Stars and Stray Dogs

"No, this might be the funniest joke I've heard in years…"

Abarai Renji chuckled with exasperation.

"If someone like you, Hinamori, doesn't count as outstanding, then someone like me probably wouldn't even be able to graduate."

Kira Izuru turned his face slightly, his lips also curling into a barely suppressed smirk.

"I have to admit, I kind of agree with that…"

It was like watching someone who usually scored 90 complain about getting an 89—comically exaggerated self-pity.

Having been friends for so long, Hinamori Momo immediately understood that they were teasing her.

She wanted to defend herself, but no matter what she said now, it would sound like weak justification.

In the end, she could only carefully reply,

"But… the new Kido exams weren't that hard, were they?"

That was true.

For once, even Renji didn't argue.

"Now that you mention it… yeah, I guess that makes sense."

Even someone like him—who was awful at Kido—managed to perform decently.

His results in the training tests had even surprised himself.

"But rather than saying it's easy to learn, I'd say it's… something else."

Renji wasn't great with words.

Lowering his head slightly, he repeatedly clenched and relaxed his fists, his muscles tensing and loosening in a rhythmic cycle.

"It's like… we're just following a pre-set route. All we have to do is pour in the right amount of spiritual energy, and the technique just responds automatically."

Izuru tilted his head, giving him a bemused smile.

"And you think I would understand what you're saying?"

…That was a fair point.

Hinamori covered her mouth as she let out a small, amused laugh.

"Well, Renji-kun is definitely the instinctive type, so it makes sense he'd feel things differently from us."

Calling it "instinctive" was putting it nicely.

Less kindly, he was just a wild mutt who refused to be tamed.

Izuru seemed to share that sentiment but turned his face away slightly, not wanting Renji to see him struggling to suppress a grin.

As for Renji himself?

He wasn't the type to shrink away from a little teasing, but he was a normal person with normal pride.

"You guys are laughing at me again, aren't you?"

"No, not at all." x2

"…Really? Whatever. By the way, have you guys seen Rukia anywhere?"

Renji's expression became a little awkward.

Even just bringing it up seemed to take some effort on his part.

Unaware of the situation, Hinamori blinked in confusion.

"Rukia? But she's in the same class as you, isn't she?"

Izuru, however, immediately composed himself and subtly gestured for Hinamori to stop talking.

Though small and delicate in stature, Hinamori wasn't slow to pick up on things.

She quickly fell silent, simply watching quietly.

Before Renji could reply, Izuru spoke first.

"Renji, listen… I think you should give up on any unrealistic expectations."

"Kuchiki has already been officially adopted and transferred to another class."

"That means, from that moment on, she's no longer part of our world. We might still see her at formal events…"

"But not like this. Not here."

"Clinging to something that won't happen will only end up hurting you—and the people who care about you."

Izuru had always been on the more reserved, somber side.

But because of that, he had the ability to see things from an outsider's perspective.

To observe everything from a step removed.

Renji, who had been visibly embarrassed just moments ago, suddenly froze.

His mouth opened and closed, hope flickering in his eyes.

But in the end, he just lowered his head, letting out a soft sigh.

"I get it…"

Frustration, reluctance, humiliation, sorrow?

Maybe all of those things.

But none of them took full control of his emotions.

Because, for someone born and raised in the Rukongai, the gap between social classes was absolute.

Rukia.

No—Kuchiki Rukia.

She and Renji had been childhood friends, growing up together and eventually enrolling in Shin'ō Academy at the same time.

Because of that, their social circles had been almost identical.

They were always together—studying, training, laughing.

Maybe things would've continued that way.

They could've graduated, found decent, stable jobs, and slowly worked their way up.

At some point, when he had built up enough of a future for himself, he would propose to Rukia.

It was a simple, honest, heartfelt dream.

But there was nothing unusual about that.

Before experiencing certain events, Renji was just another kid who had crawled out of the slums.

Who could have expected him to dream of anything greater?

It wasn't like he could suddenly declare, "Over the past 17 months, I've trained to the point where I can fight Aizen."

That would just make people laugh.

Then again, thinking about it—

Maybe that was just the kind of reckless courage Renji had.

Without their childhood bond, the idea of him actually ending up with Rukia would've seemed pretty unrealistic.

Hinamori, while not entirely clear on the situation, was smart enough to piece things together from what had been said.

She sucked in a sharp breath.

This was huge gossip.

She kind of wanted to hear more.

But as a friend, her priority was making sure Renji wasn't feeling too awful.

"Um… Renji-kun, I don't think this situation is completely hopeless…"

Before she could even finish, Renji waved her off with a nonchalant expression.

"It's fine. You guys don't need to worry about me."

"I know Rukia's personality. Even if she was taken away, it wasn't because she wanted to be."

She would never just bow her head and submit to noble society.

She must have had a reason for going along with it.

With that in mind, Renji's path forward was clear.

"As long as she's happy, that's enough."

That was his conclusion.

Not just something he had decided—but something he had sworn to himself.

"If the stars in the sky can chase their dreams, isn't that a good thing?"

Compared to that—

A stray dog like him just needed to keep moving forward, step by step.

That was all.

No need to overthink it.

No need to get lost in pointless worries.

All he had to do was get stronger.

Seeing Renji snap back to his usual self, Izuru and Hinamori each reacted differently.

Hinamori looked genuinely relieved for her friend.

"Mhm, that does sound like something Renji-kun would say."

Izuru, on the other hand, sighed softly, his gaze flickering with emotion.

Maybe… he was a little envious.

Because, unlike Renji, he wasn't the type to say these kinds of things out loud.

If it had been him, he would've just buried everything deep inside.

Until he took it to his grave.

"Must be nice, being so straightforward, Renji."

Their quiet conversation was interrupted by a distant call.

"Attention, everyone! The souls for the burial have been located—teams, move out one by one!"

Time for business.

Despite being new trainees, they all took their duties seriously.

No extra orders were needed—Renji, Izuru, and Hinamori all pushed their personal thoughts aside, their expressions turning solemn.

That was what it meant to be elite.

Even without being told, they instinctively knew their responsibilities.

As they stood ready, a group of confused, wandering souls was being guided toward the center of the area by the academy instructors.

At a glance, it seemed a little cruel.

But there was a reason for it—

Spirits who lingered in the World of the Living for too long would start to deteriorate.

Losing awareness was just the first step.

Eventually, they would lose all sense of reason.

Until, at last, a massive hole opened in the center of their souls.

And from that void—

A Hollow would be born.

"So that's why soul burials are part of our job… It's to prevent this from happening, right?"

Renji scanned his surroundings, looking utterly bored.

"Yeah. Technically, this is the Thirteenth Division's job, but since it's basic knowledge, they put it in our training."

Izuru adjusted his grip on his practice sword, his fingers slightly tense.

"Nervous, Izuru?"

"…A little. It is my first time, after all."

Being cautious around the unknown wasn't a flaw.

But Renji didn't see it that way.

"Come on, we're just dealing with some dead people. Why are you freaking out?"

"Can you please call it 'being cautious' instead?"

Hinamori smiled as they bickered, about to chime in—

Then, suddenly—

A scream tore through the air.

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Powerstones?

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