The Noble District of the Seireitei at night.
The trio—Rangiku Matsumoto, who had more than enough to drink, and Soifon and Isane Kotetsu, who were stuffed with food—stood before the restaurant. Rangiku leaned her entire weight against Soifon's petite frame, snoring away.
"Captain Soifon…" Isane Kotetsu felt somewhat helpless regarding Soifon's earlier act of force-feeding the alcohol. "About Rangiku..."
"Leave her to me. Since I'm the one who got her drunk, I'll take full responsibility."
Soifon patted her chest, her voice ringing with magnanimity.
Immediately following her words, a golden Kidō rope coiled around Rangiku Matsumoto. Soifon hoisted the drunken girl, now bundled up like a meat dumpling, onto her shoulder with effortless ease.
Isane Kotetsu's lip twitched. "Are you sure it won't be a bother...?"
"It won't."
Soifon gave Rangiku a quick shrug on her shoulder to adjust the weight.
"In that case, here is the recipe for a hangover soup. Please, keep it with you."
Isane Kotetsu quickly scribbled a recipe on a piece of paper and handed it to Soifon.
*
"Ugh... a strange ceiling."
After waking up from her hangover, Rangiku Matsumoto muttered subconsciously as she groggily opened her eyes.
Wait!
Suddenly, as if realizing something was wrong, she sat bolt upright with a start, like a dying person suddenly regaining vitality.
Shing—
Abruptly sitting up in bed, Rangiku threw off the covers and frantically checked herself all over before finally letting out a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, her clothes were the original set, and the ties were still done in her own personal style; nothing strange had been done to her.
Rangiku patted her throbbing forehead and began to take in the unfamiliar room.
The room was large—certainly much larger than her own officer's quarters—and the air was filled with a faint, elegant fragrance. On the wall directly facing the bed hung a painting of a black cat.
"A cat?"
Rangiku blinked, her gaze shifting downward.
She discovered that the quilt covering her was printed with cartoon patterns of black cats in various poses.
Just then, the door was pushed open softly, and Soifon walked in carrying a steaming white porcelain bowl.
"So-Captain Soifon?"
"Wait... could this place actually be... Captain Soifon's room?"
Rangiku instinctively sat up straight, then her pupils shrank as she realized the implications.
"Where else would it be?" Soifon rolled her eyes. "Did you think it was yours?"
With that, Soifon walked quickly to the bed and sat on the edge.
She held the bowl steadily with one hand, while her other hand suddenly reached out, precisely pinching Rangiku's cheeks—which still had a hint of baby fat—and applying a little pressure.
"Mmph?!"
Caught off guard, Rangiku's mouth was forced open into a 'goldfish mouth' shape.
In the next second, liquid at the perfect temperature, carrying a faint herbal scent, was carefully poured into her mouth by Soifon.
The movements weren't exactly gentle, but the flow of the soup was well-controlled, ensuring Rangiku wouldn't choke.
Gulp, gulp...
Only when the last drop of soup had drained from the bottom of the white porcelain bowl did Soifon release her grip and place the empty bowl on the nearby cabinet.
Rangiku smacked her lips a few times. The taste lingering in her mouth was slightly bitter but had a sweet aftertaste. A warm current flowed down her esophagus, and as expected, the grogginess in her head and the discomfort in her stomach eased considerably.
"The recipe Isane gave me; it's hangover soup."
Soifon took a tissue and wiped the corner of the other woman's mouth.
Rangiku stared blankly as Soifon wiped her mouth, the slightly cool sensation of the Captain's fingers still seemingly lingering on her cheek.
My face is so hot... am I drunk again?
"How does it feel to be drunk? Not very pleasant, is it?"
Once she was wiped clean, Soifon reached out and flicked her middle finger against Rangiku's smooth forehead with moderate force.
Snap—
A crisp sound echoed.
"Hiss..."
Rangiku clutched her forehead and exhaled sharply, even though it didn't actually hurt.
"Wait, I remember now!" she looked at Soifon reproachfully. "Captain Soifon, I remember last night it was you who took the sake bottle and poured it down my throat..."
Soifon turned her back and gave a couple of dry coughs, her tone stubborn yet meaningful. "Heh, so you've finally learned how miserable a hangover is, haven't you?"
"Understood, Captain Soifon." Rangiku rubbed her temples. "I'll never get drunk again, I promise..."
In truth, under normal circumstances, she wouldn't drink to excess outside, but there was an inexplicable sense of security when she was around Soifon. Even if she was forced to get drunk, there seemed to be nothing to fear.
Soifon picked up the bowl and stood, leading Rangiku out of her Captain's quarters and handing the bowl to a member dressed in black.
The layout of the Second Division quarters was completely different from the other divisions; the corridors were deep and winding, and the light was dimmer than elsewhere.
A very faint scent of blood occasionally drifted through the air, mixed with the smell of antiseptic.
As they passed a particularly dark fork in the path, Rangiku clearly heard a short, shrill scream coming from behind a heavy iron door.
She couldn't help but shiver and instinctively leaned closer to Soifon.
Soifon, however, was deaf to these 'work sounds,' having long since grown accustomed to them.
Finally, they reached the grand yet austere main gate of the Second Division. Rangiku let out a long-overdue sigh of relief, though her face remained a bit pale.
Soifon stopped and turned to look at Rangiku.
Should she poach Rangiku Matsumoto into the Second Division?
Having such a beautiful girl by her side would be far better than having to look at that guy Marechiyo Ōmaeda every day, wouldn't it?
Crossing her arms over her chest, Soifon rubbed her chin in thought.
Soifon asked casually, "Are you interested in transferring to the Second Division?"
"Eh? Me?"
Rangiku Matsumoto's nerves, which had just relaxed, tightened once more.
Soifon nodded. "Yes. If it's you, Rangiku, I can give you the 3rd Seat position~"
Gulp...
The screams of the prisoners from the torture and interrogation rooms they had just passed were still ringing in Rangiku's ears.
"Muri, muri! I can't do it." Rangiku shook her head so violently her hair became a mess. "I'm someone who likes to drink; it would be a disaster if I leaked some secret..."
Was she kidding? Just walking past those places had sent chills down her spine. If she actually joined the Second Division, she feared she'd have nightmares every night.
"Is that so? That's a pity then."
"I was thinking that after I become a teacher, I'd need someone to help share the division duties with Marechiyo Ōmaeda..."
Soifon hadn't really expected to succeed; she was just speaking off the cuff.
A look of confusion crossed Rangiku's face. "But isn't Captain Soifon a part-time teacher?"
What was so busy about a part-time teaching job?
"In short, it's a long story..." As she spoke, Soifon reached into her pocket, pulled out a Soul Pager, and handed it over. "Contact me if you need any help, and be careful while on field duty."
Rangiku took the Soul Pager. "This is quite expensive, isn't it? I can't afford this on my salary."
With one hand on her hip, Soifon acted like a wealthy tycoon. "It's free. A gift for you."
Immediately after, Soifon found herself pulled into a warm, soft embrace.
"Thank you... Are we considered friends now, Captain Soifon?"
"Of course."
____
New Story: Starting from Their Seventeen Years Old
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