Bleach: The Fifth Division Captain

Another month passed by in the blink of an eye.

It was now late autumn, teetering on the edge of winter.

The seasonal shift brought an irritating dilemma of what to wear.

The fluctuating temperatures made it difficult to find the right balance between staying warm and not looking out of place.

Isane sat across from Seiya, chewing on a spoon as she pondered over this mundane, yet persistent, issue.

"Everyone else is still wearing their summer uniforms, so if I suddenly switch to autumn clothes, it'll stand out too much, right?"

She sighed, clearly troubled.

"Being the center of attention is way too exhausting."

Seiya raised an eyebrow and considered her words for a moment before responding.

"Wouldn't worrying about what others think all the time be even more exhausting?"

Isane shook her head, wagging her spoon like a teacher scolding a clueless student.

"Of course you wouldn't get it, Arima. This is a survival tactic for girls—an unspoken social rule. If I ignore it, my social life will be over!"

"...It's that serious?"

Seiya couldn't help but smile at her logic. He found it amusing how much she cared about such trivial things.

He didn't understand it, but he respected it.

"Well, I think you look fine the way you are."

Isane froze for a second, then quickly returned to her usual demeanor, pretending to be unaffected.

"You're not even adding 'senpai' anymore, are you?" she grumbled, trying to sound annoyed.

"It makes us sound closer if I call you by your name, right?"

Seiya chuckled and wiped some curry sauce off his lips with a napkin.

"Or would you prefer if I called you Isane-chan?"

"...!!"

The unexpectedly bold suggestion sent Isane ducking her head in embarrassment.

Despite knowing each other for nearly a year now, she still wasn't used to this kind of teasing.

Was it because she was too reserved by nature? Or perhaps Seiya was just too forward?

Either way, this slow-burning dynamic between them was oddly comforting.

Isane twirled a lock of hair around her finger, avoiding Seiya's gaze.

"Just… stick to the first one, please."

The first option was already pushing her limits. The second? That would be too much for her poor heart to handle.

Seiya chuckled, clearly enjoying her flustered reaction.

"Got it, Isane-chan."

"Y-You…!"

Her face turned a deep shade of red, the blush spreading from her cheeks all the way down to her neck.

"You're impossible!"

"Oh, come on. Ladies shouldn't raise their voices in public. Try to stay composed, yeah?"

"?!?!"

Realizing that they were still in the academy's cafeteria—with many eyes watching—Isane managed to hold back her frustration.

But in her mind, she made a note:

This guy… has gotten even more annoying than he was six months ago!

Seiya raised his hands in mock surrender.

"Alright, alright. I was just messing with you. My apologies, Isane-senpai."

His expression softened as he gathered the leftovers on his tray.

He knew her limits.

Isane was a reserved, traditional type. He had learned over time that, while she tolerated his teasing to a certain extent, pushing too far would be disrespectful.

For now, their friendship remained in a comfortable limbo—somewhere between friends and something more.

That was fine by him.

Taking it slow wasn't a bad thing.

After tidying up, Seiya changed the subject.

"I heard Squad 4 has started recruiting again. Did you take part in their trials?"

Isane nodded, her expression instantly brightening.

"Of course! I've been keeping an eye on their recruitment news for months."

"Proactive, huh? Good mindset. How did it go?"

Isane puffed out her chest with pride.

"Full marks! The examiners praised me a lot. If I were a sixth-year student, I'd already have my spot secured!"

"Whoa, impressive."

"Hehe~"

Seiya reached out and ruffled her hair affectionately.

Isane didn't protest—at first. It took her a few seconds to realize what he was doing.

She flinched back, stammering with embarrassment.

"D-Don't do that! People are watching… It's not appropriate!"

"Oh? So it's fine if I do it when we're alone?"

"W-Well… I…"

She didn't dislike it.

But saying it out loud would be too embarrassing.

With her hands covering her flushed cheeks, Isane whimpered softly.

"Stop teasing me, Arima…"

Seiya chuckled and pulled a small gift box from his pocket.

"Alright, no more teasing. Here."

Isane blinked, her confusion evident.

"Huh? Is this… for me?"

"Of course. Who else would I give it to?"

(Well, maybe Teacher. But his gift would need to be something more practical…)

The moment Isane realized the gift was for her, her face lit up like a sunrise.

"Thank you!"

She carefully tucked the gift into her bag, clearly cherishing it.

"Not going to open it now?" Seiya asked with a smirk.

"I'd rather open it back in my room."

There she goes again, Seiya thought.

That reserved demeanor of hers was just part of who she was.

And honestly, it was kind of cute.

As they walked out of the cafeteria together, Seiya rested his chin on his hand, watching Isane with a soft smile.

"Seeing you smile makes it all worth it."

"Ugh…"

She felt the words hit her right in the chest.

At this point, there was no way she could stay mad at him.

Just as Seiya was about to leave, Isane blinked in surprise.

"Wait, don't we have afternoon classes?"

Seiya scratched his head and gave her a sheepish grin.

"Well… I've got a special assignment. I'm heading to Squad 2 for an internship. I'll be gone for about two weeks."

Isane's eyes widened.

"Squad 2? Isn't that…"

"Yep."

Seiya sighed as he recalled the letter from Aizen.

Even now, he could picture his mentor's serene, unreadable smile.

"Go and observe Squad 2, Seiya. You'll learn more about the art of Shunpo there."

"And while you're at it, keep your eyes open. There are things you've yet to see."

Squad 2.

Better known by its other name…

The Stealth Force.

A place where secrecy, assassination, and espionage reigned supreme.

This is going to be… interesting.