Yesterday was a clear, boundless sky, but today was filled with gloomy, drizzling clouds. Weather like this made it hard for anyone to lift their spirits.
In the Shin'ō Academy, the modestly sized classroom of Class 1, Second Year was packed with young students. However, the spot reserved for the instructor at the podium remained completely empty.
"Haa," Abarai Renji couldn't help but yawn. Normally at this time, their first class would be nearing its end. Yet here they were, having waited for an entire period, and the worst part was that they didn't even know what they were waiting for.
Early this morning, the instructor had gathered them here, dropped a brief "Wait here patiently," and vanished without a trace. *'Seriously, what the hell is going on?'* Renji grumbled internally. *'If things keep going like this, how are we supposed to aim for the center of power?'*
*'Looks like it's about to rain. Today's weather is pretty good for sleeping, though...'*
In stark contrast to the peaceful atmosphere inside the classroom, a bald, middle-aged man was pacing back and forth anxiously outside the door. Every now and then, he would press his ear against the wood to listen for any movement inside, but unfortunately, he couldn't hear a thing.
The middle-aged man was named Ōunabara Gengorō, the instructor for Class 1, Second Year.
Unlike during Kōe's time, the current Shin'ō Academy wasn't much different from schools in the World of the Living. However, it was merely a superficial change—putting old wine in new bottles.
There were still six grades. Class 1 of each grade concentrated the most outstanding students from the entrance exams. Entering the Gotei 13 was merely the baseline for this class; its true goal was to push these students to become seated officers, lieutenants, or even captain candidates within their respective squads.
Therefore, being qualified to serve as the instructor for Class 1 meant that Ōunabara Gengorō held considerable prestige within the Shin'ō Academy. Calling him a "star instructor" wouldn't be an exaggeration at all.
But that was all as of yesterday. Starting today, there was only one person in the Shin'ō Academy truly worthy of the word "star," and he was the very person Ōunabara was currently waiting for to take over Class 1, Second Year.
Kōe Shihouin, the former Ninth Generation Kenpachi. Although he had only ever held the position of Lieutenant of Squad 1, his strength was undeniably at the captain level. In fact, even now, many veteran members of Squad 11 still believed that he should be their captain.
For someone like that to come to the Shin'ō Academy as a teacher—and not just as a mere formality—it was baffling to wonder what the person who issued this order was thinking. Did the Gotei 13 really have so many captains that they could afford to squander them so casually?
But regardless, this man was going to replace him as the instructor for Class 1, Second Year. There was no room for dissatisfaction. Ōunabara Gengorō understood that a man of this caliber was more than qualified to teach ninety percent of the Seireitei, including the Gotei 13, let alone a mere second-year class at the Shin'ō Academy.
The problem right now was, hadn't this former Kenpachi made him wait a bit too long? He had clearly said he was just going to briefly review the student files and then head over with him!
Should he knock on the door and remind him of the time? But Lieutenant Kaien was also in there. If the two of them were discussing something private, it wouldn't be good to interrupt.
Alternatively, he could dismiss the students of Class 1 for now. But if the conversation inside ended, was he supposed to make this VIP wait for the students to return? What a joke.
This internal struggle had been going on for quite some time. Just as Ōunabara Gengorō was at a loss for what to do, a deep voice rang out. "Good morning, Instructor Ōunabara. You look quite troubled."
"You're here, Captain Aizen!" Ōunabara said excitedly. The man before him was truly his savior.
Unlike the other captains, this gentle-natured Captain of Squad 5 was not only approachable but had also opened a calligraphy class at the academy, teaching it personally. Although he didn't visit often, he was still the most familiar captain to everyone at the Shin'ō Academy.
"Please, you must help me, Captain Aizen!"
After receiving an affirmative reply, Ōunabara briefly explained the situation. Upon hearing it, Aizen couldn't help but smile, nodding as he agreed to help. Reminding the people inside of the time was no big deal.
He lightly rapped his knuckles against the door. Before long, the wooden door opened, and the person inside didn't look angry at all.
"Captain Aizen?" Kaien looked at the smiling Aizen and asked, "Is there something you need?"
"It's nothing much on my end, Kaien," Aizen said, tilting his head to glance at the person behind Kaien. "I just heard that the students of Class 1, Second Year are still waiting for Mr. Shihouin. I was asked to check in and see if you needed any assistance."
"I almost forgot!" Kōe slapped his forehead and abruptly stood up. He had indeed been told to meet the students he would be teaching, but Kaien's interruption had made him forget completely.
"Sorry for the wait, we can head over right now." Walking to the door, Kōe first spoke to Ōunabara before turning to Aizen. "And thank you for going out of your way to remind me. How embarrassing. I'm Kōe Shihouin, a pleasure to meet you."
"Aizen Sōsuke." After giving his name, Aizen continued, "There's no need to feel too guilty, Mr. Shihouin. I imagine you had important matters that temporarily distracted you."
"Hahaha, you could say that."
Kōe absolutely hadn't expected to cross paths with Aizen this quickly. Given the man's ability to endure and scheme for a century, even if he suspected Kōe had ties to Urahara, he shouldn't have been so eager to test the waters personally. Therefore, his presence here was likely just a coincidence.
And although Kōe had to pretend not to know Aizen, the smile on his face right now wasn't entirely forced. With Aizen's appearance, he finally had an idea of how to save Shiba Kaien and his wife. This could be considered an unexpected stroke of luck.
"I'll properly thank you another day, Captain Aizen. Since I'm now an academy instructor, I should handle the matters at hand first."
"Naturally." Aizen nodded and added, "I also need to prepare for my upcoming calligraphy class. I'll take my leave first, Mr. Shihouin."
"I'm truly sorry about this." Kōe gave a slight bow. While Aizen hadn't completely walked away yet, Kōe turned back to Kaien and continued, "I need to go meet my lovely students now. Once Miyako gets back from Kūkaku's place, bring her along to come see me."
"Got it, you're so nagging."
"You're the one who kept talking non-stop and made me almost forget my actual job..."
"..."
The voices of Kōe and Kaien gradually faded behind him. Occasionally, students or instructors would pass by, and Aizen would earnestly greet them. He seemed no different from his usual self, and the incident that had just occurred felt like nothing more than an inconspicuous little interlude.
However, a certain name had quietly entered his field of vision. Shiba Kaien's wife, the Third Seat of Squad 13, Shiba Miyako.
At the same time, over at the Squad 11 barracks, another name had become the core of a heated discussion.
"Chōzuka Kenpachi? To think such an interesting guy came back and I'm only finding out now. I'm gonna go find him and have some fun right now. I hope he doesn't disappoint me too much."