Although it had been said in a joking tone,
the truth was that it was an invitation from a captain — someone of high rank —
and therefore something that Arima Shinya absolutely could not ignore.
He had to respond with proper respect.
Arima Shinya bowed politely, then promptly replied:
— Thank you for the offer, Captain Hirako. But for now, I don't have such intentions… —
There was no visible change in Hirako Shinji's expression. He simply nodded lightly before responding:
— You've got your own plans, huh? Well… that's fine too. —
After all, everyone was working for the sake of the Seireitei.
In that regard, Hirako really had no objections.
However, compared to others, he still showed a certain curiosity about what Arima Shinya had in mind.
— May I ask, then, which division you plan to join? —
Arima Shinya gave an awkward smile and scratched the back of his head.
— Actually, I don't have a specific plan yet. There were some recent changes to this year's regulations,
so I thought about doing a few more internships in different divisions before deciding. —
…Hm?
What kind of answer was that?
— According to the new directive proposed by the Head Captain this semester — with the goal of "improving the overall quality of shinigami" —
Captain Unohana drafted a reform project that was approved by six captains.
— The content of this reform involves extending the duration and frequency of academy students' field internships,
allowing them to rotate among different divisions before graduation.
— This way, students can discover which environment best matches their abilities
while gaining knowledge of other divisions' duties.
It's undoubtedly a perfect strategy that benefits everyone. —
— Theoretically, Captain Hirako should be aware of this,
since the proposal was presented at the captains' meeting three months ago. —
Aizen, speaking in his usual calm and neutral tone, adjusted his glasses and added:
— Don't tell me you completely forgot about it? —
Hirako's gaze began to drift toward the wall.
— M-me? Forget something like that? Of course not, hahaha… —
— It seems you completely forgot. —
— W-why are you so sure about that!? —
— Because three months ago, you claimed to be unwell and skipped the meeting.
I was the one who filled in for you that day.
Even afterward, I sent the full reports to your office…
But it seems you didn't even bother to read them. —
Aizen turned to him with a gentle smile and said lightly:
— Well, important people tend to be forgetful after all.
— Besides, it's just a trivial matter. You don't need to concern yourself with it.
— Even though I spent seven hours writing those reports by hand,
there's no problem at all if they're completely ignored. —
Ugh…
Arima Shinya could already feel cold sweat running down his back and was on the verge of getting up to escape.
Hirako Shinji also started sweating, forcing an awkward smile as he raised a hand.
— Ahahah… I just remembered I've got something urgent to take care of!
You two go ahead, okay? I'll be right back… or rather, see you later! —
And so, with an ungraceful and hasty retreat, the captain left the office.
To make a captain back off like that…
Sensei, you really are terrifying.
When Hirako's footsteps finally faded into the distance,
the tense atmosphere in the room began to dissipate.
Aizen let out a quiet sigh, gathered the materials on his desk,
and said in an almost apologetic tone:
— My apologies, Shinya-kun. You ended up witnessing a rather embarrassing scene. —
No, no, it was great. If possible, I'd love to see more of that…
Of course, that thought could never be voiced out loud.
After a brief silence, Arima Shinya respectfully asked:
— Professor Aizen, then… what should I do next? —
— Just proceed at your own pace, Shinya-kun.
At the moment, I don't have any specific tasks for you. —
It wasn't that Aizen wanted to distance himself;
there simply wasn't anything urgent at the moment.
With a faint smile, he continued:
— The research on the Hōgyoku may be reaching a dead end,
but I still intend to try new approaches.
Perhaps I'll soon begin a new branch of research —
but there's no need to rush.
— We have plenty of time, so there's no reason for haste.
You're different from Tōsen.
I have great expectations for you. —
— Before you graduate, take the time to intern in other divisions,
learn from different environments, and prepare yourself for what's to come.
After all, knowing yourself and your allies is an essential part of strategy. —
— So, study calmly and mature a bit more.
When the time is right, I'll reach out to you again. —
The fact that Arima Shinya asked wasn't strange at all.
After all, the day before, Tōsen had already received direct orders from Aizen:
The "blind brother" had been instructed to expedite his studies
and prepare to officially join the Gotei 13.
Arima Shinya believed Aizen would have something similar in mind for him,
but to his surprise, the professor told him to remain in the Academy.
"He wants me to keep developing? I'm not an athlete, you know…"
Even so, he had no reason to complain.
As Aizen himself had said, there was plenty of time,
so there was no need to hurry.
With the conversation reaching its natural end,
staying there any longer would just be a waste of time.
— Professor Aizen, then I'll… —
Aizen stood up, walked around the desk, and with a gentle smile,
patted Arima Shinya's shoulder twice.
— All right, go back and get some rest.
From now on, the activities will only take place once a month.
I have other plans involving Tōsen,
so I'll contact you personally when the time comes.
Until then, focus on improving your abilities, Shinya-kun. —
Although his tone was calm,
the content carried a faintly ominous feeling.
After all, thinking back to past experiences…
Every time Arima Shinya was alone with Aizen,
some sort of troublesome situation occurred.
Like when he was forced to learn how to control spiritual pressure,
or when he had to face Kiganjo…
Even if the results were positive,
going through those experiences was mentally exhausting.
Yes, his power would increase —
but Aizen always managed to find absurd opponents for him.
So…
Could it be that this time he'll make me fight another captain…?
Shinya's gaze subtly turned suspicious,
something Aizen immediately noticed.
As if reading his mind, the man smiled softly,
gave another light pat on his shoulder, and said:
— Don't worry, Shinya-kun.
This time, there won't be anything dangerous.
— Besides… I have great faith in your strength.
— Believe me, you'll definitely be satisfied with this new arrangement. —
Those words…
didn't sound convincing at all.
After all, sensei…
your glasses are glinting again!
(End of chapter)
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