The Captain-Commander's Office, which should have been empty, was now filled with the constant scratch of writing and the faint sound of elbows bumping against the wooden desk.
The Captain-Commander pushed open the door and looked at Chōjirō Sasakibe, whose eyes were bloodshot and face pale. A trace of guilt appeared on his face, but in order to maintain his dignity before his disciple's wife, he narrowed his already small eyes even further and said solemnly to his long-suffering Vice-Captain:
"Chōjirō, I've brought Little Kiyoshi back. Leave the rest to me."
Hearing Head Captain Yamamoto's words, Chōjirō Sasakibe nearly burst into tears. In a faintly trembling voice, he said:
"Genryūsai-sama! You've finally returned. Do you know, while you were... Hm? And who is this beautiful lady?"
Before the resentment in his heart could fully erupt, Chōjirō Sasakibe suddenly noticed Nel, who stood behind Asano Kiyoshi. She looked proper enough, yet gave off an adorably vacant air. Seeing how close she stood to Asano Kiyoshi and the intimacy in their posture, the worldly Chōjirō Sasakibe immediately understood their relationship—and remembered his Captain-Commander's obsession.
Thus, in almost an instant, Chōjirō Sasakibe transformed from a resentful housewife into an elite gentleman. He bent slightly and posed a question to the group.
This was not a question Head Captain Yamamoto could answer himself. That would make Captain-Commander seem a little too lowly.
So when Chōjirō Sasakibe asked the question, he directed his face toward Asano Kiyoshi.
Naturally, Asano Kiyoshi understood Chōjirō Sasakibe's hint. He took Nel's hand and said to him:
"Sparrow Step Vice-Captain, this is an outstanding Shinigami I met in Hueco Mundo. She saved me many times, and now she is one of the most important people in my life. Her name is Nel."
A smile appeared on Chōjirō Sasakibe's face at