Forgetting

A little over a month.

Dōsan Hanyū returned to this familiar place once again.

The season wasn't right; the cherry blossoms weren't as vibrant as before, the wind was less noisy, and even the aroma of wine in front of the shop had diminished.

Dōsan Hanyū stood at the entrance of Kobayashi Izakaya, with Tōshirō, who always looked worried, beside him.

According to Tōshirō, that night, Momo Hinamori wanted to buy a candied lemon watermelon, but then mysteriously disappeared and there has been no news of her since.

The two arrived at the izakaya near dusk, just as the izakaya was beginning to bustle with activity.

As soon as Dōsan Hanyū stepped into the restaurant, it was as if he had accidentally turned on the switch. All the customers at the tables fell silent, heads down, their eyes glancing at Dōsan Hanyū intentionally or unintentionally.

The death knight's attire and the adjutant's badge intimidated all the guests.

"Is there something you need, Lord Soul Reaper?" A bald waiter stood before Dōsan Hanyū, not daring to look up.

"Boss?"

Dōsan's face lit up with joy. Although he hadn't had much contact with them while at the shop, he still had a deep impression of the eldest brother chosen by the waiters.

Call me boss.

Moreover, the voice seemed somewhat familiar.

The bald man raised his head, his gaze lingering on Dōsan's face for less than a second before turning from confusion to fear. "I'm so sorry, Lord Soul Reaper, I don't know you."

What happened?

Immediately after, the store manager hurriedly walked in from the back room, first glancing at Dōsan's face, then nervously glancing at Dōsan's epaulets.

"My lord, would you like something to eat?"

Why don't we recognize each other?

As a regular at izakayas, Tōshirō Hitsugaya is very familiar with the place; the manager and the bald man have never changed.

Dōsan Hanyū's handsome white eyebrows should be quite eye-catching.

Dōsan Hanyū didn't say anything, but pointed to Tōshirō behind him.

"Yesterday, this boy's family went missing. It was a girl with short hair who was wearing a cherry blossom-colored kimono yesterday. As for her height..."

"Is that Ms. Hinamori? She was indeed here yesterday." The shopkeeper didn't think much of it; with Tōshirō's unusual appearance, it was natural that the people around him would attract attention.

Unlike Tōshirō Dōsan n't emotional. Instead, he frowned. "And then? What else do you know?"

"It was around 8 p. m. at that time. I'm so sorry, Vice Captain. After that, Ms. Hinamori left, and the shop was especially busy at the time, so I didn't pay attention." The shopkeeper's voice trailed off.

When I last saw Momo Hinamori, Dōsan Hanyū wasn't Soul Reaper yet, and he didn't have the feeling of Hinamori's Reiryaku. Now, trying to find it again is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

"Sigh." Dōsan had no clue whatsoever and let out a deep sigh.

This sigh almost made everyone in the shop exclaim in disbelief.

The guests wished they could plug their ears, sitting upright in their seats, their hands trembling wildly.

Only the shop manager was so frightened that tears welled up in her eyes. She knelt down with a thud, "I'm so sorry, Vice Captain, I didn't pay enough attention to Miss Hinamori."

"No, it's nothing." Dōsan patted his hand and walked out with Tōshirō.

Upon seeing the two leave, the surrounding customers waited a moment, then lowered their heads, some even pulling up their hats, and left Kobayashi Izakaya without exchanging pleasantries, like escaped secret agents.

The store manager didn't stop the departing customers. He sighed; he'd seen this kind of thing many times and was used to it. The fact that the two Soul Reaper hadn't committed any looting or vandalism was already a testament to their considerable restraint.

The store manager frowned, clicked his tongue, and looked at the bald man beside him. "That white-browed vice-captain seems familiar to me. Do you remember him?"

"No, if he were a customer of the store, I would definitely remember him. If he wasn't a customer, how could I possibly have the chance to meet such an important person?"

That's correct.

The shop manager suppressed his doubts, "We've really been attracting a den of Soul Reaper lately. Last month, we were even cornered by the captain of the Tenth Division."

So, what was the captain of the Tenth Division doing at the shop that day?

This brain of mine is really getting old.

The store manager shook his head, intending to close early to prevent the two from returning.

The two walked out of the izakaya and stood on the street, looking a little lost.

"What should we do, Dōsan? Hinamori, she..."

"Don't worry," Dōsan Hanyū offered Tōshirō a weak consolation. "There's nothing we can do now but investigate by finding witnesses."

"But how do we know who the witnesses are? Junrinan has so many people."

Tōshirō began to hate his own powerlessness.

"There's no other way, everyone will have to make this difficult!"

Dōsan broke away from Tōshirō's side, then waved his hand, and one by one, black-clad Punishment Force stood around him in various postures, like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

He was the first deputy Punishment Force commander in the history of the Punishment Force, and also served as the acting corps commander. He was protected by the Punishment Force when he traveled, and was also responsible for handling all matters, large and small, for the commander.

"I'm counting on you all."

"Wait a moment, Acting Captain Hanyū." A female voice came from the end of the road, accompanied by the creaking sound of wooden clogs, and came to Dōsan Hanyū.

"Nemu Kurotsuchi?"

Furthermore, Nemu Kurotsuchi's current shihachi (death suit) already bears the insignia of a lieutenant, signifying her appointment as the vacant lieutenant of the Twelfth Division.

"Acting Captain Hanyū, if you're looking for someone, the Twelfth Division can help."

Dōsan gave Nemu Kurotsuchi a deep look; he couldn't recall ever having such a good relationship with the Twelfth Division.