Before long, the day of Shiba Kaien's wedding arrived.
A captain of the Third Division getting married was no small matter in the Seireitei. Even if the other division captains did not attend in person, they all made sure to send representatives along with wedding gifts.
From Fourth Division, those attending—besides Nobu and Isane—included Iemura and Aoshika.
None of them wore shihakushō today; instead, they were dressed in slightly more formal black attire.
In the Shiba family courtyard, Nobu stood with a few familiar faces, chatting idly.
Kaien himself was quite busy, greeting friends and guests with no time to linger. Ganju, as the groom's younger brother, was also bustling about to help entertain the attendees.
The bride—current Third Division Vice-Captain Shiba Miyako—was someone most of them knew or at least recognized. She was a gentle and beautiful woman, and together with Kaien, the two could certainly be called a perfect match.
The little group talked about the newlyweds, their comments a mix of admiration and envy.
The ones discussing this sort of topic were mostly the women—Matsumoto Rangiku, Ise Nanao, Kotetsu Isane—though there were also those who had no interest in marriage at all, like Madarame Ikkaku and Ayasegawa Yumichika.
Kotetsu Kiyone's eyes flickered mischievously, and suddenly she turned to Nobu with a bright smile.
"Tachikawa, when are you getting married?"
The question instantly shifted everyone's attention to Nobu.
He had been quiet for most of the conversation, so he was momentarily taken aback.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Isane subtly tug at her younger sister's sleeve; when she glanced at him, her face was faintly flushed.
Nobu replied evenly,
"Why ask me that out of the blue?"
Kiyone grinned.
"Just curious. I heard you were very popular with the girls back at the Academy."
"When I feel like getting married, I'll get married."
Clearly, that answer did not satisfy her.
"So… you don't want to get married right now?" she pressed.
At that point, Matsumoto raised an eyebrow.
"Kiyone, why do you care whether this guy wants to get married?"
Only then did Kiyone realize her question had been a little abrupt. She tried to cover for herself.
"I was just curious, that's all."
Matsumoto's expression turned strange.
"Don't tell me you actually—"
Nobu cleared his throat, cutting her off before she could finish.
"Rangiku-san."
Matsumoto gave him a sidelong look before falling silent, a faint smile playing on her lips.
Nobu took the opportunity to excuse himself, wandering off to find a quieter spot. He settled on a bench, and before long, Madarame Ikkaku and Ayasegawa Yumichika came over to join him.
"You really know how to find peace and quiet," Ikkaku remarked. "After you left, Matsumoto-fukutaichō started talking bad about you."
Leaning back, Nobu didn't seem concerned.
"What did she say?"
"That you're not exactly the quiet type."
"She can say what she likes."
The three of them sat in a row on the bench, resting as they waited for the ceremony to begin.
Ikkaku brought up, yet again, the idea of Nobu visiting the Eleventh Division. Nobu found it more than a little tiresome.
"You really are persistent," Nobu said helplessly.
"I can't help it," Ikkaku sighed. "My captain keeps pestering me about it. Just think of it as doing me a favor."
"Not going."
"Why not?"
"No reason. Just don't want to."
Ikkaku scowled.
"Hey, when you asked me to arrange that private spar between our two divisions, I agreed right away, didn't I?"
"…"
Nobu was briefly at a loss—he supposed that was true.
Maybe he shouldn't be so quick to owe people favors.
"What if your captain kills me?" he asked dryly.
"What are you talking about? He wouldn't do that. It's just sparring—you're not that weak, are you? And even if you lost, it wouldn't be anything to be ashamed of."
Nobu thought for a moment.
"Alright, fine. I'll go."
"When? How about tomorrow?"
"Alright."
"Then it's settled!"
Looking at the relieved expression on Ikkaku's face, Nobu chuckled.
"Tell me, what happens if I beat your captain?"
Ikkaku grinned.
"That'd be the best outcome."
"I'm being serious."
"So am I."
Nobu let the matter drop, remaining on the bench until something caught his eye.
He spotted Shiba Kūkaku.
Today she was dressed formally in a beautiful kimono, her hair tied up, with light makeup that made her look strikingly vivid.
"Kūkaku-san!" Nobu called.
She turned her head toward him, but didn't approach—only gave a curt nod before moving on.
As the groom's sister, she naturally needed to be dressed for the occasion, but judging by her expression, she wasn't entirely comfortable with such attire, especially in front of people she knew.
A short while later, Ganju came trotting over.
"Nobu-aniki."
"Ganju."
"Want something to drink? I can grab you one."
Nobu smiled.
"No need. You should go help with the guests."
"If you need anything, just call me."
When the time came, the wedding formally began. Nobu, Ikkaku, and Yumichika stood among the crowd to witness Kaien and Miyako's ceremony.
Still, his eyes were mostly on Kūkaku at Kaien's side.
Her favorability toward him was only at 30—plenty of room to grow. Perhaps he could find excuses to visit the Shiba household more often to chat with Kaien.
Among the women he knew, those with relatively low favorability included Soi Fon, Nemu, Kusajishi Yachiru, Ise Nanao, and Shiba Kūkaku.
Of these, Soi Fon, Nemu, and Nanao were currently difficult to approach—and Nemu, even if he could get close, would probably be far harder to raise favorability with than an ordinary person.
For now, it would be better to focus on Yachiru and Kūkaku.
As he was thinking that, something else caught his attention. His gaze shifted immediately.
The wedding was underway, with everyone gathered in the central courtyard.
Along both sides of the garden were long tables laid with drinks, sweets, and other refreshments.
And atop one of those tables stood a sleek, jet-black cat, head buried in a glass filled with clear liquid, tongue darting in and out as it lapped at the drink.
A black cat…
It couldn't be, could it?
Nobu probed with his senses, but detected no unusual spiritual signature—it was, without question, an ordinary cat.
Still, the black cat seemed to notice something. It glanced briefly in his direction, licked its front paw, and went back to drinking from the glass.