ROAR!!
The Hollow let out a death cry before turning into Reishi and vanishing.
"The transformation between my physical and spiritual forms is getting smoother," Ren muttered as he sheathed his sword, which soon disappeared along with his Shinigami uniform. He had been training to convert his body into Reishi and store it within his soul instead of pulling his soul out of his body every time.
Today, he finally mastered it. He had been practicing for a long time, since turning his body into Reishi was extremely difficult—especially having to reconstruct it whenever he wanted to return to his physical form. Fortunately, his Six Eyes helped him immensely, though he had been certain it would take at least a year to perfect this technique.
"Ichigo and Rukia are busy, so I can only work in their place," Ren sighed with mild annoyance. It hadn't even been a full day since Ichigo had gone to Urahara's shop to train for Bankai and restore Rukia's powers. Apparently, restoring Rukia's powers without harming either of them would take around four days, while Ichigo's Bankai training would require three more. That meant for the next week, he was stuck handling the Hollows in the city.
"I don't know if Shinigami are just fools or backward people," Ren muttered in irritation. "They've existed for so long, yet they never thought of establishing a branch in the human world to make their work easier and respond faster when something happens."
"But no, of course not. They have to send a squad from Soul Society through a gate every time, as if bureaucracy were more sacred than the lives being lost." He let out a deep sigh, loosening the top button of his shirt as the night air carried a faint chill despite the city's lingering warmth.
Though Ren wasn't some saint trying to save and protect every soul in the world, he still disliked how Soul Society handled things. It was obvious they saw humans as beneath them, caring little for what happened, even while claiming to be guardians of the balance between the three realms.
"Damn it, I'm late for work," Ren muttered with annoyance. He worked part-time at a small café to earn some extra money. Even though he no longer needed such trivial income thanks to the black card from the system—loaded with infinite funds—he had no intention of quitting his part-time job. It had become a routine of his life, and he even enjoyed it a little.
"..." Ren glanced at his phone. It was nearing 5 p.m., and he groaned in annoyance—he was definitely going to be late. He could still make it to the café on time if he used Shunpo, but he wasn't planning to rely on his powers for every little thing. Besides, he didn't mind receiving a bit of scolding from his beautiful manager.
"Life without a little scolding gets boring," he murmured lightly, slipping his hands into his pockets as he strolled casually through the alleys leading to central Karakura.
Although Ren sought more strength and battles, those were nothing more than spices added to his ordinary life when it grew dull. His one and only goal had always been to enjoy a carefree life, while messing around here and there without the slightest concern.
The sky was already painted in shades of orange and purple, the sunset drawing golden lines across the shop windows and buildings. People moved around him, laughing, talking, pulling along children or bags of shopping... and Ren, in the midst of that calm, walked nonchalantly with his hands in his pockets, a blindfold covering his eyes.
_
Ten minutes later, Ren arrived at a simple yet classy café, its structure made from high-quality wood, with a glass front that allowed anyone to see inside easily.
Above the door hung a modest, elegant wooden sign with the name: Moonlight Café.
Ren pushed the door open gently, the sweet, simple chime of a bell greeting him like a soft welcome.
The smell of fresh coffee and warm pastries spread instantly, while the dim, warm lighting gave the café a cozy, serene atmosphere.
"Oh?" A familiar voice rose from behind the counter. "You're late for a change, Ren-kun."
Ren smiled faintly as he approached the counter, lazily slipping on the black apron hanging near the entrance.
"I had something to take care of, and it took longer than expected," Ren said without a trace of regret. "And I think I'll need about a week to finish this matter. I might not be able to work during the summer break—I might go on a trip for a while when it starts."
"I see." Ayase Akiko nodded lightly without prying too much. "That's unfortunate. I was counting on you to attract female customers during the summer."
Akiko was a beautiful woman in her early thirties, carrying a warm, motherly aura. She was stunning, with blonde hair tied into a side ponytail that draped over her shoulder, violet eyes, and a gentle, welcoming expression.
She was also Saki's mother—Ren's childhood friend. He had met her at the family restaurant when visiting the Tachibana family. It seemed Akiko had also been considering remarriage.
"I thought you relied on my coffee-making skills, not my handsome face," Ren teased, patting the apron lightly.
Akiko chuckled softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear with grace.
"Don't underestimate the power of a handsome face—especially one covered by a mysterious blindfold. High school girls love mystery."
"Ah, if that's the standard, maybe I should open a nightclub instead of a café," Ren muttered, grabbing the order pad and sweeping his gaze across the tables.
"Don't say such indecent things," Akiko scolded gently, though a hint of displeasure flickered in her beautiful violet eyes.
"Alright, my bad." Ren apologized with a cheeky grin. "By the way, where's Saki? I don't see her anywhere."
Saki was Ren's childhood friend and Akiko's daughter, always helping her mother at the café—a fact Akiko greatly appreciated.
"Saki has makeup exams. She's still terrible at modern Japanese, as always." Akiko smiled softly, not the least bit upset, knowing how hard her daughter worked. Then, in a playful tone, she added, "So, could you help her study after your shift? I'll overlook your lateness in return."
Ren gave a lazy shrug and a faint smile.
"Fine. As long as I'm paying for my lateness with extra tutoring hours, I don't mind… though I can't promise Saki will stop writing haikus about food."
Akiko laughed lightly before waving a small towel at him.
"Go start cleaning the tables—the customers will be arriving soon."
"As you command, dear manager." Ren gave a playful bow before moving slowly toward the corner.
...
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