Restricted Death

Chapter 202 Rukia's Provocation
Since then, Matsumoto Rangiku has gradually become much more "normal." She no longer spends her days in the office like an empty shell, and she has begun to fulfill her duties as the vice-captain, taking the initiative to do some of the work that should be her responsibility.

It was as if she had "changed herself" after this incident.

Although he still doesn't say a word when he sees the letter, the letter knows that it's only a matter of time.

Matsumoto Rangiku herself may not have been fully aware of this change, but to those around her, her "return" was like a slowly melting layer of ice, gradually revealing her original outline.

The first to notice something amiss was Toshiro Hitsugaya. When he came to deliver the patrol log recently, he was astonished to find that the curtains in the vice-captain's office had been fully drawn open, and the morning light was streaming in, illuminating the space that had been deliberately left in a semi-dark state.

When I go to her to discuss work-related matters, I no longer have to waste my breath talking to her all by myself.

This was undoubtedly a good thing. Hitsugaya went to the captain's office specifically to find a letter, telling Rangiku about the changes she had experienced these past few days and saying that she was finally not so tired anymore.

Upon hearing this, Shin smiled slightly. Looking at the white-haired boy in front of him, he knew that as the third seat, Hitsugaya's pressure and workload far exceeded that of ordinary seat officers, and was even more arduous than that of many vice-captains.

He patted the other man's thin shoulder: "Hitsugaya, you've really worked hard. From now on, you'll take over my job!"

Upon hearing this, Hitsugaya's face immediately scrunched up. He glanced at Shin and muttered ungratefully, "It'll be ages before I take over your job."

He had seen the letter's file. This guy, who was his senior in the Spirit Arts Academy and later became his superior in the Tenth Division, was actually younger than him!

Given the Shinigami's long lifespan and the strength and status demonstrated by Shin, it's practically a certainty that he will remain as the captain of the 10th Division for a hundred or even several hundred years, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Hitsugaya had no intention of remaining a third seat or vice-captain for hundreds of years.

The night was chilly.

Xin slowly returned home and found that the lights were on inside.

After taking off his shoes in the entryway, a figure emerged from the bedroom.

"I don't remember giving you the key."

The letter addressed the man, ignoring his extremely provocative attire.

Wearing a nearly transparent sheer nightgown, Hinamori pouted slightly upon hearing this and said, "You don't welcome me here?"

Shin took off his captain's haori and threw it on the sofa, saying, "This is my house. You've just barged in without saying hello, which is an invasion of my private space."

Hinamori Momo walked towards him with a smile, her bare feet touching the floor silently.

Warm light streamed down from behind her, illuminating her gossamer-thin, light pink nightgown until it almost lost its concealing function, creating a breathtaking scene.

She came up to Xin and took the initiative to help him remove his shihata suit.

Up close, Xin could clearly smell the fresh, sweet, peach-like fragrance emanating from her.

She looked as if she had just taken a shower; her hair was still wet and disheveled.

Shin didn't speak, but just as her fingertips were about to touch the sash, he suddenly reached out and grabbed her slender waist. Hinamori Momo let out a soft cry as he easily lifted her up and held her in his arms with one hand. She leaned on his shoulder and let out a soft, smug, and satisfied laugh.

The night of passion had exhausted them both, and the air was filled with a sweet, lingering scent and a sense of languor.

Hinamori Momo curled up in Shin's arms like a cat that had eaten too much, her face flushed and her fair skin covered with a thin layer of sweat, her breathing still a little rapid.

She raised her head slightly, rubbed her cheek against Xin's chest, and said in a slightly hoarse and sticky voice, "Captain, can I move in with you?"

“No good.” Xin replied crisply.

Upon hearing this, Hinamori Momo visibly stiffened. She abruptly raised her head, her large, watery eyes instantly filled with astonishment and grievance. After realizing what she had said, she glared at him angrily: "Why?"

So, they're turning their backs on you after you've done your job?!

Without opening his eyes, Xin casually made up a reason in a flat tone: "Aren't you living quite well in the dormitory in the team? Wouldn't it cause gossip if you suddenly moved here? If you don't like living in the dormitory, I can help you apply for an apartment after you are promoted to captain."

Hinamori Momo sat up, her body aching. She raised her voice in dissatisfaction, a hint of petulance in her tone: "Let them talk! The captain and I... we're perfectly innocent, it's not like we have anything to hide! I'm not afraid of what people say!"

"So, do you still want to be promoted to the position of Chief Officer? Once our relationship is made public, if I promote you in the future, people will definitely say that you got the position because of your relationship with me."

Hinamori was taken aback. She hadn't thought of that before, but after a moment's thought, she said, "Captain Kaien of the Third Division and Vice-Captain Shiba are husband and wife!"

"Before she got together with Haiyan, Vice Captain Zhibo was already a board member, and her excellence was obvious to all at the time."

Hinamori's little face showed her grievance, and she sat there without saying a word.

After a long pause, she suddenly asked, "Is it simply that you don't want me to move in?"

Xin did not deny it, and calmly said, "I think our relationship is fine as it is now, and I hope we can give each other more private space."

Hinamori couldn't help but ask, "Then why did you...?"

She stopped mid-sentence, her initial enthusiasm faltering, then turning somber as she murmured, "Should we let...Vice Captain Kotetsu move in?"

Upon hearing this, Xin sighed softly, then pulled her back into his arms and said, "That's why we eventually broke up. It's not a good thing for two people to be too close. I don't want us to repeat the same mistake."

Hinamori seemed to be persuaded; the look in her eyes was no longer so hard, or rather, she was unconsciously trying to convince herself to believe him.

But she was still in low spirits, and leaned against him, asking, "Are we going to keep going like this?"

Her words were full of probing, revealing her desire to take her relationship with Shin to the next level.

Xin put his arm around her and said, "Isn't it good now? We have a long future ahead of us, and we should leave each other room to take things further."

Hinamori was speechless at his words, so she opened her mouth and bit his arm.

However, she didn't dwell on the topic any further, afraid of upsetting Xin.

Sleeping in each other's arms.

As the night passed, Shin woke up earlier, washed up, and said to Hinamori, who was still lying in bed, "I'm going to the barracks first. You can sleep a little longer" before leaving.

After being exhausted last night, Hinamori didn't feel energetic until almost noon. She stretched and got out of bed, took a shower, and then brushed her teeth in the bathroom.

Although she didn't officially move in, there were always some of her personal belongings kept there, which made Hinamori happy.

Thinking about how Kotetsu Isane had moved in, she felt a surge of anger, but more than that, she felt a sense of pride.

The captain now belongs to me; that vice-captain Kotetsu was nothing more than a trivial interlude.

Moreover, she should thank her in some ways; it was because of her that Rukia temporarily withdrew, allowing her to get what she wanted.

After washing up, Hinamori went to her bedroom to find some new clothes, but while rummaging through the closet where she kept her underwear, she suddenly found a pair of unfamiliar underwear. Hinamori immediately frowned, holding the fabric in her hand—this was definitely not hers!

As her thoughts raced, she became certain that the letter hadn't been misplaced. He almost never touched his own clothes, so if he had really done that kind of thing behind her back, how could he have left such an obvious clue?

This is clearly someone deliberately provoking me!

who is it? !
Totetsu's Yuune?

It's unlikely; the two have already broken up.

Could it be... Rukia?

Hinamori thought bitterly. Her first thought wasn't disappointment at Shin for doing such a thing, but anger at the other party's deliberate provocation.

damn it!
After cursing in her heart, Hinamori's face turned pale and then flushed.

Only then did she begin to believe why she had to do this, and what she was lacking compared to Rukia.
Or perhaps men are all fickle and easily bored, and he was just another person who gave him a sense of novelty after Kotetsu Isane.

Hinamori squatted in front of the wardrobe, staring at the fabric in her hands for a long time before finally calming down.

No matter what, I can't let go, and I certainly can't let another woman get her way!
The captain can only be himself!

Instead of angrily tearing it to shreds or throwing it away, she folded it neatly and put it in a bag.

After getting dressed again, she didn't bother to tidy up the bedroom as usual; she simply put the bag containing the underwear away and left.

Hinamori, after leaving Shin's house, didn't go to the 10th Division, but instead went to the Shinigami Academy.

While the students were still in class, Hinamori went to the student council headquarters office alone and sat in Rukia's seat. She casually flipped through the documents on the desk and opened the drawer without any sense of propriety.

There was nothing special about it, just some documents related to student council work.

noon.

Students appeared in the central square outside the window, and soon after, footsteps could be heard outside the office.

Rukia appeared at the door. She was clearly taken aback when she saw Hinamori sitting in her seat, but then smiled and greeted her as if nothing had happened.

"How did you come?"

Hinamori smiled and said, "I came to see you."

The two seemed to still be close friends, but Hinamori sat there without making any move, which subtly revealed a sharp and unfriendly meaning.

Rukia ignored this, walked to the side, poured two glasses of water, and placed one in front of Hinamori.

When she saw Hinamori suddenly arrive at this time, she immediately knew why she had come.

Actually, she regretted it a little after leaving her things at Shin's house that day. Although there was already a rift between her and Hinamori, there was really no need to make their relationship too strained.

Ultimately, she still hoped that there was room for reconciliation between herself and Hinamori.

Moreover, she shouldn't have this kind of personality; Rukia almost doesn't recognize her anymore.

Are you free today?

"I'm just an ordinary member of the 10th Division. How much work do I have to do?" Hinamori said with a faint smile. All she had to do every day was patrol the streets with her seniors in the division. As for hanging around Shin's office every day, helping with chores like serving tea and water and running errands, that was something she did voluntarily.

"correct."

Hinamori took out the bag, placed it on the table, and said calmly, "You left something at the captain's house. I'll bring it to you."

"..."

Rukia looked at the bag she had taken out; it was just an ordinary bag, and she couldn't see what was inside, which gave her a sudden chill.

Looking at Hinamori's composed demeanor, she felt her own expression stiffen.

"Really? Thank you for your help." Rukia replied in a calm voice.

The two tacitly avoided further conversation. Hinamori, seeing that she didn't even look at what was in the bag, sneered inwardly, becoming even more convinced that she was doing this on purpose.

Provocation, declaration of war?
Hinamori then said nonchalantly, "It's also the captain's fault. He's so careless about my things. If I hadn't changed my clothes this morning, he probably wouldn't have noticed."

Rukia's face paled slightly; she naturally understood Hinamori's boastful tone.

But she had indeed done it herself, and there was no point in explaining anymore. She stepped forward and put the bag away.

She breathed a silent sigh of relief and slowly said, "The president is indeed that kind of person."

"..."

"..."

The atmosphere in the office suddenly became quiet and somewhat oppressive.

Just then, another figure appeared at the door.

"President, I brought you lunch..."

Ganju stopped abruptly just as he was about to step into the office. He glanced back and forth between Rukia and Hinamori, and smiled, "Hinamori-senpai is here."

He seemed to sense something, and seeing the two people's expressionless faces, he placed the lunchbox in his hand on the table next to him.

"Um, I have something to do. President, I've left your food here."

After saying that, Yanjiu fled the scene as if he were running away.

Hinamori then stood up slowly and said, "You go ahead and eat. I'm going back too. The captain probably hasn't had lunch yet."

"..."

As Rukia listened to Hinamori's footsteps fading into the distance down the corridor, she slumped against the table, utterly deflated.

She looked down, opened the bag, and peeked inside. Wasn't this the "gift" she had deliberately kept for Hinamori?

She bit her lip tightly, her eyes flickering uncertainly.

(End of this chapter)