The Arrival of the Three Drinking Buddies

The faint morning light peeked through, and Siwei Yan yawned as he pushed open the door. A faint "crunch" sound came from under his feet.

He looked down and saw a pile of shredded paper scraps scattered at the entrance. The violent tearing marks looked as if some feline creature had taken its anger out on them with its claws.

"Oh my, it seems a 'big black cat' was furious last night and left behind evidence of its crime."

A knowing smile curved Yan Siwei's lips. He casually kicked the paper scraps into a corner with his foot and happily set off for the Central Spirit Arts Academy.

The journey from the Ninth Division barracks to the academy was not short. It required passing through the bustling Runlin An commercial district, the empty Soul Burial practice grounds, and catching a distant glimpse of the towering, solemn Palace of Penitence, and further still, the Hill of the Twin Executions, which symbolized ultimate punishment, before finally arriving.

Fortunately, he had drunk "Spiritual Intoxication" last night, not the inferior alcohol like "White Burn." Coupled with the clear weather, Yan Siwei felt refreshed, his steps lighter.

However, as soon as he reached the grand entrance of the Central Spirit Arts Academy, his spiritual sense felt like it was pricked by a needle, sending a faint, stinging sensation.

He turned his head with a stiff neck.

Not far away, Hirako Shinji, the captain of the Fifth Division with dazzling blonde hair, stood with his arms crossed, grinning, his dead fish eyes glaring at him with extreme displeasure.

"If you're fated to meet trouble, you can't escape it..."

Yan Siwei sighed inwardly, his face instantly switching to an enthusiastic smile. He took two steps at once and hurried forward:

"Captain Hirako! You're here so early! Is there a particular recruit you have your eye on, afraid someone else will snatch them away?"

Hirako Shinji didn't respond at all. He directly reached out and placed his hand on Yan Siwei's shoulder, the force so great it made Yan Siwei wince.

"Kid Yan Siwei..." Hirako's lips twitched, his face lacking even a perfunctory smile, obvious veins bulging on his forehead.

"So you were fooling me last night? Did you think I, Hirako Shinji, was too easy to deal with, or... do you look down on me as a captain?"

"Ow, ow, ow! Captain Hirako, it's a misunderstanding!" Yan Siwei quickly begged for mercy.

"You know the situation with our division! Lieutenant Kyunnan Shiro insisted on going on an outing today and even dragged Captain Muguruma along! As for the Third and Fourth Seats, you know them – they're like two breathing logs! I was forced to come!"

Feeling the pressure on his shoulder ease slightly, Yan Siwei quickly seized the opportunity:

"Think about it, Captain. If Lieutenant Shiro throws a tantrum, who in the entire division can handle it? It would be like deafening noise, a disaster for all living beings!"

Hearing this, Hirako Shinji actually nodded in agreement and withdrew his hand.

"Indeed... When that girl starts making noise, half of Seireitei can't find peace."

He even slightly raised his chin, revealing a hint of pride: "It's a good thing I had foresight three years ago."

Back then, when Kyunnan Shiro was a top graduate, Hirako, relying on his "Master of Disguise" intuition, saw through the troublesome nature hidden beneath her sweet exterior at a glance and decisively "gave" her to Kensei Muguruma.

Thinking back now, it was a wise decision.

However...

Hirako's gaze returned to Yan Siwei, his eyes darkening.

He had misjudged this kid, who graduated in the same year as Kyunnan Shiro.

"Kid," Hirako's tone was scrutinizing, "you're not... here for a specific recruit, are you?"

That Aizen Sōsuke was definitely suspicious.

Although Hirako couldn't pinpoint what was wrong, his intuition was screaming alarms.

And the "Lan Chuan" written by Yan Siwei was so similar to Aizen... these two dangerous individuals absolutely could not end up on the same team!

Yan Siwei's smile remained unchanged as he chuckled, "How could that be! I don't even know who the graduates are this year, let alone who is outstanding. I'm just here to go through the motions."

"Is that so?" Hirako Shinji's tone suddenly became playful, as if chatting with an old friend. "I thought you specifically sought out Aizen for a drink last night, wanting to secretly recruit this 'outstanding talent,' who is already famous in the Rukongai, into the Ninth Division early."

Yan Siwei maintained his smile, preparing to continue his prevarication...

"Oh~ you guys are here early? Brother Shunsui, little brother Yan Siwei."

A lazy, yet magnetic voice interjected at the opportune moment, interrupting Yan Siwei's words and allowing him to secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

Yan Siwei turned his head and smiled at the newcomer:

"I didn't expect you to come in person, old brother Shunsui? It seems there are some outstanding students among this year's graduates who have captured your heart."

The newcomer was none other than Kyōraku Shunsui, captain of the Eighth Division.

His captain's haori with its gaudy patterns was casually draped over his shoulders, and he wore a somewhat playful straw hat. A few strands of slightly curly black hair peeked out from under the brim, and a hint of stubble graced his chin, giving him an air of laziness and charm.

"Hahaha," Kyōraku Shunsui laughed heartily and walked closer. "The Eighth Division has always been lacking a suitable Lieutenant, and the current officers are all useless, so I had to try my luck."

He looked at Hirako, his tone laced with teasing, "Captain Hirako's Fifth Division is also short of a Lieutenant, isn't it? You'll have to let me have my pick later."

"Idiot, what nonsense are you talking about," Hirako turned and walked towards the academy without looking back. "Now, it's the outstanding graduates who pick us, not the other way around."

Yan Siwei quickly followed, echoing, "With two captains here, I, the Fifth Seat of the Ninth Division, probably won't even get a drop of soup."

After all, with two captains personally present, the Ninth Division only sent a Fifth Seat, not even a Lieutenant.

In the eyes of the outstanding graduates, the sincerity was clearly evident.

Yan Siwei had already prepared himself to pick a few from the "leftovers" to report back.

He turned his head and quietly asked Kyōraku Shunsui, "Old brother Shunsui, you're well-informed. Which of this year's graduates are particularly outstanding?"

Kyōraku Shunsui clasped his hands within his sleeves, looking lazy:

"Hmm... there are three particularly outstanding ones. Yadomaru Lisa, first in Flash Step; Sarugaki Hiyori, first in swordsmanship; and Aizen Sōsuke, first in Kidō."

He raised his voice towards Hirako's retreating back, "Captain Hirako~ My target is Lisa-chan, could you let her go to me?"

Hirako Shinji didn't stop walking and retorted irritably, "Idiot! Why would I give up such a cute girl!"

"Oh my, oh my, that will be troublesome," Kyōraku Shunsui said in a drawn-out tone, "I also really want a cute girl as my Lieutenant~"

Yan Siwei, listening from the side, rolled his eyes and couldn't help but retort:

"Allow me to add, Captains, if you only look for 'cuteness' when choosing a Lieutenant, I'm afraid you'll have several times more gray hairs in the future than you do now."

This was a lesson learned through tears based on his own "cute" Lieutenant, Kyunnan Shiro.

Didn't he see that Captain Kensei, at such a young age, not only had silver hair but his hairline was also showing signs of receding?

"Brother Yan Siwei, you don't understand this," Kyōraku Shunsui said, shaking his finger with a grin, "Having cute girls around every day can lift your spirits and improve your work efficiency."

"Exactly!" Hirako Shinji also agreed for once, "As long as there are cute girls, every morning I wake up feels full of hope and happiness!"

Yan Siwei: "..."

He cast a look of undisguised contempt at the two captains.

"Your insights are truly profound. I concede defeat."

The three chatted as they walked to the academy's training grounds.

In the center of the field, a female captain with an exceptionally "voluptuous" figure was already standing.

"Oh? Isn't this the 'pervert trio'? Come to stake out the academy's outstanding graduates so early?"

Twelfth Division Captain Hikifune Kirio placed her hands on her hips and smiled at them, her tone laced with teasing.

Siwei Yan immediately stood at attention and loudly clarified, "Reporting, Captain Hikifune Kirio! I am absolutely not one of them!"

"Heh heh," Hikifune Kirio didn't believe him at all, "The three of you often get drunk together and cause all sorts of jokes in Seireitei. Your reputations have long been spread."

"Speaking of drinking," Kyōraku Shunsui seemed to just remember, pouting as he looked at Yan Siwei, his tone complaining, "Brother Yan Siwei, you haven't invited me for a drink lately. It's truly heartbreaking."

Yan Siwei spread his hands helplessly:

"Brother Shunsui, you can't blame me. I haven't updated my novel recently, and I'm short on cash. I can barely afford White Burn anymore. Once the manuscript fees for next month's new book come in, I'll definitely treat you two to a good drink!"

"Then it's settled!" Kyōraku Shunsui immediately beamed and naturally stood to Hikifune Kirio's left.

Hirako Shinji also pouted and stood to Hikifune Kirio's right, not forgetting to defend himself, "Captain Hikifune, I'm not a pervert. I simply appreciate and respect the beauty of every woman from the bottom of my heart."

Yan Siwei stood obediently three paces behind the three captains, listening to Hirako Shinji's "profound theory" and couldn't help but roll his eyes again.

Hikifune Kirio smiled and didn't dwell on the topic.

Because at this moment, the fifteen graduates of this year's class had already entered the training grounds in a neat formation.