บท 106: CHAPTER 112-113: Conditional Arrangement
Spending time with well-versed teachers taught Kazuya a lot of things, one of which was about Kan, the currency used by residents of the Soul Society. Shinigami salaries were paid in Kan, which resembled Japanese Yen coins. The Seireitei had a fully realized economy.
The shops in the Seireitei likewise accepted Kan as payment.
Isane's eyes widened in astonishment as Kazuya confidently led them to a lavish restaurant, where the prices would make even a Vice-Captain gulp. Yet he nonchalantly walked inside and took a seat. From overpowering a Captain to casually dining at an expensive restaurant — none of his actions so far had resembled a student.
Sitting comfortably, he waved at them. "Come on, Vice Captains."
The two Vice Captains entered the restaurant. Settling down on a chair in front of him, Rangiku gave Isane a comforting pat on the shoulder, winking at her with a reassuring smile. "Order anything you want. The treat's on Kazuya."
Isane's brows knitted in concern. "How can I let a student pay? I'll cover the bills."
The Vice-Captain was not one to splurge, living a modest life with the occasional expenditure on outings with her sister or contributions to the Shinigami Women's Association. Her salary was on the lower side for a Vice Captain but more than enough for her to save a fortune.
Rangiku raised a brow at Isane's generosity. "What if we didn't have enough for the bill? What would he do then? Use your Uncle Isshin's name like a good little boy~?"
He chuckled softly at the playful jab regarding his bond with Isshin. A hint of edge was present in Rangiku's tone. Perhaps rumors of his debauchery had reached her ears. "It might become a 'how I took your mother out on her first date memory.' Of course we need a decent place to show off to those little demons," he replied, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "And don't worry about the bill. I can afford it."
Some of the seniors he slept with hailed from noble families. And they had given him quite a lot of money for giving them a good time, though most of them tried to flaunt their wealth to make him their boyfriend, only to fail. Coming from noble families, money was the last thing those noble princesses lacked.
Isane's gaze went to Rangiku, who was beautiful, confident, and caring — the ideal woman of most men. "It almost sounds like a proposal."
Rangiku laughed it off. "Let the kid dream. By the way, did you borrow money from Captain Isshin?"
"No. I worked my ass off." Kazuya shifted his gaze to Isane, a decisive look appearing on his face. "Vice Captain Isane, I have something important to discuss with you."
Three months of arrogant declaration about 'Battle Healer' had led to this moment — a meeting with Unohana's closest person. He had to make the most of this opportunity and convince Isane to be a friend, which would give him an easier time in climbing the ranks of the 4th Squad. From his canon knowledge, he remembered that Isane had a bit of a complex regarding her height. She even stopped sleeping at a point in her life to stop growing taller. There were also her weird nightmares, though they were pretty useless in their current conversation.
'It's just me and my voice.'
Isane's eyes widened, a pulse of surprise coursing through her, as she was addressed by her first name. It was a privilege often reserved for close friends, but never had a man used it with such nonchalance. Her thoughts raced, 'What is wrong with him...?'
Gathering herself, she inhaled deeply and lightly patted her warm cheeks. "So do I. What a coincidence."
"You first." "You can."
Rangiku stared at the two, who simultaneously gave each other the 'go ahead' call. "What in the world was that?"
Isane's chuckle was tinged with nervous energy. "Ishihara-kun, you can ask me anything."
"Anything reasonable," Rangiku corrected Isane, narrowing her eyes at him. "Don't ask her out on a date, though. She'll reject you."
He let out a sigh. "How did you read my mind?"
"You were going to ask her out?!"
Kazuya chuckled, warmth in his eyes as he looked at Isane. "Maybe. Isane is friendly, beautiful, and strong. What's there not to like about her?"
Isane felt her cheeks grow hot. "Rangiku, Ishihara-san. Stay on topic!"
Getting this type of attention from a man made her nervous, and it showed on her face.
He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry if I creeped you out."
Rangiku gave him a teasing grin. "You smoothtalker. I can see how you charmed thirteen different women in such a short time."
"There was a reason," he said with a sigh. "I had no choice."
"And what was that reason?"
He picked up the restaurant menu. "Any dish you want to try?"
With a swift motion, Rangiku took the menu, her smile gentle and inviting. "We're all friends here. You can tell us. Right, Isane?"
Isane nodded. "Yeah. We won't reveal your secrets."
Like Rangiku, she was curious about the thing that compelled him to such extremes. She wanted to learn more about him so she could put Nanao off his back.
He sighed. "Let's order some food first."
"I'd like some dried persimmons," Rangiku whispered with a distant look. Every mention of the dish's name brought her mind back to some sweet moments spent with her childhood friend. "Isane, don't tell me you're ordering porridge here?"
Isane averted her gaze. "What's wrong with that? I like porridge."
Rangiku just shook her head. Isane was the only person who could porridge three times a day then eat it again at the restaurant.
"So," Rangiku said, urging him with a coy look. "What is it?"
Isane leaned her chin on her palm and gazed out of the window, trying to appear uninterested but every fiber of her being was tuned to Kazuya's answer.
"Library access," he said slowly and raised his katana, which suddenly burst into dark red flames. He doused the flames with a thought and looked at the two with a sincere look. "I can't connect to it no matter what I do. It's like she isn't even there. I was hoping something in the forbidden sections will help me."
Rangiku leaned forward, interest sparkling in her eyes. "How do you know your Zanpakutō Spirit is female if you can't connect with your Zanpakutō?"
"I heard her when I took my Asauchi," he said, tapping the blade of his Zanpakutō. "She said something about going to sleep. Haven't heard from her since."
"That's unheard of," Isane whispered. "Did you…?"
He simply shook his head, sliding his katana smoothly back into its sheath, a subtle hint of frustration in his movement. "Forget about that. Might just be a snobbish spirit."
Rangiku giggled. "I know the feeling. Mine refuses to manifest in this world… the little feline knows that I'll whoop her ass and get a Bankai release."
"You hag," Haineko growled in her head. "You're way too old to compete with me."
A knowing smile touched his lips, remembering how Rangiku's Zanpakutō Spirit had once manifested under Muramasa's influence like many others. To everyone's surprise, Rangiku's Zanpakutō Spirit was a literal catgirl.
'Muramasa was pretty strong for a Zanpakutō Spirit without a Shinigami. Is he canon in this world?'
His thoughts shifted as he looked at Isane, his eyes earnest. "Isane, I'd like to be part of the 4th Squad when I graduate."
"We know. Captain Unohana—we would love to have you on board…" Isane's voice was warm but trailed off, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. "Is this really what you want?"
"Why? What's wrong with joining the 4th Squad?"
"I saw your fight with Soi Fon… you can be part of any other squad."
The 4th Squad was one of the most important divisions of the Gotei 13 but they were pretty much mocked by most Shinigami for being the weakest.
"I'm not going to be exclusive to the 4th Squad." He directed a confident grin to Rangiku. "I'll be part of the 10th Squad as well. Like three days here, three days there, and one day off. Nice, yeah?"
He hadn't given up hope of joining two squads. In fact, he was more confident that he'd succeed after his debacle with Soi Fon.
"Then just stick…"
"Nope. I said I'd be the Battle Healer. I'm not abandoning my goal," he interrupted her with a confident voice. "Besides, being a healer isn't all bad. It's a nice job for lazy people like me."
Rangiku reclined, crossing her arms, her eyes sharp. "I'll let you join the 10th Squad on one condition."
"I mean, your approval wouldn't mean anything. Uncle Isshin wouldn't say no to my request."
Rangiku's eyes shook. Every one of his words were right. Isshin had made up his mind to train Kazuya to be his successor as the next captain. Her disapproval meant nothing. "Offending the Vice Captain before you're part of the group. I'll make your life hell."
"Hey, that's so petty. Didn't you say we were friends?"
"I'll be your superior." Rangiku raised her chin, mimicking the arrogant nobles to the best of her ability. "At work, I'm the pettiest woman in the world. You can confirm it with your Uncle Isshin."
"...What's your condition?"
Rangiku's expression was sultry, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "I want you to use your voice to entertain people."
He blinked, taken aback. "Like singers?"
He never thought Rangiku of all people would ask him to become a singer in the Seireitei. Something was wrong with this timeline.
"Yes." Rangiku nodded. "You've got a lot of potential from what I can see. What's more, your popularity will skyrocket. You'll be the name upon every soul in the Soul Society."
He wanted to roll his eyes at her outrageous suggestion. "No thanks."
"Why? Don't you want to be famous? Don't you want every girl in the Soul Society to idolize you? It'll be so fun!"
"NO."
He had greater ambitions and no desire to be a mere idol.
Rangiku's eyes widened, a flicker of shock and disbelief dancing within them at the unanticipated rejection. Her best temptations had crumbled against the impenetrable wall of his resolve. "Come on, Kazuya. Give it a try."
"I told you I'm not interested. Just kill some singer from the Living World and bring him here."
His ice cold tone left no room for questions or protestations. Rangiku had no choice but to abandon her playful pursuit of erecting an empire, despite her unwillingness.
'Looks, voice, confidence. He is the perfect candidate.'
Isane looked at her friend whose disappointment was immeasurable. "Ishihara-kun, give it a try please…"
She pleaded on Rangiku's behalf but he simply shook his head. Even if he was attracted to both women, getting swept into the entertainment industry was far from his goal.
"It's fine, Isane. I can understand his point of view. He wants to be a Shinigami, not a singer for the masses."
Isane placed a consoling hand on Rangiku's shoulder. "Ishihara-kun, you have to convince Captain Unohana about your two squad plan... It'll be hard."
Captain Unohana was open to Kazuya joining their squad but she wouldn't be keen on sharing him with the 10th Squad. Hiring a part time Shinigami in their division would make them look even weaker.
Kazuya leaned forward and took her hands in his own, his warmth taking her by surprise. "Isane, can I rely on you…?"
His voice was a caress, tempting and tender, nearly coaxing a nod from her. But she resisted the urge, summoning every bit of willpower she had honed as a Shinigami. As a healer, she was used to physical contact with the opposite gender. Yet, the intimacy of the moment, the warmth of his touch, his handsome face, all combined to challenge her professionalism. A blush colored her cheeks as she met his gaze, a myriad of emotions in her eyes.
"Help Rangiku if you want me to cooperate…" Isane clenched her teeth and threw out her own condition to help him. "Please, just try it once. You might enjoy this more than you think."
In her childhood, she never would've imagined living the life of a healer yet here she was. Saving people's lives and spending time with her mother figure was such a blessing for her. She wouldn't give up her current life for anything in the world.
"Fine…" He pulled back his hands, his eyes softening into a warm smile. He was weak to sincere women and Isane was the embodiment of sincerity right now. "And our dishes are here."
There was no condition for him to commit to the job as a singer. He could dip out after one try while Isane had to convince Unohana. She was on the losing side no matter how he looked at it.
Rangiku immediately poured herself some wine and raised her glass with a bright smile. "To a new opportunity."
Isane also raised her glass filled with water, clicking it against Rangiku's glass. "To a new opportunity."
Rangiku's eyes sparkled with anticipation as they turned to Kazuya. He reached for the wine, filled a glass, and raised it, drawing a joyous 'Cheers' from the two women.
"To a new opportunity."
...
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