Once they left the Unohana household, Makoto and Meira did not head in the direction Saito had taken.
Even in motion, Meira maintained the refined demeanor of a true maid, her long hair cascading at her temples, occasionally swaying with the breeze, forming elegant arcs on either side.
However, as she observed Makoto's current path, a faint trace of puzzlement flickered in the maid's usually impassive expression.
"Master?"
"Saito-sama's residence is not in this direction."
"If these past days have drained even your memory, this servant suggests you rest for a while before proceeding."
Makoto's loose robe fluttered under the force of his shunpo, and his words, spoken through slightly pale lips, carried an air of obvious certainty. He pointed out, "Saito's still fuming right now."
"Only an idiot would go looking for trouble at a time like this."
"If I went to her now, your master's chest might end up taking another seven or eight stabs, entirely possible."
"No."
"If it's Saito, it's definitely seven or eight stabs."
Perhaps recalling Saito's reckless, headstrong nature, Makoto, leading the way, gave a small shiver.
Absolutely not.
Meira glanced sideways at her master, her tone teasing. "If the consequences are so dire, why didn't you just keep your distance from Unohana-sama in the first place?"
"You're master and disciple, aren't you?"
"It's because we're master and disciple that I couldn't refuse, Meira."
Makoto let out a long, wistful sigh, his voice tinged with melancholy. "In this harsh era, only a [backstab] is the truest respect I, as a disciple, can show to Unohana-sensei."
"It's also proof that I'm worthy of graduating."
"This, too, is a mark of the times, Meira."
The maid's gaze toward her master was thoroughly skeptical, her voice drawing out in a low, elongated tone.
"Ehh~"
"A backstab, is it?"
Repeating the word, Meira seemed to grasp some deeper implication. Perhaps recalling something she'd glimpsed these past days, a faint, barely noticeable flush rose to her pale cheeks.
Makoto instinctively turned at the sound, catching the subtle blush on Meira's face in his peripheral vision. Though his expression remained neutral, he was quietly surprised.
It seemed that, beyond her absolute loyalty to her 'master,' Meira retained some traces of human, or perhaps Quincy, emotion and rationality?
Though he had set the commands himself, Makoto wasn't entirely sure of the full extent of his authority as her superior.
This would require time to explore.
"But what about Saito-sama?" Meira asked softly, lifting her head as Makoto averted his gaze. "Is it really alright to leave her be?"
"Of course not."
Makoto paused on a rooftop, beckoning Meira closer with a wave. "So, in a few days, once the scent has faded, you'll…"
Meira leaned in, her expression growing stranger the more she heard.
By the end, she looked up at Makoto, her tone laced with wry amusement.
"As expected of you, Master."
"As expected of me!"
…
"Saito-sama? Saito-sama?"
At the Saito residence, Aiko's voice called from outside the door. "Today's breakfast is ready."
"Would you like to eat now?"
"Also, your vice-captain came by earlier."
"She said you've been skipping work for days, and it's getting hard to cover up. If word reaches the Captain-Commander, it'll be quite troublesome. She hopes you'll…"
"Shut up already!"
Saito's petite frame was buried in her bedding. Hearing Aiko's voice, she grabbed the covers like a petulant child, smothering her head beneath them, her deep purple hair stuffed into the bundle.
The room, with its doors and windows sealed, was pitch black, silent save for Aiko's voice from outside.
Hearing her lady's continued state, Aiko sighed softly. A faint clink followed as she placed the tray by the door.
Her voice was gentle, consoling. "In any case, please eat something once you're up, Saito-sama."
"The hot spring is always ready if you'd like to bathe."
"If you need anything, just ring the bell, and I'll come right away."
As her voice faded, Aiko's footsteps receded down the corridor.
Only when the sound was gone did Saito seem to relax, her small head poking out from the covers. She glanced toward the direction of the fading sound, her lips pursed tightly.
Since stabbing Makoto that day and returning home, her heart had been a tangled mess.
Even someone as bold as her didn't always have an ironclad heart. When something touched the softest corner of her soul, even the most carefree person couldn't help but reveal a hint of vulnerability.
From birth until now, Saito's life had been spent mostly in battle and the pursuit of strength.
She had triumphed countless times and, naturally, failed just as many.
But never had she felt so utterly lost.
Clutching the bedding, Saito lay dejectedly on her side, her head tilting absently.
It was… just a stab, wasn't it?
She'd done it countless times in her life.
But the thought that the one she'd pierced was Makoto made her heart twist into knots.
Even… panic.
This unprecedented fear was, to her, almost fatal.
"Argh!"
"Damn it!"
"It's his fault!"
Saito clutched her head, rolling back and forth on the bedding, her hair a disheveled mess.
Finally, she sprawled flat on her back, staring at the dark ceiling, her entire being seeming to give up.
As if surrendering the fight.
"…"
"I'm going out."
The sunlight outside was a bit dazzling.
Saito strolled with her hands in her pockets, her striking white captain's haori draped over her shoulders. Her single eye scanned the crowd around her, her gaze cool and detached.
At this time, the Gotei 13's reputation as a 'band of killers' still lingered in the Seireitei, especially since the 'noble-hunting operation' that had swept through the entire court was still fresh in memory.
Even though the Seireitei's blood had largely been replaced, those scarlet memories remained etched in many minds.
For most, their respect for high-ranking Shinigami bordered on fear.
The mere sight of her haori ensured no one dared show the slightest disrespect, parting the crowd like a tiger clearing a path, leaving an empty road in her wake.
'So boring.'
Saito's gaze swept over the shops lining the street, finding them as unchanging as ever.
It seemed that since she'd moved to this area, the surroundings had barely shifted.
A scene that normally wouldn't warrant a second glance now felt vaguely irritating due to her current mood.
Even Saito herself found it inexplicable.
But just as she considered heading to the squad barracks to pick a fight with some annoying subordinates, a familiar maid's outfit caught the corner of her eye.
"?!"
Almost instinctively, Saito used shunpo to duck into a nearby alley.
In an instant, the girl vanished from the crowded street.
Only after watching the blonde maid disappear at the street's end did Saito cautiously poke her head out from the alley, her eye widening slightly, a touch bewildered.
"Was that… Meira?"
"What's she doing here?"
Saito's home was far from Makoto's, in a different district altogether.
'Could she be looking for me?'
The thought popped into Saito's mind unbidden, her heart traitorously skipping a beat.
A bit nervous.
A bit… curious.
Watching Meira's retreating figure, she couldn't help but follow, moving silently and keeping her distance.
The maid visited a few pharmacies, her basket soon half-filled with supplies, clearly procuring medicinal goods.
After a couple of rounds, she arrived at a corner Saito recognized.
Seeing the maid pause before an oden stall, Saito's pupils contracted slightly. Her lips parted, but no words came out.
Moments later, Meira left with two bowls of oden and vanished.
Saito stepped out from the alley, standing in the middle of the street, staring at Meira's disappearing figure. For a long while, she couldn't move.
After that day, Aiko noticed that Saito no longer shut herself away. Instead, she lingered daily at the alley by the street, waiting for someone.
The third day, the seventh, the tenth…
Meira's figure always appeared just in time, regularly buying spirit-healing medicines and a bowl of the oden she hadn't eaten that day.
It was nothing special, yet it inexplicably mattered to a certain someone.
Until the final time, for some reason, nearly ten days passed without Meira appearing at the familiar spot.
Saito's emotions grew increasingly restless and irritable.
Just as she was about to storm off to the Makoto residence, the maid's figure finally reappeared.
Without hesitation, Saito followed Meira once more.
This time, she didn't stop at the oden stall.
"Swish-"
At the end of the street, as the azure reishi dissipated, the Hirenkyaku beneath Meira's feet naturally faded, revealing the maid's graceful, mature figure.
Meira turned her head, her expression cool as she glanced behind her.
"You've been following me all this way. Don't you plan to show yourself yet?"
"If you think this servant would drag you to the Judgement Hall for judgment like some common Shinigami, you're gravely mistaken."
"…"
The maid's brow furrowed. "What's that? Do I have to drag you out myself before you're satisfied?"
"Who, who's following you?!"
Only after realizing she'd truly been spotted did Saito's flustered, hurried voice echo from the alley.
The petite girl stepped out from the shadows, still stubbornly defiant. "I was just… just passing by!"
Saito turned her head, unable to meet Meira's faintly surprised gaze, struggling to explain. "What, am I not allowed to go wherever I want without you policing me?!"
"…So nosy!"
Saito's voice grew weaker with each word, until it was barely a mumble.
"So it's Saito-sama."
Meira, seeming to recognize her only now, adopted a look of sudden understanding and gave a respectful bow. "In that case, this servant will take her leave via this road."
"If you have any matters later…"
"Hey!" Saito blurted out urgently, only to falter mid-sentence. "Uh… right!"
"That guy Makoto hasn't handled any squad duties in a while, has he?"
"As a captain, I… I have the authority to check on my subordinates."
"How's he doing now?"
Hearing Saito's voice, the maid lifted her head with a puzzled look, hesitating in a deliberately exaggerated manner.
"But…"
"Isn't Master an officer of the 8th Division?"
"You're the captain of the 6th Division."
Saito's face instantly flushed, but she pressed on. "Tch, so what?! A captain's a captain, doesn't matter which division!"
"Is that so?"
Meira, feigning confusion, nodded slightly. "Very well."
"Would Saito-sama like to visit the residence, then?"
"…"
"Master was asking about you just the other day, you know."
At those words, Saito froze.
After hesitating in place for a long moment, Meira observed her indecision with a complex, knowing smile. Without another word, she turned and headed toward home.
But when she glanced back, the girl's figure was still firmly trailing behind.
Noticing Meira's subtle gaze, Saito's flushed face tightened defensively.
"I'm just… dropping by to check!"
"Don't get any weird ideas!"
"Y-Yes…"
…
As the two entered the house, a rich medicinal scent filled the air.
Makoto, his face still slightly pale, sat on the bed, slowly sipping a bowl of restorative herbal porridge from a tray on the bedboard.
Hearing the door creak open, Makoto looked up toward the sound of footsteps.
"Meira, you're ba-"
His words cut off abruptly, a flicker of astonishment crossing his face.
His gaze seemed to pause instinctively as it landed on Saito.
But soon, his eyes softened, and his voice lightened with a hint of relief.
"You came too, Saito."
For some reason, the moment she heard those words, the heart Saito had been holding tight in her chest seemed to plummet with relief.
It was a sense of reassurance that needed no words, conveyed in a single glance.
But her mouth remained as stubborn as ever.
Meeting Makoto's gaze, the girl quickly looked away, her voice both defiant and fragile.
"Hmph."
"Just checking if you're dead yet, you jerk."
"I couldn't dare die so easily before seeing you." Makoto set the bowl down on the tray, his eyes locking onto hers with gentle intensity.
Saito's slender fingers clenched instantly. She lunged forward, grabbing his collar tightly, her face so close she could almost feel his breath. Her single eye glared as if trying to pierce through to his deepest thoughts, her teeth gritted, her voice low and strained.
"You've got some nerve…"
"You're the jerk who's been sleeping in the same bed as your sensei!"
Yet, under Saito's barely restrained, murderous gaze, Makoto merely reached out slowly, his hand gently wrapping around the wrist clutching his collar.
Her pale, delicate skin carried the warmth of sunlight.
Makoto didn't shy away from her gaze, meeting her eye directly.
"But…"
"I've only ever said 'I like you' to you, Saito."
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
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