They stepped forward.
"Thank you for the tea," they said together.
Shinomiya moved with easy polish; Ichigo tried and gave up, settling for his most serious self.
The Head Captain watched them sip and lower the bowls. "How is it?"
"Pretty good," Ichigo said.
"Decent," Shinomiya said.
Ichigo glanced over, wincing—harsh much?
Shinomiya wasn't done. "The leaf isn't fancy. But you pulled all of its potential out with veteran hands."
"Hey, Shinomiya—"
He exhaled and closed his eyes. "So the flavor isn't special. A layman will forget it soon. Which also means—you'll never get tired of it. In work? Impossible. But after work—a cup like this keeps a little freshness in life. Makes the grind less dull. Even that feeling itself… leaves with the steam as you breathe out, and is forgotten."
It sounded less like an answer and more like the tea thinking inside him. Soft as steam. Soft as scent. It drifted through the room and sat in people's chests.
Not in Ichigo's; he just eyed Shinomiya, torn between admiration and 'are you trying to get us killed?'
The old man nodded. "If you can feel that much, I've nothing to add. You outstripped my expectation."
"Calling you here was right."
"Huh?" Ichigo blinked. Being lumped with Shinomiya was nice. The reason was stranger.
"The Head Captain chose this so he wouldn't have to make a public fuss over two undergrads," Shinomiya said mildly, taking another tiny sip. "This way he can see what you two troublemakers are like in private—yes?"
The old man opened his eyes and studied him. "Has your teacher never warned you that showing off that mind of yours can backfire?"
"Can't help it. Before I was born, a medium pointed at my mother's belly and said, 'His biggest flaw will be that he can't pretend to be clueless.'" Shinomiya set the bowl down and met the old man's gaze. "Can I change that, Head Captain?"
"If it's in your bones—no."
He let it go with a flick. "Business, then. As the twin brightest lights Shin'ō has ever seen, you've been on my desk since the Principal's first report. I thought you'd need to graduate before you stacked up real merit.
"Instead we had murders in Rukongai. Then the banned-drug incident. Then the unprecedented Konso disaster. You were green, but you worked better than most Shinigami. You even pulled two more of your class into the light.
"As Commander of the Gotei and founder of Shin'ō, I'm pleased—and uneasy. Growth that is too fast is not always good. I've seen many talents stray.
"Having seen you now, I'm at ease." His eyes shifted. "Especially you, Shinomiya Takashi."
Shinomiya blinked. "Why do I feel like I'm more reliable than the guy next to me?"
"…I can't even argue," Ichigo muttered. "But could you not say it out loud?"
"Because you look tired," the old man said, and half the room frowned in confusion—until he continued. "When Aizen told me how you've been spending your days, I assumed only one thing could wear out a soul like that.
"You've begun bankai training, haven't you?"
"What?!" Renji blurted. It felt absurd. He'd needed decades after graduation to reach that doorway. A first-year—?
Faces tightened. Kuchiki Byakuya's eyes cooled another degree. Soi Fon's brows lifted. Unohana, Ukitake, and Kyōraku went through surprise and landed on 'of course.' Aizen smiled and said nothing. Komamura's helm hid his face; Tōsen was stone.
Among the lieutenants, the women took it in stride—thanks to Hinamori's stories—while most of the men were Renji-level rattled.
"You're kidding, right? First-year," Ōmaeda whispered.
"He said bankai…" Kira muttered.
"So this is what 'strongest prodigy in Academy history' feels like," Iba grunted. "Crushing."
"Come on," Hisagi sighed. "There's a limit to ridiculous."
Even Ichigo stared. "When did you—"
Shinomiya only looked a little annoyed—he'd wanted to keep it hidden until he had it. The old man seemed to misread the look.
"What's wrong, boy? You thought you could hide it from me?" His voice rumbled. "Don't get cocky. There have been students who found bankai before. Some of them went bad.
"For now, I don't smell that on you. Good. I also watched the footage from the living world. You were calm—decisive. The damage to the city was… poor. But you were hot-blooded, and you cut the losses to the minimum. I'll leave it."
He grunted. "More importantly, you took responsibility. I like that."
No one looked more relieved than Ichigo. For once, he wasn't wearing the 'wrecked a city' sign alone.
"You flatter me," Shinomiya said. "Honestly, it was hot blood. Hollows swarming, I swung. If it hadn't gone worse, that's enough for me."
Several people glanced toward Aizen. That composure? Student, indeed.
The old man nodded. "So you truly can't pretend. Good."
"Kurosaki Ichigo."
"…Sir!"
The gaze dug into him. "You ran to shield your family in the living world. Since you're not yet sworn to a Division, I won't judge you by that standard. I like that heart. Keep one more thing in it: there will be times when you must decide whom to lose and whom to save.
"If you don't want to face those days—then grow strong.
"I want to see young talent grow—not watch them grow only after they've tasted helplessness and turned their anger on themselves. That road brings needless trouble for everyone—for all Seireitei."
"…Understood!" Ichigo sat bolt upright and bowed deeply.
-------
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