Tsundere? Out of the meta!

Soul Society.

Rukongai District, First District, Junrinan.

Countless Pluses walked the streets, a bustling crowd coming and going.

Compared to the areas of Rukongai District with higher numbers, which were clearly resource-scarce and far from the Seireitei, Junrinan, designated as number one, was undoubtedly the safest and most resource-rich area.

At least there was clear order here, even if that order wasn't perfect.

Perhaps it was because Junrinan was relatively close to the Seireitei that Soul Reapers in black Shinigami Robes were frequently seen passing through the streets where Pluses lived.

These beings called Soul Reapers generally had uniform clothing and accessories. Nearly all Soul Reapers wore black kimonos called Shinigami Robes, with a weapon resembling a katana at their waist, specifically used to slay evil spirits. Of course, it wasn't an ordinary katana, but a weapon exclusive to Soul Reapers called a Zanpakuto.

Whenever a Soul Reaper passed through the streets, the Pluses by the roadside would instinctively straighten up and cast gazes of awe at these powerful Soul Reapers who enjoyed "privileges."

And at that moment, the Soul Reapers, who were supposed to protect the Seireitei, maintain order in the three realms, disperse evil spirits called Hollows, and guide spirits called Pluses to the Soul Society to continue their "suffering," were standing directly in front of a ramen shop in Junrinan, First District of Rukongai.

"Looks like the Captain's come here to eat noodles again."

"So that's how it is, huh? Noodles made by others are just tastier than what they make at the squad mess hall?"

"Honestly, always abandoning his duties to come to Rukongai for ramen, what kind of talk is that if it gets out? If other squad members found out, they'd think our squad's Captain is irresponsible~"

"Shh, keep your voice down! Don't let the Captain hear you, or you'll definitely get a beating."

Two Soul Reapers, dressed in black Shinigami Robes, stood in front of the ramen shop, discussing quietly as if no one else was around.

They didn't choose to enter the unremarkable ramen shop but cautiously stood outside its main entrance, constantly peeking through the door crack into the interior.

From the complaints in their words and their tightly furrowed brows, it was clear they felt helpless about someone inside the ramen shop.

"What now?!"

"Anyway, we still have to call the Captain out of the shop, right? The other squad members are all waiting for the Captain to start the meeting back at the squad barracks!"

"You're right..."

"Speaking of which, last time it was me who went in to fetch the Captain, and not only did I get yelled at, but the Captain also gave me a good beating under the guise of 'training'! This time, it should be your turn, shouldn't it?"

"Huh? Didn't we agree that I just needed to accompany you here? What you're saying now is completely different from what you said when you asked me to come! If I'd known I'd have to go in and fetch the Captain, I wouldn't have come with you."

"Shut up! Do you really think I don't know what you're thinking? If it weren't for the Sixth Division's Vice-Captain position being vacant right now, would you have been so kind as to accompany me?"

"Don't think I don't know that your heart is just as dark as mine! We're both just trying to get face time with the Captain for the Sixth Division's Vice-Captain position."

The two Soul Reapers looked at the ramen shop before them with immense frustration, as if some primordial beast lurked inside, and neither dared to enter first...

Ultimately, because the two Soul Reapers disagreed on who should enter the ramen shop first, they ended up arguing in front of the ramen shop's main entrance, each holding their ground and unable to convince the other.

Yes, the relationship between these two Soul Reapers was very much like the relationship between the two Third Seats of the Gotei 13 in later generations, Sentaro Kotsubaki and Kiyone Kotetsu.

They were squadmates who trusted each other and could rely on each other to watch their backs!

However, because they were both Third Seats in the same squad, they were essentially rivals for the Vice-Captain position, leading to them being mutually annoyed with each other.

"What happened?"

"I don't know..."

"I've lived long enough to see everything. It looks like the Soul Reapers are arguing."

As the voices of the two Soul Reapers grew louder, many curious Rukongai District residents around them looked over.

Thus, a strange sight unfolded: two Soul Reapers stood in front of a ramen shop in Rukongai District, constantly "haggling," drawing countless Pluses to quietly stop and watch.

And just as the two Soul Reapers were making a spectacle of themselves in front of the Rukongai District residents, a struggle was also unfolding within the moderately sized room of this seemingly ordinary ramen shop.

By all accounts, this ramen shop was located in the safest and most prosperous area of Rukongai District in the Soul Society! Even if the chef's skills were limited, there should have been a steady stream of customers. However, the current situation was quite peculiar!

Considering the size of this establishment, from any perspective, it was a relatively "luxurious" space for a ramen business, where one could simply push a cart and sell noodles. Yet, at this moment, there was only one customer inside.

Unfortunately, despite the many tables and chairs inside the ramen shop—even the bar encircling the kitchen had a row of chairs, and the appropriately sized room facing the bar had seven or eight longer tables, naturally packed with chairs—the number of tables and chairs couldn't change the fact that there was only one customer.

And the sole customer inside the shop at that moment didn't seem like an easygoing person.

The only customer was a young woman, but she was like a prickly rose—though enchanting, she exuded an aura that warned people to keep their distance, as if getting too close would result in a poisoning by thorns.

Across from the young woman, inside the kitchen enclosed by the bar, stood a rather handsome young man.

The young man was the owner of the shop and also the chef. At this moment, he stood in the kitchen, looking at the delinquent girl sitting in front of him—also his only customer—with an expression of utter disdain.

As for this "customer"...

Judging solely by her appearance, from any angle, this young woman with light purple twin tails, a "delicate" face, and exquisite features should have been a beauty.

However, her current demeanor was truly undesirable, making her look like nothing but a delinquent punk.

Yes, the young woman's demeanor was indeed "fiery"!

She sat casually in front of the young man, crossing her long, elegant legs. Her long, flowing purple hair, styled into twin tails, swayed freely with the rhythmic back-and-forth movement of her fair legs.

"If you're going to eat the noodles, just eat them! If not, please turn left and leave."

"And one more thing! Stop swinging your legs; it's making me dizzy."

"If you keep swinging... I'll make you leave too."

Finally, the young man behind the bar could no longer tolerate the constantly swinging legs of the young woman in front of him and spoke to her grumpily.

Honestly, if it weren't for her being a girl, the young man would have loved to slap her to the ground, grab her pigtails, and loudly declare, "I dare you to wiggle! I dare you to wiggle! Let's see you wiggle now!"

Ahem...

"Hey! Is that any way to talk to a customer?"

The girl's eyes, as she looked at the young man, held a hint of displeasure.

"Customer? I don't see any customer of mine!"

"You don't seriously think that just by entering my shop, you automatically become my customer, do you?!"

"My apologies! I'm a man of principles. In my eyes, someone who doesn't spend a dime or eat a single bowl of noodles can hardly be called a customer."

The young man calmly told the girl.

"Hmph, what a greedy merchant! It's common courtesy to at least offer a cup of plain water to a customer, regardless of whether they buy anything!"

"And listen up! Don't let my appearance fool you, I'm a Soul Reaper! And a Captain of the Gotei 13, no less."

The girl said, immediately putting her hands on her hips, clearly feeling quite impressive.

"It's a huge honor for you that I'm eating at a noodle shop run by a low-level Rukongai District resident like yourself!"

"From now on, you can brag to the other Rukongai District residents that even a Captain of the Gotei 13 said your noodles were good!"

As the girl listened to the ramen chef, her delicate brows furrowed tightly, and she reprimanded the young man in front of her.

"So?"

However, the young man was completely unfazed by the girl's words.

"You..."

Hearing this, the girl revealed her sharp canines.

At the same time, she glared fiercely at the young man with her piercing gaze. That hateful Araki, you'll fall into my hands sooner or later. When that happens, I'll have all the time in the world to have some fun with you~ she thought silently to herself.

As the girl thought this, her gaze gradually softened, taking on a playful glint.

This made the young man behind the counter frown, and he thought helplessly, Sure enough, being too handsome is a hassle. I always get targeted by inexplicable bad women~ Sigh~

If this scene had been witnessed by other Rukongai District residents or the two Soul Reapers guarding outside the ramen shop, their jaws would surely have dropped!

This was because the delinquent girl sitting at the ramen shop counter was no 'ordinary person'!

As the girl herself had said, her true identity was that of a Soul Reaper, and not just any ordinary Soul Reaper—she was a Captain at the pinnacle of the Gotei 13!

In fact, anyone with even a slight understanding of the Seireitei would know the girl's identity and status just by her attire.

In the vast Soul Society, excluding the Royal Guard and the retainers of the various well-resourced and wealthy high-ranking noble families, only thirteen individuals within the Gotei 13 alone were permitted to wear the white Haori over their black Shinigami Robes—a symbol of status and wealth.

These thirteen individuals were referred to as Captains by countless Soul Reapers of the Gotei 13!

That was not just a symbol of power, but also a symbol of authority!

And on the back of the girl's white-on-the-outside, red-on-the-inside Haori, a large Chinese character for 'six' was inscribed, indicating that the division she commanded was the Sixth Division of the Gotei 13!

Yes, the girl before him was none other than the Captain of the Sixth Division, one of the thirteen divisions guarding the Seireitei.

Given the privileges the girl commanded, even if she were to draw her Zanpakuto and kill the ramen shop master in the Rukongai District for his impudent words, no one would say anything...

Because, to the Soul Society, it would simply be a Rukongai District resident who sought death by offending a Division Captain, nothing more.

"Who said I wouldn't eat noodles? Give me a bowl of Tonkotsu Ramen!"

However, to everyone's surprise, the girl sitting at the counter didn't get angry at the young man's words. Instead, she actually ordered a bowl of Tonkotsu Ramen. Yes, in the end, the girl was the one who relented.

"Alright, that'll be fifty Ryo."

"Payment first, then noodles! This shop does not offer credit!"

In response, the young man behind the counter didn't seem happy that his noodles were about to be eaten by a Division Captain. Instead, he calmly asked the Captain for the money for the noodles.

It seemed that to the young man, money superseded everything else.

"Fifty Ryo? You want fifty Ryo for one bowl of ramen? Why don't you just rob me?"

"The price of your noodles was already astonishing! How come it's gone up again after just a few days?!"

However, when the girl heard the price of the ramen, her eyes widened instantly.

"Captain, you jest. I'm an honest citizen, I never rob anyone..."

"The price of my noodles has been fifty Ryo ever since you walked in~"

"If you don't want to eat, you're welcome to leave. Our shop may be small, but we're all about mutual consent..."

"Coincidentally, it seems your division's Soul Reapers are here to pick you up again. As a Captain of the Gotei 13, guardian of the Seireitei, you shouldn't always make things difficult for your Soul Reapers~"

The young man behind the counter seemed very familiar with the girl. He clearly knew her identity, yet his attitude remained firm.

Indeed, the young master of the ramen shop was not only unfazed and un-sycophantic by the girl's identity, but he seemed somewhat annoyed! After all, it was because of the girl's presence that all of his customers had been scared away!

Of course, the young owner of the ramen shop didn't blame the fleeing customers for this. After all, anyone would be scared away if they saw the murderous initial Captains of the Gotei 13 while eating.

However, this didn't stop the young man from ruthlessly exploiting the girl in front of him!

Honestly, running a ramen shop in this location was quite costly, so he had no choice but to recoup his losses from his customers by charging the Captain of the Gotei 13 in front of him.

"I'll eat, of course I'll eat..."

Hearing this, the girl reluctantly pulled out fifty ryo and placed it on the counter. Then, she turned her head to glance at the Sixth Division Soul Reapers stationed outside the ramen shop, a hint of disdain in her eyes. "Hmph! Seriously, they're like persistent ghosts! I only came out for half a day's break, do they really need me back so urgently?!"

"Thank you for your patronage!"

On the other side, the young man behind the counter quickly snatched the girl's small change from the table, then brought out a steaming bowl of ramen from the back kitchen. Well, judging by the young man's actions, it was hard to say he hadn't prepared it in advance.

"So fast..."

The girl stared wide-eyed at the steaming bowl of ramen in front of her. Even with her eyesight, she hadn't seen how the young man in front of her had prepared the ramen so quickly.

"Also, I ordered Tonkotsu Ramen! This is clearly Clear Broth Noodles!"

The girl first marveled at the ramen chef's speed behind the counter. Then, she immediately complained about the bland, watery noodles in front of her.

Especially, the girl couldn't understand how the young man had managed to slice the meat so incredibly thin, like cicada wings. It had to be said, the young man's knife skills were definitely Captain-level.

"Not eating it?!"

In response, the young man behind the counter showed no intention of indulging the girl, making a move as if to take the ramen away from the table.

"Huh? Who said I'm not eating it? I paid for this!"

Seeing the young man's movement, the girl quickly shielded the bowl on the table, preventing him from taking the noodles.

"Heh..."

The young man shook his head, looking at the girl's contradictory actions. Saying no, but her body is quite honest~

But then again, tsundere types are so outdated now.

"Slurp~"

On the other side, the girl, having protected her food, slurped down the noodles while asking the young man behind the counter, "Hey! I'm telling you, Araki, don't keep running your ramen shop in Rukongai District! Why don't you come to the Gotei 13 with me instead! It's a waste of Soul Society's resources for someone with your talent to stay here."

The girl, uncharacteristically not being a tsundere, looked at Araki with utmost sincerity as she extended the invitation. After inviting Araki, the girl quietly watched the young man, Araki, in front of her. In fact, the girl herself couldn't remember how many times she had invited the young man in front of her over the past few decades...

Unfortunately, every invitation she had extended over those decades had only been met with the young man's refusal.

"Mm."

Regarding the girl's invitation, the young man named Araki remained silent, seemingly deep in thought.

"You still don't want to join the Gotei 13, do you?"

"Fine, but I won't give up. I'll keep inviting you until you actually agree to come to Seireitei with me."

The girl sighed helplessly, seeing the young man in front of her remain silent for so long. Although she was a little disappointed, she had somewhat expected it.

"Gotei 13, you say?!"

"Alright! Let's go!"

However, just as the girl was waiting for Araki's refusal once again, she heard the young man, Araki, agree.

"Eh?!"

"You... what did you just say?!"

The girl, who served as the Captain of the Sixth Division, dropped the noodle bowl in her hands. Her eyes widened in surprise once more. This was the second time the girl had been shocked by Araki's words since arriving at the ramen shop. The last time she was shocked was when she heard the ridiculously high price of the noodles.

"..."

Compared to the girl's surprise, the young man, whom the girl called Araki, was much calmer.

This was simply because, in Araki's mind, his exclusive mission system had just successfully issued a mission to go to Seireitei. Everything was merely a tool to make him stronger~

The young man,

Let's call him Araki for now,

He was a transmigrator.

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