He knocked on the door and waited. A moment later, it suddenly slid open from the middle.
Inside the office, three women were seated. Unohana and Isane were reviewing the file Nezu had sent. The third was a second-year student who had come to deliver the documents Unohana-sensei had requested during class. The file contained the results of the recently concluded second-year examination, which had taken place during the survival test.
The documents detailed the injuries each second-year had suffered. Surprisingly, they had not received many serious setbacks, clearly showing their adaptability and what they had learned along the way. All except for one student, of course, who had nearly been crippled if the situation had not been resolved in time. The full account of that incident was written in the report. Beside the papers was a USB drive containing the video footage of what had happened that day.
Then they heard the knock.
Knock… knock… knock.
Their attention shifted to the door instantly.
Isane pressed a remote on the table. It was white, square-shaped, and had four buttons labeled open, close, lock, and unlock. The sliding door looked like wood, but it was made of the same material as the white walls. It was also high enough to accommodate mutant-type individuals.
Isane pressed the open button, and the door slid aside.
Standing there was a tall man in a dark red hoodie, holding a long sword.
The moment the three women saw him, different reactions appeared on their faces. Unohana smiled. Isane's eyes widened. The second-year student, who had been waiting for Unohana-sensei's announcement, felt a sudden sense of danger. Subconsciously, she reached for the katana at her side, unsheathed it, and pointed it at the man as he stepped into the room.
For some reason, she felt threatened. She gulped at his presence. Perhaps it was the way he looked like a brawler, his face partly hidden, his tall frame imposing, and the long sword casually resting in his hand.
She said nothing. She simply kept the blade pointed at him.
Silence filled the room.
Then his deep voice broke it.
"Did I come at the wrong time?" he asked.
He noticed the woman aiming her katana at him.
Isane shook her head, regaining her senses. "It's okay, Matsumoto. He is, uh—" But she stopped, unsure of what to call him in public. Should she say her mother's boyfriend? Her mother's lover? Father? Definitely not. Stepdad sounded strange. So she left the sentence unfinished.
Unohana spoke instead. "Sheathe your katana, Matsumoto. It's alright."
Matsumoto glanced back at the two relaxed women behind her. She let out a heavy breath and slowly slid her katana back into its scabbard.
The woman was from Class S.
Her full name was Rangiku Matsumoto.
She had long, wavy strawberry-blond hair, often appearing golden-orange, that fell past her shoulders. Her sharp ice-blue eyes could shift from playful to intensely focused in battle, just as they had moments ago. A small beauty mark rested just below the left side of her lips. She was tall and well-endowed, possessing a curvaceous figure she was not shy about using to her advantage when persuading others. She wore a standard black kimono, though she kept it low-cut and loosely tied, revealing her chest. Her most iconic accessory was a long light-pink scarf draped over her shoulders and across her arms.
She had only come to deliver the results. Who would have thought she would encounter someone who made even her feel danger and threat? Perhaps she judged too quickly, influenced by his appearance.
He watched her as she sheathed her sword, though her eyes remained on him.
He noticed the way she displayed her figure. He gave her a brief glance, then ignored her completely. Yes, she was beautiful and had a large chest, but what was there to see? It was the same flesh, just larger, with differently colored nipples. Nothing extraordinary.
He shifted his gaze to the white-haired woman he had seen at the clinic that day. She was looking at him as well.
Then he turned to Unohana, who was smiling at him from her chair.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting," he said.
"It's alright. I didn't even expect you to actually come," Unohana replied as she stood. "Come, take a seat."
"Thank you," he said.
He walked toward the sofa where Rangiku had been sitting earlier. She was still standing, strangely on guard.
Unohana stood from her chair and asked if he wanted something to drink.
Before he could sit, he heard her and responded, "No, I'll make it. What about you? Do you want some tea? I'll prepare some."
Unohana looked at him and smiled.
Isane felt left out and interrupted the exchange. "Sit down, both of you. I'll make it."
Unohana smiled gently. "Well, let's leave it to isane."
"I understand," he said as he took his seat. Unohana walked toward him.
Rangiku stood there, baffled by what was happening.
Yoruichi lay on Maki's shoulder, quietly enjoying the show.
(´Д⊂ヽ)
AM N. NOT.