Suō Tsukasa's life continued in its usual rhythm.
However, a clear sense of anticipation now rested in his heart.
Before leaving the Fourth Division area that night, he had stopped by the library attached to the barracks to borrow several relevant texts. He began his daily study and preparation for learning the art of shiraku (bloodletting).
Time slipped by quietly, and a few days later, in the morning.
"Tsukasa, a message came from the Fourth Division. They're looking for you; there's a mission."
Hikone Mitaka opened the door to the office, relaying the information from the Fourth Division.
Seated at his desk, Suō Tsukasa stood up in response.
Aside from emergency rescue duties, this also meant that once he finished his tasks with the Special Relief Class, he would have the opportunity to officially receive guidance from Unohana Retsu.
He efficiently gathered the documents he had been organizing and stacked them neatly in a corner of the desk before speaking to Shiba Miyako nearby.
"Miyako-san, I'll have to trouble you to handle the rest of these documents today."
"Go ahead, just leave it to me," Shiba Miyako looked up and gave him a gentle smile, nodding in agreement.
Suō Tsukasa gave a slight nod and turned to leave the office.
Fourth Division Integrated Relief Station.
The Special Relief Class occupied an independent area within the Fourth Division.
When Suō Tsukasa stepped into his office, the room was already filled with people. Aside from the familiar faces led by the Vice-Captain of the class, there were many newly joined Fourth Division members standing in formation.
Their eyes snapped toward the door simultaneously, harboring various speculations and expectations regarding the person in charge they were about to meet.
The Vice-Captain stepped forward quickly and handed a folder to him.
"Suō-sanji, this is the list of new personnel assigned to the Special Relief Class, ten in total. Please have a look."
"Mm, thank you for your hard work."
Suō Tsukasa took the list and nodded in acknowledgment.
His gaze calmly swept over the newcomers, preparing to begin his routine address. However, his eyes paused for a moment on a face with yellow hair parted to the side.
Kira Izuru.
He recognized him at once.
The young man before him looked a bit more mature than the brief glimpse Tsukasa remembered from the Shin'ō Academy, but the changes were minor. His face was delicate and gentle, though he seemed less energetic than in the past, carrying a hint of exhaustion from hard work.
Suō Tsukasa was momentarily surprised.
In his memories of the original story, Kira Izuru was capable of using kaidō (healing kido), but he hadn't expected his first post-graduation assignment to be the Fourth Division. Then again, considering his classmate Abarai Renji's extensive resume of transferring between various divisions, it wasn't that strange.
Kira Izuru looked back. When he clearly saw the face of the newcomer, he hadn't expected to encounter his acquaintance, Suō Tsukasa, within the vast Fourth Division.
Perhaps because this reunion was so unexpected, or perhaps because he hadn't fully transitioned from his past mindset.
"Suō... classmate," he blurted out instinctively in surprise.
His voice wasn't loud, but in the silence where a pin drop could be heard, it sounded exceptionally clear.
The moment that form of address left his mouth, the air in the training room seemed to freeze for a heartbeat.
Standing at the front, the Vice-Captain of the Special Relief Class—who already held Suō Tsukasa in high regard—immediately frowned. The look he directed at Kira Izuru was filled with obvious confusion and displeasure.
The other new members exchanged looks of surprise or even subtle amusement.
In the Gotei 13, where the hierarchy was ingrained in one's very marrow, the boundary between seated officers and ordinary soldiers was distinct. Suō Tsukasa was not only the Third Seat of another division but also the head of this Special Relief Class.
Even if they belonged to different divisions, he was undeniably a superior to these new recruits. Especially in such a formal work setting, using such an equal or even slightly casual address was borderline offensive. It wasn't just a lack of understanding of the rules; it reeked of a lack of respect and overstepping one's bounds.
As soon as the words left his mouth, Kira Izuru realized his mistake. His pale face instantly flushed red, and he stood frozen in place, at a loss. His eyes were filled with chagrin and panic; he opened his mouth as if to fix it, but found himself momentarily speechless.
The mild-tempered Vice-Captain couldn't help but correct him in a low voice.
"Kira, you should address him as Suō-sanji!"
"I am deeply sorry, Suō-sanji! It was my rudeness, please forgive me!"
These words seemed to break a certain tension. Kira Izuru snapped back to his senses, instinctively looked at Suō Tsukasa again, and apologized with a frantic yet sincere bow.
Suō Tsukasa didn't actually mind. He wasn't one to strictly adhere to formality, especially since he and Kira Izuru knew each other, even if their past interaction had been so faint it was almost negligible.
However, given his current position, he couldn't be overly familiar and lose his sense of decorum by acting too casually.
Looking at the scene before him, Suō Tsukasa felt a bit of nostalgia. He raised a hand and pressed down slightly, signaling that it was fine.
He then stopped focusing on any individual and turned his gaze back to all the new recruits. He began a brief self-introduction in a clear and organized tone.
"I am the Third Seat of the Thirteenth Division and the head of the Special Relief Class, Suō Tsukasa."
"In the future, I and your seniors from the Fourth Division will lead you in becoming familiar with the responsibilities of the Special Relief Class, learning the application of kaidō and coordinated emergency aid."
"We are a team. What matters here is your healing technique and the trust in helping one another."
"Now, everyone, follow me."
He brushed off the minor incident with light words. He didn't make Kira Izuru feel overly embarrassed, nor did he lose his authority as the leader, successfully pulling everyone's attention back to the business at hand.
Suō Tsukasa turned and led the way toward the side door, which connected to the main emergency treatment room of the Integrated Relief Station. Vice-Captain Harada immediately signaled the others to follow.
The first session of instruction quickly got on track.
Suō Tsukasa performed treatments according to the severity of the injuries as he always did, only slowing down slightly to add some explanations. Time passed bit by bit.
The newcomers went from their initial nervous peeking to being gradually captivated by his exquisite, art-like healing process. Their expressions were exactly like Suō Tsukasa's had been when he first faced Unohana Retsu.
However, what he demonstrated was the application of basic kaidō on complex injuries. Higher-level applications were not something they could learn yet, nor did Suō Tsukasa need to worry about teaching them. His task was to discover those with potential and help them build a solid foundation.
This was also the reality of the Fourth Division within the Gotei 13. They couldn't set particularly high requirements for new recruits; having a grasp of kido was already considered quite good. By comparison, those selected for rotation in the Special Relief Class were already the best among their peers.
From the current situation, Kira Izuru was the only one among this batch of newcomers worth paying special attention to. His talent in kido surpassed the others completely. As for the rest, their grasp of kaidō was insufficient and required more time and practice.
After finishing the instruction, Suō Tsukasa returned to his office to begin writing the daily treatment log. Once he finished this, his duties for the day would be complete.
Just as he stopped his pen, he heard slightly hesitant footsteps outside. They stopped at the door, as if the person were wavering.
Suō Tsukasa closed the log and spoke gently.
"Come in."
"Suō-sanji, excuse the intrusion."
"Regarding what happened this morning... I still wanted to apologize to you. It was a slip of the tongue."
Kira Izuru entered the room with a trepidatious heart. His voice was low, and his expression carried a lingering sense of shame.
"Kira, really, don't take it to heart. It's just a title; there's no need to be so distant in private."
"Your talent in kaidō is quite good. Your spiritual pressure control is much steadier than the others of your year. Polish it well, and I think it won't be long before you can stand on your own in the relief class."
"It's just unfortunate that today I have some business with Captain Unohana, otherwise I could have had a good chat with you."
"This is the treatment log I wrote. You can take it and look through it first."
Suō Tsukasa stood up to comfort him, picking up the treatment log from the desk and handing it to him.
These words were like a warm current, instantly dispelling the remaining anxiety in Kira's heart.
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