Too Early to Celebrate

"Haa..."

On the path away from the morgue, Akira let out a quiet breath. He could even faintly feel Risa Aoki's somewhat regretful gaze behind him.

'Don't look at me like that. If you need someone to jump into the deep end for you, there are plenty of other graduates.'

Akira grumbled inwardly, but his steps unconsciously quickened as he caught up with Seinosuke Yamada.

Seinosuke, who had been watching Akira from the corner of his eye, spoke.

"Actually, this is also one of the places the Fourth Division's newcomers must experience first. Unlike the missions of the other Divisions, which more or less involve combat and death, the Fourth Division is a medical Division. To keep our members from losing composure when they go to the battlefield to provide medical aid, this is how we help them gradually grow used to death and understand... the value of life."

"Although we are Shinigami, once we die, we can only lie in the morgue. Everything we treasure, everything we hope for, and everything we desire will no longer exist..."

As if he had thought of something, Seinosuke spoke with a hint of feeling, and a trace of sorrow appeared on his cool face.

However, now that Akira had begun to understand Seinosuke's personality, he believed at most the punctuation marks in that explanation.

Moreover, Akira was not truly naive. Seinosuke's explanation could not hide his scheming and awful sense of fun.

Even if they truly wanted to train new members to face death, there were obviously gentler ways to assign them to the morgue. There was no need to stage this kind of ambush.

'This guy absolutely did it to satisfy his own twisted sense of fun.'

Outwardly, however, Akira wore an enlightened expression, as if he fully accepted Seinosuke's explanation. He even added, "Lieutenant Yamada is right. Only those who understand the value of life can understand the true meaning of Kaido and medicine. Only then can they truly devote their energy to studying both."

Hearing that, surprise flashed through Seinosuke's eyes. He subconsciously rubbed his chin.

'That... sounds deeper than what I just said.'

'Good. I'm stealing it.'

The next time new members joined the Fourth Division, he would use those words to explain.

While Seinosuke was thinking, he led Akira into the center of the Fourth Division compound and stopped before a quiet courtyard filled with austere tranquility.

Once they arrived there, Seinosuke's cool expression receded slightly, replaced by a touch of respect and caution. He knocked on the wooden sliding door and said, "Captain Unohana, Akira Morisawa has arrived."

A gentle voice came from within.

"Mm. Let him in."

"Yes."

Seinosuke answered, then opened the sliding door and signaled for Akira to enter.

Only then did Akira realize that Seinosuke had specifically brought him to meet Retsu Unohana, captain of the Fourth Division.

Akira drew a slight breath, several guesses and thoughts flashing through his mind, then stepped into the room.

Very soon, Retsu Unohana came into view.

At the moment, Retsu Unohana was kneeling on the tatami in an elegant, noble posture. Her profile, turned partly away from Akira, looked gentle, intelligent, and focused, while her long, slender fingers held a flower branch as she arranged it. Outside the room, a cherry tree was blooming in full splendor.

The scene was like a painting. The flowers were beautiful, the view elegant, and Retsu Unohana was the calmest, most refined center of it all.

At that moment, even Akira froze slightly. He instinctively stopped moving, afraid he might disturb the beautiful scene.

As if sensing Akira's arrival, Retsu Unohana's movements paused. She turned her head to look at him, an extraordinarily gentle smile appearing on her face.

"Don't be nervous. Please, sit."

"Yes."

At Retsu Unohana's gesture, Akira sat on a cushion beside her.

Retsu Unohana also pushed the vase she had been arranging slightly to the side, faced Akira with a dignified, composed bearing, and carefully studied the young man before her.

Although Retsu Unohana had already reviewed Akira Morisawa's file several times, this was the first time she had met him up close.

Black eyes, black hair, refined features, and the sunny quality unique to a boy his age. Yet there was still gentleness in his eyes, unconsciously giving others a sense of closeness and trust.

Akira, for his part, also used the corner of his eye to carefully study Retsu Unohana, who was now so close to him.

Retsu Unohana was, without question, a great beauty. Although Akira's memories from his previous life told him clearly that Retsu Unohana had once been the blood-soaked "first Kenpachi," his heart still instinctively missed a beat at her gentle, intelligent smile.

"If you do not mind, may I call you Akira?"

"Yes."

Faced with a captain deliberately closing the distance, Akira's expression remained calm, and he answered with impeccable etiquette for this era.

"Akira, then. Do you know why I asked to see you today?" Retsu Unohana asked with a smiling expression.

"Please instruct me, Captain Unohana."

Akira answered, though his gaze suddenly caught sight of a file placed beside Retsu Unohana. He could vaguely see his own photograph on it.

Retsu Unohana did not pick up the file. Instead, she spoke.

"Akira Morisawa. During your enrollment at Shin'o Academy, your Kaido and medical examinations ranked first in your year every year. In the two years since you awakened your Zanpakuto, you voluntarily participated in combat training and field missions as medical support multiple times. Across those efforts, you treated a total of 315 students, including 265 with light injuries and 50 with serious injuries."

Hearing that, Akira's gaze shifted slightly. He had not expected his performance over the past several years at Shin'o Academy to have been recorded so completely.

"Without question, this is an exceptional record. Since the founding of Shin'o Academy, you may be the graduate who has shown the most outstanding talent and passion for Kaido and medicine."

Retsu Unohana spoke in a tone of praise. "I am very glad that you voluntarily applied to join the Fourth Division."

Suddenly, Akira did not know whether he had been contaminated by Seinosuke Yamada, but Seinosuke's face popped into his mind by instinct, along with the line Seinosuke had once said: "You're celebrating too soon." He nearly blurted it out.

That made Akira's gaze sharpen. He realized that under Retsu Unohana's gentle tone, he had actually relaxed completely, almost enough to make that instinctive and absurd move.

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