Tetsuzaemon's normally stern face twisted with pride as memories of the association's miserable early days came rushing back.
Back then, the Shinigami Men's Association had been in a truly pitiful state.
It barely had any members, its funds were almost nonexistent, and it couldn't even afford a permanent meeting place.
Whenever they wanted to hold an event or discuss association business, they had to wander around looking for somewhere suitable, only to be turned away and driven off time after time.
Worse still, the haughty members of the Shinigami Women's Association constantly made things difficult for them, chasing them from one spot to another like strays with nowhere to go.
With no other options, the desperate members had eventually been reduced to using the filthy, foul-smelling men's restroom as a temporary meeting room.
Every time Tetsuzaemon remembered that dark period, his heart filled with bitterness.
It had been enough to make a grown man cry.
Then, just as the association seemed ready to collapse for good, Kazuma's return gave the dying group a new lease on life.
Since his arrival, membership had exploded.
Shinigami with a little extra money had even begun donating generously, offering financial support to an organization that had once been on the verge of ruin.
With everyone pulling together, the association had finally climbed out of its old hole.
Better days had come at last.
Everything was slowly getting onto the right track, and the future looked brighter with each passing day.
"C-Captain! I… I have a request. Would you be willing to grant it?"
After several moments lost in blissful memories, Tetsuzaemon suddenly straightened his expression and spoke with great seriousness.
The abrupt change caught Kazuma completely off guard.
"Y-You can ask."
It took Kazuma a moment to recover before he answered with a stammer.
'He isn't about to ask me to publicly endorse the association, is he?'
The mere thought sent a chill down his spine.
Standing in front of a crowd and recruiting people for this strange little club sounded unbearably embarrassing.
Kazuma quickly shook his head, trying to throw the horrifying image out of his mind.
"It's like this, Captain. I'd like to use your tea room as the association's regular meeting place. Would you be willing to approve that?"
Tetsuzaemon looked at him expectantly, his eyes full of sincerity.
"Please rest assured. I'll keep every member in line. We absolutely won't interfere with your work or your daily life."
Apparently afraid Kazuma might refuse, he hurriedly added the promise.
"Phew…"
"So that's all you wanted."
Kazuma let out a long breath, and the tension went out of his shoulders.
"That's fine. Tetsuzaemon, manage it however you see fit."
As long as no one expected him to stand around promoting the association and recruiting members, he was happy to grant such a minor request.
Tetsuzaemon visibly relaxed when Kazuma agreed so readily.
Ōmaeda, meanwhile, was so overwhelmed that his round body began trembling.
"W-Wah…"
"Captain Kazuma, you're too kind! We've been worried sick because we couldn't find a permanent place to hold our activities. You've solved one of our biggest problems!"
Ōmaeda actually began sobbing.
He wiped his tears with his chubby hands and thanked him through broken sniffles.
"Don't mention it. We're all male Shinigami, so naturally we should help each other. Besides, it's a small thing."
Kazuma smiled and patted him on the shoulder.
At that moment, Ōmaeda was completely overcome.
Tears gathered in his eyes as he seized both of Kazuma's hands and squeezed them tightly, as though trying to pour every ounce of gratitude through that desperate grip.
His expression was so full of dependence that he seemed to fear Kazuma would vanish the instant he let go, taking all the hope and warmth he'd given the association with him.
Standing nearby, President Tetsuzaemon watched the deeply moving scene with a satisfied smile.
He knew that securing a proper meeting place was an extremely important step for the association.
But he wasn't content to stop there.
Since everything had gone so smoothly, perhaps he should seize the moment and ask for a little more.
After all, you had to strike while the iron was hot.
"Captain, I have one more unreasonable request."
After a brief hesitation, Tetsuzaemon finally gathered his courage and spoke.
Kazuma's brows drew together at once.
He knew his lieutenant far too well.
Every time Tetsuzaemon wore that hesitant expression, he was almost certainly about to ask for something troublesome.
"If you already know it's unreasonable, then don't ask."
Before Tetsuzaemon could continue, Kazuma shut him down without mercy.
His tone was firm and left absolutely no room for negotiation.
"Well… that is…"
Tetsuzaemon hadn't expected such a quick, decisive rejection.
He froze, his mouth opening and closing without producing a single useful word.
After a long moment he tried to explain himself, but the instant he met Kazuma's sharp gaze, every carefully prepared argument stuck in his throat.
Tetsuzaemon took several deep breaths and gradually calmed down.
'That was a mistake. Something like this needs to be approached slowly and carefully. Trying to get it all in one go was far too ambitious.'
'Better to wait for another chance and bring it up when the captain is in an especially good mood.'
"Captain Kazuma! Please give me your autograph!"
Ōmaeda's shout suddenly broke the awkward silence.
He hurriedly presented the portrait once again.
Kazuma took the painfully abstract drawing and found himself in a difficult spot.
Should he really sign something like this?
After a long internal struggle, Kazuma finally gritted his teeth, squeezed his eyes shut, and hurriedly scribbled his signature across the portrait.
Then, as though the paper had shocked him, he shoved it straight back into Ōmaeda's hands.
The whole motion was lightning-fast, as if he feared that looking at the drawing one second longer might do permanent damage.
...
After receiving the autographed portrait, Ōmaeda could barely contain his delight.
A brilliant smile spread across his round face as he held the picture in trembling hands, treating it like the most valuable treasure in existence.
He carefully rolled it up, tucked it inside his robes, and adjusted his clothing several times to make certain it wouldn't be damaged.
Only after finishing this delicate procedure did he let out a long breath, as though he'd just completed some vital mission.
"Captain Kazuma, I'm terribly sorry, but I need to go. Captain Suì-Fēng is still waiting for me to report back."
Despite the apologetic words, Ōmaeda's feet never stopped moving.
Before he'd even finished speaking, he shot toward the Seventh Division's exit and vanished with astonishing speed.
"I can't believe it. An awful old man like sensei actually has fans?"
Rukia watched Ōmaeda go and finally burst out laughing. She clutched her stomach and pointed at Kazuma without the slightest respect.
"This is hilarious! Hahaha!"
"Exactly! What could anyone possibly admire about this guy?"
Ichigo immediately joined in, laughing so hard his whole body shook.
"How did you get someone like Ōmaeda to worship you? Hahaha!"
He bent forward, tears streaming down his cheeks as he let every bit of his amusement out.
"Good. Very good. Excellent!"
Kazuma laughed along with them, but his face had already gone dark as a storm cloud.
"You two truly are such wonderfully devoted students. Your respect for your teacher has reached an entirely new level!"
His eyes burned as he glared at Rukia and Ichigo, his teeth grinding audibly.
Without another word, he reached down and began untying the sash around his waist.
The moment Rukia saw that, alarm bells went off in her head. She sprang to her feet, ready to run!