Arata felt his throat tighten and his palms grow slightly damp.
The words and gestures of Unohana Retsu clearly conveyed one thing, she had no intention of letting him go.
The key in her hand was the most direct message possible.
He wanted to insist a little more, to say something like, "I'll go soon, it's fine," or "I'm not afraid of the dark," but he swallowed the words under Unohana Retsu's gaze that seemed to see through everything.
If she could so easily discern Aizen's schemes, how could she not see what he was thinking at this very moment?
Unnecessary insistence would only make him… more childish.
Just when Arata was hesitating, and the forced calmness on his face was about to crumble, Unohana Retsu spoke again.
She neither pulled the key back nor urged him, she simply leaned forward slightly, shortening the distance between them.
A few loose strands of black hair slipped over her shoulders as she moved, falling onto the collar of her dark blue yukata, making the skin on her neck appear even whiter, like jade.
Unohana Retsu's tone grew even softer, like that of a teacher gently guiding her student or like a whisper between lovers.
"Besides, Arata-kun mentioned earlier my instruction in kendo…" With her fingertips, she lightly brushed the cool metallic edge of the key, the motion carrying a hint of something indescribable. "Kendo training does not only require practice of technique but also of the mind. Long conversations between us, teacher and student, can also serve as a useful form of training."
She paused slightly, the smile on her lips deepening, and for the first time formally acknowledged the teacher–student relationship between them.
Those eyes that usually smiled gently now, under the moonlight, resembled a vortex in a deep pond, firmly locking onto Arata.
"Arata-kun…"
"You will stay here tonight."
[Unohana Retsu's fate has changed due to your actions, +150 fate points earned.]
The cold sound of the system's message rang especially sharply amidst Arata's suddenly quickened heartbeat and the suddenly warmer, stirred air.
But it was like a basin of cold water, instantly pulling him back from that beautiful yet dangerous fantasy into reality.
Normally, the triggering of a fate evaluation would have excited and delighted him.
And it was as much as 150 fate points.
But at this moment, Arata could not feel happy at all.
He looked at Unohana Retsu, who appeared gentle and harmless, yet was actually unfathomable. The key twirling between her fingers seemed to turn into an invisible shackle, firmly binding him within this small space.
Arata's mind was in turmoil. Should he stay here or forcefully leave?
However, the calm yet irresistible gaze of Unohana Retsu seemed to have already made the decision for him.
Arata lowered his eyelashes to hide the emotions welling up in his eyes and finally nodded slightly.
His voice was dry from nervousness, with a touch of resigned helplessness.
"Well… Captain Unohana, sorry for the intrusion."
"Arata, do you still wish to call me captain?"
"Yes, teacher…"
The next morning, the early rays of the sun spilled into the room and woke Arata from a muddled sleep.
"Hmm…"
Dazed, he opened his eyes and saw a familiar ceiling.
Ah, Kinzenyu Inn.
He wanted to get up and check the situation, but he found that his limbs were inexplicably sore and weak, and his Shinō Spiritual Arts Academy uniform had been silently replaced with a white hotel yukata.
Arata tried to piece together what had happened last night, but as he dug through his memory, he felt utter confusion, like in his previous life when he'd blacked out from drinking too much alcohol. His memory stopped at the moment he agreed to stay with Unohana Retsu.
The rest was completely blank, as if the entire film reel had been cut in half.
What on earth had he done with Unohana last night?
"Ah, Arata is finally awake?"
Just as he was lost in confusion, the door opened from outside, and a dark-blue figure entered the room.
"C-Captain… teacher? What's that?" Arata still hadn't fully collected himself. Instinctively, he wanted to address her as Captain Unohana, but his mind gradually cleared, and he quickly corrected himself to "teacher."
Unohana Retsu was holding a golden tray in her hands, neatly arranged with a variety of refined breakfast dishes.
Rice, curry soup, miso soup, natto, tamagoyaki, grilled fish…
"The hotel's breakfast offerings slightly exceed my expectations. They're much richer than those in the 4th Division." Unohana Retsu smiled as she approached the table, set down the tray, and waved lightly at Arata. "Arata, freshen up quickly. After breakfast, you have class in the training session."
Her words instantly snapped Arata out of his confusion.
Yes, even though his memory was a bit fuzzy, it was very likely that he had indeed spent the night here.
If he didn't want to be seen leaving Unohana Retsu's room, he had to leave before the others in the hotel woke up!
Arata quickly got up and went to wash his face. When he looked in the mirror, he suddenly noticed a barely visible white scratch on his neck.
His heart skipped a beat; he unfastened the collar of the yukata and saw that the scratch extended all the way down his back, gradually turning into five red marks on each side.
No? This?
Arata got dressed with mixed feelings, splashed cold water on his face several times, and tried to clear his head.
He returned to the main room, sat politely across from Unohana Retsu, and, under her quiet smile, began to enjoy breakfast.
It's said that good food heals the heart, truly not without reason. From the moment he'd woken up to everything that followed, Arata had been extremely tense. Yet, after a single bite of curry rice, his mood slowly improved.
If you can't remember something, stop struggling with it for now. When the time comes, things will sort themselves out. There's always a way.
With that comforting thought, the pressure on him suddenly eased.
Unohana Retsu was also one of those who preferred eating in silence, so they both remained quiet until the last bite was gone.
Arata volunteered to return the tray himself. Unohana didn't explain anything; before he left, she simply slipped the key into his hand with a gentle smile on her lips. "Thank you for your effort last night, Arata."
Arata paused for a moment, but quickly composed himself: "If the teacher commands, the student obeys."
As he took the key, the tips of his fingers inadvertently brushed against the back of Unohana Retsu's hand, and that familiar touch made his heart tremble.
In those blurred fragments of memory, it was as if there had indeed been such a soft touch…
"What are you thinking about?" Unohana Retsu sharply noticed his distraction; a mischievous glimmer flickered in her eyes.
"No, nothing." Arata quickly withdrew his thoughts and hurried out.
After the door closed, only Unohana Retsu remained in the room. The face that had smiled just a moment ago immediately grew calm as soon as Arata left.
In one corner that Arata hadn't noticed, her hands, hidden under her sleeves on both sides, were wrapped in rolls of white bandages; from within, the reddish-swollen wounds still pulsed with waves of burning pain.
She lowered her gaze and sighed softly, inexplicably.
"Arata, your strength… is so great it frightens your teacher."
———
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