
"The first floor has elementary-level Kido from one to thirty," Juri explained. "Anything above that is on the second or third floors."
"I see," Yuta replied flatly with another nod.
Juri smiled nervously. "Since you're reading books about Kido… why don't we all sit together?"
"Fine." Yuta didn't mind it. Sitting with three pretty girls was hardly something to complain about.
Juri returned quickly to their table while glowing with satisfaction about her success. Yuta followed behind her shortly after, carrying several books with him-from Kido spells number one through number ten. He sat opposite the others and started flipping through the first book.
The pages showed not only incantations but detailed diagrams of spiritual energy flow and handwritten notes from past accomplished users. Anyone with natural talent could grasp the basics from those alone.
The library's reading area was filled with dark wood tables lined with benches on either side. Mikami Asui's legs dangled slightly from where she sat, swinging lazily back and forth as she balanced a book in both hands. She paid close attention and took notes when she could, even though understanding Kido spells clearly wasn't coming easily for her.
She stared at the diagram for the fifth time before letting out a frustrated breath and setting her book down. Sitting straight again, she stretched both arms over her head with a long exhale-the movement pushing her small chest forward slightly-and peeked across at Yuta.
She couldn't help but stare at his face longer than she intended to. In her head, she sighed softly: 'Yuta really has a pretty face… It's not right for someone to look that good while reading textbook spells…'
Her attention shifted quickly when she noticed something else.
He wasn't reading at all-you couldn't call it that anymore. He was flipping pages every second, rifling through the books like he was scanning headlines instead of complex manuals. The rhythm of it seemed to pick up faster the deeper he went through each volume.
Mikami Asui leaned forward slightly in disbelief. "Yuta… do you really read that fast?"
Yuta looked up and smiled faintly. "I'm only looking at the spell names for now. I haven't read the full content."
Whether it was photographic memory or complete comprehension made no difference to him-but trying to explain it usually led nowhere useful. Most people would rather challenge him than believe him anyway.
"Oh…" Mikami Asui frowned slightly. He's handsome, gifted in Kaido… and now he might be talented in Kido too? So why did he act so disinterested all the time?
She remembered how he spaced out during Kuchiki Sensei's lesson before leaving halfway through without warning.
"You shouldn't slack off like this," she pressed with childish determination. "You have to work hard! Study harder-and become a strong Soul Reaper!"
Yuta looked up again-and this time his expression turned serious without warning.
Mikami Asui pulled back instinctively, blinking in confusion. "Wh…what is it?"
"Do you know what you're saying right now?"
"What do you…?"
"Chicken soup."
"Chicken soup?" She tilted her head in complete confusion. "Isn't that something you eat?"
"In my hometown," Yuta replied plainly, "we call motivational talk chicken soup. It sounds encouraging at first-as strong as an adrenaline shot-but none of it changes anything after reality sets in."
Mikami Asui stared at him and finally pouted out loud. "Why do you sound so grown-up when you talk like that?"
"I don't agree at all," she added quickly after that. She sat up straight again and stared across the table with firm eyes.
"Just think about grass in a yard," she declared. "If I don't water it-it'll wither and die in days… but water it once-and it grows back on its own."
"We may be nothing now-not part of any squad, not assigned any Zanpakuto, not skilled in combat or technique-but isn't Seireitei itself built from people like us? People who started with nothing?"
"We're students of Shino Academy! Someday one of us might change Soul Society for good!"
She looked directly into Yuta's eyes after saying that sentence fully without breaking eye contact once.
Yuta chuckled softly under his breath. "Another cup of chicken soup."
Mikami Asui puffed out her cheeks and spun away in frustration. "You're terrible-you're completely terrible!"
She folded her arms in defiance as the others looked on awkwardly from their seats beside her.
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