"Wait a minute."
Kakutori Batsuunsai looked at Fujimiya Makoto, who was already sitting at the table with paper and pen prepared, suddenly widening her eyes and pointing at him, interrupting:
"Fujimiya! The forbidden books you mentioned, they couldn't be..."
Fujimiya Makoto sat at the table, looking very serious as he nodded.
"Yes, they're in my head."
"Eh—!?"
Miss Kakutori suddenly elongated her voice, looking at him incredulously.
"What?" Fujimiya Makoto kept a straight face, showing a stern expression, "Don't you believe me?"
After this brief interaction, he had gradually figured out the true nature of this future Captain of the 8th Division.
As long as she remained unreleased, Kakutori Batsuunsai would always maintain that soft demeanor—a form Fujimiya Makoto named the "Little Lamb Mode."
In this mode, Fujimiya Makoto was naturally very bold.
But after she released her sword...
Then he'd have to rely on his own luck.
Having crossed blades with her, Fujimiya Makoto had already confirmed that she was a genuine Captain-level powerhouse.
In fact, not even at the level where someone like X-car Kensei or Kashimura X could compare.
Called out like this, Miss Kakutori indeed shrank her head timidly, but still somewhat disgruntled, muttering for the sake of her beloved books:
"But I thought you had many books at home, so I came with you, and even said such harsh things to everyone..."
The soft girl stood with her head lowered, looking up at him with disappointment, her fingers anxiously gripping each other, her braided pigtails drooping as well, almost writing "VERY DISAPPOINTED" on her face.
"I know you're impatient, but don't rush," Fujimiya Makoto said, spouting nonsense while writing furiously on the paper. "Whether you're satisfied or not, you should at least see it before commenting, right?"
"I write very quickly now. It used to take me two hours for just 2,000 characters, but since I died, it takes me at most ten minutes!"
"At worst, the handwriting is a bit sloppy."
"And everyone says my writing is good."
"Really?" Miss Kakutori pouted, looking at him with complete disbelief.
"Really."
Fujimiya Makoto said this with absolute confidence.
After all, he was copying famous works from his previous life.
The higher a soul's spiritual power level, the clearer their self-awareness and memories.
In the Soul Society, even most Soul Reapers with spiritual power below level three had an actual lifespan of less than a thousand years, and most had to disperse and reincarnate before then.
The vast majority of Soul Reapers actually completed the human process of marriage and childbearing before three or four hundred years of age—this was also the method of noble inheritance in the Soul Society.
Only powerhouses like Old Man Yamamoto and Miss Unohana, who were rare in Soul Society's history, could maintain their strength for thousands of years.
These old monsters couldn't possibly forget something that happened a thousand years ago; that would be too hellish.
Fujimiya Makoto was the same.
The mere twenty-something years of memories from his previous life were like imprints in his mind now, available to view whenever he wanted.
In no time at all, the first hot chapter of the novel was ready.
Fujimiya Makoto casually handed it over, continuing to write with his other hand: "Read this first, the second chapter will be ready soon."
"Is this the forbidden book?"
"No." Fujimiya Makoto kept a straight face, completely maintaining his expression.
"When reading books, you naturally start with the simple ones."
Actually, he hadn't decided what to write for the "forbidden book" yet.
At the time, he just thought it sounded more attractive and unconsciously said it.
There was obvious suspicion on Miss Kakutori's small face, but hearing him say this, she still obediently took the pages from his hand and glanced at the beginning.
"Mistress of Besties?"
Doesn't sound like a good person...
[Pain! It hurts so much!... Zhou Mingrui, who was sound asleep, felt...]
Her gaze gradually moved down, her mind quickly immersing itself.
In no time, Kakutori Batsuunsai's consciousness was lost in the strange world depicted in the text.
However, one chapter was too short.
Just as she was starting to be immersed, Kakutori Batsuunsai found she had already finished reading the page.
Kakutori Batsuunsai was stunned.
It seems... quite interesting?
The girl experiencing this genre for the first time felt her heart rate accelerate, a strange excitement welling up.
The feeling was like when she first looked through her mother's study and browsed stories composed of many difficult words. Strong curiosity acted like an invisible lure, driving her forward subconsciously to continue reading.
In just these few thousand characters, Kakutori Batsuunsai completely believed that Mr. Fujimiya's head was filled with many interesting pieces of knowledge.
Thinking of this, Kakutori Batsuunsai unconsciously moved behind Fujimiya Makoto, stretching her head to see what he was writing on the paper.
At first, the concentrated Fujimiya Makoto didn't notice what she was doing, until he slightly stretched his waist and suddenly realized there was something warm pressing against his back.
Turning his head, he saw Kakutori Batsuunsai almost lying on his back, completely focused on reading the story he was copying.
"Batsuunsai?"
"Eh."
Miss Kakutori suddenly came to her senses, widening her eyes excitedly, asking joyfully: "Fujimiya, have you finished this chapter too?"
Fujimiya Makoto shook his head, pointing at her clothes and speaking earnestly:
"If you don't get up, I'll have to get up."
"Huh?"
Miss Kakutori showed a somewhat confused expression.
"Anyway," Fujimiya Makoto took a deep breath, "just sit down over there, I'll be done soon."
"Ah, yes!"
"...Sorry."
Kakutori Batsuunsai lowered her head and apologized instinctively.
Fujimiya Makoto looked at her habitually lowered small head, smiling somewhat puzzledly:
"You're really a strange person."
"Eh? Where?"
"Everywhere."
"Eh—!"
Miss Kakutori displayed a very panicked expression, lowering her head while fidgeting with her sleeves and braids, looking for what was strange about herself.
Fujimiya Makoto ignored her.
In no time, he finished the second chapter too.
After handing it over, he immediately prepared to leave.
"Fujimiya?"
Kakutori Batsuunsai grabbed his sleeve without thinking, as if afraid her treasure would run away, speaking rapidly:
"Where are you going? This is only the second chapter."
"I need to train," Fujimiya Makoto said with a matter-of-fact expression, showing her two fingers. "Only two chapters a day, no more than that."
"This is the way of 'edging.'"
"W-wait!"
Kakutori Batsuunsai seemed to have heard something unbelievable, widening her eyes and also showing two fingers. Despite her face still maintaining that weak expression, when it came to her beloved reading, she tried to be a little firmer:
"Only... two chapters?!"
"But, Fujimiya, that's not what you promised me earlier!"
Fujimiya Makoto asked: "How many years do you think you'll live, Batsuunsai? A thousand years? Or two thousand?"
"I don't know."
Kakutori Batsuunsai shook her head in confusion.
Fujimiya Makoto sighed deeply: "Think about it, two chapters a day means 730 chapters a year."
"If we extend that to a thousand years, how huge a number is that?"
"Tell me, which is better: me writing everything in my head for you now, enough to fill a library, or us having a long future ahead, supporting each other through thousands of years, bit by bit?"
As if to emphasize his point, Fujimiya Makoto finally added: "You know, Miss Kakutori."
"Even with enough books to fill a library, once you've read them all, wouldn't you have nothing left?"
Just these few sentences immediately penetrated Miss Kakutori's defenses.
Nothing left...
She understood the pain of a book drought all too well.
Thinking carefully, being satisfied a little each day was indeed much more economical than being satisfied all at once for a period of time!
But that's still too little!
Kakutori Batsuunsai thought, still unsatisfied, continuing to hold Fujimiya Makoto's wrist: "Then... could Fujimiya write a bit more each day? Just a little!"
The girl looked at him with an almost pleading gaze.
"Just ten chapters! Even five would be fine!"
Fujimiya Makoto firmly shook his head: "I still need to train! I'm very busy!"
"Train?"
Batsuunsai seemed to have heard something incredible.
Could that be more important than her reading books?
Kakutori Batsuunsai thought for a moment, then as weak and cautious as always, asked: "Then... if I could help Fujimiya, would you write a bit more?"
"Just a little bit!"
The girl tried hard to conceal her desire, showing a very small distance between her two slender white fingers.
Hearing this, it was Fujimiya Makoto who was stunned.
That's right!
I didn't know there was such a good thing!