Restricted Death

Chapter 122 Afternoon
Rukia did not tell Hinamori about the news from the Spirit Academy, but that's not her fault, since Hinamori wasn't there when Ganju told her the news.

However, Rukia's condition did not improve after Shin left.

Wet and sticky...

She was still in the corridor of the teaching building, and there was no one around.

After standing against the wall for a long time, Rukia went into the nearest restroom. When she came out, her face was still flushed.

How come I never noticed before? The student council president is... so wicked!

Or are all boys like this?
What happened today made Rukia feel that the president's frequent touching of her head was also a way of deliberately taking advantage of her.

However, she wasn't opposed to it at all...

Provoked by the letter, Rukia reluctantly removed some of her restraints and put them in her pocket. After removing these restraints, she felt a little cool.

Fortunately, she had calmed down by the time she returned to the student council office.

"Rukia!"

Hinamori appeared before her somehow, her eyes fixed on her, as if interrogating her.

"Where have you been?"

"I went out for a bit," Rukia said casually. "I went to check on the situation at the main stage in the plaza."

"Really?" Hinamori looked incredulous.

Rukia glanced at Ganju, who was also looking in her direction. Noticing Rukia's gaze, Ganju quickly looked away guiltily.

Hinamori added, "I just heard from Ganju that the chairman came to the Spirit Arts Academy."

Rukia nodded calmly: "I've heard about it too."

"Didn't you go to see him?"

"I happened to run into them, and I also saw Senior Xiubing and Senior Qinglu. We exchanged a few words," Rukia said. "I was quite busy at the time, and the president said he didn't want to disturb our work, so I didn't come to the student council. He will come again during the fireworks festival tonight."

"..."

Hinamori, seeing that she admitted it, found it difficult to say anything.

After hearing that the president had come, she subconsciously assumed that Rukia must have gone to see the president. She went out to look for her, but did not see her.

But she always felt that Rukia was hiding something from her.

However, Hinamori breathed a sigh of relief when she learned that the president would come again that evening.

Rukia brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. The sheer fabric beneath her school uniform made her unconsciously squeeze her legs together again, but she still forced herself to remain calm and said, "Go ahead and get busy. There's still a lot to do today."

evening.

Because the student council had announced in advance that there would be a fireworks display that night, even more Grim Reapers came to the Spirit Arts Academy at this time.

Most of the captains and vice-captains of the various squads gathered at this time, and the Thirteenth Squad also gave everyone a day off for this occasion.

The letter came along with Retsu Unohana and Isane Kotetsu.

The Spirit Arts Academy plaza was so crowded that it felt congested. Weaving through the crowd and looking at the stalls selling things or providing entertainment on both sides of the road, Retsu Unohana couldn't help but sigh, "It's even more lively than last year."

The stalls in the square were arranged in a neat matrix, with colorful lights hanging in front of each tent. Students were working hard to promote and sell their wares at many stalls, which made the atmosphere even more festive.

Besides the students of the Spirit Arts Academy and the Grim Reapers, Shin also saw many people wearing brightly colored kimonos, indicating that this year's cultural festival was open to the residents of Seireitei.

Shin bought a few skewers of dumplings soaked in syrup from a nearby stall and handed one to Yongyin.

After tasting it, he asked Retsu Unohana, "Captain, would you like some?"

Unohana Retsu merely glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, a half-smile on her face, without saying a word.

"Not bad," Yongyin commented after tasting it.

She suddenly smiled and said, "If it were Yachiru, she would probably like it very much."

Just after turning a corner, the group came across a goldfish scooping stall. The burly Captain Zaraki was holding a small scoop and trying to scoop the goldfish out of the tank. Kusajishi Yachiru, on the other hand, had his hands full of various snacks and kept mocking, "Kenji, you're so stupid! Can you even scoop them out?"

Kenpachi Zaraki looked annoyed, while Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa stood on either side, trying to suppress their laughter.

After exchanging greetings, Kenpachi Zaraki first glanced calmly at Retsu Unohana, then turned his gaze to Shin.

"Boy."

His voice was deep and slightly hoarse, which suited his image quite well.

"Why have you been refusing to join the Eleventh Division?"

He was referring to the fact that Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayase had repeatedly invited them to visit the Eleventh Division.

Xin calmly replied, "I'm too busy with work on weekdays, so I really can't find the time."

"You're only a third-place holder, are you really that busy?"

"The Fourth Division is different from the Eleventh Division; they have wounded and sick members to take care of every day."

Kenpachi Zaraki frowned, then glanced at Retsu Unohana before finally saying, "Alright, remember to come when you have time."

Shin found his response somewhat amusing; he had expected Kenpachi Zaraki to look annoyed and say that he was making up some nonsense excuses.

However, Shin quickly realized that it might be because Retsu Unohana was also present.

Kenpachi Zaraki then threw down his fishing gear and said, "I'm done playing, I'm leaving."

Kusajiro Yachiru was a little unhappy: "Sword! You still haven't fished it out for me!"

"One cent, buy her two."

"I don't want to buy, I want to catch!"

"Stop talking!"

"Ah Jian is so awful!"

The Eleventh Division members quickly walked away and disappeared into the crowd.

Shin squatted down where Kenpachi Zaraki had been, picked up a fishing rig, and easily scooped up a goldfish. He then turned to Unohana and smiled, "Captain, Isane-nee, would you like to give it a try?"

"Okay."

Retsu Unohana stood there watching the goldfish that Shin had scooped up for a while, then nodded. She then bent down, took the scooping tool from Shin's hand, and scooped up a lively goldfish as well.

These little games were naturally no challenge for them at all, and Yongyin also tried them out with great interest.

The goldfish stall owners were somewhat flattered, and the students in charge of the stall did not expect that two team leaders and the former student council president would visit in a row.

"It's so simple, why couldn't Captain Zaraki retrieve it?" Shin suddenly asked.

He was asking Unohana Retsu this question, but Unohana Retsu looked at the goldfish in the net in her hand and did not answer.

Kotetsu Isane, who was standing to the side, pondered, "These kinds of games require a bit of care and caution. Perhaps Captain Zaraki isn't good at this."

“He doesn’t need to do this,” Retsu Unohana suddenly said at that moment.

"What does retrieving it prove?"

After saying this, she poured the goldfish back into the water tank, put down her fishing gear, and got up to leave.

"..."

After Kotetsu Isane put down the money, he quickly got up to chase after Unohana Retsu. Shin glanced at the fish tank out of the corner of his eye; the goldfish that Unohana had put back was swimming diligently inside. The flowing water could gently lift the swimming fish, but it could not dispel the rust of compassion that had been stained for a thousand years.

Some people's blades seem to have become so dull that they can no longer cut through ripples.

……

A line of fire suddenly shot into the sky, exploding into a dazzling display of light in the night.

Everyone in the Spirit Arts Academy square was drawn to the spectacle, all looking up to see the beautiful fireworks display that lit up the night sky.

I reckon the entire Seireitei will be kept awake tonight by the noise.

Shin had half a taiyaki that Kotetsu Isane had bought stuffed in his mouth, and Isane couldn't help but laugh as she watched him chew with his mouth bulging.

She then looked up at the bursts of fireworks in the sky and silently exclaimed: So beautiful.

Unfortunately, with the captain around, she couldn't be alone with Shin...

She couldn't possibly do something like leaving Xin alone and abandoning the captain here.

She was curious to know if, in this situation, Xin would say something to her alone.

People were admiring the fireworks high in the sky. Yongyin gazed quietly at Xin with bright eyes, and Xin turned to smile at her.

"What's wrong, Yongyin-nee?"

Kotetsu Isane's face suddenly felt hot, but fortunately the fireworks in the sky were too dazzling, and there were red and yellow colored lights on both sides of the road. The light reflected on her face, so nothing seemed amiss.

"President!"

Suddenly, shouts rang out in the distance.

Two figures squeezed through the crowd and came to the three people.

Hinamori and Rukia were together. When they saw the captain and vice-captain of the Fourth Division standing next to Shin, they quickly suppressed their surprised expressions and bowed respectfully.

is her……

Yuuto looked at Hinamori, and her heart suddenly tightened.

She already knew Hinamori, and when Hinamori came to the Fourth Division a few days ago to convey the news of the cultural festival, it deepened Isane's impression of her.

This girl definitely likes Shin!

There was another person, whose gaze toward Shin was similar to Hinamori's.

Yongyin suddenly started having wild thoughts. Xin must be a very popular person with girls. He is excellent in every aspect, including appearance, personality, and talent.

Was it because he didn't respond to her after she confessed to him last time, which disappointed her and led her to give up on him?
It's not impossible.

It's not like I have to be the only one for you. Both of these girls are very cute and should be the type that boys like, unlike me who's so tall I feel like an oddball.

Trust him...

"It's you guys," Xin said with a smile.

Retsu Unohana simply smiled and glanced at the two of them before looking away.

"President, you really came!" Hinamori said happily.

"Of course I'll come to the cultural festival, after all, you've worked so hard to prepare it."

After a moment's thought, Shin said to Kotetsu Isane and Unohana Retsu, "Captain, Isane-nee, I'll be leaving for a bit."

Yongyin watched Xin and the two girls leave together, feeling utterly dejected.

"What's wrong, Yuzune?" Unohana asked gently from the side.

"It's nothing, Captain," Yongyin quickly replied.

"The fireworks are so beautiful..."

Her gaze shifted from someone's back to the dazzling night sky, where fireworks bloomed beautifully in her eyes. She only looked for a moment before unconsciously lowering her eyelids, letting her eyelashes conceal her turbulent thoughts.

Hinamori was initially reluctant to come with Rukia, but she couldn't get rid of Rukia quickly enough when she was looking for the student council president. She even considered splitting up with Rukia to search, but she was afraid that Rukia would find her first.

What if Rukia finds the president and does something to him?
She had no choice but to stay with Rukia all the time.

She would rather not see the president today than have Rukia beat her to it.

Even so, Hinamori felt extremely awkward after seeing the president. It was a rare opportunity to see the president, so what was the point of the three of them being together...?

The three of them wanted to find a quiet place to catch up, but the edge of the square was full of couples, so they had no choice but to continue walking through the bustling crowd.

Hinamori quietly took Shin's hand, then glanced at Shin's other hand and saw that Rukia was also holding it. A feeling of unease welled up inside her.

"Are you two hiding something from me?"

The letter suddenly asked.

Rukia and Hinamori were both taken aback by what they heard.

"what?"

"no!"

Both girls felt a little guilty because the promise of fair competition had been kept from the president.

Shin smiled and said, "The fireworks were really beautiful today. It seems that Miss Sora had been preparing for a long time."

Rukia nodded in agreement: "Ms. Shiba is indeed very responsible in this matter."

Hinamori then said, "President, I heard about the Gotei 13 exchange tournament. President, you are amazing! You were able to defeat the vice-captain who has mastered Bankai!"

"I also heard that you're about to become the team leader, President."

"Who told you all this?" Xin couldn't help but chuckle.

“I heard it from my family and Yanjiu.”

"I met Shiro last week, who is Toshiro. He told me about the exchange conference in detail. Toshiro is pretty amazing too."

Shin said, "I haven't planned to be the captain yet. The captain of the Third Division will be chosen from among the two vice-captains of the Fifth and Thirteenth Divisions."

"Then why don't you want to be the captain, President?" Hinamori asked curiously.

"Why so many whys? If you don't want to be it, you just don't want to be it."

"Oh……"

Hinamori followed beside Shin, holding his hand tightly, as if trying to convey to the president her feelings that were much stronger than Rukia's.

But she soon wondered if Rukia was doing the same thing as her.

She glanced at Rukia, who was standing next to Shin, and saw her looking at Shin with a smile. Her smile was open and sincere, as if she and Shin were really a couple.

This made Hinamori feel a pang of sadness, and she suddenly let go of Shin's hand.

Why does the president also hold Rukia's hand?

And right in front of me, isn't the person he likes me? Doesn't he know that doing this will make me uncomfortable?
However, just as Hinamori let go, Shin subtly grabbed her hand again and scratched her palm with his fingers.

Hinamori pursed her lips, but a smile instantly appeared on her face.

(End of this chapter)