She had a dream.
She dreamed of what had happened that day, years ago, when her older brother had insisted on becoming a Shinigami despite their parents' objections.
She had been young then, and she hadn't wanted him to leave either. She had opposed him with all her might, even threatening to disown him.
Things had grown tense between brother and sister for a time.
In the end, they still hadn't been able to shake his resolve to become a Shinigami.
Why had he wanted to become a Shinigami?
She hadn't understood what her brother was thinking, but she knew she had gone too far.
Even after they made up, she had wanted to apologize every time they met, only to put it off again and again for the sake of her false pride.
She had told herself, Next time. I'll definitely say it the next time we meet.
Next time, and then the next.
She had thought she would have another chance to say it.
What came instead was her brother, dragged to her by a Shinigami in the dead of night.
"Ah."
Kūkaku Shiba jolted awake, cold sweat beading on her forehead. The rich aroma of alcohol filled the air. She gasped for breath, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and looked down.
Someone had his head resting on her right thigh and was fast asleep.
No wonder her leg felt numb.
This pighead.
She let out a long breath and recalled what had happened before she got drunk yesterday. It seemed she had given this guy her first kiss.
It would have been a lie for Kūkaku Shiba to say she didn't regret it.
Between the alcohol and what had happened to her brother, she had needed some way to vent, so she had kissed him.
If she had to do it again, she would still kiss him.
Life was short, as the saying went. Do whatever you wanted to do, yet she restrained her true feelings for all sorts of reasons.
One day, someone might be gone, and she would regret it: Ah, I should have kissed him then and fulfilled Shiraishi's last wish.
She really didn't want to repeat the mistake she had made with her brother and leave those words of apology buried in her heart forever.
Sadness flashed through Kūkaku Shiba's eyes. Seeing Shiraishi sleeping so soundly made her angry. She patted his face and snapped, "Hey, wake up. Don't just use my thigh as a pillow."
"Mmm." Shiraishi gave a casual grunt and rubbed his face against her leg, wanting to go back to sleep.
Thud.
Kūkaku Shiba didn't hesitate. She struck the back of Shiraishi's head with her fist and roared, "What are you rubbing against? Get up already!"
The blow woke Shiraishi. He opened his eyes and saw a pale, bare thigh. He rubbed his eyelids. Wasn't this a dream?
Had the day finally come when he got to rest his head on a woman's lap?
This counted as a lap pillow, didn't it?
"I'll give you three seconds to get up. Three."
Shiraishi immediately sat up, dodging her descending fist. "What happened to one and two?" he complained.
"I ate them. Got a problem with that?"
Kūkaku Shiba answered without a hint of shame.
Fine. Your boobs are bigger, so you're right, Shiraishi thought silently. Aloud, he said, "I'm starving. Let's find something to eat."
Kūkaku Shiba nodded. "Then give me a hand."
"Why?" Shiraishi asked, puzzled.
"Isn't it obvious? You had your head on my thigh all night. My leg's gone numb."
Kūkaku Shiba rolled her eyes. She hadn't felt much just now, but shortly after Shiraishi lifted his head from her leg, a strong pins-and-needles sensation set in, and she desperately needed to pee.
Shiraishi looked a little embarrassed and reached out to help her up.
"Ow, slow, a little slower."
"Okay, no problem."
Shiraishi supported her as they slowly left the wine cellar. Outside was a dim corridor, and beyond it, bright sunlight poured down from the sky onto the ground.
Magnificent buildings stood amid elegant gardens, and someone used Shunpo to reach the entrance and wait.
"Morning, Isane. Have you eaten? Want to eat together?"
Shiraishi recognized her and raised a hand in greeting.
Isane Kotetsu shook her head and said seriously, "I've eaten. You'd better leave the Tsunayashiro Clan quickly. An investigation team from the Golden Seal Noble Council and the Central 46 Chambers will soon arrive to investigate what happened to Takehiko Tsunayashiro."
The Golden Seal Noble Council served the Five Great Noble Clans exclusively, rather like a higher-end version of a steward.
They took part in everything involving the Five Great Noble Clans, from marriages to all sorts of cases, ensuring the clans' interests were protected.
Kūkaku Shiba wasn't surprised they were coming, but she found it strange. "They aren't that strong. There's no need to go out of our way to avoid them, is there?"
Shiraishi understood. Retsu Unohana and Soi Fon were the Fourth and Second Division captains, respectively.
If the people from the Golden Seal Noble Council and the Central 46 Chambers found out they had stood by and done nothing about him, the one who had killed Takehiko Tsunayashiro, they would certainly object.
Whatever Takehiko Tsunayashiro had done wrong, he had been a member of one of the Five Great Noble Clans, a man of distinguished status. What right did a lowborn nobody like Shiraishi have to judge his crimes?
"It never hurts to be careful," Isane Kotetsu replied vaguely. To cover up the original lie, she had to add another.
Shiraishi smiled. "True. While you're here, I'll go look for the Dragon Lantern Fungus and claim the reward first."
Isane Kotetsu replied, "Sister Unohana found the Dragon Lantern Fungus during the night and used it to treat an old man whose organs were badly damaged."
"Wait, isn't Dragon Lantern Fungus a really important medicinal ingredient?"
Shiraishi couldn't help asking. It seemed a bit of a waste to use such a precious ingredient to treat an old man with neither power nor influence.
Isane Kotetsu said with a solemn expression, "To us doctors, nothing is more important than a person's life."
"Well said." Kūkaku Shiba praised her, wanting to befriend both her and the Sister Unohana she had mentioned.
Human life came first-four simple words, but how many doctors could live up to them?
That alone was enough to earn Kūkaku Shiba's admiration. She loved making friends with heroes from all walks of life. "I'm Kūkaku Shiba. What's your name?"
"Isane Kotetsu."
"All right. If we get the chance, let's have a drink together sometime."
"Remember to invite me," Shiraishi quickly chimed in. Drinking with beautiful women was one of life's great pleasures, and he might even have a romantic encounter.
Kūkaku Shiba snapped, "You're planning to take advantage of us when we've let our guard down after drinking, aren't you?"
Without changing expression, Shiraishi said, "Can you call it taking advantage when it's just drinking buddies getting to know each other?"
Isane Kotetsu wanted to say that she didn't drink, but seeing how animatedly the two were talking, she felt too awkward to say it. She could only urge him, "You should hurry up and leave. If someone sees you, it'll cause a lot more trouble."
"All right. Come visit me in West District Ten when you have time. The place I usually stay is called Rice Village."
Isane Kotetsu looked a little surprised. "Didn't you say you were a wanderer traveling the world?"
Shiraishi spread his hands. "A wanderer still needs a place to stay. I can't wander forever."
"..." Isane Kotetsu wasn't stupid. Realizing she had been fooled, she puffed out her cheeks.
Shiraishi gave an awkward smile. "All right, I'll be off. See you."
"Don't die." Kūkaku Shiba voiced the thought that concerned her most. Because of what had happened to her brother, she now felt as though every time she saw someone might be the last.
"Thanks for the kind thought."
Shiraishi rolled his eyes and used Steel Tempest to return to West District Ten.