Chapter 14: White Wall
Realizing her question had caused Suoh to misunderstand.
"No."
"Wait here a moment."
Terada-san didn't explain further. After speaking, she stood and left.
Moments later, footsteps returned.
Terada-san carried an exquisite rosewood box with corners wrapped in dark gold metal. It looked quite elegant and valuable.
She sat back down across from Suoh and gently placed the wooden box on the table between them. It landed with a heavy, muffled thud.
Opening the lid and lifting aside the deep blue silk lining, the box revealed rows of small oval gold coins gleaming with pure, clear light.
The koban were elliptical in shape with rounded edges. Each one shone with a lustrous glow—the kind of wealth ordinary families might never see with their own eyes in an entire lifetime.
"Terada-san, what's this?"
Even combining both lifetimes, Suoh had never possessed such wealth. His eyes showed no greed clouded by the golden light. He looked at her with some confusion.
"Training the way you do, risking your life... food supplements alone shouldn't be enough, should they?"
"I don't know why you're pushing yourself so desperately, but I support you."
Terada-san lifted her hand and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Her voice was gentle yet firm as she looked at him.
Unlike the muddled, aimless souls of Rukongai, Suoh possessed an aggressive drive for progress, an upward vitality that practically overflowed.
This vigorous "sense of living" was something she'd never encountered or experienced in all her long years.
Just watching the young man's focused figure from the side gave her a feeling of being "alive" again herself.
As if her long-stagnant time had begun flowing once more.
Sunlight passed through the window lattice and fell across her shoulders, gilding her plain kimono with a shallow golden edge.
She sat there quietly, her face carrying the composed grace that comes from years of accumulated experience. Her lowered eyes held a smile, trust, and encouragement.
Long black hair was loosely pinned at the back of her head. A few strands hung beside her neck, adding several degrees of gentleness.
"I support you."
Hearing those words left Suoh somewhat dazed. He lowered his eyes, silently chewing over that sentence.
He didn't respond immediately. That sentence carried too much weight for him.
In his previous life, only one woman had ever said those words to him. Though the voice and appearance were completely different, the unreserved trust in those words was identical.
For an instant, the figure of the woman before him overlapped strangely with that memory.
"I can't accept this."
"This favor is too heavy. Right now, I can't repay you with anything. Even in the future, I don't know what I could offer in return."
Taking a deep breath, when he raised his eyes again, his gaze had regained clarity.
He reached out and closed the box, shaking his head with unshakable firmness as he refused her kindness.
Terada-san's daily care and consideration—he could still repay that with his skills by working hard for her and making exquisite, delicious treats.
But this genuine heartfelt offering—he truly couldn't think of any way to repay it.
Suoh's resolute refusal brought a brief silence to the room.
The indoor sunlight remained warm. The quiet tea fragrance still drifted through the air. That heavy box of gold became an invisible boundary line between them.
Terada-san gazed at his determined eyes. They held no false deflection, only the most sincere response.
"Have you seen that white wall?"
She suddenly smiled lightly. Not disappointed, but understanding. She spoke.
"Yes."
Suoh nodded. Of course he knew what she meant. He understood far more about it than she did.
The Seireimon—cast from pure white murderous stone, soaring into the clouds where even birds couldn't reach.
Standing at the widest vantage point in Rukongai, from the leftmost edge of one's vision stretching all the way to the rightmost edge of sight, you still couldn't see either end.
That wall's white wasn't sacred. It was a kind of colorless pallor, absorbing warm sunlight yet refusing to reflect back a single trace of warmth.
Like a massive pure white line drawn by divine hand too enormous for words, dividing the entire Soul Society cleanly in two.
Not only was it where all Shinigami resided—the Soul Society's noble estates were also within.
This white wall's existence silently proclaimed to Rukongai's souls the gulf between two worlds—we are here, you are there.
"I've stood on this side of the wall and looked at it for far too long. There's no fresh scenery left."
"I'm very curious what the scenery behind the wall looks like. I want to see a different world."
"Could you show me?"
"Consider this your payment."
Not a command. Not a request. Just a simple invitation, like asking someone to take a walk.
Her words were like a stone dropped into a calm lake, rippling outward in Suoh's heart in layer after layer.
He looked at her serious expression and understood this wasn't merely an excuse.
This woman who'd given him a foothold was now entrusting him with her desire to explore the world—the sole remaining spark that hadn't been worn smooth by long years.
"Alright. This payment, I accept."
This time he didn't refuse. He met her gaze, placed his hand on the box, and spoke with eyes burning bright as a solemn oath.
This gesture of acceptance carried more weight than any empty vow.
An invisible contract between two people was established in this warm, sunlit morning.
Though the Seireitei could only be inhabited by Shinigami and nobles, and ordinary souls were generally forbidden entry under normal circumstances—
Seated officers, vice-captains, and captains were different. As elite members of the Gotei 13, they naturally possessed privileges distinct from ordinary Shinigami. Starting from seated officer rank, one could own a personal residence.
With Terada-san's full support, achieving this goal wouldn't be too distant.
"Keep this money with you for now."
The task hadn't been completed yet. Naturally, there was no reason to accept full payment in advance.
"Alright. From now on, you'll handle purchasing matters."
"Whatever you need, arrange it yourself. Kuramoyo-ya has quite extensive connections. As long as the money's right, even the rarest items—they'll arrange people to find them for you."
Kuramoyo-ya's business covered more than ten districts of West Rukongai. They had numerous workers. Most conventional supplies they could provide.
For true merchants, the only fear was having value but no market.
"However, these things are quite heavy. You'll need to help me carry them back to their original place."
Her gaze fell back on that solid wooden box. She spoke playfully.
"Happy to help."
The previously somewhat solemn conversation returned to normal. Suoh held the wooden box and followed behind her, passing through the quiet back courtyard to return the box to its original position.
"Shinoreijutsuin, Gotei 13..."
After leaving the main house, Suoh stood quietly for a moment beneath the old tree in the courtyard.
He raised his hand and gazed at his palm. The skin reddened from training had already recovered to normal.
In this world, he was no longer alone. His shoulders now carried a future that must be realized, expectations that needed answering.
This responsibility didn't make him feel any burden whatsoever. Instead, it made his heart more resolute.
The thoughts in his mind became increasingly clear. With more resource support, his training plan would need adjustments.
Daytime training had already ended. The ingredients for the lunch service needed preparation soon. He began walking, his figure in the morning light appearing increasingly firm and upright as a pine tree, his steps steady and solid.
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