Back in the classroom, Arima Shinya continued attending the afternoon lessons.
After the classes ended, he quickly stopped by the teachers' lounge — and, as expected, Aizen was no longer in his seat.
No one knew exactly what that incredible man was thinking. Although Shinya felt a slight unease, he knew that in such situations, the best thing to do was just wait.
Without dwelling on it, he decided to take care of his own matters first.
When the school day finally ended, Arima Shinya, as usual, went for a walk to the cafeteria.
After all, training on an empty stomach was out of the question. And the prerequisite for any good training was proper nutrition.
Keeping that in mind, Shinya never let himself go without it.
— Please, a beef burger combo. Add rice, miso soup, a nanban chicken, and a small bowl of curry.
— Oh, you're coming late today, huh! — commented the cafeteria uncle.
Since Shinya always ordered a lot of food — and almost always the same dishes — the cafeteria worker already recognized him by sight.
— Training again afterward? Young people like you have plenty of energy, huh.
— Hehe, you don't look bad either, still strong as ever.
— Smart boy! Here, have some pickles on the house.
Being friendly costs nothing — and sometimes it even earned a little advantage.
Getting something for free was always nice.
Satisfied, Arima Shinya went to the condiment counter, sprinkled some pepper and nori flakes, and started looking for a quieter spot to eat.
That's when a familiar figure entered his field of vision.
That figure…
Raising his tray, Shinya hesitated for a moment, but eventually decided to approach.
— Please, a bowl of rice porridge.
— Again? Little girl, if you eat only that every day, you'll end up malnourished, you know? — said the cafeteria uncle, slightly worried.
— Ah, no… it's okay, it's just that… hehe, I'm on a diet. — replied Kotetsu Isane, lowering her head shyly.
She raised her right hand and nervously played with the small ornament dangling from her ear.
Just as Shinya had imagined, Kotetsu Isane's temperament was indeed introverted.
Social situations like that made her uncomfortable — especially when she began attracting attention from those around because of the conversation.
Again…
She didn't want to draw so much attention…
It wasn't her fault for growing so tall!
She just wanted to be normal — like an ordinary girl…
What should I say now…? Is there anything I can say to get out of this situation… without drawing even more attention?
As she nervously thought, her lips pressed together.
— Ah! Kotetsu-senpai, so this is where you were? What a coincidence!
The familiar voice made the girl turn around in surprise.
In front of her was a boy with a gentle appearance, black hair tied back, and soft facial features.
She recognized him immediately — after all, they had met that morning.
— Kotetsu-senpai, I wanted to ask you for some advice. Can we sit together?
With no real way to refuse — and wanting to leave quickly — she quickly nodded.
— O-okay, let's go.
The two hurried to a quieter corner of the cafeteria.
As soon as they sat down, Isane's expression relaxed a little.
— S-so…
— No need to thank me — interrupted Shinya, smiling. — Consider it a return favor for what happened this morning. It was just a small gesture, nothing big.
Kotetsu blinked, slightly confused, and folded her hands.
— But… why did you…
— Anyone could see that senpai was uncomfortable, right?
Shinya smiled, picked up the chopsticks, adjusted them, and tested them by lightly tapping the table. Perfect, aligned.
— Since I noticed, it didn't make sense to pretend I didn't. Besides, it seemed like senpai was really bothered, right?
Of course, he knew it was rude to assume someone else's feelings — and thinking about it, he scratched the back of his neck, laughing awkwardly.
— If I was intrusive or offended you in any way, I apologize. I shouldn't have acted on my own.
— N-no! Not at all! — she replied, shaking her head. — I'm very grateful, Arima-kun. It's just that… I don't know what to say…
It seemed that, suddenly, she had found a chance to vent.
And, as if a dam had broken, Isane could no longer hold back her feelings.
— Since I entered here, it's always been like this…
— I don't do anything special, but because of my height I always attract attention…
— Gosh, it's not like I wanted to be like this! Who could have imagined that even while eating porridge I'd keep growing!? This makes no sense at all!
Ugh…
Shinya's face twisted as if he felt a toothache.
You could feel the accumulated frustration — it seemed about to overflow.
She had certainly been holding these kinds of feelings for a long time. But given the situation, he didn't know what words of comfort would really help.
After all, they had only known each other for one day…
Is it good that she's telling me all this…?
Perhaps realizing her own venting, Kotetsu sniffled hard and murmured quietly:
— …Can you pretend you didn't hear anything I just said?
How could he respond to that?
Shinya simply smiled and nodded.
The mood lightened, and Kotetsu seemed much better after letting it all out.
She took a deep breath and lightly tapped her face, as if trying to cheer herself up.
Hang in there, Kotetsu Isane!
Since when did you become so weak that you complain to a freshman!?
— Sorry for making you see this…
— Don't worry, senpai. Actually, this way you even seem… more normal.
While she was still embarrassed, Shinya had already finished the curry completely.
— Huh? What do you mean by that? — she asked, confused.
Shinya swallowed the last piece of meat, wiped his mouth, and explained:
— That's exactly what it seems. Normally, senpai gives off a cold impression… but I don't think that's really how you feel, right?
It wasn't intentional.
With that neutral-featured face and naturally serious expression, it was hard for anyone to approach her.
— Senpai gives the impression of being difficult to get close to.
Kotetsu brought her hand to her face, surprised.
— Really…?
No one had ever told her something like that.
— Really! — Shinya replied, riding the momentum.
— I bet if senpai smiled a bit more, you'd look even… cuter.
— Hhyaa!!
It was like stepping on a cat's tail.
The woman, nearly 1.9 meters tall, let out a high-pitched scream.
He… just called me cute!?
It was the first time — apart from her own family — that anyone had said something like that to her.
This is cheating…
So cheeky…!
Does he talk to all girls like this!?
Blushing, Kotetsu brought her hands to her cheeks, trying to hide the flush.
Meanwhile, Shinya hadn't noticed anything.
To him, complimenting a girl like that was just a polite gesture — something that could make someone happy without being offensive.
Saying "beautiful" might seem too daring, but "cute" sounded more neutral.
A basic social compliment, nothing more.
After all, he had learned this type of thing from none other than Aizen Sōsuke — the absolute master of diplomacy.
With a teacher like that, it's impossible to go wrong.
The mood became slightly awkward, until it was Kotetsu who broke the silence.
Determined to hide her nervousness, she took a deep breath and attacked first:
— Arima-kun, y-you have quite the appetite, huh!
Does this count as starting a conversation…?
Shinya laughed awkwardly.
— I train every day, so I can't skimp on food.
— R-really…
Remembering how he had asked for help earlier, Kotetsu blinked and commented:
— But that kind of training is really dangerous, isn't it? If you can, you should take better care of your body, Arima-kun.
Even though it was just an observation, it was a genuine gesture of concern.
Shinya smiled and nodded.
— Thanks for your concern! I'll pay more attention to it.
That was so vague…
Kotetsu even wanted to insist, but then remembered what he had said earlier —
"If you smiled more, you'd look even cuter."
Forcing a crooked smile, she replied:
— Arima-kun, you're really hardworking, huh…
He nodded firmly.
— Of course. Time at the Academy is precious. I want to give my all now so that in the future I'll have a good path ahead.
With such determination, it was impossible to mock him.
Kotetsu sighed internally, admiring the effort of that boy.
Meanwhile, Shinya had already finished all the dishes completely.
What an amazing appetite… I wish I could eat like that freely too…
But if I keep growing, it's going to be a problem.
Glancing at his tray, Kotetsu asked, a little curious:
— And your money… is it still enough to get by?
— Yes. I did some manual labor in the Refugee District before entering the Academy. I saved a bit. It should last the whole year.
Once I master my skills well, I can start accepting missions — which would balance income and expenses.
Everything had been planned from the start.
— Work, huh… — murmured Kotetsu, thoughtful.
After hesitating for a moment, she interlaced her fingers and said in a low voice:
— Actually, the student council is hiring temporary assistants. Arima-kun… would you like to try?
Before she could finish the sentence, Shinya's eyes lit up as he exclaimed:
— I want to!
If he could earn extra money, life would be much easier…
And then, no more beef burgers —
It would be time to eat steak!