After leaving behind a letter for Kūkaku—who looked especially cute while sleeping—Masatsuki Aozaki left the Shiba residence.
The Gotei 13 was quite far from West Rukongai.
Fortunately, Masatsuki Aozaki wasn't in a hurry.
Taking his time, he found a small restaurant, had a leisurely breakfast, and rested for a while before heading toward the 12th Division under the scorching sun.
For the past two days, Kirio Hikifune had been using Kidō to send him requests for takeout again.
He had been busy at the time and turned her down, saying he didn't have time. Instead, he arranged to teach her how to cook today.
By now, it was close to noon, and the streets were still bustling with Shinigami moving quickly.
Masatsuki figured they were most likely hurrying to the squad cafeteria while they still had some free time.
It reminded him of his past life—back in high school, his favorite class had been gym.
He still remembered how physical education was always the last period before lunch.
If he was lucky, and the PE teacher wasn't out sick, he could run to the cafeteria early and avoid competing with other students in the mad dash for food.
—Funny how I ended up in a place where life and death are unpredictable, yet my days somehow feel more relaxed.
Masatsuki Aozaki chuckled to himself as he happened to pass by the 8th Division barracks.
The sight reminded him of an old friend.
He had first met this friend on the day he enrolled at the Shin'ō Academy, and they had since been caught up in a business venture that would definitely be considered illegal in modern society.
Soon enough, that very friend appeared in front of the 8th Division barracks, holding a peculiar-looking book.
The faintly visible title read Suichūgetsu—Masatsuki Aozaki's pen name.
The person holding it was none other than Lisa Yadōmaru, Lieutenant of the 8th Division.
Lisa glanced up at him, her eyes filled with expectation.
Beside her stood a young girl with glasses.
Following Lisa's gaze, the little girl looked at Masatsuki, her large eyes brimming with curiosity.
Masatsuki Aozaki cast a brief glance at the girl before shaking his head slightly at Lisa.
Lisa's face fell in disappointment as she turned back and walked into the 8th Division quarters.
…I feel like I've seen that kid somewhere before. Next time, I'll ask Lisa about her.
Shaking off his curiosity, Masatsuki continued on his way.
...
After days of rain, Seireitei was finally blessed with a bright and sunny day.
At some point, the number of people on the streets had dwindled significantly.
With a light step, Masatsuki Aozaki arrived at the entrance of the 12th Division barracks and informed the stationed Shinigami of his arrival.
The guard seemed to have been expecting him and wordlessly opened the door, allowing him to enter.
Masatsuki strolled down the clean, orderly corridor, heading straight for the captain's quarters.
That was his destination—or more precisely, where Kirio Hikifune lived.
Stopping in front of a paper door, he raised his hand and knocked gently.
"Kirio-san."
"Come in," came a muffled voice from inside the room.
Masatsuki Aozaki slid open the paper door.
Inside, Kirio Hikifune was sitting cross-legged on the floor, chewing on something, a book resting on her lap. Beside her were tea and snacks.
Just from the cover, Masatsuki could tell she was nothing like Lisa Yadōmaru, whose mind was filled with all sorts of bizarre material.
Kirio was a true food enthusiast—the kind who could start salivating just from reading about recipes.
Noticing his gaze, she gave a sheepish smile.
Food in Soul Society was scarce.
The nobles undoubtedly lived the best lives here, but their so-called luxurious meals, while intricately prepared, weren't as grand as they seemed.
Sure, there were delicious dishes, but the variety was limited. No matter how good something was, eating the same things over and over again eventually got dull.
Kirio picked up the book, which was essentially a cookbook, and handed it to Masatsuki.
"Masatsuki, look—don't these dishes seem pretty good? I managed to get this from some top chefs in the Noble District."
She suddenly clapped her hands. "Speaking of which, you're a noble now, right? You must've had these kinds of meals before."
"Let me take a look." Masatsuki took the book.
The recipes were all traditional Japanese cuisine, not much different from what existed in the World of the Living.
At this point in history, Japan had only just begun interacting with the outside world. It was nothing like the advanced nation it would become in the future, and its culinary variety was still quite limited.
Most of the dishes in the book focused on bringing out the natural flavors of the ingredients, favoring lighter seasoning.
However, the people of Seireitei—Masatsuki included—generally preferred bolder flavors.
While the dishes in the book were visually appealing and required complex preparation, they didn't necessarily guarantee great taste.
Kirio might think these recipes were amazing, but to Masatsuki—who had never skimped on good food and had learned various cooking styles—they were completely unremarkable.
"They look nice, but the flavors seem too mild. Not my thing," Masatsuki said matter-of-factly.
"If you really want to try noble cuisine, I could cook some for you."
Despite his words, he made no move to do so.
He knew Kirio had a similar taste to his—she liked her food rich and flavorful.
"Forget it, then." Kirio waved a hand dismissively, instantly losing interest in the book.
Masatsuki thought for a moment. "How about I teach you how to make fried food today? It's easy to prepare and suits your taste better."
Fried food was high in calories and could easily lead to weight gain.
Masatsuki himself had the kind of metabolism that made it hard to put on weight, but he knew Kirio had the potential to gain some.
Not that it really mattered—she could always burn it off by using up her Reiatsu.
Besides, it wasn't like he was about to deny her the joy of eating just because she might gain a little weight.
If he tried, she'd probably cut ties with him on the spot.
And since she could slim down whenever she wanted, it wasn't an issue at all.
Without waiting for her response, Masatsuki moved around the room and opened another door.
Inside was a fully equipped kitchen.
Kirio's love for food had driven her to convert part of her captain's quarters into a dedicated cooking space.
This wasn't Masatsuki's first time here—he effortlessly opened the cabinets and pulled out various ingredients.
Kirio, having completely abandoned any captain-like dignity, followed him around like an eager apprentice.
Seeing how serious he looked, she even took out a notebook and started jotting down notes.
Standing at the counter, Masatsuki couldn't help but marvel at the setup, even though he had seen it before.
Her kitchen was better stocked than his own.
For this era, it had an impressive collection of cooking tools, rivaling anything in Soul Society.
Under Kirio's attentive gaze, Masatsuki began cooking with practiced ease.
With her watching, he felt even more motivated.
Of course, he hadn't come here just to cook.
His real reason was the charming woman standing right behind him.
There was an old saying—if you want to win someone's heart, start with their stomach.
Masatsuki didn't know if that worked on everyone…
But after spending so much time with Kirio, he was certain it worked on her.
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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