So tired—
Walking on the streets of Seireitei, Ishikawa felt an overwhelming weariness in his heart.
Because…
"Hey, hey, hey, have you heard?"
"About what?"
"It's about Captain Ishikawa… no, wait, Ishikawa seems to have resigned from the Ninth Squad now. Anyway, it's about Ishikawa and… Captain Soi Fon confessing to each other."
"Yes, yes, yes, I've heard about that too. Apparently, Ishikawa confessed to Captain Soi Fon during the big battle and even invited her on a date."
"More than that, I heard that when Ishikawa was in the Human World, he once said that if he could win that battle, he would return to Seireitei and marry Captain Soi Fon. I think the reason Ishikawa resigned from the Ninth Squad is precisely to prepare for the wedding."
"How enviable."
"Envious of whom?"
"…Envious of Captain Soi Fon."
"…"
What the hell, if he won that battle, he'd return to Soul Society and marry Soi Fon…
Ishikawa listened to the whispers of the female Squad Members in the shadows and felt black lines covering his head.
If he had set such a flag while fighting Aizen for his life in the Human World, then it might not be him freely walking around Seireitei right now, but Aizen!
Ishikawa pretended not to hear, cursing silently in his heart.
He really didn't know…
Which scoundrel was so loose-lipped that, during the ten days he lay in the Fourth Squad, they spread the news of his confession to Captain Soi Fon throughout the entire Seireitei, and even made it sound so ridiculous.
That being said, Ishikawa still had a few suspects in mind.
Because most of the Captains and Vice-Captains present were unconscious when he said he 'admired' Soi Fon.
And those who were awake—Hisagi Shuuhei, Kira Izuru, Komamura Sajin, and others—were not the type to speak lightly or carelessly.
Excluding them, the only people who were awake at the time, and who were more uninhibited and liked to flirt with words, were…
Just two people.
Kyōraku Shunsui and Shinji, those two old farts!
The matter of him saying he 'admired' Soi Fon might have been spread by one of them, or perhaps by both of them together… as drunken gossip…
Ishikawa wasn't actually too bothered by such rumors himself.
It was just a misunderstanding; he just needed to explain it clearly.
It was just that Ishikawa hadn't thought of a good solution, so he had been thinking of avoiding it for a while.
But…
The negative impact brought by the widespread news was something Ishikawa truly couldn't accept.
"I'm afraid Captain Soi Fon will misunderstand."
This was something Ishikawa had just heard from a familiar female Squad Member while habitually chatting with her.
What a joke.
He was currently at a time when he needed to make more friends, and he absolutely couldn't let a misunderstanding shrink his social circle.
Ishikawa finally understood now… why Isane always seemed so cold when he was in the intensive care unit.
She must have been afraid that Captain Soi Fon would misunderstand, which is why she deliberately distanced herself from him, after all, Soi Fon was the head of the Onmitsukidō.
And what kind of place was the Onmitsukidō?
It was an organization specifically for capturing Shinigami. If you offended Soi Fon, she wouldn't even need to give an order; the Onmitsukido, those assassins, would simply make up a charge to curry favor with Soi Fon, capture you, and torture you in the Onmitsukidō first…
The misunderstanding must be cleared immediately, right now, without delay!
After walking around Seireitei, Ishikawa unhesitatingly abandoned his original idea of returning to Rukongai to avoid the limelight and temporarily hide from Soi Fon.
Otherwise, if the rumors continued to spread, who knew what they would turn into.
Having made up his mind, Ishikawa didn't hesitate any longer and headed straight for the Second Squad.
…
"Ishikawa… no, Master of the House?"
As soon as Ishikawa arrived outside the Second Squad, a masked Onmitsukido member standing outside the Second Squad's main gate came to greet him, saying excitedly, "Ishikawa… Master of the House, you're finally here."
Master of the House?
Ishikawa looked at the excitement and anticipation in Hachiun Hane's eyes, and his mouth twitched uncontrollably: "Wait a minute, what does 'Master of the House' mean?"
"This is the title we of the Hachi Family collectively decided upon in private. 'Master of the House' means the husband of the family head, since your relationship with Captain Soi Fon has reached this point, we can no longer address you as before…"
"That's enough…"
Ishikawa's face darkened, and he quickly waved his hand to interrupt Hachiun Hane's words, saying, "My relationship with Captain Soi Fon is not what you imagine. I only said at the time…"
"I understand, I promise I won't spread it around."
"…"
Ishikawa looked at Hachiun Hane, who was winking at him, and sighed heavily, 'You understand nothing!'
"Master of the House, wait, um… my mother asked me, if I met you, to ask if you've chosen a date? After all, nobles are different from commoners, and with Captain Soi Fon being a noble family head, and you being a member of an elder family, it's necessary to notify the Noble Assembly in advance…"
Ishikawa completely ignored Hachiun Hane's words behind him, walked directly into the Second Squad, and headed towards the Captain's Office.
"You fellow…"
As soon as he stepped into the office building, a familiar figure walked towards him.
"You're so late."
Ōmaeda was carrying a pile of snacks, dropping crumbs as he walked. When he reached Ishikawa, he looked left and right and whispered, "I didn't expect you to have such feelings for Captain Soi Fon. No wonder you refused to take over as Captain and stubbornly stayed in the Onmitsukidō."
"Of course, I, the great Ōmaeda, saw through your ulterior motives long ago."
"Stop talking nonsense!"
Ishikawa glared at Ōmaeda in annoyance: "Has Captain Soi Fon returned?"
Earlier, in the underground council chamber, he had asked Soi Fon and Kyōraku Shunsui to escort Aizen to Muken. Calculating the time, they should have already returned to their Squads by now.
"Just returned."
Ōmaeda glanced at the Captains Office and whispered, "However, I advise you to be careful. Captain Soi Fon doesn't seem to be in a very good mood. It seems to be because that adult from the Shihoin Family refused the notification to return to Soul Society, and seems to be planning to stay in the Human World indefinitely."
Yoruichi?
Ishikawa nodded, not too surprised.
Although after some discussion, the Central 46 had withdrawn the charges previously laid against the two, neither Urahara Kisuke nor Yoruichi had chosen to return to Soul Society, instead deciding to remain in the Human World.
Neither Commander Yamamoto nor the wise elders of the Central 46 forced them on this point.
Because both Urahara Kisuke and Yoruichi had provided immense help, whether it was creating a suitable battlefield for combat or sealing Aizen. It could be said that the entire Seireitei owed them both a great favor.
Therefore, Seireitei respected their choice.
The only change was…
Urahara Kisuke, a wanted criminal, could now openly do business as a Shinigami dispatched to the Human World, even advertising his small shop within Seireitei.
I wonder how things are in the Human World.
Thinking of Urahara Kisuke and Yoruichi, Ishikawa couldn't help but recall Ichigo, whom he had selectively forgotten.
It should be known that at that time, whether it was Urahara Kisuke and Yoruichi, or Isshin, and even Ishikawa himself, they had placed all their hopes of defeating Aizen on Ichigo.
Before the battle, Ishikawa's only thought was to stall Aizen, to buy as much time as possible for the Kurosaki father and son.
The result was…
As he fought, he got carried away and completely forgot that he was only supposed to be stalling Aizen.
It wasn't until the moment he passed out that Ishikawa remembered his original goal.
Ishikawa was not very clear about what happened next.
However, judging by the fact that Rukia, Abarai Renji, and others who were close to Ichigo had not returned to the Gotei 13, Ichigo's current situation should not be too different from what he remembered.
After all, he gained that power under special circumstances; the Dangai's effect on the body would inevitably cause a reverse flow after leaving the Dangai, and Ichigo, who had entered that state, had forcibly merged with his Zanpakuto by utilizing the unique properties of Bankai.
So, the outcome naturally wouldn't change much; at most, he could last a bit longer if the consumption wasn't too great.
Shaking his head, Ishikawa didn't dwell on it. Urahara Kisuke would naturally find a way to solve Ichigo's problem. He was already overwhelmed with his own issues; how could he have the energy to care about others?
Looking at the Captains Room, which was within reach, Ishikawa gritted his teeth and walked to the outside of the Captains Room.
Seeing this, Ōmaeda immediately stopped eating snacks, his chubby face full of gossip, and he stealthily followed behind Ishikawa.
Ishikawa ignored him, raised his hand to knock on the door, and then released his hidden Reiatsu.
"…"
Silence!
As Ishikawa's Reiatsu appeared, the faint writing sound that had been coming from inside the Captains Room suddenly ceased, and the entire room fell silent.
If he hadn't felt that the Reiatsu inside hadn't disappeared, Ishikawa might have even thought that Soi Fon had left.
"Come in."
After a long silence, Soi Fon's cold voice came out.
This made Ishikawa breathe a sigh of relief. He was really afraid that Soi Fon would say, 'I'm afraid Yoruichi-sama will misunderstand,' and then, like those female Squad Members, avoid him…
After entering the Captains Room, Soi Fon, behind her desk, ignored Ishikawa and continued to lower her head, processing the documents on the table. She looked as usual, as if she hadn't felt embarrassed or awkward because of Ishikawa's confession.
This made Ōmaeda, who was secretly watching from outside the Captains Room, feel a bit disappointed.
"What is it?"
Soi Fon asked without looking up, her tone still flat, but the movements of her hands processing the documents clearly became a bit heavier.
To be honest, she had indeed thought about avoiding Ishikawa.
Although when she was in the Human World, she didn't feel any embarrassment or other emotions, just a bit annoyed that Ishikawa was distracted by such thoughts in that situation.
But after returning to Soul Society, after some time, Soi Fon suddenly felt that…
Ishikawa expressing his feelings to her in that situation wasn't so incomprehensible after all. Aizen's displayed power had made everyone feel despair.
He probably had a death wish at the time, believing that if he didn't speak then, he might never have another chance to convey his feelings to her.
This made Soi Fon, who had initially decided to directly reject Ishikawa, hesitate about whether to reject him in person. So, during the time Ishikawa was in the intensive care unit, Soi Fon had been struggling with whether to give Ishikawa the cold shoulder and let him figure it out himself.
However…
The increasingly outlandish rumors within Seireitei, and the actions within her family, made Soi Fon change her mind.
Soi Fon's first reaction at the time was to clarify and stop the spread of rumors.
But if she came forward to clarify, it was very likely to make Ishikawa feel awkward. Although she had decided to reject Ishikawa, Soi Fon preferred to reject him in person rather than through such an awkward method, so she had remained silent.
Although, because neither of the two parties involved had clarified, the rumors became increasingly outlandish, and her family even began preparing for her marriage…
Originally, she planned to deal with the Aizen matter, then immediately arrange to meet Ishikawa, have a meal together, and resolve this issue. She hadn't expected Ishikawa to seek her out first.
Ishikawa didn't know Soi Fon's thoughts. If he did, he would definitely tell Soi Fon that he wasn't afraid of awkwardness, and that she could absolutely clarify in front of everyone, the clearer the better, so he could make friends with peace of mind!
"I apologize, Captain Soi Fon."
After a moment of hesitation, Ishikawa said with an apologetic expression, "I didn't realize that my words back then would cause such a situation and bring you so much trouble."
"It's fine."
Soi Fon shook her head: "In that situation, it was unavoidable. Your actions are also understandable."
Ishikawa was stunned by her words and couldn't help but mutter to himself.
However, then both of them spoke at the same time:
"You came at a good time, I was just about to…"
"Actually, everyone misunderstood…"
Their words paused. Soi Fon frowned slightly, then said, "You speak first."
Ishikawa didn't stand on ceremony. He was here to clear up a misunderstanding, and since he had already come this far, Ishikawa naturally wouldn't choose to avoid it any longer.
Anyway, with Captain Soi Fon's personality, she wouldn't fall in love with him. Directly explaining the misunderstanding shouldn't cause her to react too much. She might even let out a huge sigh of relief, since that way, she wouldn't have to worry about being misunderstood by her most important 'Yoruichi-sama'.
"Actually, everyone misunderstood what I said back then. When I said 'admire,' I was actually admiring your character, Captain Soi Fon; I was merely expressing my respect for you."
At this point, Ishikawa glanced at Soi Fon's reaction, and finding no unusual response, he slightly relaxed and continued:
"And 'sharing a dinner' was merely about wanting to eat with you. After all, you've rarely gone to the dining hall to eat, so I've always hoped for an opportunity to have a meal with you there."
"I never expected my words to cause such a misunderstanding. Regarding this, I was truly too thoughtless and have brought you such great trouble, Captain Soi Fon."
As Ishikawa spoke, he carefully observed Soi Fon's reaction. Only after confirming that she had no intention of using Bankai to blast him away did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Are you done speaking?"
Soi Fon's tone remained flat, but whether it was an illusion or not, Ishikawa felt that her tone seemed to have become somewhat colder.
"If you're done, then leave."
"Um…"
"I didn't misunderstand; I just didn't have time to bother with those people's boring rumors."
Soi Fon looked up at Ishikawa and continued in a cold tone, "The Maggot's Nest hasn't been managed for a while. Since you're here, you might as well go there."