Chapter 72: Afterglow

Yamahiko gazed at the side of Suì-Fēng's face, her fair skin as smooth as condensed fat, tempting him to reach out and touch.

Suì-Fēng's sharp gaze immediately turned toward him. "Keep staring, and I'll gouge your eyes out."

With a sigh, he reluctantly averted his gaze and smiled. "Captain, you've been taking care of me these past few days. How about we go out for sushi when I'm discharged?"

Suì-Fēng shook her head, replying, "I still have work to attend to. I've accumulated a lot of tasks while taking care of you these past few days, and I need to finish them as soon as possible."

Sitting up, he reached for Suì-Fēng's hand, saying, "Captain, you should go. I just want to express my gratitude for your care during this time."

Suì-Fēng sensed the longing in his eyes, realizing that his 'gratitude' was just an excuse to spend more time together. She didn't mind, especially after the kiss from a few days ago. She had grown more accustomed to his occasional affectionate gestures.

After some hesitation, Suì-Fēng agreed, "Alright, let's celebrate your release from the hospital."

With a joyful expression, he nodded. Just then, Captain Unohana Retsu entered the hospital room, prompting Suì-Fēng to quickly retract her hand and create some distance. She greeted her, "Hello, Captain Unohana."

Unohana Retsu nodded and playfully teased, "Captain Suì-Fēng is really concerned about her subordinates, not willing to leave even for a moment."

Suì-Fēng blushed and replied, "Well, of course."

Unohana Retsu chuckled and then turned his attention to Yamahiko, asking, "How are you feeling today?"

Yamahiko raised his fist and said, "I'm feeling great."

Unohana Retsu suggested, "But we still need to check just to be sure."

She approached Yamahiko and used her Reiryoku to assess his condition. After a moment, he nodded and said, "You've fully recovered. You can leave the hospital now."

Yamahiko immediately jumped out of bed, put on his shoes, and said, "Let's go, Captain Suì-Fēng."

After bidding farewell to Unohana Retsu, the two of them left the Fourth Division headquarters. It was nearing lunchtime, a perfect time to grab a meal. As they walked down the street, Yamahiko extended his hand to gently entwine his fingers with Suì-Fēng's.

She didn't react, indicating her agreement. Yamahiko grinned and firmly held her hand, and Suì-Fēng blushed but didn't pull away.

However, just as they turned a corner, a seductive and curvaceous woman with flowing golden waves appeared—Rangiku Matsumoto, the Vice-Captain of the Tenth Division.

Suì-Fēng saw her and felt flustered, attempting to retract her hand. But Yamahiko wasn't willing to let go, holding her hand firmly. Suì-Fēng was about to give in and free her hand when Rangiku spotted them.

Seeing Rangiku's gaze fixed on them, Suì-Fēng felt even more uneasy. She was about to disentangle their hands, but Yamahiko refused to release her.

Before Rangiku reached them, Suì-Fēng suddenly executed a shoulder throw, sending Yamahiko sprawling onto the ground.

Yamahiko lay on the ground, and Rangiku quickly rushed over, asking, "What happened, Captain Suì-Fēng? Why did you throw Yamahiko to the ground?"

Suì-Fēng turned her head away and replied in a cold tone, "He annoyed me."

Rangiku Matsumoto looked at Yamahiko on the ground, who had a wry smile on his face, and he admitted, "It's my fault."

Matsumoto Rangiku helped Yamahiko up and said with a serious tone, "Yamahiko, you need to be more careful. How can you make your girlfriend angry?"

Hearing Matsumoto Rangiku's words, Suì-Fēng's face turned red all of a sudden, and she quickly said, "Th-that's not true! I'm not his girlfriend."

Matsumoto Rangiku laughed and said, "Even Captain Suì-Fēng's face is turning red, and you still deny it."

Suì-Fēng was about to say something, but Matsumoto Rangiku waved her hand and said, "I have other things to do, so I'll leave you two alone."

After Matsumoto Rangiku left, Suì-Fēng still had a blush on her face. Yamahiko looked at her, feeling a mixture of annoyance and embarrassment. He couldn't help but smile foolishly.

But just as he cracked a smile, Suì-Fēng smacked him on the head and said, "What are you smiling at? Let's go."

The two of them quickly left the street, crossed a road, and Yamahiko's gaze fell on the rooftop in the distance. "Is it internship time again?" he mused.

Suì-Fēng followed his gaze and saw a Senkaimon on a distant rooftop, with students in school uniforms coming out continuously.

Suì-Fēng, a bit impatient, said, "What's so interesting about this? You've done internships too."

Yamahiko nodded, reflecting on the time during his internship, especially when his classmate was killed by a Hollow. It was the first time he had witnessed someone's death.

While walking alongside Suì-Fēng, he asked curiously, "What's the difference between these Senkaimon and the Central Senkaimon in the Seireitei?"

In the central part of the Soul Society, there is a massive Senkaimon, consisting of two colossal pillars. This is the main portal used by most Shinigami to move between the Soul Society and the human world.

However, when Yamahiko needed to go to the human world, they used a temporary Senkaimon set up on a rooftop.

Suì-Fēng thought for a moment and said, "Firstly, the purpose of the Senkaimon is to open a passage between the Soul Society and the World of the Living, known as the Dangai. However, the Dangai is filled with dangers, as it's a place where multiple layers of time and space overlap. If you're not careful, you can easily get trapped deep within the time and space. That's why the Gotei 13 has opened various routes."

"These routes lead to different regions, and entering these routes won't pose any danger, but you'll need the Hell Butterfly(Jigokuchō) to guide you forward."

Yamahiko nodded, recalling how in canon, when Ichigo Kurosaki returned, he used a regular Senkaimon but ended up on the road to the Dangai, as he didn't have a Hell Butterfly to guide him.

Suì-Fēng continued, "The Central Senkaimon is like a central hub, allowing you to reach any destination in the World of the Living. Temporary Senkaimon, on the other hand, can only take you to a specific region, and you need to set your destination in advance."

Curious, Yamahiko asked, "Can our Onmitsukidō also use the Senkaimon?"

Suì-Fēng nodded and said, "Of course, sometimes our targets will travel to the World of the Living, and we need to follow them for investigation or assassination. In those cases, we submit the necessary documents and request a route. Why are you asking about this?"

Yamahiko smiled and said, "I was thinking of taking Captain Suì-Fēng to the World of the Living. I've heard from the Shinigami who've been to the World of the Living that there's a place called the Maldives with beautiful scenery. I want to take Captain Suì-Fēng there."

Slightly annoyed, Suì-Fēng replied, "What's so great about the World of the Living?"

Yamahiko laughed and said, "The World of the Living is where I was born. I'd really like to take Captain Suì-Fēng there to see it. Even though I've spent a long time here, my real hometown isn't in the Soul Society."

Hearing Yamahiko's words, Suì-Fēng was moved. She realized that unlike herself, who was born in the Soul Society, Yamahiko came from the World of the Living. No matter how long he stayed here, his true home was elsewhere.

Suì-Fēng smiled and said, "Well, if there's a chance in the future, I can accompany you to go back and see it."

"Thank you, Captain."

While saying this, Yamahiko reached out and quietly held Suì-Fēng's hand. Suì-Fēng looked around and saw that there were no familiar faces, so she let him hold her hand.

The two of them walked hand in hand, bathed in the warm light of the setting sun. With each step they took, it felt like they were walking on a golden path, and their hearts were wrapped in warmth. They felt like they could continue walking hand in hand forever.

"Hey, Yamahiko, haven't we walked this way before?"

"Walked this way before?"

"Hmm."

"Never mind, let's go around again."

~End of the chapter~

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