Restricted Death

Chapter 173 Reunion with an Acquaintance
Since that day, Hinamori has become even more clingy.

He would always sneak into Xin's office during his free time, which always annoyed Xin.

But every time Shin scolds her, she will put on a pitiful look in front of him. Right now, Hinamori is like a little girl who has just entered the honeymoon phase.

After that night, Hinamori's favorability rating on the system interface also changed significantly.

【Favourability: 95】

This is the highest-ranking girl Xin has ever met.

[Reiatsu Level: Lv: 62]

[Zanpakutō unlock progress: 59%]

Shin glanced at Rukia's again; her stats were almost dropping below 80.

Shin suddenly asked Hinamori, "Is it almost time for the Spirit Arts Academy Cultural Festival?"

Hinamori thought about it carefully and said, "Hmm, it's next month. Captain, are you going to participate?"

"Don't I go every year?"

"That's right."

Ultimately, Shin couldn't have truly given up on Rukia. If he hadn't bound the Death Wedge to her, he might have kept his distance from her out of soft-heartedness and guilt.

Of course, this thought only crossed my mind for a moment.

Xin is a selfish person; having such thoughts only makes him feel better.

In the office, Hinamori moved a stool over herself, sat on the other side of the desk, rested her chin on her hands, and worked while looking at the letter.

Xin couldn't help but ask, "Don't you have anything to do today?"

Hinamori widened her eyes and said, "No, I'm on leave today, but I'm bored by myself, so I thought I'd come and keep you company, Captain."

"You're not keeping me company, you're clearly just making things worse for me."

"I'm not saying anything, am I bothering you by being here?"

“That’s right, then I’ll stay away from you.” Hinamori looked around and pointed to a spot to the side: “I’ll go there.”

Matsumoto Rangiku knocked on the door and entered. Upon seeing the scene inside, she said leisurely, "Hey you guys, this is the barracks. Can't you be a little more mindful?"

Feeling helpless, Shinichi was thinking about how to get rid of Hinamori when he asked Matsumoto Rangiku after a moment's thought, "You're going to the First Division for a performance review meeting later, right?"

The vice-captain's performance review meeting, chaired by Chojiro Sasakibe, is held once a month, and Shin had previously attended many of those meetings with Kotetsu Isane.

Matsumoto Rangiku nodded: "Yes."

Shin said, "Perfect timing, you can take Hinamori with you this time."

"Her?" Matsumoto Rangiku looked surprised. Hinamori was a newcomer who had only recently joined the team. No matter how much importance they placed on her, there was no need to bring her to such an important meeting.

Although Matsumoto Rangiku didn't think this kind of meeting was particularly important on ordinary days, the threshold for participation was still there, and it wouldn't make sense for her to bring someone who wasn't even a chairperson there.

"I have other work to assign to Hitsugaya later, so you can take Hinamori with you," Shin explained his reasoning.

He just wanted to find some excuse to get rid of Hinamori.

Upon hearing this, Hinamori immediately stood up and asked somewhat nervously, "Can I do it?"

She felt that she had been entrusted with an important task, and was immediately both apprehensive and delighted.

After a moment's thought, Matsumoto Rangiku decided that this wasn't a bad idea. After all, the main attendees at the meeting were the vice-captains of each squad, and the people accompanying the vice-captains were just there to take notes. It didn't matter who came; there was no rule that the third seat had to be present.

However, sometimes Chojiro Sasaki would announce some of the First Division's orders during meetings, which were not suitable for public disclosure. Therefore, the vice-captains would customarily bring their own three seats from their respective divisions.

However, Matsumoto Rangiku also felt that it was good to let Hinamori get exposed to these things early. In her opinion, Hinamori Momo was a junior who was very worthy of being cultivated. She had excellent grades and had served as a student council officer at the Spirit Arts Academy. She had leadership experience and would definitely be able to become a seat officer in the future, and a high-ranking one at that.

Matsumoto Rangiku already plans to place Hinamori in the fourth seat a few years from now.

The current fourth seat of the 10th Division is actually quite good, but he listens to the captain too much. Sometimes when asked to do something in private, his first thought is to go and report to the captain. He has no idea how to handle the relationship between superiors.

She put down a document and then said to Hinamori, "Get ready and come with me."

"Yes!" Hinamori replied quickly.

Shin breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Hinamori leave the office with Matsumoto Rangiku.

Shin felt powerless against Hinamori; she wouldn't take his reprimands seriously and even thought he was flirting.

Xin didn't want to really turn against her and say anything harsh, since they had just slept together and he wanted to continue sleeping with her that night.

Or maybe I should find a chance to relax for a few days and get some peace and quiet.

Xin thought to himself with a slight headache.

But where can we go?
If Hinamori can't find him, she'll definitely come to his house to look for him. If he deliberately doesn't go home so Hinamori feels like he's avoiding her, there will inevitably be another commotion.

After thinking for a long time, Xin finally came up with a good place to go.

This world.

However, he is the captain after all, so he needs a suitable reason.

After leaving the Fourth Division, Shin never went back to the human world. The Tenth Division's work had very little to do with reality, unlike the Thirteenth Division, which had Shinigami stationed in the human world.

the other side.

Inside the First Squadron barracks.

Hinamori, clutching a notebook, stood awkwardly beside Matsumoto Rangiku. Her slightly oversized black shihachi uniform accentuated her petite figure, and her hair was tied in a bun, making her look incredibly cute and well-behaved, like a girl next door.

When she arrived, she looked around curiously. This was her first time visiting the First Division barracks, and compared to the Tenth Division, the style of the barracks here was more ancient and solemn.

Even the members of the First Division she met on the street seemed more serious and formidable than those of the Tenth Division.

But it was just her idea after all.

The members of the First Division mostly perform clerical work, mainly issuing orders to other divisions. The members of the First Division rarely participate in combat and are specifically protected by the Seventh Division.

Seeing her like this, Matsumoto Rangiku smiled and said, "There's no need to be so nervous. It's just a meeting. You just need to sit quietly to the side and take notes on the meeting's contents."

“Yes, yes! I will take good notes!” Hinamori replied immediately.

Matsumoto Rangiku looked at her, then suddenly her eyes crinkled into a smile as she asked, "By the way, Hinamori, what's your relationship with the captain... now?"

Hinamori hadn't expected her to suddenly inquire about these things, and it was really hard to say what her relationship with the captain was like now. Although the two had done something substantial, the captain's attitude towards her was completely different from when they were at the Spirit Arts Academy.

After stammering for a moment, he said, "It's nothing, right? Back in the Spirit Arts Academy, the captain was my senior and the president of the student council."

Matsumoto Rangiku was somewhat surprised: "What do you mean? Aren't you two lovers? I think you're already very close."

Hinamori pursed her lips before saying, "Pretty much, but..."

Matsumoto Rangiku suddenly realized and laughed, "I understand, but we haven't officially established a relationship yet, right?"

Hinamori nodded slowly upon hearing this.

Matsumoto Rangiku remarked, "That's wonderful." Hinamori countered, "Does the vice-captain think it's good? Don't you think... it's strange?"

Matsumoto Rangiku looked ahead and said slowly, "What's wrong with that? It's enough for two people who like each other to be together. As for relationships, they don't matter at all to me."

"..."

Matsumoto Rangiku seemed somewhat sentimental, but didn't say much. After walking for a while, she suddenly caught sight of a figure and immediately greeted him with a smile: "Nanao!"

Not far away, two other people were huddled together: Ise Nanao, the vice-captain of the 8th Division, and Kani Sawa, the 9th Seat.

Matsumoto Rangiku quickened her pace slightly and went to meet her.

She looked at Xie Ze and laughed, "You didn't bring three seats either."

Ise Nanao casually pushed up her glasses and said, "The Kani Sawa team members are more serious."

Kani Ze took the initiative to greet Matsumoto Rangiku with, "Vice-Captain Matsumoto."

After the two groups of people took their positions, Ise Nanao and Kanazawa also fixed their gazes on Hinamori.

Kani Sawa naturally recognized Hinamori, and seeing that she had indeed joined the 10th Division, he remained calm and didn't say much.

The two had always had a rather ordinary relationship. Although they would often get together at gatherings related to letters, they rarely had any private conversations.

Hinamori felt embarrassed because of a previous conflict between the two of them. In fact, she had received instructions from a letter afterward to go and apologize to Kani Sawa.

But Kani Sawa never gave her that chance. Kani Sawa was somewhat cold to people, and even more so to Hinamori.

Hinamori realized she was in the wrong and decided not to bother the other party.

When the two occasionally bumped into each other at parties, they acted as if the other didn't exist.

Matsumoto Rangiku introduced with a smile: "This is a new member of our 10th Division, named Hinamori Momo. She is the top student of this year's Spirit Arts Academy."

Hinamori was taken aback by what she heard, and wanted to explain that she was not the chief student, and that she was a student who graduated early and was not in the same year as the current graduates, but Matsumoto put a hand on her shoulder.

Ise Nanao said calmly, "Isn't the chief one named Kira Izuru? I remember he joined the Third Division."

When Matsumoto Rangiku realized she couldn't fool her, she chuckled: "She's the top student in the Kido class, and she's also the top student. Her overall grades are second, about the same as Kira's. Besides, Hinamori is the head of the organization department in the Spirit Arts Academy student council class."

Her tone carried a hint of boasting.

Ise Nanao asked, "Then Kira Izuru is the vice president, right?"

Matsumoto Rangiku pouted, somewhat bored. "Are you trying to sabotage me?"

Nanao Ise said, "There are always outstanding newcomers every year, but the Spirit Arts Academy and the Thirteenth Team are different. We'll have to wait and see how good they are. Our Kanazawa team members are quite outstanding, and their rankings will continue to improve this year."

Matsumoto Rangiku retorted, "Of course our Hinamori is just as good."

Ise Nanao looked at Hinamori and said, "Hinamori Momo, is that right?"

Hinamori quickly greeted them, "Greetings, Vice-Captain Ise and Senior Kanizawa."

Ise Nanao asked, "Do you know that your 10th Division has a member named Hitsugaya Toshiro?"

Hinamori nodded upon hearing this.

Matsumoto Rangiku said, "Hitsugaya and she happened to be from the same district, and they were childhood friends."

Ise Nanao was taken aback upon hearing this, and said, "I see, no wonder."

She had intended to remind him that things weren't going well for him in the 10th Division, but after hearing Matsumoto's words, she changed her mind.

However, recently, the Tenth Division has been having some strange luck, becoming a gathering place for geniuses, and they are all so young.

It made her extremely envious.

"Okay, let's go in."

The four of them formed two lines, one in front of the other, and walked into a meeting room in the First Division barracks.

Hinamori noticed that there were already quite a few people inside, and her vice-captain greeted many of them familiarly as soon as she entered.

She thought to herself that this must be the circle of vice-captains, since everyone here except herself was basically an adjutant or an assistant adjutant.

Hinamori also met another acquaintance.

Kotetsu Isane...

Upon seeing her, a multitude of thoughts flashed through Hinamori's mind.

She and the captain...

Kotetsu Isane was indeed a very beautiful person. Her silver hair was very eye-catching, and her slightly heroic face always carried a gentle and weak expression.

Looking at the other person, Hinamori felt a surge of resentment.

In her opinion, this person only succeeded because he was able to spend time with the captain when the captain was in the Fourth Division.

What man would like a girl who is that tall?

Moreover, the current captain belongs to me.

Thinking this, Hinamori immediately puffed out her chest and looked at the other person with a somewhat smug expression.

Seemingly noticing Hinamori's gaze, Kotetsu Isane also looked at her. Their eyes met in mid-air, and Isane's eyes showed a hint of surprise, but she quickly realized what was happening.

Yongyin remembers the other person, and has a deep impression of him.

"You know Hinamori from our team?" Matsumoto Rangiku sat down next to Isane and said with a slight smile.

"Ah, I know him..."

Yuon managed a forced smile. "I remember she said before... she wanted to come to the Fourth Division."

Upon hearing this, Matsumoto Rangiku raised an eyebrow slightly, quickly understood the reason, and then leaned close to Isane's ear and whispered a few words.

These words silenced Kotetsu Isane.

"Well... that's fine too."

She seemed a little embarrassed, and her words were somewhat perfunctory.

Matsumoto Rangiku continued, "Who would have thought that my captain likes this kind of girl? So, in the end, he's still just a kid. He can't appreciate the charm of mature older sisters like us."

As she spoke, she deliberately puffed out her chest.

This action immediately attracted the attention of many men in the room.

Yuu-ne seemed not to have heard what Matsumoto Rangiku said, but occasionally glanced at Hinamori, lost in thought.

It's all over now. Who Xin is with is entirely his own business...

Yongyin thought with a desolate look in her eyes.

(End of this chapter)