Change Starts with Small Steps

After finishing his conversation with Kuchiki Ginrei, Seiya returned to his quarters.

Lying on his futon, he realized he was struggling to fall asleep.

There was only one reason for it—

A sudden sense of responsibility.

Up until now, Seiya had always been in the position of learning. But now, thanks to Ginrei, he had to start thinking about teaching.

And that was a completely different matter.

When you were learning, you only had to focus on absorbing information and adjusting your own understanding.

But when you were teaching—

You had to consider how to make others understand.

Wow.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt uneasy.

Was someone like him really cut out to teach?

His thoughts swirled in his mind, and his expression gradually became more and more complicated.

The more he reflected, the more he realized—he might not be suited for this role at all.

"Maybe I agreed too hastily?"

He found himself reassessing his own capabilities.

But then again—

Had Aizen felt like this when he first started teaching him?

Would he fail to meet Ginrei's expectations?

What if he ended up guiding Byakuya in the wrong direction?

The more he thought about it, the heavier the mental burden became, and Seiya found himself unconsciously clenching his jaw.

But there was nothing to be done about it now.

He could only do his best.

He needed to figure out how to approach Byakuya starting tomorrow.

"Aizen-sensei, watch over me… Please don't let me screw this up."

Muttering to himself, Seiya eventually drifted off to sleep.

At the same time—

In the Fifth Division headquarters, Aizen sat at his desk, scanning a report.

A thoughtful expression crossed his face.

"Not good enough…"

With a quiet sigh, he set the paper down on his desk.

Right now, he needed to expand his forces, ensuring his plans had proper support.

But that didn't mean anyone was worthy of his attention.

Mediocre talents, forgettable personalities—

Even among those who were highly regarded by others, none of them piqued his interest.

Yes.

If he had to describe it—

It was like comparing amoebas to ants.

Small, insignificant creatures—so beneath him that he couldn't even pretend to care.

Even if they joined his ranks, he wouldn't feel the slightest bit of satisfaction.

"So this year's recruits are only this level? How disappointing."

Raising a hand, Aizen let a gentle wave of blue flames flicker at his fingertips.

With a mere thought, the paper disintegrated into nothing.

A small, almost imperceptible sigh escaped his lips.

Then, tilting his chair back slightly, he turned to gaze out the window.

"…"

The moon was high. Unmoving. Unchanging.

A celestial body that had presided over the world for eons.

Such tranquility… Such certainty…

No one was born at the top.

To reach the heavens, one had to climb.

And for that—

Time was an absolute necessity.

Smiling faintly to himself, Aizen closed his eyes for a moment.

This year may be a loss. But next year remains a possibility.

Perhaps he wouldn't encounter another genius like Seiya.

But such opportunities were always rare.

Finding a true ally—

That was a once-in-a-lifetime fortune.

"So… I'll wait a little longer."

"Seiya-sama, please teach me!"

"Uh… let's not with the formalities. Seriously, cut that out."

Apparently, Ginrei had spoken with Byakuya last night.

Because today, the kid was practically radiating enthusiasm.

The way he was looking at Seiya—

It was like he was staring at some kind of legendary artifact.

Why the hell was he this excited?

"Grandf— Ahem. Ginrei-sama has already informed me that, starting today, my etiquette lessons will be cut in half… and the remaining time will be spent training under you!"

"…"

Excuse me?

Seiya blinked in disbelief.

Wasn't that way too much free time?

And more importantly—

What the hell was he even supposed to teach?

Byakuya, seemingly aware of Seiya's hesitation, bowed respectfully.

"Ginrei-sama also told me that you don't need to be overly formal. We can simply interact as friends."

Seiya let out a long sigh.

"Even that old man is micromanaging this?"

Ginrei must really care about Byakuya.

Or maybe he was just being overprotective.

"Alright, alright. Let's just get through today's etiquette lessons first."

As per the schedule, Seiya's training didn't start until the afternoon.

By the time etiquette practice was over, his back was aching, and his legs were sore.

He groaned dramatically all the way back to his room, then immediately took a quick bath.

Previously, he hadn't paid much attention to this kind of thing, since he had more training afterward anyway.

But now that he had more free time—

Might as well clean up a bit.

Besides—

He had to admit, Sixth Division's accommodations were fantastic.

Unlike their rigid traditions, their living conditions were incredibly modern.

They even had hot water twenty-four hours a day.

Seiya nearly cried.

Back in the First Division, he'd had to wash in cold water.

And worse—

Yamamoto had made him scrub himself down with a dry cloth.

It was a horrifying experience.

Unfortunately, Sixth Division didn't believe in hair dryers.

So Seiya had to go old school.

He took a comb and carefully ran it through his damp hair, getting as much water out as possible.

Then he applied a bit of scented oil, twisted his hair into a simple bun, and tied it at the back.

Neat and practical.

Still—

Maybe I should just cut it short?

Fashion trends in Soul Society weren't exactly strict.

Just look at Tōsen's giant afro.

Clearly, no one was that concerned with tradition.

So… yeah.

Getting a new hairstyle might not be a bad idea.

Lost in thought, Seiya made his way to the main hall, where Byakuya was already waiting.

Dressed neatly, hair combed—practically glowing with determination.

Seiya gave him a lazy wave.

"Yo."

Byakuya bowed deeply.

"Seiya-sama!"

"…"

This is going to take a while to fix.

Ginrei wasn't around during lunch, so the atmosphere was much more relaxed.

The food, as expected of a noble house, was incredibly refined.

Even compared to the First Division, everything here felt more… deliberate.

Picking up a piece of dried mackerel, Seiya chewed thoughtfully before leaning toward Byakuya.

"Hey. Let's go out later."

Training could wait.

Right now, there was something more important to take care of.

Byakuya, in the middle of drinking his soup, froze.

Then, quickly composing himself, he nodded.

"I have no objections. I will follow your lead, Seiya-sama."

"Great. It's settled, then."

After lunch, the two of them left the Kuchiki estate.

Seiya had been planning to make small talk, but when he saw Byakuya looking a little tense, he changed course.

"Byakuya, do you not go out much?"

Byakuya gave a slightly sheepish smile.

"…Not really. There's always something to study. And Ginrei-sama has always said that I'll have plenty of chances to go out in the future."

Seiya hummed in thought.

Right.

That was how he ended up meeting Hisana.

So…

Should I interfere?

After a moment of consideration, he made a decision.

I need to find a damn good doctor for Hisana.

She and Byakuya deserved a happy ending.

And speaking of gifts—

"Byakuya," Seiya said, smiling slyly, "you've never bought Ginrei a birthday present before, have you?"

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Powerstones?

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