Restricted Death

Chapter 193 Glasses
That evening, most of the members of the 10th Division had left the barracks, but Shin was still in his office.

Hinamori, who hadn't left yet, knocked on the door and came in, smiling broadly as she approached the desk: "Captain, time to go home!"

Xin lay back in the chair, crossing his legs and propping them up on the table: "Yeah, you should go back too."

Seeing that he showed no sign of leaving, Hinamori asked, "It's late, Captain, aren't you going home?"

Shin knew what she meant; she probably didn't want to go back to the 10th Division's dormitory and wanted to go to her own home instead.

This girl has really gotten hooked.

He's not in the mood today.

"I still have some work to do, you should go back to your dorm first."

Hinamori pouted and said, "I want to go home with you, so I'll wait for you."

Xin said helplessly, "Listen to me."

Hinamori walked around the desk to his side, put her arms around Shin's neck, and nuzzled his cheek affectionately: "No, I want to sleep with you tonight, I want you to hold me while I sleep."

Xin reached out and gently flicked her forehead. "I told you, you go back first. I'll be too tired to go back after I finish my work."

Hinamori pouted and stared longingly at the letter.

However, Shin remained unmoved. Hinamori realized that neither gentle persuasion nor force would work, and with no other options, she could only snort unhappily before leaving the office.

Shin was still thinking about Matsumoto Rangiku.
Even if Matsumoto Rangiku's favorability rating doesn't rise, it's not particularly important to Shin. There are still quite a few women in Seireitei who haven't been explored yet, including some in the real world and probably even some in Hueco Mundo. Losing one of them won't have a significant impact on his strength improvement.

However, Xin did not want her to leave him or break away from him.

Xin glanced at the night outside the window.
By this time, Matsumoto Rangiku had probably already left.

He probed the spiritual pressure inside the barracks and found only a few scattered individuals: the team members on night duty and Hinamori, who hadn't gone far.

However, another spiritual pressure fluctuation is approaching this place.

this late……

Lost in thought, he took something out of his desk drawer and slowly examined it.

dong dong——

"Enter."

Ise Nanao pushed open the door and entered the office. "Excuse me, Captain Tachikawa."

Shin lowered his leg from the table, moved his chair, and looked at the other person with a faint smile, "Vice-Captain Ise, is there something you need?"

She walked slowly to the desk, about to speak and deliver her prepared remarks, when her gaze suddenly fell upon something on the table. At first, she didn't pay it any mind, only noticing that it looked familiar, but in just a moment she realized what it was, and her pupils contracted sharply.

"Vice-Captain Ise?"

Ise Nanao was momentarily dazed, then quickly bowed her head and said, "Captain Tachikawa, I've come to apologize to you."

After she spoke, her mind was in complete turmoil, and she kept glancing at the desk.

Xin had been watching her reaction closely, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Really? What's wrong?"

Ise Nanao maintained a degree of composure and said, "It was about Rangiku's decision to change squads. I was also involved in it, and I'm so sorry for causing you so much trouble, Captain Tachikawa."

Shin smiled calmly: "It's alright. Matsumoto is just a little unhappy lately. I think she'll figure it out herself in a few days."

"..."

Ise Nanao lowered her head again and said, "I am very sorry, Captain Tachikawa. It was my idea to have our captain come to you. All of this is my fault. I had doubts about you before and had bad thoughts about you."

Shin was easygoing and said, "I told you, it's okay. You're Matsumoto's friend, and your intention in doing this was also for Matsumoto's sake. Just try to persuade her when you have time."

"……I see."

Ise Nanao raised her head, her gaze involuntarily drifting back to the object on the table, her thoughts becoming uncontrollably chaotic.

Her visit was at the behest of her captain, who instructed her to extricate herself from the Matsumoto Rangiku affair. Initially, she was reluctant, but Kyoraku gave the order directly, leaving her no choice but to comply.

Ise Nanao had served as the captain of the 8th Division for a long time and had an exceptionally close relationship with Kyoraku Shunsui, as she was his niece and they were related by blood. Their interactions were very casual; she often appeared to be critical or bossy towards Kyoraku Shunsui, but in reality, she deeply respected him and would never disobey his wishes.

However, at this moment, Ise Nanao was no longer thinking about anything related to Matsumoto Rangiku. After hesitating for a long time, she finally spoke and pointed to the desk.

"Captain Tachikawa, may I take a look at... those glasses?"

On the desk, a pair of red-rimmed glasses sat quietly. The lenses were somewhat narrow and elongated. The style was quite unique, unlike the ordinary style worn by Nanao Ise, which made it stand out and be easily recognizable to anyone who remembered it.

Xin's eyes flickered slightly as he said, "What, you like this style?"

Ise Nanao already wore glasses, so there was nothing wrong with what Shin said. He handed over the glasses.

Nana's hand trembled slightly as she took the glasses, carefully examining them.

"Captain Ise?" Shin called softly.

Ise Nanao quickly put on a forced smile and said, "It's nothing. These glasses look familiar. I had a... senior who wore the same style of glasses."

"Really? Where is your senior?"

“…He’s dead.”

"I see." Xin sighed, then said, "These glasses aren't mine; I got them from a girl."

"..."

Ise Nanao, who had been looking down, suddenly paused.

She tried to keep her voice as calm as possible: "Really? What kind of girl is she?"

A somewhat absurd idea began to grow in her mind, slowly taking over all her thoughts.

Shin countered, "Does Vice-Captain Ise care that much?"

Ise Nanao feigned composure again: "It's nothing, it's just that it's strange for a girl to wear this style of glasses, and it's the same style as the glasses that my senior wears, so I couldn't help but ask."

Xin hesitated for a moment, seemingly somewhat troubled.

Seeing this, Ise Nanao immediately asked, "What's wrong, Captain Tachikawa? Is there something you can't say?" Shin nodded slightly, "It's not convenient to say. This matter involves many things, and I haven't investigated it myself yet. I think it's better for Vice Captain Ise not to know. Didn't you just say that your senior has passed away?"

Ise Nanao's throat bobbed, and she asked in surprise, "Did she... wear braids?"

Xin asked in surprise, "How did you know... Could that person be your senior? Didn't you say she was dead?"

"...I...I don't know either."

Qi Xu's eyes were slightly dazed. She didn't know what happened back then. At that time, she wasn't even a high-ranking official, and there were many things she wasn't qualified to know.

At the time, Lisa Yadomaru, the vice-captain of the 8th Division, always took good care of her. Therefore, in Nanao's heart, the female Shinigami she respected and admired the most was her former vice-captain.

However, more than forty years ago, a major event shook the Soul Society: several captains defected, including Lisa Yadomaru. The Seireitei was in a state of panic, and much information was blocked. Those of lower rank had no idea what had happened.

Later, after Ise Nanao became the vice-captain, she gained some authority and wanted to investigate what happened back then, but was stopped by Kyoraku Shunsui.

He only said that he didn't know it was for her own good.

Could the person Captain Tachikawa encountered be the same one...?

Ise Nanao stared blankly at the glasses in her hand for a long time.

Seeing her reaction, Xin remained silent for a moment before saying, "I met that person when I went to the mortal world. If she really is your senior, then it will prove some of my guesses."

The present world?

"What guess?" Ise Nanao asked quickly.

Shin shook his head helplessly: "I'm sorry, Vice Captain Ise, it's really not convenient to tell you about this. At least I have to investigate it myself. Actually, I'm not sure if what I did was right or wrong."

"..."

"I'm sorry, Captain Tachikawa, it was my fault." Ise Nanao took a few deep breaths and apologized again.

"It's alright." Xin held out her hand. "Can you give it back to me?"

"..."

Ise Nanao hesitated for a moment, then handed the glasses back to her with both hands.

She couldn't help but ask, "Captain Tachikawa, since you're not sure if what you did was right or wrong, why do you want to investigate this matter? Isn't there a risk in doing so? You might receive a reprimand or even punishment."

Xin put her glasses back in the drawer and said, "I heard a story from that person. If what she said is true, then she is someone worth helping, and I want to help such a person."

"..."

Ise Nanao wanted to continue asking what the story was, but she knew that Shin wouldn't tell her.

"I understand, Captain Tachikawa."

Ise Nanao said, then bowed to the letter, "I'll take my leave now."

After leaving Shin's office, Ise Nanao couldn't help but look back, her gaze flickering with worry and melancholy.

Miss Yadomaru...

She went to Matsumoto Rangiku's house.

"Seven Threads!"

When Matsumoto Rangiku saw her, she seemed a little excited: "I saw that Captain Kyoraku came to the 10th Division today. How did it go?"

Ise Nanao looked at Matsumoto Rangiku with a complicated expression, hesitated for a moment, and said, "I'm sorry, Rangiku..."

Matsumoto Rangiku was taken aback, instantly realizing that the task had not been accomplished, and her expression visibly turned disappointed.

"That's it..."

Undeterred, she asked, "Is there any other way?"

Ise Nanao lowered her eyes and said, "I... am just a vice-captain, with limited abilities. It's not appropriate for our captain to interfere in such matters, as it might have some impact on him. I'm sorry, Rangiku, I can't..."

“Ah, I understand.” Matsumoto Rangiku continued, her gaze tinged with sadness.

She sighed deeply and gave a bitter smile: "It seems I'm really going to fall into that guy's hands."

Upon hearing this, Ise Nanao recalled what her captain had said, as well as the scene of her meeting with Tachikawa Shin before coming to Rangiku's house that evening.

After a long silence, she said, "Rangiku... is it possible that Captain Tachikawa isn't the kind of person you describe, and that your relationship was just a misunderstanding..."

Matsumoto Rangiku's face instantly turned cold.

"What did you say?!"

Ise Nanao waved her hands repeatedly, saying somewhat flusteredly, "I didn't mean anything else. I mean... there might still be a turning point between you and Captain Tachikawa? If you can... let go and resolve these grudges, it would be good for your current situation. You could also stay in the 10th Division. And I also heard from Captain Tachikawa that he's not actually that angry with you. He understands you. As long as you can figure it out yourself, that's fine."

Matsumoto Rangiku's face was grim as she said hatefully, "You want me to settle my score with him? Do you even know what he did to me?! How good I was to him! I'm the one who brought him out of Rukongai! What kind of place is Zaraki Ward? People die there every day. Even Hollows are practically ignored there. If it weren't for me, he'd probably be dead by now! And how did he treat me?! He's an ungrateful bastard! Nanao, how can you speak up for him and ask me to go and settle some score with him? Are you telling me to bow down and apologize to him?!"

Ise Nanao was initially a little flustered, but seeing that she was suddenly being blamed, she suddenly felt a surge of anger.

She finally couldn't hold back any longer and agreed to question him: "So what exactly did he do to you? Tell me! I don't even know what happened?! I've been running around like a headless fly because of this, getting scolded by my captain, and now I'm being yelled at by you. Do I deserve this?!"

"..."

Matsumoto Rangiku was stunned. Looking at Ise Nanao's angry face, the anger in her heart instantly vanished.

"Nanao... I'm sorry, that's not what I meant. I'm very grateful for what you did for me. I didn't mean to get angry at you. I just... I just..."

But as she spoke, her voice grew softer and softer until it finally faded away.

The two stood facing each other, heads bowed, and the room fell silent.

"Never mind," Ise Nanao said softly, taking a small step back, seemingly somewhat tired.

"Seven Threads..."

"I'm sorry, Rangiku, I couldn't help you... It's late, and I'm tired. I'll go home now."

(End of this chapter)