CHAPTER 114: A Misunderstanding

Kazuya returned to his dorm room and was met with an unexpected sight at his door. Momo Hinamori stood there, her eyes brightening with a radiant smile as she caught sight of him. Yet, the subtle shine at the corner of her eyes revealed a different story — she was crying.

"Momo, who bullied you?" His voice was tinged with fury that made Momo shiver. "Tell me that bastard's name and I'll fucking burn them down."

Though she was surrounded by a circle of friends, he couldn't completely dismiss the thought of some haughty noble targeting her. He would stir up the entire academy if anyone bullied her or Toshiro. 

Momo was taken aback by his fiercely overprotective response. "I wasn't crying! Why did you skip classes again?"

Her reprimands had become a familiar scene, a well-intentioned but exasperating ritual every time he missed classes. It was almost endearing, like a concerned friend persistently trying to mend his delinquent behavior. She had yet to realize that he was beyond saving at this point, that he hardly cared about the academy.

He gripped her shoulders, eyes locking with hers, sincerity shining in his gaze. "If I ever found out that you lied to me, I will…" He paused, thinking about the mildly shameful punishment for her. "I will spank you."

Momo's cheeks flushed a bright crimson, like ripe tomatoes, and she hastily brushed his hands from her shoulders. "No one is bullying me!"

His eyes, trained to discern even the subtlest deception, found no signs of falsehood in her body language. He nodded, satisfied. Swinging open the door with a graceful gesture, he invited her inside and unceremoniously plopped onto the bed, assuming a relaxed lying position.

Her eyes darted around the room, finding the third of their group missing. "Shiro must have gone to do his daily Jinzen training."

In the span of three short months, Toshiro had reached a monumental milestone; he had come so close to unlocking the Shikai form of his Zanpakutō. He just needed that one moment of threat to crave more strength from his Zanpakutō and unlock his Shikai.

"Shiro is pretty hardworking."

"Yeah." Momo nodded and perched herself on the bed opposite to Kazuya. "Kazuya-kun, do you really want to graduate this month?"

Her voice oozed with sadness as she contemplated his departure from the academy. She neither had Kazuya's talent nor did she possess anything special like Toshiro's Zanpakutō. It would take her three years minimum to graduate.

"Momo, don't make that face. You and Shiro know my deal. The academy has nothing to teach me now."

Had any other student uttered such audacious words, Momo might have burst into laughter. But coming from Kazuya, the proclamation was true in every sense. He was more than qualified to be a Shinigami before he enrolled into the academy.

She drew her knees to her chest and hugged them, her eyes pinning him down. "Why do you have… blood on your neck?"

He touched the spot unconsciously, the memory of Soi Fon's blade briefly flashing in his mind. "Yoruichi bit me there earlier."

"Liar…" she whispered, the word barely escaping her lips. "Yoruichi-san told me everything."

It looked like Yoruichi had revealed his fight with Soi Fon during his outing with Rangiku and Isane. Why would she do that? He had no idea. It just added another question to the stack he had reserved for Yoruichi today, most of which were regarding her stance on Soi Fon's fanatical obsession.

With a sudden intensity that contrasted her earlier distant demeanor, Momo approached his bed and straddled his waist. Her hands clutched his collar, her eyes on the verge of tearing up. "I-I was so scared when I heard that. Provoking the Captain of Assassination Squad… what were you even thinking?!"

Her trembling voice was every bit of proof for her concern. In his first spar with Soi Fon, Momo had marveled at the dance of martial arts, a beautiful display of their fighting skills. Back then, she was naïve. It was only after the lectures, with the cold clarity of knowledge, that she understood the deadly reality of Soi Fon and the 2nd Squad of the Gotei 13. These were no ordinary warriors; they were a ruthless hand of justice, dishing out torture, interrogation, and assassination within the Soul Society.

Kazuya's silence only deepened her distress. She nestled her head against his chest, her tears seeping into his uniform like dark stains of worry. "You can't be so reckless… what if she had killed you?"

He sighed and calmly patted her back. "Yoruichi fooled you, idiot. I sent Soi Fon away crying. She was no match for me."

She raised her head in surprise. "What? Yoruichi-san claimed you wouldn't have survived if he hadn't healed you in time."

He raised his hands. "You're free to undress me and search for any wounds."

Momo's eyes flashed with a dangerous glint as she reached for the straps of his hakama, tugging them open with a purposeful hand. "I-It's only for examination."

She flicked open his hakama and his undershirt, checking for any sign of wounds. When she didn't find any, her eyes moved to his lower body.

"No."

He flicked her forehead, a teasing reprimand that brought her back to her senses. Her innocent crush had matured into something more perverted, shaped by her exposure to diverse personalities in the academy. Though she often seemed reserved, her underlying curiosity and boldness would occasionally surface.

'When will she give up?'

He had caught her watching him with different seniors multiple times, yet her adoration for him remained unwavering. Then again, this was the same woman who had idolized Aizen to the brink of obsession. She clung to belief over evidence, her convictions unshaken even by a sword through her chest.

She was the perfect devotee for any cult.

"That mischievous cat," Momo muttered, rubbing her reddened forehead. "Why would he lie to me?"

"Never take Yoruichi's words at face value. That cat likes to cause chaos and revel in it."

"I knew Yoruichi-san had a hidden evil side," Momo whispered. "You never told me how you two became friends or why Yoruichi-san is cursed to be in a cat form."

She misinterpreted Yoruichi's cat form as a curse like those powerful characters getting cursed in fairy tales. Yoruichi's wisdom only solidified the idea in Momo's mind.

He noticed a spark of hope in her eyes. Rather than knowing about his friendship with Yoruichi, she wanted to learn more about him. "I'll tell you after you get off me."

A glance downward, and the reality of their intimate position dawned on her. She darted to the other bed with a panicked Shunpo. 

"It was nice…" she murmured, hastily clearing her throat. "Kazuya-kun, let's talk about Yoruichi-san later. I have an urgent request for you."

"Don't ask to see me naked. Even I have my limits."

Her cheeks reddened, as if the mere suggestion had set her imagination alight. Her fantasies seemed to resonate within her, causing a subtle disruption in her Reiatsu. "Can you please stay until the starting week of next month?" she asked, her voice soft and pleading.

"Two more weeks?"

"Mhmm." She nodded, her eyes wide and earnest. "Sensei informed us that our class will have our first training mission in the Living World. We'll practice Soul Burial and engage in combat with artificial replica Hollows."

Kazuya's eyes narrowed, his thoughts taking a sharp turn. 'Is this the same event that Aizen plans to use to test his Menos breed?'

The puzzle pieces were beginning to align, but his lack of concrete canon knowledge left him feeling like he was walking in the dark. The absence of Nami gnawed at him more than ever. He placed a hand on his katana, sending thoughts to his violent freak Zanpakutō Spirit. There was no answer as he expected.

"Where exactly is the mission taking place?"

Momo tilted her head, her expression one of concentrated innocence. "It's somewhere in Japan called… Karakura Town."

That name struck him like a chord, resonating with his suspicions. Of all the places they could have chosen, they had somehow selected the very place where some of the most powerful Hollows lived. Was this an intricate play to draw attention to Kisuke and the Visored? Or perhaps a devious trap to lure out the members of El Inverso?

"Sure. I'll accompany you on the mission."

Momo's face lit up. Gone were the traces of her previous gloom, all that remained was pure happiness. "Thanks, Kazuya-kun~."

Humming cheerfully, she skipped out of the room, a spring in her step.

'What is she planning?'

...

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