Bleach: Watch Closely, This Is How You Use a Zanpakutō novel Chapter 204

Chapter 204 - 204: Clear Moon

The bright moon hung high in the sky, casting its glow over the Thirteenth Division barracks.

"Oh, I didn't even realize it was already dark."

Masatsuki Aozaki gazed up at the luminous moon, while Isane Kotetsu, cheeks flushed, shook her head helplessly.

"Captain Masatsuki, it's getting late. Captain Ukitake is probably growing impatient."

"Well, it can't be helped. After all, it's you we're talking about, Isane. We ended up chatting for so long without even noticing."

Sighing, Masatsuki Aozaki walked up to the entrance of Ugendō.

"That senior of mine is really something else... I'll be out soon."

"Yes, I'll wait right here."

Too embarrassed to even lift her head, Isane Kotetsu only let out a sigh of relief once she heard the wooden door close behind Masatsuki.

"How did it go? Did it work?"

As soon as Masatsuki stepped out of Ugendō, Kiyone Kotetsu burst out from the shadows, her eyes shining with excitement. The walk from the barracks to Ugendō normally took no more than ten minutes, but somehow, those two had dragged it out to nearly an hour.

If Isane came back saying she had failed, Kiyone would be devastated. But at this point, there wasn't much she could do—just convincing her sister to take the initiative had been a monumental effort. Asking her to try again would take even more persuasion.

The biggest headache was Isane's timid and indecisive nature. She was so shy that even when she had nightmares, she would run to Kiyone's room to sleep. Whether she was the one chasing after someone she liked or the one being pursued, her personality made things endlessly complicated.

Honestly, Kiyone had no idea how Isane would survive without her around.

What she hadn't expected, however, was that Masatsuki Aozaki actually seemed to like Isane too.

Because of her height and the way she spoke, people often mistook Isane for a boy. She had been teased about it more than once.

"Captain Masatsuki invited me to dinner tonight."

Isane squatted down, her voice soft and uncertain.

Thinking about Masatsuki's warmth and confidence, she couldn't help but admire him. That was the kind of person she wished she could become—like Captain Unohana, poised and graceful, not awkward and hesitant like herself.

"Good. Then tonight, you're making Captain Masatsuki yours," Kiyone declared, patting Isane's head with a determined expression.

She knew just how much courage her sister had mustered to get this far.

Isane avoided her gaze. "This... isn't it too fast?"

"A chance like this doesn't come every day! You have to take it while you can!" Kiyone said firmly.

...

"Junior, this isn't the time we agreed on, is it?" A calm male voice echoed through the room. "You really kept me waiting."

"Have I kept you waiting long? You can't blame me for that, Jūshirō-senpai! It's all Shunsui-senpai's fault—his laziness rubbed off on me, so I ended up late!" Masatsuki Aozaki replied.

He made himself comfortable, sitting casually on the tatami as if he were at home.

"You really inherited Shunsui's shamelessness," Jūshirō Ukitake quipped, still lying on the floor.

"I never thought you'd say something so harsh, Jūshirō-senpai." Masatsuki Aozaki helped him up, leaning him against the wooden wall.

"Well, I'm human too, you know. I get upset just like anyone else," Jūshirō chuckled lightly. "It's just that this body of mine doesn't allow it."

"Then... do you want to get better?" Masatsuki asked.

"You should know that when I was three—"

Before he could finish, Jūshirō coughed violently, spitting up blood. Masatsuki quickly grabbed a handkerchief and gently wiped it away.

"When you were three, you suffered from a severe illness. Your white hair is a lasting consequence of that," Masatsuki said.

Jūshirō nodded. "That's right. But what you don't know is that, due to certain circumstances, I only survived by sacrificing my lungs."

Masatsuki shook his head. "That's why I'm asking—do you want to recover?"

Jūshirō furrowed his brows. "You may not fully understand... A sacrifice like this can't simply be undone with Kaidō."

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