Glasses

Seireitei was the political, military, and even commercial center of Soul Society.

Aside from all the Gotei 13 barracks being located inside Seireitei, the residences of nobles at various ranks, the Kido Corps barracks, Central 46, the Great Spirit Library, the Maggot's Nest, and many other important institutions were all concentrated there as well.

Outside Seireitei lay Rukongai, where ordinary souls lived. Aside from simple divisions such as East District One or North District Two, Shinigami generally only moved out when Hollows attacked souls and needed to be eliminated.

Beyond that, Seireitei's management of Rukongai was extremely rough, almost laissez-faire. As a result, most Rukongai districts were chaotic, filthy, and disorderly.

The terrible environment of Rukongai, combined with the fact that souls without spiritual power did not feel hunger, meant its commercial foundation was somewhat lacking.

Therefore, to satisfy the dining and entertainment needs of Shinigami and nobles, a commercial street naturally formed inside Seireitei for their daily relaxation.

Akira had heard about this street for a long time, but since joining the Fourth Division, he had never had a chance to come out and enjoy himself.

Unlike Seireitei's usual solemn, oppressive atmosphere, the commercial street was filled with Shinigami letting loose almost everywhere he looked.

The shops on both sides sold all kinds of goods in addition to food and entertainment. The place looked lively and prosperous.

"Wait..."

Akira suddenly stopped Shao Ling, who was leading the way in front of him. He looked toward an eyeglasses shop and said, "Miss Fon, could you wait a moment? I want to buy a pair of glasses."

"Glasses?"

As Shao Ling followed Akira into the shop, she instinctively looked at his bright, gentle eyes and asked, "Doctor Morisawa, is there something wrong with your vision?"

"A little. Recently, I may have practiced acupuncture too often and overused my eyes, so things sometimes look blurry."

Akira casually found an excuse to handle Shao Ling while his gaze swept over the different frames in the shop.

The first pair he noticed was a low-key black-rimmed style almost identical to Sosuke Aizen's. It was undoubtedly the best choice for refining one's aura, hiding good looks, and concealing the eyes.

However...

Akira remembered how Teacher Unohana had once casually said he felt somewhat similar to Sosuke Aizen, and he decisively gave up the idea of choosing the same style.

After that, following the shopkeeper's recommendations, he tried on several pairs of glasses. He discovered that they all seemed to make him look even more elegant and handsome, which left him somewhat dissatisfied.

After all, Akira's main goal in buying glasses was to conceal himself. He did not expect a pair of glasses to make him unrecognizable, but at the very least, they should not obviously raise his attractiveness. Ideally, they would help hide his eyes and make him look more harmless.

Just then, Shao Ling handed him a pair of narrow, silver-gray frames.

"Um... Doctor Morisawa, why not try this pair?"

Akira turned to her in surprise. Shao Ling turned her head away, her gaze drifting toward the street outside as she said, "D-don't misunderstand. I only do not want to waste time. It is absolutely not because I think those glasses suit you better."

At that moment, an evening breeze blew in from the street, lifting the black hair over Shao Ling's shoulders and fully revealing her reddened ears.

Akira blinked. He took the glasses from her hand and tried them on in front of the mirror.

"Whew."

When Akira took the glasses, Shao Ling secretly let out a breath. Inside, she had already begun regretting her impulsive recommendation.

Ever since she had become sensible, most of Shao Ling's life had been occupied by Executive Militia training. She rarely had the chance to stroll through shops. Because of that, when she saw a pair of glasses she liked, she could not help recommending them to Akira.

"How do they look?"

Akira's voice sounded, gentle as an evening breeze.

Shao Ling instinctively turned to look at him. Under the dark gray narrow frames, his already handsome face seemed a little more mature and carried a touch of nobility.

For some reason, Shao Ling suddenly thought of the young lord of the Kuchiki Clan, Byakuya Kuchiki, and compared him with Akira.

Aside from looks that were almost equally excellent, the boy in front of her was different from Byakuya Kuchiki's deliberately cold and arrogant manner. Akira somehow made her feel as if she were standing in a spring breeze, naturally wanting to draw closer.

She did not know why, but hearing Akira's voice, which seemed able to brush softly against the heart, made a trace of panic rise in her. It was as if some hidden thought had been seen through. Her tone became unnatural and tense.

"Why are you asking me?"

Facing Shao Ling's seemingly cold, distant tone, Akira answered with his usual gentleness. "These are the glasses Miss Fon recommended. Of course your opinion is very important."

"They are... not that good. I suppose they are passable," Shao Ling answered awkwardly.

"All right."

Akira responded. Under Shao Ling's faintly disappointed gaze, he took the glasses off and set them aside, then continued choosing other frames.

For a moment, Shao Ling felt strangely hollow, as if the first precious gift of her life had been rejected.

'Damn it. I said they were passable, didn't I?'

'Did I... not express it clearly enough? But how else was I supposed to say it?'

'No, why do I care so much? This has absolutely, absolutely nothing to do with me.'

Just as Shao Ling's thoughts grew increasingly frustrated, Akira handed two selected pairs of glasses to the shopkeeper and asked him to wrap them.

Then, under Shao Ling's stunned gaze, Akira placed the narrow dark gray glasses directly on his nose and asked, "Boss, how much for these three pairs?"

"Two thousand kan."

Akira's movements paused slightly. "That expensive?"

Although Akira was Retsu Unohana's disciple, his position was still only that of an ordinary Fourth Division member. His monthly salary and allowance together were only six thousand kan.

Of course, the reason it was so low was also that, for the past two months, Akira had not received any patients at all. Naturally, he could only draw the department's lowest level of pay.

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