Chun discovered that this young couple has quite a few problems. Calling them a "young couple" is perfectly fine; their future is already decided, and they'll get married no matter what.
Compatibility between the two is an issue, because they are both very strong-willed. Kōga's success stems from his talent, and Chun becoming his master and inheriting his legacy are also part of the reason; he will not back down.
Aozumi stems from his lineage. The Kuchiki Clan is the most powerful family in Soul Society, the head of the Four Great Noble Clans, and in previous eras and even more distant ones, the Kuchiki Clan's glory has always been the brightest star in Soul Society.
But what does this glory have to do with the young lady? It belongs to her ancestors, not her. But she was born into a good family, and she hasn't done anything unbecoming of her status, proving that she is indeed proud of her family.
Therefore, the young lady will not compromise with those of lower birth. Kōga doesn't treat the young lady like royalty, then he should get lost. This kind of behavior is a common problem in the Kuchiki Clan, and it only changed with Byakuya, because he was the only one left in the Kuchiki Clan.
Don't judge the Kuchiki Clan by Rukia's standards. Rukia is, to put it bluntly, a bastard with absolutely no noble manners. If Kuchiki Ginrei hadn't retired, Rukia wouldn't have had a single chance of entering the Kuchiki Clan.
So now the question is, how do we integrate Kōga into this kind of family? Or how do we change the young lady's mindset? It's so difficult!
"Master, I don't want to chase after him anymore."
Kōga reluctantly came to tell Chun this, already prepared to be scolded, but Chun didn't care at all.
"Well, then go do your own thing. How many days has it been since you've properly cultivated?"
"Uh, me"
"Maybe it's my fault. I thought you two could understand each other after a good talk, but it seems that's not going to work. It's better to separate for now."
"Master, actually, I haven't had a proper conversation with her."
I can tell.
"But why is that? Whenever I see her or talk to her, I unconsciously find myself clashing with her."
Chun pinched his chin. "You're asking me? I don't know either. I rarely get into conflicts with women, especially not with your master's wife. Maybe I'm just a coward."
"How could that be!? Master, you're a hero of Soul Society! Cowardice is not a word that suits you!"
"Haha, what a hero! So should I make your master's wife worship me every day to show off my heroic status? Hmm?"
"Uh, that can't be that bad, can it?"
"Right, I don't think it's that bad either. I'm a hero of Soul Society, but I'm not her hero, and I don't need to bring that identity into my daily life. Besides, you know how many things I've done that violate the rules of Soul Society. Being a hero is just a public persona."
"Then I..."
"Distinguish between work and life. Although your marriage is tied to your work, it's still your life. Do you want to treat your marriage as work or life? That depends on both of you. Take some time to calm down, do your own things, and think about how to continue your conversation."
So for the next month or so, Kōga stopped chasing after the young lady and continued his cultivation. For Kōga, cultivation was much easier than pursuing women.
As for Miss Aozumi, she wouldn't proactively seek out Chun for a life-changing discussion. Chun is completely out of place in the academy, and no one dares to approach her. "Keep away, strangers" is her motto—this is Kuchiki's consistent aloofness.
A Kuchiki and an ordinary person—sometimes people ask, what's the difference between nobles and ordinary people? Aren't they all human? But they really are different. Just like the difference between good people and bad people—aren't they all human? They are indeed different.
For example, the Kuchiki Clan. Nobility is Kuchiki's unwavering principle. Their belief is that they are superior to others, and except when facing the Soul King, they are the most noble Soul Society.
Therefore, interacting and speaking with others would be beneath this noble status. In the original work, Byakuya would only stay alone unless he was in a meeting or had other business, and he never engaged in social activities because the Kuchiki Clan did not socialize with ordinary people, as it would be beneath their status.
That's the nature of the nobility; they value things that are completely unnecessary. If they fall on hard times, these unnecessary things become utterly useless. But when they are still nobles, these things become a marker of their status.
It's actually similar to faith. People who don't have it find it hard to understand why some people have it. Don't they think it's silly to believe in such nonsense?
Since they're not coming, Jun will just go over there. Jun feels he needs to gain a deeper understanding of the Kuchiki Clan itself.
"Did you call me here for something, Shimizu-san?"
Yes, it's a very important thing.
Aozumi's attitude towards Chun and Kōga, the master and apprentice, has worsened, partly due to their marriage and partly because of Kōga's emotional naiveté.
Jun laid out a set of Tea Ceremony utensils and performed an extremely elegant series of actions, but only managed to prepare a cup of Matcha for the young lady. Meanwhile, Jun herself took out a teacup, brewed the tea, and began slurping it down. This whole process made the young lady's forehead twitch.
"Please~"
"Is this Shimizu's manners!?"
Of course not.
"Then why?"
Chun smiled and pushed the teacup towards him. Aozumi thought for a moment, then accepted it. Chun smiled and said...
"Because I was thinking, what exactly is the purpose of etiquette?"
"Etiquette is essential for treating others and for receiving guests; it is also a principle of life."
"Is this how you treat your family?"
"Of course, everything in life is governed by etiquette; this is fundamental to nobility."
To understand this idea, let's take a simple example of etiquette. "Do not speak while eating, do not talk while sleeping." For modern people, not talking while eating or sleeping is practically torture. However, this was a requirement of Confucius's ancient etiquette, and it was indeed followed by some wealthy families in modern times; at least, they didn't talk while eating.
Modern people have abandoned this etiquette because of the pace of life; if they don't communicate during meals, there's basically no other time for interaction due to work or other commitments. But why can the truly upper class maintain this tradition? Because they have more time.
Without the need to struggle for a living, people naturally develop refined tastes in their daily lives. This is the origin of aristocratic etiquette and the biggest difference between nobles and ordinary people.
Arriving in Soul Society, Jun's life is quite different from his previous life living in the city. For example, when it comes to tea, in his previous life he would just pour tea from a thermos and be done with it, but now Jun prefers to brew it himself, watching the tea leaves slowly unfurl—it's very comforting.
Living in the Soul Society for a long time naturally imbues one with a certain ethereal quality, and there are certain rules and principles involved in that leisurely lifestyle. It's just that Jun isn't quite that particular about these things yet; the Kuchiki Clan's approach is a bit excessive.
"Then, I'd like to know, what are Kuchiki regarding family etiquette?"
"This"
"To be frank, it's common knowledge throughout Soul Society that Kuchiki is superior to others. I'd like to know, within the Kuchiki Clan, is there a hierarchy among family members? Is it like Kuchiki - his other half - servants?"
"Of course not! Shimizu-san!"
"Really not? I find it hard to imagine that you, young lady, could lower your noble head to serve your husband in the future."
Upon hearing Chun's words, Aozumi's face flushed red, and she fell silent. Chun smiled.
"Are you saying that Kōga's rank isn't high enough? Because of his low birth, even if he marries you, his status in your family will at most be equal to a servant, or slightly higher? Or perhaps even lower?"
No, not at all.
Miss Kuchiki began to experience an indescribable inner conflict, because this kind of issue was rarely explained clearly; it was too blatant, directly exposing the most disgusting aspect of aristocratic family values—a disgusting trait common to all humanity.
When it's covered up, it's a tacit rule that many people like and benefit from. But once it's exposed, regardless of whether you like it or agree with it, the correct way to put it is to condemn this class system.
Miss Kuchiki is still young and not that shameless yet. Besides, she's never thought about such things in her daily life; no one thinks about whether their daily routine is sinful. But once it's exposed, she has to consider it.
Chun was still smiling gently, but there was something indescribable about that smile in Aozumi's eyes, because Chun's words had shaken her belief in the education and principles she had always upheld.
"It seems that although the young lady lives in this class-conscious environment, she doesn't fully identify with it and still holds a very youthful view."
What do you mean by "a very young perspective"?
"That's just childish," Chun continued with a gentle smile. "You just questioned Kuchiki. Isn't that a very serious sin in your upbringing?"
The young lady's face turned pale.
"That's just how it is with the nobility. There are many things that can't be said openly. The nobility is a very small circle. The upbringing and social interactions of their children are kept within a very small area. Why is that? Because only in this way can they maintain a certain 'purity'."
"Especially, you shouldn't associate with people like me, don't you think?"
The Aozumi looked at Chun was beyond words; it was as if he were looking at Demons.
"New ideas are a very interesting thing, and I love them. I also enjoy sharing my ideas with many people, especially someone like you, or rather, a Dolls."
I am not.
Chun shook his head, flicked his finger, and some Spiritual Power Threads appeared in front of the two of them. A Dolls formed of Spiritual Power was suspended by these threads. Then Chun pointed to these threads, said a word, and a word was written on the threads.
"Eating, walking, sleeping, greeting, talking, actions, smiles, thoughts, art, clothing, posture, oh dear~ my vocabulary is running low, is there anything else?"
The young lady stared at the Spiritual Power Dolls, experiencing the greatest shock of her life so far. Every thread held inscriptions of rules she was to follow, but she had never before seen such a symbol so clearly—a symbol as embodied in a Dolls.
Why did Chun do this? Because Chun and others enjoyed studying history. In fact, in most historical upheavals, the initiators of the actions and the founders of the ideas were mostly children of noble families. The biggest recipients and disseminators of new ideas were also mostly children of noble families, people who lived in luxury.
Because this kind of thinking allows them to break free from long-standing constraints. Without the suppression of insufficient rules, there is no joy of final liberation, no deeper reflection, no intense intellectual conflict, and ultimately, no creation of impactful works or actions that transform human society.
Therefore, those who experience the most intense ideological conflicts are often those confined in cages. From the moment they transform from canaries into humans, there's no point in trying to confine them anymore.
Chun originally didn't want to use this tactic because the inheritors of new ideas, those who rebelled against the aristocracy, were mostly extremely radical. They were eager to break all shackles and were difficult to control, making them not actually good partners.
But this young lady is too rigid, and the shackles on her Kuchiki are too heavy. It's heartbreaking to watch. I really want to know what kind of reflection the young lady will bring to me after the shackles are removed. This kind of conflict is quite interesting.
Boom~
A Spiritual Power Threads snapped, startling the young lady from her reverie. Then, one thread after another broke, and the Dolls fell onto the table.
"Don't struggle too much. You're not capable of standing on your own yet. If you break free from all your restraints now, you'll die. Break one or two first, use these restraints to build your strength. When you can truly stand up one day, it's not too late to break free from everything."
Jun used the Demons's temptation again, but unlike when she faced the pitiful Undead, Minamijima Inosuke, this time a noble lady was completely drawn to the Demons.