Kazuya picked up Momo, who was awaiting his return by Isane’s side, and returned to the dormitory. Concealing his Reiatsu, he quietly opened the door and peeked inside. Toshiro could be seen sitting on the bed, meditating with his Zanpakutō on his lap. He’d have looked cool if not for the specks of rice around his mouth. The silver prodigy had a feast in the absence of Kazuya and Momo.

A growl from his stomach made him aware of his nutrition deficiency. He hadn’t eaten anything after the meal he took with Momo and the rest in the cafeteria. What’s worse, he exerted himself beyond his limits.

He could eat like Goku today.

{Hold up, Partner. That’s Rukia at the window!}

He turned his gaze, noticing the petite black-haired girl standing at the window. From what he could see from her back profile, she seemed disheveled, her hair looking messier than usual. Either Renji or Toshiro told her about the Hollows at the Living World and made her worried sick about Kazuya and Momo’s safety.

Or perhaps she felt lost at the thought of never seeing Kazuya again. He had told them he wouldn’t return from the field trip and stay at the Gotei 13 from now on.

Kazuya pushed open the door with a casual greeting, “I’m back.”

Rukia and Toshiro turned to the door, their expression brightening immediately upon noticing Kazuya and Momo. The apparent relief on Rukia and Toshiro’s faces filled Kazuya with warmth. The two truly cherished him as a friend. Then again, he had done quite a lot to solidify his place in their hearts.

{Will that stay the same if they discover your Hollow nature?}

Ignoring the chaotic voice in his head, he ruffled Toshiro’s hair. “Don’t you remember what Yoruichi said? Meditating to merge your thoughts with Zanpakutō is only good in moderation. Give Hyōrinmaru time to rest and gather energy.”

Toshiro clenched his fist, veins popping on his slender wrist. “I’m frustrated how weak I am compared to Arrancars. Hyōrinmaru is also angry at his weakness and wants to grow strong as quickly as possible.”

Hyōrinmaru was a fierce and proud dragon. Getting his frost powers almost nullified by Arrancars motivated the dragon to reach new heights, for the sake of his pride as well as protecting the people around his partner.

“Forget about that!” Rukia almost yelled. “All my Class 1 friends look like they went through hell. Renni looks traumatized whenever I bring up the topic of a field trip. Just what the heck happened out there?”

She had tried asking Toshiro but he simply shut her off with a ‘I must train more’ excuse. The silver-haired boy hadn’t moved a muscle after dinner. Rukia was dying to know the things that traumatized her friends to help them.

Kazuya rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s a long story. Why don’t we talk about it during dinner?”

“You can go without me,” Toshiro said. “I already filled my belly with some rice cakes.”

Momo took out a handkerchief from her pocket and cleaned Toshiro’s face. “We can see what you ate… Just don’t overdo it like Kazuya-kun said.”

“You shouldn’t be the one saying that to me,” Toshiro whispered, hinting at the times Momo went overboard for Kazuya. “Since you requested it I’ll only train for six more hours.”

Momo crossed her arms, looking displeased. “Kazuya-kun, let him train. You can sleep in my room tonight.”

{This sly little slut,} Nami said with a giggle. {How can someone not adore this creature?}

Kazuya just shrugged. “Sure.”

He had noticed the wide-eyed look on Rukia’s face but he didn’t really care. Rukia and Momo, after all, shared one room. He’d be sleeping in the same bed with them.

‘Plenty of opportunities to tease her.’

Rukia’s red face gave him a twisted sense of pleasure. The same twisted pleasure he got from teasing Mila Rose.

{A yandere and a sadist… My man is becoming a unique abomination, and I’m all for it!}

Momo took Rukia and his hand with a bright smile and dragged them to the cafeteria. Of course Rukia didn’t allow him to eat in peace, so he had to tell her about the events while stuffing his mouth. Momo too asked some questions since she was pretty much disconnected from the whole action.

After listening to the whole ordeal, Momo, as expected, had stars in her eyes.

Rukia looked awestruck. Born in the Rukongai District, Rukia’s first exposure to quality storytelling came in the form of his own. The story made her pound with a newfound sense of thrill.

Momo leaned her face in her hands, smiling with a dazed expression. “I fell in love with the right man.”

Rukia slid her chair a step away from Momo and cleared her throat. “You saved the day for everyone. I thought you were only good for bullying others.”

Kazuya gave her a mean stare. “I guess it was my twin who helped you with the Kuchikus.”

Rukia paused, looking a little embarrassed. “Okay, that was also a thing. It feels like I was always a part of the Kuchikis.”

In just a few weeks, she had become accustomed to meeting her sister and her somewhat stoic brother-in-law.

“Just goes to show the exceptional love of your sister,” he said, letting out a yawn. “I feel tired. Can we go to sleep now?”

“In my room,” Momo whispered. “To a night of passion…”

Rukia’s excitement faded, replaced by a flushed look. “Damn…” she muttered under her breath. “Momo, you didn’t ask for my permission. We’re roommates, right?”

Momo beamed a smile. “It’s his last day with the academy. I want to make more memories with him here… I know my best friend won’t deny me the chance.”

Rukia couldn’t help but smile sheepishly at being called best friend. “My heart isn’t made of stone, you know? You guys do whatever you want. I’ll have my peaceful sleep in the corner.”

“Thanks, Rukia!”

{From being manipulated to manipulating her best friend… this is the evolution my yandere loving partner wanted to see.}

Rukia sharing giggles with Momo, despite the latter manipulating her, just showed her simpleton mind.

‘Wait, where did Yoruichi go?’

Recalling her promise to meet him at the dorm room, he expanded his senses in search of her Reiatsu — he couldn’t find her Reiatsu anywhere in the Soul Society.

{What’s your gut feeling saying?}

‘Hmm?’

{As an almost perfect being, your instincts are unparalleled. You can rely on them even outside of the battle.}

He closed his eyes, his concentration making his brows furrowed. While he couldn’t find the so-called gut feeling, he found something far more significant for the moment — Yoruichi’s Reiatsu. He only sensed it for one moment before it disappeared.

{Either she suppressed her Reiatsu—}

‘It’s changing.’

Yoruichi’s final form ‘Shunkō: Raijū Senkei: Shunryū Kokubyō Senki’ rendered her Reiatsu fickle and unstable like a cat’s mood, changing its signature 48 times in one second.

{Did she turn into her Hollow form?}

‘I’ll have to see it for myself.’