030; Feigning

030; Feigning

As the little girl in front of him opened her mouth wide, Arima Shizuya could not help but choke up for a moment.

Are you Tuffy from Tom and Jerry...?

And you can understand what people are saying?!

As Arima Shizuya wrestled with this, an unfamiliar voice came from beside him.

"I see. Since her favorite Insect Curry has sold out, she has turned to asking others for it."

That calm voice carried a faintly deranged edge... Arima Shizuya's heart skipped a beat, and he could not help looking up.

There stood a stranger not far from him.

He held a tray and wore a white lab coat.

His skin was unbelievably pale, and his features, as though sharing that same color, gave off an utterly cold impression.

His short blue hair had been waxed, each strand standing rigidly upright like a neatly trimmed lawn.

Cone-shaped devices of unknown purpose sat beside his ears.

A streak of black makeup ran from his temples across his eyes, making even Arima Shizuya's scalp tingle.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi.

His gaze never settled on Arima Shizuya. It remained fixed on the tiny figure who could barely walk.

"Although she has not yet been deliberately trained in the ability to communicate with people, her inner desire has gained the upper hand, prompting her to act independently and attempt to obtain her desired item through contact with others?"

"Heh heh, well done. Humans can resort to any means necessary to survive. Even if she is merely displaying a bit more initiative, that is still a rather promising development."

"It appears the cultivation plan can proceed to the next stage. Excellent."

He revealed a thoroughly unpleasant smile.

Arima Shizuya watched as he lowered his right hand and gestured toward the little girl beside him as if inviting her forward.

"Come. As a reward, I shall have the kitchen prepare another serving of Insect Curry."

Arima Shizuya saw the girl's eyes light up.

She really looked more and more like Tuffy...

She seemed to instinctively want to go over, but quickly stopped.

Her little head swayed back and forth between Mayuri Kurotsuchi and Arima Shizuya. Finally, she took two steps back and waved at Arima Shizuya.

...What did that mean? Was she saying goodbye to me? Was she really that polite? "Nemu wants you to lower your head, idiot."

Huh? Was that what she meant?

Arima Shizuya obediently turned sideways and lowered his head.

Then he felt his scalp suddenly tighten.

Ow... Rubbing his head as he looked up again, Arima Shizuya saw the girl examining a strand of his long hair clutched in her hand.

The delight on her face was visible to the naked eye.

Like a child who had picked up a dandelion.

So it was his hair.

Come to think of it, Arima Shizuya did take very good care of it... He cleaned it carefully every day when bathing, and he had been eating well lately, too.

So it probably looked glossy and shiny.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi's previously cheerful expression immediately cooled.

"What... So you are merely interested in this idiot's hair? My evaluation of you has dropped again, you little brat."

Mayuri Kurotsuchi listlessly turned to leave, but Arima Shizuya could not help calling out.

"Um, wait a moment..."

The other man half turned back without expression, his tone utterly flat.

"What? Has my genius plan caught your interest? I have absolutely no interest in discussing any other topic, Arima Shizuya."

...He had shut down the conversation right away.

But on second thought, this was simply the kind of person he was. It was only to be expected.

But now there was another issue.

Arima Shizuya raised his right hand and pointed at his cheek, asking curiously.

"How did you know my name?"

"Many people in the Twelfth Division have been discussing you. After all, a student who can defeat a Vice-Captain head-on only appears once in a century."

This guy could compliment people too? Arima Shizuya raised his brows slightly, only to see the man curl his lips into a highly disdainful expression.

"Well, that said."

"I am not particularly interested in people like you. You are merely a gorilla enamored with strength, without any aesthetic sense or understanding of research. Someone like you will probably have to wait until your next life to understand what truly interesting things are."

"My name is Mayuri Kurotsuchi. Once you begin operating within the Gotei 13, I am sure you will come to know my name... Mortal, do not pretend not to know me when that time comes."

This guy's tongue really was vicious.

And he had a serious narcissistic streak as well.

Arima Shizuya had been somewhat prepared, but hearing it for himself was still something else.

No wonder you had such terrible popularity in the original story. Compared to Aizen Prison Master, you really were worlds apart.

Of course, the Parties themselves did not particularly care about that sort of thing...

After casually brushing him off, Mayuri Kurotsuchi led Nemu around toward the kitchen.

He was probably going to ask someone to make something especially for her.

This sort of thing apparently was not uncommon. Everyone around them looked utterly accustomed to it.

It seemed Mayuri Kurotsuchi's unconventional behavior was famous here too.

Arima Shizuya saw Nemu cast one final glance at him, and he did his best to give her a gentler smile.

Considering Nemu Kurotsuchi's personality after growing up, this girl was far easier to deal with than her father—leaving a good impression was never a bad idea.

"Sorry, Arima-kun..."

Over on the other side, Akon approached with an embarrassed look. His expression was quite helpless, as though he was not very satisfied with the "outcome."

"We finally had a guest, yet you had to see all that. I am truly sorry."

Arima Shizuya waved his hands repeatedly.

"Ah, it is fine, it is fine. Just take care of your own work."

After all, when something like this happened, the Parties were surely more troubled than any bystander. Besides...

Looking at the mess in the distance, Arima Shizuya could not help revealing an awkward smile.

Hiyori Sarugaki was far more hot-tempered than he had imagined.

Her mouth was already foul enough, yet she was not good at arguing either... When she could not win with words, she resorted to violence, smashing things without distinguishing right from wrong.

No wonder so many researchers were intimidated whenever they saw her.

She is completely unlike the Twelfth Division's usual style. She probably does not get along with Urahara very well either.

Arima Shizuya could not help sighing inwardly.

Every family had its own difficult problems...

After lunch, under Akon's guidance, Arima Shizuya tried a few simple experiments—selecting materials, observing cultures, and other basic intermediate procedures.

It was quite a novel experience.

At around four in the afternoon, Aizen and Urahara finally finished their private discussion.

Led by Prison Master, the two of them thanked Kisuke Urahara, Akon, and several other institute staff members who had come to see them off.

That concluded the day's visit.

On the way back, Aizen once again led the way while Arima Shizuya followed behind.

After they had walked for several dozen minutes, the youth heard the man ahead speak without turning around.

"Shizuya-kun, how did you find today's Internship experience?"

After pondering for a moment, Arima Shizuya scratched at the corner of his mouth.

"To be honest, I do not have much talent for research myself, so I only understood bits and pieces of many things..."

From a beginner's perspective, he simply could not bring himself to say that he had gained a great deal.

So he could only approach it from another angle.

"At least, I could tell that everyone was fairly enthusiastic..."

Aside from a few extreme cases... Yes, that was it.

"Is that so? Then that is already enough."

Aizen slowed his pace and began walking alongside Arima Shizuya.

The youth could see that the man still wore his usual smile, composed and unhurried, as though everything was within his expectations.

"Even the Gotei 13, though it operates in the name of duty, cannot ultimately escape the constraints of human relationships and organizations... Getting to know these people beforehand is a good thing for you too, Shizuya-kun."

There was nothing wrong with what Aizen said.

After all, the more feudal the setting, the more important interpersonal connections became.

Beginning to cultivate one's network at the appropriate time was also a way of laying the groundwork for future development.

Prison Master really does care about me, after all—Arima Shizuya was happily savoring the thought.

Then Aizen suddenly asked.

"Shizuya-kun, what do you think of Captain Urahara?"

The topic was somewhat abrupt.

But given the purpose of Aizen's visit today, perhaps he wanted to verify something from an observer's perspective.

So Arima Shizuya needed to think carefully.

"As for Captain Urahara, he is rather kind, and he seems very good at dealing with people. As a captain, he should be the sort of person who is something of a nice guy..."

The more Arima Shizuya spoke, the more something felt wrong.

Wait.

Was that not just like Prison Master?!

Arima Shizuya belatedly raised his head, only to see Aizen smiling at him.

"Have you realized it? Do you feel that Captain Urahara and I are somewhat alike?"

"Uh... Heh heh, a little, I suppose."

"But no two people in the world can possess the exact same personality, just as fingerprints are unique to every individual. So, Shizuya-kun, do you think there is something wrong with me, or something wrong with Captain Urahara?"

"Or perhaps..."

Aizen suddenly stopped walking. His smile remained, yet the atmosphere had become subtly different.

"Captain Urahara and I are both merely feigning this sort of persona?"

Arima Shizuya stared blankly at Aizen.

The man's eyes were hidden behind his lenses, but the light in them now felt somewhat unfamiliar.

"Shizuya-kun, have you ever considered that the kindness, approachability, and willingness to teach that I have displayed so far were all merely disguises I adopted to make things easier for myself?"

"So..."

"Is it possible that I am actually extremely difficult to get along with, and have a truly terrible personality?"