"Bai Chen…"
"Honestly, even before today, I'd already heard countless rumors about you—loud enough to ring in my ears."
"But meeting you in person… I've realized you're even more outstanding than the stories."
"For the Gotei Thirteen to one day gain a talent like you… truly is an honor for Shinigami like us."
Smiling warmly—like spring sunlight—
Aizen looked at Bai Chen with gentle eyes.
Every word carried admiration and approval.
Yes.
Just as Kyōraku had said—
Once the incident settled and the situation was moving toward its conclusion,
As one of the four captains overseeing the event, Aizen naturally approached Bai Chen.
In their face-to-face conversation, he didn't hold back his praise at all, steadily drawing closer.
Invisibly—
He once again reinforced the image of a flawless "good guy,"
His acting so seamless it was nearly perfect.
However…
Even though Bai Chen knew exactly who Aizen really was,
He neither avoided him nor tried to flatter him.
Instead, he treated Aizen the same way he treated other captains—
Calm, steady, unreadable.
He nodded politely.
"Aizen-taichō, you're overpraising me."
"Thanks to the captains stepping in, there were no casualties."
"As the one who caused this incident… I should be the one thanking you."
Out of basic courtesy, Bai Chen exchanged a few appropriate lines.
"Heh…"
"To have such composure and awareness at your age… you're truly rare."
"No matter which squad you join in the future, it will be that captain's honor."
Aizen's smile remained soft as he gently steered the topic toward squad selection.
"Maybe."
"I haven't thought that far ahead yet. I haven't even done a single Soul Burial practicum."
Bai Chen shrugged and answered honestly.
"Heh…"
"With your strength, the Soul Burial practicum will be effortless. You'll graduate smoothly very soon."
Aizen adjusted the black-rimmed glasses on his nose bridge.
This time, he stopped circling and went straight to the point.
"So… have you truly not considered which squad you'll join?"
As he asked, his expression carried visible concern—
Like a considerate, gentle older brother offering guidance to a younger one.
For most people, under that kind of "warmth,"
Aizen's persuasion would work quickly.
They'd fall into his carefully woven trap step by step.
But…
Bai Chen was a knowing party.
He could guess Aizen's purpose without thinking:
Monitor. Control. Indoctrinate.
Aizen's usual playbook.
In the original story, it had been used on Hinamori Momo.
But at this point in time—
Classes had only been in session for a month.
And Momo, shy and gentle, hadn't stood out among the freshmen yet.
In other words—
Bai Chen had been too dazzling over the past month.
The butterfly effect had kicked in, pulling all of Aizen's attention toward Bai Chen—
And delaying his "evaluation" of other first-years.
So—
With Momo not yet on his radar,
Aizen making a direct approach to Bai Chen was completely natural.
His motive was already obvious.
Which was why Bai Chen responded with a tactful refusal:
"Aizen-taichō…"
"You know this past month, my main instructors were two captains from Squad Ten."
"They were the ones guiding my training in the Shinigami Four Techniques."
At that, Bai Chen lifted his gaze and met Aizen's eyes calmly.
"So…"
"To be honest—out of gratitude for Captain Shiba's guidance…"
"If I had to choose a squad early, I'd probably prioritize Squad Ten."
The reasoning was airtight.
Impossible to poke holes in.
And it also made Bai Chen look loyal and principled.
In one stroke, it blocked the entire line of conversation.
"…"
Aizen clearly hadn't expected Bai Chen to answer so directly.
He paused—
The words he'd prepared jammed in his throat.
But just as the atmosphere turned delicate—
Whether by coincidence or by design—
Before Aizen could speak again,
A teasing fox-like voice drifted in.
"Eh, eh, eh… did I hear that right?"
"So Bai Chen has already decided on Squad Ten? That's a shame."
"My intention was the same as Aizen-taichō's—I was going to invite you to Squad Three."
"But now… it seems there's no need at all."
Ichimaru Gin smiled with narrowed eyes.
That signature fox grin, paired with his distinct Kansai cadence,
Made him look like a sly fox that had just finished stealing meat.
"Gin-taichō."
Bai Chen nodded lightly in greeting.
He responded to Gin's "invitation" by saying nothing—
A silent refusal.
"Well then, I understand what you mean."
Hands tucked into his sleeves, Gin pouted in exaggerated disappointment.
Then he shifted his gaze toward Aizen and, pointedly, added:
"Aizen-taichō…"
"I know you're always eager to recruit talent."
"But since Bai Chen already has his heart set…"
"As 'rivals' competing for talent…"
"No matter how regrettable it is, we can only congratulate Captain Shiba early."
With that, Gin withdrew his gaze, neatly ending the topic—
Then turned and walked away.
His demeanor was smooth and natural, leaving no trace of "collusion" with Aizen.
"Hah…"
"Gin-taichō is right."
"Although it's regrettable, I hope I'll have a chance to keep trying in the future."
"But since you've made your decision, I won't force you."
Aizen shook his head as if disappointed—
Yet his smile never faded.
He didn't let the refusal disrupt his gentle façade.
After exchanging a few more lines with Bai Chen,
Aizen turned and left in the opposite direction from Gin.
But the moment he turned his back—
The warmth in his eyes vanished.
What replaced it was a cold indifference—
Like winter snow, sharp enough to make people shiver just from looking at it.
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