Thirteenth Division·Captain's Office
Afternoon
The sunlight coming in diagonally from outside the window lattice spreads on Shuichi's desk, dyeing the spread out stack of documents warm yellow.
He was reviewing documents at a steady but not fast pace. The rustle of the pen tip across the paper was the only sound in the room, until there was a sound of footsteps coming from far and near in the corridor.
"Come in"
The door was pushed open.
Sakaki stood at the door, wearing a neat First Division Squad Member outfit, holding a flat wooden box in his hand.
Shuichi saw the person coming, and a smile appeared on his face, "Sakaki, long time no see."
Sakaki nodded slightly, placed the wooden box on Shuichi's table, moved gently and steadily, and then took a half step back. "Indeed, but this time it is official business. Captain Shutara has researched a new fabric and made it into clothes. This clothes is called Shihakushō. We will equip the captain and Lieutenant first."
"Shihakushō?" Shuichi lowered his head and glanced at the wooden box.
Sakaki reached out and opened the lid of the box, revealing a black Shihakushō neatly folded inside. The edges were neatly gathered, and the precision of the weaving could be seen.
Shuichi reached out and touched it.
The touch of ordinary fabric is completely different
He retracted his hand, his eyes fell on his clothes, and then he looked up at Sakaki: "What do you mean, teacher?"
Sakaki replied, "Commander-in-Chief has been approved. Captain-Class and Lieutenant will be replaced first. Twelfth Division is training Squad Member and will be mass-produced in the future."
Shuichi nodded slightly and without saying anything else, he closed the lid of the box again and thanked Sakaki.
"Right"
Shuichi stopped Sakaki when he turned around and was about to leave. "First Division are you guys... all right?"
Sakaki thought for a moment, "They're all pretty good. Endo's Shunpo is fast again, and Sakamoto is still the same, running frequently in the field, but he's been practicing a close-range Kidō recently, and it's said that it's already usable."
Shuichi nodded, as if he had heard something reassuring. "Where is Kujo?"
Sakaki's expression relaxed slightly, and an almost invisible arc appeared at the corner of his mouth. "Kujo, she's Shikai."
Shuichi raised his eyebrows slightly. "Oh?"
"Zanpakutō is called Moon Haze. It is a crimson bow with good range and power." When Sakaki said this, there was an almost invisible arc at the corner of Sakaki's mouth, which was gratification for the success of his juniors.
Shuichi smiled softly, "Yes, Kujo her Zanjutsu is not that good. Zanpakutō Shikai is a bow, which is indeed very suitable for her."
Sakaki nodded and did not stay long. After bowing, he turned around and walked out. The door closed gently and the footsteps gradually faded away along the corridor.
Shuichi picked up the pen again and looked back at the document in front of him. As soon as the pen tip touched the paper, there was movement at the door.
The paper door was opened a crack, and Suzuko's head poked in through the crack. He took a look inside first and made sure that Shuichi was the only one. Then he pushed the door crack wider and walked in quietly.
Shuichi looked at her, the pen in his hand was hanging above the paper, and there was no blame in his tone. "...Suzuko, were you outside just now?"
"No"
Suzuko said it very naturally, with his hands behind his back, his eyes moved around the room, and finally landed on the wooden box in the corner, as if he was interested in the new object. "I was just passing by, and I happened to see the senior leaving, so I came in thinking you were inside."
Shuichi didn't expose it. He put the pen back on the edge of the inkstone, leaned on the back of the chair and looked at her. "Kidō have you finished practicing today?"
Suzuko paused for a moment, and unconsciously twisted his fingers on the hem of his clothes.
Her eyes wandered for a moment, and the confidence in her voice also dissipated a little. "... not yet, um, I'm studying Bakudo recently, and I feel that the progress can be slower... don't be in a hurry."
Shuichi looked at her for a while.
Suzuko stood by the door, with his hands behind his back and his toes gently tapping on the ground, with an expression on his face that said, "I know what you are thinking, but I don't intend to change it."
He had noticed since the day he came back from the mixed bathing day that she began to appear around him frequently.
The number of times she ran from the clerk's office to deliver documents doubled compared to before. Sometimes she had to make the trip herself even though she could have someone deliver them.
Kidō is not practicing as diligently as before. When he passed by the training ground several times, he saw her sitting in the corridor in a daze, without moving for a long time.
"Aren't you in a hurry?" Shuichi's voice contained a hint of dissatisfaction, and his brows furrowed slightly.
"Suzuko, it is easy to forget the Reishi arrangement if you are not familiar with it frequently during practice. The Reishi structure of Kidō needs to be consolidated repeatedly. The foundation laid before practicing for a few days will become loose, and it will take double the time to pick it up again."
"But... but brother, you said before that cultivation is not just a matter of a day or two."
Suzuko's eyes fell on the floor, and his voice was a little muffled. "I want to stay a little longer and practice... it's nothing."
Shuichi was silent for a moment.
There was wind blowing in from the window, blowing the corners of the pile of documents on the desk, making a small crackling sound.
Suzuko stood there with her head lowered and her hands clasped in front of her, as if waiting for something. She wasn't sure which sentence she wanted to hear more.
Shuichi looked at her drooped eyelashes and slightly pursed lips, and sighed softly. He reached out and picked up the pen next to the inkstone, lowered his head and looked at the unfinished page of documents in front of him again. Before the pen tip landed on the paper, his tone had already softened a little unconsciously.
"Then just stay and don't make any noise."
Suzuko's eyes lit up.
The light rippled from the depths of her pupils and spread along the arc of her eyes to her entire face, giving her whole person a layer of vivid brilliance.
She didn't speak, she just pursed her lips to suppress her almost uncontrollable smile, and then quietly walked to the corner of the room, which was her exclusive corner, next to the wall, not far or close to Shuichi's desk, just enough to be able to see his profile without blocking the light from the window.
She hugged her knees and sat down against the wall, resting her chin on her knees, her eyes falling on Shuichi.
She just sat like that, not talking or doing anything else, just staying.
His fingers casually rolled a strand of hair hanging on his shoulder, twisting it twice, loosening it, and twisting it twice more.
The sunlight filtered in through the window pane behind her and fell on the tips of her spread hair, coating those dark hair with a thin layer of warm golden color. The fluff on the edge of her cheeks appeared soft and transparent in the backlight.
Her breathing was very light, as if she was afraid of disturbing the silence of the room.
The wind stopped outside the window at some point, and even the chirping of birds became sparse and distant. The only sounds left in the room were the rustling of the pen tip across the paper, and the slight sound of the fabric rubbing when she occasionally curled her hair.
The two sounds, high and low, intertwined, like a tune without music score but unexpectedly harmonious, filling every gap in this ordinary afternoon.
She's not here to do anything, she just wants to be where he is