If You Like It... Then Eat More

After all, Chiba Makoto had not gone to the Gynecology Department and practically dissected a hundred or so female Soul Reapers alive.

Thus, the questions Chiba Makoto used to get through this time were almost entirely things he had found unclear in recent years of studying Kaido and Medical Skills.

Chiba Makoto truly found it hard to imagine how Unohana Retsu had managed to squeeze out every last drop so precisely without making him feel embarrassed.

Could it be... that Unohana Retsu was truly so experienced? In Kaido and Medical Skills...

Suddenly, Chiba Makoto's eyes widened. With a whoosh, he sat bolt upright and muttered.

"I... I've been had..."

There was no doubt about it. Being sent to the Gynecology Department by Unohana Retsu today, then having the gift used as a pretext, had caused Chiba Makoto to fall completely into Unohana Retsu's rhythm.

As a result, Chiba Makoto had completely forgotten to hold anything back in secret, allowing Unohana Retsu to personally get a thorough grasp of his current proficiency in Kaido and Medical Skills.

"S-so that means... if I slack off in the department someday and get questioned like this again, I'll be completely exposed?"

The light slowly faded from Chiba Makoto's eyes.

Meanwhile, in the Aoki Family's courtyard, Aoki Risa knelt dejectedly on the pebble-covered ground. As the cold wind swept past, she instinctively wrapped her arms around herself, trying to find even a trace of warmth.

This was punishment—Aoki Chiyoko's punishment for Aoki Risa's disrespectful and improper behavior today.

Teasing and slandering Captain Unohana Retsu's disciple as if he were a woman was undoubtedly a matter that could be made big or small. If Chiba Makoto chose to pursue it to the end, it might very well implicate the entire Aoki Family.

Therefore, almost as soon as Aoki Risa returned home, she suffered Aoki Chiyoko's harshest punishment. Not only was she forbidden from eating dinner, she had to kneel on the ground in remorse all night until dawn.

Although Aoki Risa was exhausted, hungry, and cold, she still did not dare challenge Aoki Chiyoko's authority.

Moreover, Aoki Risa understood that her mother had not had it easy. After her father irresponsibly went off and died, she had struggled alone to shoulder the Aoki Family.

But logically, Aoki Risa should have hated Chiba Makoto. That guy clearly could have explained himself and refuted her right away...

Yet for some reason, the image of Chiba Makoto's innocent and gentle appearance surfaced in the mind of Aoki Risa, who had been somewhat repulsed by men since childhood. Before she knew it, she had instinctively come up with excuses for him.

Perhaps... he just wanted to indulge me? Or maybe he didn't have time to warn me? Or perhaps he had deliberately sullied his own reputation to quickly become familiar with me?

Was he thanking me for taking care of him today?

Honestly, I didn't even do anything...

Even now, exhausted and hungry as she was, with the cold wind blowing through the night, Aoki Risa somehow felt that Chiba Makoto's smile would be so warm.

The next day, when Chiba Makoto arrived punctually for another day of checking in at the Gynecology Department, he found that Aoki Risa had arrived at the office even earlier than him. There was even a delicate, appetizing-looking lunchbox placed on his desk.

This... Aoki Risa isn't planning to poison me over something so minor, is she?

For a moment, the look Chiba Makoto gave Aoki Risa became rather strange. Otherwise, he could not think of any reason for the girl to do this.

Moreover, from the fatigue that Aoki Risa could not quite hide, Chiba Makoto had already noticed that she must have thoroughly experienced Aoki Chiyoko's maternal love last night.

That only made him even less able to guess any possibility other than her intending to poison him in revenge.

Under Chiba Makoto's scrutiny, Aoki Risa awkwardly turned her head aside, as though she did not dare meet his eyes, and spoke in an indifferent tone.

"I made a little too much for breakfast. In keeping with the principle of not wasting food, I prepared one for you..."

As she spoke, Aoki Risa gradually sounded a little more forceful, as if she truly had reason on her side. She even turned her head, wanting to meet Chiba Makoto's gaze without backing down.

However, when Aoki Risa saw Chiba Makoto's eyes, which seemed to contain concern and were full of probing intent, her heart warmed. At the same time, it was as if all her courage had inexplicably been drained away, and her voice weakened almost instantly.

"Is that okay?"

Chiba Makoto nodded. Though he was somewhat puzzled, he had more or less confirmed that Aoki Risa seemed to bear him no ill will.

"Thank you very much. I'll eat it all with gratitude," Chiba Makoto said earnestly.

"W-who wants you to eat it all with gratitude? If... if you like it... then eat more."

After stammering through those words, Aoki Risa paused slightly, then quickly lowered her head and walked out of the office, looking very much like she was fleeing in defeat.

Chiba Makoto watched Aoki Risa's retreating back and pondered for a moment. He first gave the office a simple cleaning, then resumed reading the Gynecology Department's books on Kaido and Medical Skills.

In truth, he had no choice but to work hard. After all, from now on, Unohana Retsu would likely check his studies every day when he returned to the courtyard.

If Chiba Makoto could not squeeze out anything, it was difficult to imagine how that Unohana "Black-Bellied" Retsu would react.

For Soul Reapers with long lifespans, time was sometimes the easiest thing to overlook.

Once Chiba Makoto settled down and focused on studying Kaido and Medical Skills, he was in no hurry to spread the Seed of the Forest.

After all, there were still over a hundred years before Ichigo came of age. And now that Chiba Makoto was clinging tightly to Unohana Retsu's beautiful thigh, he was not worried about trouble falling on his head.

What was more, without any other trouble around, Chiba Makoto felt that Unohana Retsu herself was the greatest trouble of all!

As for revenge and poisoning from Aoki Risa, neither appeared as expected.

Aside from frequently preparing all kinds of lunchboxes for Chiba Makoto, Aoki Risa otherwise inexplicably behaved in a contradictory manner—deliberately keeping her distance from him, yet somehow wanting to get close to him.

In the end, Chiba Makoto could only conclude that perhaps it was all merely Aoki Chiyoko's assignment.

Although Chiba Makoto had joined the Gynecology Department, he did not see patients. He merely remained in the office every day, absorbing massive amounts of Kaido and Medical Skills like a sponge.

However, as Chiba Makoto appeared in the Gynecology Department more and more often, news that a male Soul Reaper physician had joined the department gradually spread, stirring ripple after ripple throughout the Seireitei.

Beyond that, what truly caused this news to explode across the Seireitei was Unohana Retsu's seemingly casual public acknowledgment of Chiba Makoto as her disciple during a captains' gathering. She also stated that, based on his area of expertise, she had specifically arranged for him to join the Gynecology Department.

For a time, "Gynecology" Chiba Makoto's reputation soared, spreading throughout the Seireitei and beyond!