Inside the Sixth Division barracks, in the Captain's office, Kuchiki Byakuya stared silently at the document on his desk. His expression, as always, was unreadable.
"…A resignation letter?" he asked in a calm, measured voice, eyes shifting toward his Vice-Captain, Gin Ginjiro. "Explain."
Gin-san scratched the back of his head sheepishly, clearly prepared for a scolding. "Well… you know, Captain Kuchiki… my dream's always been to open a glasses store, right?"
Byakuya gave a faint nod. He had indeed tolerated Ginjiro's odd hobby for years—despite the man using breaks to sketch out new eyewear designs.
"The thing is… my shop, 'Gin Dragonfly Glasses,' is finally doing well! So… I wanna step down from being Vice-Captain and focus on it full-time!"
"…Yare yare," Byakuya murmured almost inaudibly. A childish reason, to say the least.
Still, Ginjiro had served loyally and never shirked his duties. And as far as Seireitei's rules went, there wasn't anything barring such a resignation—so long as there was a proper successor.
"I understand," Byakuya said at last. "However, the Sixth Division cannot go without a Vice-Captain. You are to recommend your replacement."
Ginjiro blinked, caught off guard. "…Really? Arigatou gozaimasu, taichō!"
He'd expected to be at least mildly reprimanded, especially after years of receiving icy glares every time he mentioned the word "lens." But Byakuya had only ever lectured him lightly—and never once forbade him from pursuing that strange dream.
'As expected from Byakuya-taichō,' Ginjiro thought, admiration swelling in his chest. 'A noble with a frozen face, but a warm heart…'
"Don't worry!" he puffed his chest. "I already picked someone worthy! I wouldn't come here unprepared, ne?"
"…Who?"
"The Eleventh Division's Sixth Seat—Abarai Renji."
Byakuya's eyes narrowed slightly. "Abarai Renji…"
He knew the name well. Abarai Renji was the childhood friend of Rukia, his adopted sister. Both had entered Shinōreijutsuin—the Spiritual Arts Academy—but Renji, blessed with natural swordsmanship talent, had advanced faster, while Rukia was placed in a lower class.
"…That relationship is irrelevant," Byakuya said coldly. "What of his qualifications?"
"Rest assured, taichō! I did my homework," Ginjiro said. "He's already achieved Shikai, and despite being in the Eleventh Division, he's not all brawn like the rest. Sure, he acts like an idiot sometimes, but when it comes to responsibility, Renji can handle it."
"Sou ka…" Byakuya replied quietly. Still, he wouldn't make a decision on hearsay. "Very well. I shall personally request an assessment from the Eleventh Division. I'll judge his capabilities myself."
— Meanwhile, in the Eleventh Division barracks, Abarai Renji was sprawled out on the floor, panting like a dog.
"Gah…!"
His chest heaved, muscles sore from the harsh training. His Zanpakutō, Zabimaru, clattered beside him.
"You're not even close, Renji," Madarame Ikkaku said with a smirk, wiping sweat off his bald head. "You wanna reach Bankai with that pathetic spirit energy? Keep dreaming."
"Ikkaku-san, matte—!" Renji wheezed, trying to push himself up.
But the older Shinigami just waved him off and walked out.
Renji lay still, fists clenching the grass beneath him. Damn it… the first step of Bankai training's already hell…
He wasn't just doing this for himself. No… his real goal was to surpass that man—Kuchiki Byakuya.
That cold, unshakable Captain… with his perfect kido, his flawless swordsmanship… and his damn noble air. Renji had admired and resented him in equal measure.
I won't lose to you, Byakuya-taichō… I swear!
Just then, a seated officer poked his head into the training hall. "Oi, Abarai-san! Someone from the Sixth Division is looking for you. The Vice Captain, I think."
"Gin Ginjiro-san…?" Renji blinked, confused, but he quickly wiped the sweat from his brow and headed out of the Eleventh Division barracks. His goggles, resting on his fiery red head, bounced slightly with each step—those goggles were a gift from Ginjiro himself, who'd always gone on about glasswork and weird designs Renji never really understood.
As he walked, deep in thought, a familiar voice reached his ears—soft but unmistakable.
"…Idiot! It's not that easy! My Sode no Shirayuki isn't as versatile as your Zanpakutō, okay? It's not made for such delicate control!"
That voice—it was her. Renji's eyes widened as he looked up and saw Rukia.
She was facing someone, eyebrows furrowed, clearly frustrated. Standing beside her was a Shinigami Renji didn't recognize at first—a male Shinigami with calm eyes and a subtle smile.
"Yare yare, don't be like that, Rukia-san," the young man said, raising both hands in mock surrender. "It's worth trying, ne? Sode no Shirayuki's three dances are elegant, sure, but they're limited. Don't you want to evolve further?"
"What did you just say?!" Rukia snapped, ready to launch into another tirade—but then her gaze landed on Renji. Her voice died in her throat.
Renji froze.
How long had it been since they last spoke? He had encouraged her to take the Kuchiki name, believing it was her best shot at a better life… but after that, he distanced himself. The gap between them widened—nobility, duty, pride. Now he didn't even know what to say.
Just as both of them were awkwardly preparing to walk away without a word, the male Shinigami stepped forward.
"Ah, you must be Abarai Renji-san," he said cheerfully.
Rukia turned with a jolt. "Wait, you—!"
The young man introduced himself with a graceful bow. "Amamiya Miyako. I was just recently appointed as Vice Captain of the Thirteenth Division, as you can see."
He shifted slightly, letting the silver badge on his shoulder glint in the sunlight.
Renji blinked. Vice Captain? This guy? He gave a respectful nod. "Ah… nice to meet you, Amamiya-san."
Amamiya tilted his head, grinning like he'd been waiting for this all day. "As for this flustered comrade here… I think you two know each other pretty well, huh?"
Rukia's face turned red. "A-Amamiya-kun…!"
Amamiya Miyako nudged Rukia-chan lightly, but she shot him a glare filled with embarrassment and barely concealed anger. Being called out for her awkwardness stung more than she'd admit.
"Oi, Rukia-chan, how long are you gonna keep acting all stiff?" Miyako whispered with a teasing grin. "Isn't Renji your precious childhood friend? Are you really gonna stay like this forever?"
Renji blinked, watching the scene unfold. His gaze lingered on Rukia, his heart feeling strangely hollow. The girl who used to chase him around Rukongai, argue with him over the smallest things... she was right there—but the distance between them felt wider than ever.
Rukia-chan took a deep breath and finally turned toward him. "It's been a long time… Renji."
Renji scratched the back of his head. "Ah… yeah. It really has…"
The silence that followed was thick. Words hung in the air but never came. In the end, Renji gave a small bow and stepped back.
"Well… the Vice-Captain of the Sixth Division is looking for me, so I'd better get going," he said, half-turning before pausing again.
Rukia-chan looked like she wanted to say something. Her lips parted… but no words came out. Just as Renji started to walk away, Miyako-san clapped her hand on Rukia's back hard enough to make her stumble.
"Oi oi, Rukia-chan. Didn't you say you wanted to prove how much you've grown? Even dreamed of surpassing Kuchiki-taichō someday? So why are you all tongue-tied in front of a friend?"
"Geh—! What was that for!?" Rukia hissed, rubbing her back and shooting him a murderous look.
"Hey, Renji!" she suddenly called out, her voice stronger now.
Renji stopped mid-step and looked back, startled.
"I'm sorry!" Rukia shouted, bowing low. "Back then… I let you support me, pushed forward to become a noble, and after that, I never reached out. I just ran away. I'm truly sorry!"
Renji's eyes widened. His heart ached.
'What are you talking about, Rukia…? I was the one who left you behind. I was the one who pulled away when you got adopted into the Kuchiki Clan…' he thought, gripping his fists tightly. But none of those words made it out.
"…Ah. Uh… yeah."
Rukia raised her head, her eyes firm. "So… can we still be friends?"
Renji looked down for a second, then gave a small, bittersweet smile. "I've always… considered you my best friend, Rukia."
For a moment, the weight that had pressed on both of them for so long vanished. Rukia smiled softly—genuinely.
"Thank you… Renji. That means a lot."
"See? I told you it'd feel better once you said it," Miyako-san chuckled, suddenly ruffling Rukia's short black hair like she was a little kid.
"Miyako!! You've been pushing your luck all day!" Rukia growled, a vein twitching at her temple. She spun and BAM! kicked Miyako-san square in the stomach.
"Ugh—!" Miyako doubled over, clutching his gut. "Th-that one was… way stronger than the last, yare yare daze…"
But Rukia-chan didn't look satisfied yet. Her foot twitched, clearly eager to deliver another kick.
Seeing that, Miyako scrambled to his feet and dodged behind a tree. "Oi oi! You think the same move's gonna work twice? Not a chance!" he called over his shoulder and bolted toward the Thirteenth Division barracks.
"GET BACK HERE!!" Rukia screamed and ran after him.
Halfway through the chase, she suddenly remembered something. She turned her head back toward Renji, slightly flustered. "Sorry, Renji! Let's talk more next time, okay? I've got a certain Vice-Captain to beat up!"
Renji stood there in silence, watching their figures fade into the distance. He felt like a piece of his past had returned—but also realized… he wasn't the one standing beside Rukia anymore.
"…Tch. Figures," Renji muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Guess I've got more training to do…"