CHAPTER 163: A Coincidental Meetup

The Shin'o Academy has a long history filled with crazy moments, and this year was shaping up to be the craziest among them. A certain student had gained quite a reputation for going head-to-head with the Captain of the 2nd Squad, an event that still echoed through the corridors in hushed, awe-stricken tones. This same student was also responsible for the dramatic collapse of the student dormitory.

And if those events weren't shocking enough, today he boldly challenged the Vice-Captain and the Captain of the 6th Squad right in the middle of the bustling cafeteria.

This day had been anything but ordinary.

Fortunately, the day took a slightly brighter turn for Class 1 students as Isane Kotetsu and Rangiku Matsumoto, the esteemed Vice-Captains of the 4th and 10th Divisions, graced them with their presence. The arrival of these two renowned individuals brought a mix of excitement and reverence among the students, as their fame and accomplishments were well-known throughout the academy.

However, not everyone shared this sense of excitement. In the back of the classroom, Momo sat with a grimace, biting her lip in frustration. Her mind couldn't help but visualize Kazuya flirting with Isane, which would undoubtedly eat into the time he had promised to spend with her. It was unforgivable.

Momo stood up, involuntarily casting an envious glance towards the tall and busty woman. "Vice-Captain Kotetsu, why are you here?"

Isane nervously scratched her cheeks, unable to understand the reason behind Momo's behavior. "I'm here to see Kazuya-kun. He mentioned he'd be back today."

Since Kazuya had learned everything from the academy, Isane had been contemplating the idea of starting Kazuya's Kaido classes during their free time. Kaido, though not as intricate as high-level Kidō spells, still required a level of expertise that few possessed. Even with Kazuya's remarkable talent, it would take years of dedication for him to reach her level. The sooner he began, the faster he would grow as a healer, and the faster he'd reach his goal of becoming the so-called 'Battle Healer.'

"Me too," Rangiku chimed in, emphasizing her statement by firmly planting her hands on her hips. Nobody could even guess that she accompanied Isane to evade the nasty paperwork. "So, where's he hiding?"

Momo shook her head, a polite smile playing on her lips. "He is busy with some work. Please come back after a few days."

Ignoring Toshiro's disapproving stare, she effortlessly weaved a lie. Her infatuation with Kazuya had caused her to become unhinged. However, Toshiro couldn't blame Kazuya or Momo for this. 

"That little punk," Matsumoto muttered quietly to herself, her words laced with annoyance. "Just where did he go?"

"Vice-Captains!" Renji spoke, raising his hand. "Don't trust this lying friend of mine. Kazuya went to the Kuchiki Manor. He'll probably be back in a couple hours."

Rangiku's eyebrows arched in response to the truth. With just one glance at Momo's flustered face, she instantly connected the dots. "Aha, so it's like that. Even his classmates can't resist his voice."

Isane's face turned crimson as she recalled her own experience in the restaurant. "What do we do now?"

"The classes should end soon. Let's wait for him in his dorm room."

"Good idea."

Rangiku approached Renji to ask him about the directions to Kazuya's dorm room before heading out.

Momo's eyes locked onto Renji, filled with an intense glare. "Kazuya-kun promised to spend the day with me. You should support me as your friend."

Renji playfully grinned as he rubbed his nose. "Don't ruin Kazuya's future just because of your clingy love."

"How?!"

"Those two were from the 4th and 10th Squads — the squads Kazuya wants to join. They said they had important business with him."

Momo closed her eyes, clenching her fists. "I'm going to join the 10th Squad."

Clearing the Shinigami course and joining Kazuya at the Gotei 13 — a single thought echoed relentlessly in her mind. She'd channel her passionate feelings into motivation and reach her goal in the shortest time possible. 

"I might do it too," Toshiro answered lazily. "I'm knocking that titty monster down from the Vice-Captain seat."

His ambition wasn't solely about following Kazuya. Toshiro had his own reasons, one of them being his admiration for Captain Isshin Shiba's direct and unpretentious nature. The idea of serving under Captain Isshin was appealing to him. Working alongside Kazuya was just a cherry on top.

Renji couldn't help but chuckle at Toshiro's comment, a smile forming on his face. "How come you hate tits so much? Are you a man or not?"

Toshiro narrowed his eyes dangerously. "I'm more man than you can ever be."

"Oh. Wanna compare our dicks, little guy?"

"..."

…

After finishing the lectures, Momo arrived outside Kazuya's dorm room. The unmistakable sound of Rangiku's laughter rippled through the air.

'Why are there three Reiatsu here?'

Toshiro had gone off to spend time with the Zanpakutō meditation training, so the Reiatsu couldn't belong to him. Kazuya's Reiatsu was still far away, so it couldn't be him either.

Driven by curiosity, Momo nuzzled the door open.

Inside the room, Rangiku was sprawled on the bed with her head resting on Isane's lap. They were both giggling over a suspicious-looking book. Sharing the bed with them was a beautiful bespectacled woman in a standard Shinigami uniform. Her long black hair was elegantly pinned back, with bangs falling to the right side of her face.

Momo immediately recognized the bespectacled woman as Nanao Ise, the Vice-Captain involved in the dorm disaster incident. "Why is Vice-Captain Ise here?"

Nanao Ise offered a small, polite wave. "I wanted to chat with the owner of this room."

"What's your business with him?"

Nanao's expression turned thoughtful, a hint of intrigue in her violet-tinted eyes. "I want to experience the magic of his voice myself. Let's just say I'm quite curious about him."

She had heard nothing but praise about Kazuya from Isane and Rangiku. To persuade Captain Unohana to let him join two Shinigami Squads only deepened her interest.

Momo barely fought the temptation to roll her eyes. She had a strong inkling that Nanao's curiosity would end with her being completely smitten by Kazuya. "You should've come tomorrow… I wanted to spend some alone time with him."

"Sorry for intruding, Hinamori-chan," Rangiku said with a light-hearted giggle, neatly putting the book aside as she sat up straight on the bed. "You know, it's rare that us Vice-Captains get a break from our duties."

Isane and Nanao exchanged a knowing look. The workload of a Vice-Captain varied significantly. Nanao's responsibilities involved supporting her Captain, Shunsui Kyoraku, and stepping in for him to lead squads. However, since Shunsui was not always the most proactive Captain, Nanao often found herself with free time to pursue her own interests.

Isane, on the other hand, was mostly occupied with special missions alongside other Squads, though these were becoming increasingly rare. Her primary role involved providing treatment, leaving her with considerable free time outside her duties.

Rangiku was the only one who actively went to the Living World for Hollow purification. Despite this, she was notorious for skirting the more mundane aspects of her job, such as paperwork.

From their perspective, Rangiku's words were a white lie but Momo couldn't have known better due to her lack of knowledge.

As Momo sat surrounded by the three Vice-Captains, she couldn't shake off a creeping sense of inferiority. This feeling wasn't about her power or abilities as a Shinigami. Rather, it stemmed from her self-perception of femininity. Each of the Vice-Captains possessed an alluring figure and, most importantly, a physical presence that made Momo feel somewhat inadequate. They had the air of authority and confidence that Momo lacked because of her inexperience.

In a moment of self-doubt, Momo mentally reached out to the Zanpakutō Spirit living in her Inner World. 'Tobiume, what can I do to grow like them?'

'I don't know…' Tobiume replied. 'But maybe you shouldn't compare yourself to them in terms of beauty. You possess something they all lack — a sense of true companionship.'

Momo found comfort in those words. ''You're right. Bust size doesn't matter. My feelings are what truly counts.'

She'd willingly throw her life away to protect Kazuya — a conviction born from her passion.

'Don't doubt yourself, Momo. Show the same persistence you did when reaching out to me.'

'I will!'

…

Unbeknownst to Momo and the three Vice-Captains, a shadowy figure stood above the dormitory building.

"Three Vice-Captains and four Zanpakutō Spirits to claim as mine," the slouched figure mused, his long nails making clicky sounds with every movement. "How fortunate I am."

"So am I."

A shiver went down Muramasa's spine. Turning his head, he saw a smile stretching ear to ear — a smile he would never forget in his entire life.