The only player in the world of Bleach.

The sunlight slanted and slowly descended.

As dusk settled over the Seong Ling Court, the streetlights illuminated the area.

Aizen Sousuke led the two of them around for a long time until they stopped in front of a shop, whereupon he led them inside.

"This is a shop I visited a long time ago. The flavors are on the lighter side... If you don't like it, you can ask the shop to add more seasonings."

The place resembled an old-fashioned izakaya, with the three of them sitting around in a corner.

The general, his head wrapped in coarse cloth, was busy inside, skewering meat and shouting orders without looking up.

Welcome!

Taking the menu, Aizen Sousuke ordered some signature dishes, then looked up at the two of them.

"Tosen, Matsushita-kun, what would you two like to drink?"

Tosen sat to Matsushita Yusuke's left. He was serious and straight-backed, and at this moment he only nodded slightly in response.

"Lemonade will do..."

"Tosen, you've finally managed to get out of here, have a drink."

What else can you say when the leader is already urging you to drink?

The blind man hesitated for a while before speaking.

What kinds of low-alcohol beverages are there?

The waiter holding the pen and paper pondered for a moment, then spoke.

"How about the draft beer?"

"It's pretty good, I'll take this one."

Aizen Sousuke smiled and agreed, then turned his gaze to Matsushita Yusuke.

The latter understood immediately and carefully raised his hand.

"How about a highball..."

This is a special drink flavored with whiskey and carbonated beverages. It has the taste of alcohol while also having the sweet and sour taste of soft drinks, making it a kind of "social tool" among young people.

Aizen Sousuke seemed quite satisfied with the arrangement and offered no opinion, simply ordering a cup of sake for himself.

"Daiginjo... Could you please heat it up before serving it?"

Sake has a unique form, and while it is meant to be warm, its already mellow taste is even more palatable.

After placing his order, Aizen Sousuke watched the waiter walk away before turning back.

Perhaps it was because of the rare opportunity for a gathering?

Aizen Sousuke's smile was noticeably more pronounced than usual.

"Matsushita-kun, we're really sorry to have troubled you to take time out of your schedule to drink with us today."

"No, no, no, you're too kind..."

What's more important than studying? Spending time with your boss.

After all, the tasks have already popped up.

[Task: Attend a small gathering of members of the Sky-High Club]

[Synopsis: Those who go against the tide are always lonely, and your arrival will bring them some joy... However, these people are not good with words, so try your best to make them happy in your own way.]

[Rewards: Wine Tasting +5, Kido +2, Biological Zanpakuto +1]

Just looking at the rewards, you can tell it's a 'great harvest', but compared to the mission itself, Yusuke Matsushita is more concerned about the contents of the description.

So these two were indeed happy about his arrival, right?

But just looking at the expressions, it's really hard to understand them...

All I can say is that you two ATs have incredibly thick-skinned stances!

As the food was about to be served, the three looked at each other, none of them intending to speak first.

That won't do, it's too embarrassing.

Yusuke Matsushita could only carefully consider his words before speaking.

"Senior Dongxian, you also trained at the Spirit Arts Academy before. Do you have any courses you would particularly recommend?"

Making conversation out of thin air won't do; there has to be some reason—the courses at the Shinigami Academy are numerous, and since Tosen Kaname is a graduate, he naturally has a point of view to make.

Blind Brother noticeably straightened his back.

"Yes, there was... Matsushita-kun should be a first-year student this year?"

"Yes."

"Then I would recommend Mr. Yamano's courses. He has a deep understanding of kendo, and taking classes with him should be very effective..."

"Thank you so much, Senior Tosen!"

This isn't just idle talk.

As mentioned before, the Shinigami Academy itself is quite large in scale.

Even for the exact same course, there are nearly a dozen teachers providing specific instruction and guidance.

Because Yusuke Matsushita doesn't care much about the course content, he's always just picked any teacher he wants...

But actually?

If a suitable and responsible teacher can be found, the rewards in the task system can be improved slightly.

In this respect, Kaname Tosen was absolutely right...

It's about achieving twice the result with half the effort.

Once the topic was brought up, the slightly tense atmosphere eased.

It's clear that Tosen Kaname has a rather reserved and reserved personality.

After being praised a couple of times, he kept talking nonstop.

"In the second and third years, you will have some different teachers. I recommend Murata and Taiga for this stage... They are very responsible, and you will definitely have no problem asking them to handle any issues."

Aizen Sousuke, who had been listening in, would occasionally chime in with his own words.

"Will they change teachers again? It wasn't like this when I was a student."

"Lord Aizen, it's been decades since you went to school, hasn't it? To be honest, the employment situation for graduates of the Spirit Arts Academy hasn't been very good these days..."

"So, does that mean you're going straight back to school to take up your post?"

"After all, the employment report needs to look good, otherwise the First Division will investigate."

"Haha, times have really changed..."

—How come these two can still chat like this...?

Although he had wanted to make such a comment, after seeing the two of them smile happily, Matsushita Yusuke lost the urge to interrupt.

What are you thinking about? You're already out here, having fun is the most important thing!

"Your drinks are here."

Three drinks are ready.

The draft beer ordered by Tosen was the most eye-catching. The yellow beer was topped with thick white foam, and a little of it slid down the side of the glass, making it look quite "appetizing".

The colors of Yusuke Matsushita's highball are similar, but there's a small slice of lemon placed at the rim of the cup, making it look stylish and refreshing.

Aizen Sousuke's sake was placed in a small, square box, in a transparent glass, and looked crystal clear, just like tap water.

The drinks are in hand.

Aizen glanced over them, then lightly raised his wine cup and held it up in front of the two of them.

"Today is a rare occasion, let's enjoy ourselves... Cheers, everyone!"

Kaname Tosen and Yusuke Matsushita followed suit, and the three of them took a big gulp together.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

The blind man coughed so hard his back bent over, and his dark face turned bright red.

Matsushita Yusuke patted his back a couple of times, and he finally recovered.

Wiping his disheveled appearance from the corner of his mouth, Tosen nodded his thanks.

"To be honest, I'm really not very good at this kind of thing..."

"Is it because you rarely drink it?"

"Probably... After all, my eyesight isn't good, so I have to rely on other methods to perceive things. If I'm drunk, my senses will be a little dulled."

So that's how it is. It seems that persuading Brother Xia to drink was a bit unfair.

"but……"

Tosen changed the subject.

"Since today is such a rare occasion, a few drinks won't hurt."

You're still a drunkard, damn it!