{🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please support me.🥰 You can access upto 50+ advance chapter through Patreon by using the link: https://patreon.com/Oreski}
In the Dangai, where time condensed and walls thinned between realms, hell butterflies fluttered in orderly formation, their silent procession guiding the Shinigami through the suspended corridor like flickering embers of ancient oaths. Behind them, seventeen new recruits moved in a loosely packed formation, their chatter restless, their enthusiasm uncontainable, fueled by the thrill of a first mission and the unspoken pride of being chosen.
"Everyone, quiet down. This isn't a place for jokes or laughter," Matsumoto Rangiku called out with weary indulgence, her voice gliding back over her shoulder as she tried to rein in the bubbling disorder behind her, eyes scanning the trail of wide-eyed newcomers whose sense of occasion outweighed their sense of discipline.
"Miss Rangiku is afraid of being stabbed in the back," Su Li murmured with a faint smile that concealed his own inner restlessness, his tone light yet deliberate, masking the same anticipation that stirred the others. Though he walked with calm composure beside Rangiku at the front, maintaining pace and position as if immune to the allure of the moment, inwardly he felt every flutter of excitement press against his ribs like birds longing for release.
Dozens of admiring gazes trailed after him, a mix of reverence, curiosity, and awe; but Su Li neither basked in their attention nor returned it—he simply kept his eyes ahead, silently amused, knowing too well the weight such expectations brought.
"Seriously, these kids have forgotten everything they were taught at the academy," Rangiku sighed as she threw up her hands in mock defeat, then turned her head with a teasing glance. "Actually, you're also a fresh graduate, Captain Su Li. So why do you seem so calm?"
With a soft chuckle and an expression caught between humility and indifference, Su Li let his voice drift like wind brushing against glass, explaining that for all the talk and grandeur of traveling to the Human World, it seemed no more than a pleasant change of pace unless, of course, Central 46 decided to muddy the waters with one of their notorious interventions.
"I just think it's not such a big deal. Everyone should return safely," he said with a mildness that wrapped his words in invisible confidence, and for a moment, Rangiku seemed to relax in his presence, her eyes softening at the thought that some captains carried reassurance without effort.
"Ehh?! As expected of a genius boy—so calm and composed!" she declared with exaggerated admiration, though her voice carried a note of fondness that curled into something more wistful as her gaze drifted elsewhere. "Compared to you... that little Tōshirō really feels like an idiot sometimes."
Su Li allowed himself an inward smirk, effortlessly recognizing the familiar tone she reserved for Hitsugaya Tōshirō, the boy captain whose burden of command often masked the vulnerability of his youth, a contrast that made him admirable yet tragically serious.
A moment later, Rangiku's expression brightened with mischievous glee as she spun toward Su Li with playful intent. "By the way, Captain Su Li—I never got to thank you!"
"Thank me? For what?" Su Li raised an eyebrow, clearly caught off guard, his confusion genuine.
"Heehee, thanks to you, I won a bet with Captain Isshin. Now he won't dare to ask me out again. Hahaha!" Rangiku beamed, her triumph sparkling like a child who'd stolen sweets from a merchant and gotten away with it.
Su Li blinked, momentarily stunned, but her amusement was too infectious to resist. With a delighted laugh, she explained the wager struck between her and Shiba Isshin—the loser would abandon their romantic pursuit—and how Su Li's unintentional involvement had secured her an elegant escape from persistent advances.
"I see..." he murmured, a slow smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he pictured the famously flamboyant Isshin fumbling in defeat. That image clashed humorously with the loving father he remembered from Masaki's stories, though perhaps that contradiction was precisely what defined Isshin's character—a romantic fool who would give up everything for the one he loved.
As that thought lingered, Su Li shook his head with an amused sigh, feeling oddly touched by the legacy hidden behind Rangiku's joke.
"If I have time later, I'll treat you to a drink," Rangiku offered sweetly, her voice light but sincere, her eyes glinting with gratitude and just the right dose of teasing. "It's the least I can do after you rescued me from that perverted captain."
Behind them, the rookies, having eavesdropped on every word, stiffened with wide eyes and nervous smiles, their imaginations spiraling wildly as the implications sank in. Matsumoto Rangiku, idol of the male recruits, had personally invited Su Li for a drink—and not just any drink, but one tinged with flirtation, gratitude, and something warmer, something stirring.
Whispers bloomed like wildfire across the group, not even masked in decorum, as admiration turned to envy, curiosity sharpened to gossip, and childish awe curled around the idea of romantic possibility.
Su Li, well aware of what they were thinking, could only smile bitterly, the weight of his unspoken schedule heavy on his shoulders. Yamamoto had clearly told no one about his upcoming forty-year retreat, and while the idea of that drink with Rangiku held some charm, it would likely be long overdue before he had a chance to redeem the offer.
Still, he inclined his head politely, his voice quiet and firm. "Sure, Miss Rangiku."
Her delighted grin broke across her face like spring sun over melting snow. "Great! Then it's settled—when we return from this mission, I'll treat you!"
"Alright," Su Li answered with a warm, composed smile, the unspoken promise lingering in the space between them like the scent of cherry blossoms brushing through a courtyard on the first warm day of spring.
Ahead of them, the light from the Senkaimon flared, signaling the end of the corridor and their arrival in the Human World, the gateway stretching wide as the swirling spirit particles scattered into gleaming arcs.
Rangiku, seeing the glow, finally let herself exhale, her posture easing as she acknowledged what Su Li had claimed all along—they had made it safely.
As the gate widened, Su Li felt a familiar pull in his chest, not born of apprehension but of memory, a nostalgia so intense it brushed past his ribs like wind rolling over stone. He stepped forward, the light enveloping him, his breath slow and reverent as he crossed the threshold.
A gust of warmth greeted him, saturated with the scent of engine fumes, asphalt, and drifting pollen; a city's welcome—rough, loud, unapologetically alive. Above, towering buildings pierced the sky like steel spears; below, winding subway walkways funneled the daily rhythm of millions; all around, concrete shimmered under sun and glass, while vendors barked from sidewalk corners and stadiums loomed in the distance like silent kings of motion.
Everything pulsed—vivid, chaotic, and gloriously foreign.
Su Li inhaled deeply, eyes partially closed, heart trembling with forgotten longing.
City... it's been too long. I've missed you.
Behind him, Rangiku and the rookies emerged in uneven strides, their voices rising in crescendos of awe as they took in the sensory barrage of the living world.
"Wow! It's so developed! Totally different from Soul Society!"
"I only saw this in textbooks! I didn't know the real world looked so beautiful!"
"Hey, hey! That's a traffic light, right?! I heard if you touch the top, you get good luck!"
"Look! Girls here wear so little! I love the human world! Long live modern fashion!"
Their shock erupted in pure, youthful excitement, each exclamation layered over the next like overlapping waves, their astonishment unfiltered and bright against the backdrop of a bustling world they had only seen in pictures.
Rangiku, watching them from behind, let her lips curve in quiet amusement, the nostalgia pooling in her eyes as her memories whispered of her own first steps into this strange realm—a world that had once overwhelmed her just as it now dazzled them.
The divide between the Human World and Soul Society was not simply one of space, but of essence, a contrast so sharp it could cleave identities in two.
She stepped forward and began explaining field protocols and assignments, her voice slipping into its command register with ease, effortlessly shifting from playful senior to designated leader.
Seventeen new Shinigami had been assigned to Karakura Town for training, each tasked with observing, patrolling, and adapting to their sector, their orders clear, their boundaries strict.
Su Li, in name, held the position of team captain—responsible for oversight, risk assessment, and field safety—but the truth was far simpler, and far less dignified.
"Miss Rangiku, I'll leave everything else to you," he said with a smile that stretched wide, unburdened by pretense.
"...Right." Rangiku sighed again, her expression tight with exaggerated resignation.
She had already been briefed by her superiors before departure. Su Li wasn't here to supervise—they had assigned him this mission for appearance's sake alone, a final indulgence before his self-imposed exile, and the real burden of leadership had fallen to her shoulders without ceremony or protest.
She didn't object, not truly, but she did allow herself one final grumble.
"Captain Su Li, even if you're only here for a week, please take your duties seriously. Stay in contact. And if anything goes wrong, don't hesitate to—"
But before she could finish, he had vanished, his spiritual pressure retreating like a ghost, silent and swift, without so much as a farewell.
"...Seriously?!" Rangiku stood frozen in place, her mouth parted in disbelief as the wind caught the edge of her uniform.
"Ugh! Just like Captain Isshin—he gets to the Human World and immediately disappears…" she growled, her heel stamping against the ground in mock fury.
"Not fair! I want to go have fun too!"
{ Enjoying the chapters? Please Support me on Patreon and unlock 50+ advanced chapters, with 3 new chapters released every two days!
The fanfic is also available for one-time purchase on Patreon – unlock lifetime access to the full collection, no membership needed! Don't miss out –support and own it forever!
patreon.com/Oreski}