The newcomer had yellow hair in a bangs cut—during his time as a captain, it had been long yellow hair with straight bangs, but after returning to the Soul Society, he had trimmed his fringe into a leftward slant. He had a tongue ring through the center of his tongue, an eerie smile, and a carefree, delinquent air. Wearing a shirt and tie beneath a baseball cap, he looked like the sort of idle street loafer.
Beside him stood a woman with braided hair, a sailor uniform, and thin-rimmed glasses. She looked much more innocent and reserved.
The moment he saw them, Asano Kiyoshi quickly recognized their identities through memories from his past life.
Hirako Mako and Lisa Yadōmaru. What did these two want with him?
Looking at the two strangers, Asano Kiyoshi felt slightly puzzled. Based on how the plot had progressed so far, these two were still fugitives from the Soul Society. Why would they approach him of their own accord?
However, both of them were currently far stronger than he was. In order to better understand the situation, Asano Kiyoshi spoke first:
"Who are you two? Why are you approaching me?"
Hearing Asano Kiyoshi's words, Hirako Mako revealed his trademark grin. Then he waved a hand and said to Asano Kiyoshi:
"Ara la~ Young man, don't make such a scary face. We're not your enemies. As for why we followed you, it's mainly because your identity is rather special. If we wanted to talk to you, we needed to use some special methods."
Asano Kiyoshi showed no emotion at Hirako Mako's words and merely asked:
"Did Urahara Shopkeeper tell you?"
At that, Hirako Mako shook his head, messing up his bangs slightly. Leaning half against the wall, he said to Asano Kiyoshi:
"No, Urahara didn't tell me.