Jan kept staring at Reio’s back until it disappeared out of sight, and then couldn’t help but mutter, “These guys really like leaving me hanging…
…
It really feels… kinda lonely, now that no one is here.”

Jan looked around the room and saw that everything gradually turned back to normal. Even the numerous swords that filled the room before disappeared.

“Maaan, now that I’m looking at it, this room is really whi…”

Jan didn’t even finish his words, and the door of the room was suddenly pushed open, freaking him out.

Stepping inside the room, one of Kirio’s brows rose up upon seeing Jan panting with a pale face, “What are you doi-”

“You’ve freaked me out you sick bastard!”

Kirio was shocked for a moment and then shouted, “Hey, who are you calling a sick bastard?!”

“U-uh! K-Kirio-San! I’m sorry I thought you were that baldy!”

“Baldy?! Oh, you mean Captain Ichibe?” Kirio calmed down a bit, and then freaked out again, “You call him a sick bastard?!”

“Usually not to his face...” Jan scratched his head.

“You better not!” Kirio said firmly.

“He better not do what?!” A sound suddenly came from behind her.

The moment she heard that voice behind her, every single hair on Kirio’s body stood up. However, she tried to keep her composure and fought back the urge to punch the source of this sudden voice.

Ichibe completely ignored her, and then stepped inside the room with a big grin on his face.

Looking at his back, Kirio couldn’t help but put her hand on her chest and whisper, “You freaked me out you sick bastard!”

“See!” Jan pointed at him, “I swear to god he does that on purpose!”

The smile on Ichibe’s face faded away, and his eyes widened looking at both of them. He was completely clueless, “Are you two talking about me?!”

“Oh forget it!” Jan said irritatedly.

Ichibe looked at the state of the room, then a big grin appeared on his face, “Did you finish your training?!”

“Finish?! It never even started.” Jan sighed.

The smile on Ichibe’s face was wiped out, while Kirio suddenly exclaimed, “WHAT?!”

“What do you expect?! This guy sent me in without even explaining a single thing to me!” Jan said, and then started walking out.

“You’re leaving?!” Kirio asked out of surprise.

“What else can I do?! I don’t think I will gain anything by staying here any longer!”

Kirio looked at Jan, who kept walking, and then turned around to Ichibe, “I thought you said he was ready?!”

“Maybe he wasn’t.” Ichibe answered, but Kirio, who still lacked information, couldn't help but pout.

Leaving both Ichibe and Kirio behind him, Jan barely managed to hide his smile, and then said, “Where can I find my friends?”

“Oh! Isane is at my palace!” Kirio caught up to Jan quickly with glittering eyes.

“G-great… I-Is there food?” Jan asked with tearing eyes.

Kirio groaned, then couldn’t help but pout, “Men really think with their stomach!”

Jan laughed as the two walked out of the inner room. Ichibe followed them but he seemed to be Absent-minded.

However, the moment he put his foot out of the inner room, an inexplicable grin suddenly appeared on his face.

“You never told me why you came to see me, Kirio-San?!” Jan said.

“Oh! I came to see if you wanted something to eat.” Kirio said with a loving smile.

“Too late!” Jan quickly said.

“Hey! You never asked!” Kirio crossed her arms and looked away.

Jan’s eyes widened upon hearing that, and then quickly turned to look at Ichibe furiously.

“Buhahaha, I told you boy! You don’t need food in my palace. However, you might feel really hungry once you step out of it, so you better be careful.”

“Huh!” Jan, who was two steps away from leaving Ichibe’s palace, snorted, then continued to say, “I handled myself pretty well all of this time, I think I can make it to Kirio’s palace, thank you very much for you conc…”

Jan soul instantly left his body, not that he had a body, once he stepped out of the palace. But Kirio, who seemed to be ready, quickly caught him and smiled at Ichibe.

“This boy never listens.” Said Ichibe.

“Did nothing really happen inside?!” Kirio couldn’t help but ask.

“I don’t know what happened inside.”Ichibe said, then turned to look at the inside of his palace, “But something is surely different about him.”

“What is it?!” Kirio was curious.

“I used to know the name of his Zanpakuto.”

“What do you mean?!”

A big grin appeared on Ichibe’s face, “I can’t tell the exact name of his Zanpakuto anymore!”

“HUH?!” Kirio exclaimed.

……………..

Thirty minutes later, at Kirio’s Palace.

Kirio, Isane, and Ichibe watched Jan in shock as he was demolishing everything on Kirio’s dining table.

“How long has it been?!” Isane asked with a half-smile.

“I think it has been thirty minutes since we placed him on that table completely unconscious.” Kirio said with squiggly eyes, “I have never seen someone eat so much of my special food on their first time...”

“I think he was really hungry… But I’m happy to see that he’s fine.”

“I don’t think he even noticed you!” Kirio said.

Hearing those words, Isane looked really sad.

“Oh, sorry dear!” Kirio held her closer, “I’m sure he will, once he’s done eating…”

“I’m happy that he’s eating the food I’ve prepared though!” Isane smiled cheerfully.

“Oh! Here’s an idea, why don’t you join him on the table; I'm sure he will notice you then!”

Kirio smiled at her, and Isane walked her toward the table. With uncertain steps, she carried on until she gently sat beside Jan, but the latter; whose pupils at some point couldn’t be seen, was completely immersed by the feast on that table.

Isane sighed, “I never thought that our promised first meal would be like this…”

Kirio, who also joined them on the table, looked at Jan furiously, and then kicked him hard on the shin.

The table was suddenly lifted up in the air.

“OUCH!” The kick was hard enough to get Jan back to his senses, “Kirio-San! Why did you do that?!”

Kirio looked at him furiously, nodding toward Isane’s direction.

Jan looked to his right to find Isane there, tilting her head with a smile.

“Isane-San! You look… Did you let your hair grow out?! It really suits you!”

Since she still hadn't mastered Kirio’s food enhancement technique, Isane, who helped a lot preparing this feast, didn't lose all of the weight she gained. Jan immediately noticed that, but fortunately, he was wise enough not to bring that up. She wasn’t that big anyway, and the bit of extra weight actually made her look more beautiful.

“M-My hair?!” Isane gently put both of her hands on her hair with flushed cheeks, “Is it really longer?! I’ve never noticed…”

“Oh yeah! It really suits you!” Jan said and then buried his face back into the plate.

Isane’s face flushed even more, and steam suddenly burst out of the top of her head.

At that moment, Tenjiro and a tall, somewhat muscular young man with black hair and eyes stepped into the dining room, saying, “Hey guys!”

Jan, who was still eating, saw Tenjiro, and chose to completely ignore him. The guy tried to kill him not too long ago! But Isane, quickly said excitedly pointing at Jan, “Yamada! Look who’s here!”

“Eh?! J-Jan-San!!” Yamada rejoiced.

“What did you just call him?!” Jan’s movement stopped abruptly, and then he raised his head slowly with widened eyes, “Y-Yamada?!!! WHAT?! HOW?!!”