Problematic Youth Kyoraku Shunsui

Lin Nan was stunned for a moment, then immediately understood the source of the doubt in Katori's eyes. In her view, he had only just arrived in the Soul Society, yet he was tossing around archaic terminology from two hundred years ago; naturally, it was highly suspicious.

"Oh, when I lived in the Rukon District, I always heard a few elderly folks nearby muttering about the 'Gotei 13,' so I just picked it up," he said, his expression unchanging as he spoke casually.

The two arrived in front of a door, just in time to encounter someone pushing it open from the inside. The person noticed the white haori on Katori and hurriedly bowed in a panic:

"Greetings, Captain!"

Who could have imagined that this dojo, which hadn't seen a single visitor in eight hundred years, would have two people show up today? And one of them was a Captain?

"Who are you?" Katori asked indifferently.

"I am the manager of the dojo. The master is usually away, so I handle the daily chores."

"Is the dojo closed for a break today? Why is it so quiet?" Lin Nan tilted his head to listen for any activity in the courtyard, asking with confusion.

He had no impression of this dojo; the only thing that came to mind was the Hongkou Dojo from a movie he saw as a child, which had been single-handedly demolished by one man.

But at the very least, it should be like a martial arts school—there ought to be some sounds of training, right? This place was deathly silent; if not for the plaque at the entrance, Lin Nan would have thought he'd walked into a nursing home.

"Uh, it's not a day off. It's just that the master is rarely here, so the daily practice has naturally become... lax," the manager stammered, unsure of how to explain.

"Even if practice is lax, it shouldn't be this quiet... How many students are inside right now?" Katori heard the silence in the courtyard, immediately sensed something was off, and asked skeptically.

"Uh... one... just one person..." The manager seemed ashamed to say it, but under the pressure of a Gotei Captain's authority, he had no choice but to answer with a tremble.

"With the master away, only one person showed up?" Lin Nan was somewhat surprised.

Setting other things aside, the master of the Gen Private School was Captain-Commander Yamamoto, a figure who shook the Soul Society. When he wasn't around, did the apprentices really dare to skip class so blatantly? Was the learning atmosphere really that loose?

Lin Nan thought about it and found it rather amusing... Sure enough, no matter how old you are, skipping class is always appealing.

"Something's not right..." Katori muttered to herself, then asked again: "How many students are there in total?"

The manager no longer dared to speak, only trembling as he held up a single finger.

"Hahahahahahahaha... hic... Old man Yamamoto, look at you now!"

Katori immediately understood the situation and couldn't help but double over in laughter: "A dignified Captain-Commander, and there's only one student in his dojo! Hahahaha... how pathetic, how truly pathetic!"

Facing the manager, who didn't know whether to be nervous or join in the laughter, Lin Nan felt a bit awkward. Once this woman left the barracks, she didn't look like a Captain at all.

"Only... one student? Then how is the dojo supposed to stay in business? I'm afraid the tuition from one person wouldn't even cover the rent," Lin Nan asked, puzzled.

Before the manager could speak, Katori wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and gloated: "How else? He must be using his Captain's salary to cover the deficit! The Captain-Commander's salary is double that of a regular Captain; that's what I call putting it to good use! Pfft..."

Lin Nan frowned at Katori, who was already laughing until her stomach hurt, and sighed helplessly: "In the first district of the Rukon District, a residence of this size—the expenses must be terrifying, right?"

"Of course! No wonder he likes to rub his skin with a dry cloth to stimulate circulation... he definitely doesn't want to waste money at the hot springs!" Katori laughed until she was shaking, slapping her thigh wildly, her cheeks flushed with a faint red.

"Hey, that speculation is a bit much... there are other people here, you know. Aren't you afraid of getting on the Captain-Commander's bad side by saying things like that?" Lin Nan felt a few black lines appear on his forehead.

It seemed that through ruthless mockery, Katori had already put her dispute with Yamamoto behind her, her laughter echoing mercilessly through the courtyard.

As for the manager, he had squeezed his eyes shut and pulled his head into his shoulders, wishing he hadn't heard a word, silently chanting, "I'm not here, I'm not here."

Lin Nan couldn't help but sigh; he couldn't control this situation.

"Who's making all that noise?? I can hear you all the way in the back room! How is anyone supposed to sleep?"

Following a complaint, a young man with messy, sleep-tousled hair pushed open the door in front of them. He poked his head out with his eyes closed, yawning as he said:

"It's the middle of the day, please keep it down. Some of us are trying to take a morning nap!"

With that, he pulled his head back inside, intending to find a more comfortable spot to lie down.

Seeing the boy's face, Katori suddenly stopped laughing. With a mix of surprise and seriousness, she asked the manager: "Is that the only student in the dojo?"

The manager nodded like a chicken pecking at rice: "Yes, yes! This young master has been here for about two months. I heard his family insisted on sending him here."

"Hmph! No wonder it can stay open with only one student! That guy Yamamoto really has all the luck!" Katori frowned slightly and gave a small stomp of her foot.

"What do you mean? Is this student from a wealthy family, paying enough tuition?" Lin Nan asked, curious about the sudden shift in Katori Batsunsai's demeanor.

"Well, looking at his face, he resembles a certain noble I know; looking at his age, he's exactly the same as the second son of that family," Katori pouted, indignant. "If it's true, it's just not fair—the Gen Private School actually managed to recruit a rich kid!"

Lin Nan mentally shrugged. Isn't it true that only peers are truly bitter rivals?

"So, there's always only been him in the dojo, just sleeping every day?" Lin Nan asked the manager with some confusion.

"Yes, the master is quite busy, and the boy's family issued a strict order that he 'must not leave the dojo under any circumstances.' So, this young master Kyoraku has basically been doing nothing but sleeping every day." Because he wasn't sure of the status of the person accompanying the Captain, the manager was very polite to Lin Nan.

"See? No ambition! What kind of future is there in coming to a dojo like this and knowing a senior like that?"

Katori seized the opportunity, leaning into Lin Nan's ear to stir the pot, "And he looks like a spoiled rich kid. Be careful, or you might get bullied! You can't underestimate school bullying!"

Lin Nan clicked his tongue, feeling it was all rather dull. He was just about to turn away when a flash of light crossed his mind. He immediately turned back to the manager and asked: "Wait, what did you just call this student?"

"Ah? I... I called him young master Kyoraku..." The manager looked bewildered, terrified that he had said something wrong.

A faint smile appeared on Lin Nan's face. The Kyoraku family, the second son... Interesting. Suddenly, he felt as if the gears of fate had begun to turn.

Katori watched Lin Nan's knowing smile, and for no reason, her heart tightened. She didn't know why, but she felt as if Lin Nan wouldn't be leaving with her.

She clapped her hands, feigning a relaxed tone as she looked around, and said: "Alright! Since I've already delivered you here, I should be going!

Even though there are few people here, at least Yamamoto will teach you personally. There are countless people in the Soul Society who would kill for that kind of treatment!"

Lin Nan did not expect Katori to bid farewell so suddenly. She had just been trying to poach him, so why leave now? For a moment, he did not know whether to tell her to take care or ask her to stay a while longer.

Watching Lin Nan's conflicted expression, Katori smiled. "It's alright. Whenever you want to visit my dojo, just let me know in advance, and I'll take you to experience the splendor of our Cloud Style dojo!"

After saying this, she gave Lin Nan a gentle smile, waved her hand lightly, and turned to leave quickly. She did not let Lin Nan see the trace of disappointment on her face.

That idiot, he really isn't going to ask me to stay? Did he not pick up on the probing tone in my voice at all?

Lin Nan feigned a relaxed demeanor as he surveyed the interior of the Gen Private School, pondering to himself.

Deep down, he understood that in the Soul Society, only by becoming a Soul Reaper or a noble could one live a life free from worry—the taste of starving in the Rukon District was still fresh in his memory. Having only eaten his fill for two days, he had no desire to return to that life.

However, he had failed to enter the Shino Academy, and since he had not obtained the status of a trainee Soul Reaper, it meant the Soul Reapers had not yet fully cleared him of suspicion.

Is Yamamoto taking me into his private school a form of disguised surveillance? Is it so he can dispose of me at any time if he finds something amiss?

In that case... should I take advantage of Yamamoto's absence and make a run for it?

"What? Someone like you is actually Old Man Yama's new student?"

Beside him, a youth dressed in indigo blue asked with a lazy, yawning expression.

Lin Nan was still deep in thought, but he turned his head and smiled dismissively. "Yeah! I guess he took me in because he thought my hair had potential. You've got pretty good hair yourself, you know..."

With that, he continued to scan his surroundings, looking for a spot convenient enough to jump the wall and escape.

Kyoraku ignored the joke from his peer and said with a sullen face, "My name is Kyoraku Shunsui, and I like to drink. From now on, you are the newcomer to this dojo, and I am your senior..."

Seeing that Lin Nan did not respond to him, he clicked his tongue, stepped forward, grabbed Lin Nan's shoulder, and tilted his chin up arrogantly.

"Your senior is talking to you! Show some respect! From now on, you'll listen to your senior and buy me drinks every day, got it?"

Lin Nan looked at the slacker Kyoraku Shunsui with a half-smile. "Oh? That's not impossible...

But why doesn't the senior buy them himself?"

"I don't have the money... no, what kind of senior pays for his own drinks?" Kyoraku Shunsui nearly let slip that he had been financially cut off by his family, so he lifted his chin and pouted.

"Stop asking your senior questions. Just do what you're told, understand?"

"Understood."

Lin Nan wore a smile, though he was inwardly complaining: So the dignified future Captain-Commander was a delinquent in his youth!

"Go to the kitchen in the back and boil some hot water for me. Your senior wants to soak his feet in a bit." Kyoraku leaned carelessly against the wall and gestured with his thumb in a certain direction.

The corner of Lin Nan's eye twitched imperceptibly. "I can't find it yet. How about I familiarize myself with the layout first?"

Kyoraku frowned deeply. "The old man's eyesight must be failing. How could he take in such a fool as a disciple...

What's your name? What are your hobbies?"

"My name is Lin Nan." Lin Nan looked at Kyoraku with a beaming smile, walked slowly toward him, and answered softly.

BANG!

Clatter—

Kyoraku Shunsui fell to the ground in response, a string of blood droplets flowing from his nostrils and tracing a perfect parabolic arc through the air.

Lin Nan kept his right hand in a punching stance, looked down at Kyoraku Shunsui on the floor, and said calmly, "I have many hobbies, but I most enjoy beating up three types of people:

One, those who act like the boss; two, those who drink; and three, those who act like the boss after drinking..."