Chapter 140

Mei emerged from the water, her slender yet toned figure gleaming as droplets cascaded down her body. She wore nothing but a white silk fundoshi, clinging tightly to her skin and leaving little to the imagination. The sarashi she wore—a long strip of cloth bound tightly around her midriff up to her chest—completed the look, highlighting her athletic yet feminine form. Her muscles, sculpted from years of training, were unmistakable, yet her body still retained its natural curves. It was a striking and sensational sight, one Yuichi had seen many times over the years, yet he never quite got used to it. No matter how often he saw her, Mei's beauty had a way of catching him off guard.

She stepped out of the water with her usual grace, grabbing a towel to dry off. Yuichi averted his gaze slightly, though not entirely—he always found it difficult to act completely indifferent around her. He casually shifted his weight from one foot to the other, pretending to be absorbed in the sky or the trees whenever she caught him looking.

"Lady Yoruichi asked me to tell you something," Mei said, her voice breaking the comfortable silence between them as she began putting on her black shihakusho. Her fingers moved swiftly, securing the obi around her waist before tightening the fabric. "Lord Yūshirō has been asking repeatedly about when you'll visit again. She says you should stop by tonight."

Yuichi chuckled, his hand running through his hair as he glanced over at her. "If I don't go, she'll probably beat him half to death, then come find me and do the same." He shook his head, already imagining Yoruichi's exasperation. "So yeah, I'll stop by tonight after I check in with the 12th Division. I don't want to tempt fate like last time. My ribs still hurt whenever I see her."

Mei finished tying her obi, giving him a quick nod. "Good idea. It's been a while since you visited Lord Yūshirō, and Lady Yoruichi doesn't take kindly to her little brother being disappointed. Since he bothers her about it." She smirked, knowing all too well Yoruichi's playful but dangerous temperament. After a final glance at her appearance, she picked up her zanpakutō and slung it over her shoulder. "I'll leave you to it then. Duty calls."

Yuichi nodded as Mei turned to leave. Miel in her mini bee form silently flew to his side and followed Mei toward the entrance. Miel had developed a peculiar habit of escorting her whenever she left, something Mei never seemed to mind. When Mei finally disappeared from sight, Miel returned to Yuichi's side, her presence as calm and serene, unlike her old emotional outbursts.

With Mei gone, Yuichi wasted no time getting dressed. His own black shihakusho slid over his skin with practiced ease, the familiar weight of his sword settling comfortably at his hip. There was no point in lingering; he had duties to attend to, and avoiding Urahara's sharp eyes for too long wasn't wise. As much as Yuichi liked his lax way of running the 12th Division captain, Hiyori Sarugaki was a whole other story; she was known for pushing his subordinates—something Yuichi had experienced firsthand.

He quickly made his way to the 12th Division headquarters, a place that had become familiar yet still managed to make him feel a little out of place. The research division was known for its experiments, inventions, and technology, and although Yuichi came from a more technologically advanced time he always saw something that amazed him.

As Yuichi entered the division's sprawling compound, the first person he spotted was none other than Rin Tsubokura. The soul reaper was busy typing away at one of the division's many data terminals, completely absorbed in whatever research they were conducting. Yuichi felt a small pang of nostalgia seeing Rin—his former instructor at the academy, who had taught them all about kidō and the basics of research.

Grinning, Yuichi called out, "Rin-sensei!"

Rin immediately froze, fingers pausing mid-press on the keyboard before they turned around to face him. A sigh escaped their lips, adjusting their position, clearly exasperated. "Yuichi, I've told you repeatedly—stop calling me by that title. You've already graduated. I'm no longer your instructor."

Yuichi couldn't help but laugh, walking over to them. "Old habits die hard, Rin-sensei. You'll always be my teacher in some way." He gave him a teasing smile, knowing full well that Rin found it irritating.

Rin shook his head in defeat. "You never change." They resumed typing, clearly trying to ignore the nickname. "What brings you here, anyway? Did another researcher ask you to run some errands?"

Yuichi shrugged, leaning against the terminal's edge. "I just came by to check in. The captain always has something interesting lined up, and I don't want to fall behind on my duties. Plus, I figured I'd drop by to say hello. It's been a while since we last talked, hasn't it?"

Rin shot him a glance over their work. "A while? Yuichi, you're here almost every day."

Yuichi rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Fair point." He looked around the lab, noting the various projects being worked on by the division's members. There were always new inventions and new experiments—it was a place of constant activity and innovation.

Rin, softening slightly, turned back to him. "Well, if you're serious about helping, I'm sure we can find something for you to do. The vice-captain is always looking for volunteers to test out the captain's new gadgets, though I don't know how much you'll enjoy that."

Yuichi smirked. "I've survived worse."

Rin raised an eyebrow. "Just don't say I didn't warn you."

Yuichi grinned, his confidence unwavering despite Rin's warning. "I appreciate the heads-up, but I'll manage. After all, I'm one of the few people who can say I've survived Lady Yoruichi's 'training,' so how bad can it be?" He joked, thinking back to his previous painful encounters with the unpredictable noblewoman.

Rin, now fully invested in his work again, hummed in response, not looking away from the screen. "Just make sure you fill out the proper forms. We wouldn't want another 'incident' like last time with the time-distortion device."