"Rumors, about me?"
Hearing the news, Suō Tsukasa himself was slightly confused and a bit surprised.
These rumors had never reached him, the person in question, so Suō only learned about them at this moment.
Although students often discussed things around him during the day, what actually floated into his ears were mostly comments like:
"Is that Suō Tsukasa?"
"He doesn't look like it!"
"He really can eat a lot!"
And then there were discussions like, "He's so good-looking!" and "I wonder if he has a girlfriend..."
He had long been accustomed to these whispers.
After all, from the first day of school, the number of eyes on him and the amount of discussion about him were countless.
As for any new buzz about him recently, he genuinely hadn't heard much.
Renji Abarai looked at his utterly clueless expression and was also somewhat surprised.
"You don't know? You're arguably the most famous student in the Shin'ō Reijutsu Academy right now!"
"Not just the fifth and sixth years, where the rumors first started, it's hard to find anyone in the second, third, or fourth years who hasn't heard about you."
"The Super Star Who Will Definitely Become an Elite Shinigami!"
"The Strongest Freshman Student!"
"A Once-in-a-Century Ultimate Genius!"
"The Suddenly Descended Black Morning Star!"
"The Elite Class's Nobleman of the Dark Night!"
"Handsome..."
Renji Abarai then held up his fingers and began reciting the titles he had heard attached to Suō Tsukasa in the rumors, mentioning each one with a serious expression.
"Stop, stop..."
Hearing the last nickname, Suō Tsukasa immediately raised his hand to cut him off, his brow slightly furrowed.
The first few were fine, and he was quite pleased with them, but the last one was a bit embarrassing and too dramatic.
"What's 'Nobleman of the Dark Night'? They could have at least gone with a nickname like 'Black Emperor' or something that sounds cooler."
Suō Tsukasa covered his head, feeling a little speechless and blank-headed, muttering his internal complaints.
Then, he noticed that Tōshirō Hitsugaya, who was beside him, showed no change in expression, and he asked curiously.
"You... you've heard all this?"
"Yeah, I've heard most of them. I thought you knew yourself."
Tōshirō nodded faintly, replying calmly.
The students in the Elite Class were cautious around Suō Tsukasa and wouldn't discuss it in front of him.
But they had no reservations around Tōshirō and discussed it with considerable enthusiasm.
In their words, they were proud to be classmates with Suō Tsukasa, and some even considered starting a fan club for him.
Even though Tōshirō never participated in other people's gossip, he would pay slight attention to what people were discussing.
As long as the conversations didn't involve denigrating Suō Tsukasa, he usually had no opinion and even found it somewhat amusing.
Just by occasionally overhearing them, he gradually became aware of virtually all the rumors.
And in his impression, Suō Tsukasa had never cared about others' opinions or discussions since they met, so he hadn't thought to specifically mention these rumors.
"So I'm the last one to know."
"Alright then."
Suō Tsukasa sighed resignedly after hearing the full account.
These exaggerated rumors and titles were very much in line with his stereotype of Japanese school life.
In simple terms, people just had too little fun in their daily lives.
This was why publications like the Seireitei Bulletin, whose primary purpose was to release formal announcements from official institutions, were eagerly sought after by students simply because they occasionally contained some gossip and rumors.
Suō, who frequently spent time in the library, had yet to see a copy of this famous publication since his enrollment.
Ultimately, life at the Shin'ō Reijutsu Academy was too oppressive, far more so than in a regular school.
"It's just boring!"
Having reached his conclusion, Suō Tsukasa gathered his thoughts, took a packet of jerky from his bag, and tossed it over.
"By the way, Abarai, this is for you. Consider it an information fee."
"What is this? ...It smells great."
The oil-paper-wrapped package described an arc in the air. Renji Abarai subconsciously caught it with his right hand, feeling a solid weight on his fingertips.
At the same time, a sweet and savory meaty aroma, mixed with rich spices, wafted toward him on the breeze, making him involuntarily take a deep breath.
"It's exclusively prepared snack jerky. You can't buy it outside."
"Judging by your movements, you're recovering well. Eat more meat, and you'll heal even faster."
Suō Tsukasa said with a smile, glancing at his right shoulder, which still moved a bit stiffly.
"Great! I accept the kindness. Thanks!"
Since the two were now friends, Renji Abarai was not one to be overly polite and readily accepted the gift.
The packet of jerky rested quietly in his palm, becoming the first token of their new friendship.
"You're welcome. We'll head back to clean up now. See you later."
Suō Tsukasa smiled, nodded, and waved his hand.
"See you!"
Renji Abarai waved back and turned to walk toward his dormitory. His red hair swayed in the sunlight, and his steps were much lighter than when he had arrived.
Watching him leave, Suō Tsukasa and Tōshirō turned and walked into the small courtyard.
After just a few steps, Tōshirō, who was beside him, spoke up, asking with some curiosity.
"You seem to quite admire him?"
They had been on the verge of a confrontation on the dueling platform yesterday, and today they were friends. The transition was quite rapid.
However, Tōshirō could sense that Suō Tsukasa was genuinely interested in befriending him; he was simply curious.
Suō Tsukasa slowed his pace, recalling the scene from their duel yesterday, and said seriously.
"His nature isn't bad, and he has a good level of talent and skill."
"Yesterday, he seemed enraged and intent on defeating me with all his might, but he consciously held back a little when he made his move."
Suō Tsukasa knew the situation during the fight best. If there had been intense malice, he would have sensed it immediately.
Similarly, if Renji Abarai hadn't held back, the first Kidō spell wouldn't have been so easy for him to break free from instantly.
Precisely because he felt the other party's self-restraint, Suō Tsukasa also held back when he released the Byakurai, otherwise it wouldn't have just been two holes punched in his body.
After all, a person's left hand has five fingers.
"So that's how it is."
Tōshirō's first impression of Renji Abarai had been one of mild dislike, even after learning he was Momo Hinamori's classmate and friend.
Upon hearing Suō Tsukasa's explanation, his opinion of Renji Abarai improved slightly.
"Besides, we'll all be comrades once we join the Gotei 13 later on. Having an extra friend isn't a bad thing."
Suō Tsukasa smiled and continued.
He was a person who enjoyed making friends, and one of his greatest interests in life was cooking for them.
And while food is certainly flavorful when eaten alone, it's doubly delicious when shared with a group of friends.
"What you say makes sense."
Tōshirō nodded in agreement with Suō Tsukasa's viewpoint.
He wouldn't dwell too much on the matter. Although he couldn't immediately consider Renji Abarai a friend, he no longer actively disliked him from the bottom of his heart.