Chapter 268: An Ordinary Morning
<span style="font-weight:400">After patting Yoruichi some more, Kazuya returned to his room, where he saw Momo sitting on the bed and rubbing her eyes. Soi Fon’s escape most likely disturbed her sleep. He couldn’t say the same about Rukia, who squeezed his pillow in her arms. She would be out cold for another few hours.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Kazuya-kun…” she greeted him in a lethargic voice. “Good morning.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Wake the hell up. I got you breakfast.”
<span style="font-weight:400">She looked at him in confusion until her gaze fell on the bowls in his hand. “Ah… I’m sorry.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“What for?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’ll take culinary sses,” she said, pumping her fist enthusiastically. “I won’t let you carry this burden forever!”
<span style="font-weight:400">She seemed in high spirits for the training to be his chef. Probably because it’d make him more dependent on her and get him to be more affectionate towards her.
<span style="font-weight:400">{A schemer for a schemer. You two are a perfectly bnced couple.}
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘What about us?’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">{Couple stuff is temporary. Our bond is eternal, for we are soulmates tied to the same fate.}
<span style="font-weight:400">Kazuya rubbed Momo’s head. “Just don’t overdo it. I’d hate to see you get sick.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I won’t,” Momo said, beaming a smile. Then she stroked Rukia’s leg in an attempt to wake up her friend. “Rukia,e on. Noodles will get soggy.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Rukia pulled up the nket and covered herself. “Let me sleep…”
<span style="font-weight:400">Momo’s brow twitched in annoyance. “You little.”
<span style="font-weight:400">She yanked the nket off of Rukia and straddled Rukia’s back. Pulling Rukia’s arms behind her, she locked them. Then she slowly put pressure, making Rukia’s back contort unnaturally.
<span style="font-weight:400">Rukia let out a ragged whimper as though she couldn’t breathe properly. “My shoulders! STOP! IT HURTS! STOP PLEASE!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Although this bullying wasn’t justified, he didn’t save Rukia and remained as a bystander. He had done much worse to his friend back in his old life. Friendship was all about messing with each other.
<span style="font-weight:400">{He might still be mourning you.}
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘Let’s hope he gets over it and enjoys his own life.’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">Momo maintained a steady pressure, unflinching by the painful cries of her friend. “Will you get out of bed?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I WILL!!!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Momo released the submission hold and patted the back of Rukia’s head. “Hurry.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Rukia turned over and sniffed. “This demon isn’t Momo. Kazuya, what did you do to my caring friend?!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Kazuya crossed his arms. “She always was. You just noticed it now.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“It can’t be…” Rukia whispered with wide eyes. “Momo! Were you acting until now?!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Momo revealed a sweet smile. A smile without a hint of emotion. “Rukia,e here. I’ll show you another hold. It’ll bend your legs and make them touch your shoulders.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Rukia shuddered from imagining herself in the pose. She immediately jumped at Kazuya and hid behind him. “Kazuya, you said you would be my b-boyfriend. Come on, protect me from this demon.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Although exaggerated, she seemed genuinely traumatized by Momo’s painful submission move. Momo might have applied too much pressure.
<span style="font-weight:400">The gleam in Momo’s eyes revealed her true intentions to Kazuya — she had orchestrated the whole situation as a ploy to make Rukia turn to him for protection. She willingly assumed the role of a viin to bring them closer.
<span style="font-weight:400">Kazuya waved his hand. “Momo, that’s enough.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yeah, no more holds. Go practice your moves on some masochist.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Momo gave a close-eyed smile. “Hai!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Kazuya nodded and nced back at Rukia. “Aren’t you a masochist?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Wha? I’m not.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Why don’t you fight back then? Show that you’re the more dominant female in this triangle.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Rukia’s eyes became hollow. “Are you kidding me? Momo beat the crap out of a senior yesterday. I don’t stand a chance against her in a street fight.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Pathetic excuses.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“They are not!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Momo giggled. “Let’s settle that after breakfast.”
<span style="font-weight:400">…
<span style="font-weight:400">After bullying Rukia for a few more minutes, Kazuya left his house. With Yoruichi around, he wasn’t worried about the two. It’d be a splendid opportunity for them to get to know Yoruichi better. Not the wise, old cat they had been admiring her as, but the real confident, observant, and a tiny bit silly version of Yoruichi.
<span style="font-weight:400">A few minutes of stroll brought him to the 4th Squad’s main barrack. He couldn’t sense Isane’s Reiatsu nearby but further into the residential area — she had yet to report to the squad, or she must’ve left for an errand.
<span style="font-weight:400">Judging from her stale Reiatsu, he leaned toward the possibility of her sleeping<i><span style="font-weight:400">. </i><span style="font-weight:400">Honestly, he was tempted to show up unexpectedly at her doorstep.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘Let’s save it for after training.’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">He walked into the open area, where tons of nurses stopped to look at him. People wouldn’t stop whispering things behind his back, questioning each other about the nature of his rtionship with their captain. Thest time they saw him was hitching a ride on Minazuki with Unohana.
<span style="font-weight:400">Feeling amused by the development, he took the stairs to Unohana’s office. He found herdy kneeling in seiza position, her eyes shut tight. She seemed to be meditating ormunicating with her Zanpakutō thaty unsheathed on herp.
<span style="font-weight:400">He made an effort to be as quiet as possible as he approached her and then took a seat in front of her. Within moments, he was captivated by her. Her elegance was simply unrivaled when she wasn’t speaking or actively trying to murder him. And despite her age surpassing 2000 years, she possessed the looks of a woman in her mid-thirties, which, in his humble opinion, represented the height of a woman’s attractiveness.
<span style="font-weight:400">{Content creators from your previous life want you to reconsider that thought.}
<i><span style="font-weight:400">‘Fuck them.’</i>
<span style="font-weight:400">Unohana opened her eyes. For a few moments, they just gazed at each other, one confused and the other calm.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Morning.”
<span style="font-weight:400">A troubled expression crossed Unohana’s face. “Kazuya, I can’t talk to it… Minazuki isn’t responding to me.”
<span style="font-weight:400">A/N: Plot thickens from next chapter.