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Dusk settled over Rukongai's West Sixtieth District as Su Li walked slowly along the familiar path home.
He had originally thought chance was as good as planning, and decided it might be best to invite Captain Sui-Feng and Omaeda back with him to taste what real cooking was like. Aunt Inoue's craftsmanship, after all, was on a level that humbled most so-called chefs in Soul Society.
But the plan had collapsed the moment the words left his lips. Sui-Feng's face had flushed crimson, and before he could say another word, she had vanished in a streak of shunpĹŤ, fleeing as if pursued by hollows. Omaeda, for his part, had made his feelings equally clear, leaping directly from an upstairs window to escape the very notion.
Helpless, Su Li had given up on the idea. Another chance would come—perhaps.
Tonight, though, his pace was slower than usual.
Normally, it was no more than half an hour's walk from the Seireitei gates to his home in Rukongai. Yet today, nearly an hour had passed, and he had barely covered a fraction of the distance. It was not his steps that dragged, but the tide of people that pressed in from every side.
Everywhere he turned, residents recognized him and rushed forward with fervent greetings. They thrust flowers, fruits, and gifts into his arms as if they were offerings to a shrine.
The Gotei had, of course, released all details of the recent incident that could safely be made public. Yamamoto himself had spread the truth deliberately: Su Li's role in exposing Aizen's treachery, the way he had stood against a plot that could have crushed the Soul Society entire. His name, once whispered with doubt, had become a rallying cry.
In a single day, his reputation had undergone a reversal as sharp as a blade stroke. Where once there had been suspicion, resentment, and scorn, now there was awe, adoration, guilt, and burning shame.
But in the end, all emotions converged into a single truth:
Su Li was a hero.
And heroes were to be loved. Especially young heroes, wronged yet vindicated, who rose from poverty to glory and dared to challenge titans with nothing but will and courage.
The Rukongai gave him their highest respect, and their most unreserved love.
It was suffocating.
Every household seemed to spill onto the streets with their best fruits and most treasured foods, pressing them into his hands as if their lives depended on it. Boys and girls shouted his name with sparkling eyes, running alongside him just for the chance to catch a glimpse. Elderly men and women hobbled forward with crutches and wheelchairs, some even stepping from sickbeds just to see him with their own eyes. Bearded men unearthed yellowed old posters, claiming proudly that they had been his fans since the beginning.
To all of it, Su Li had only one feeling: torment.
He had never realized that love could be so crushing.
The distance that could once be crossed in five minutes had stretched into an endless ordeal, each step hindered by another offering, another cheer, another tug at his sleeve.
At last, staring at the endless sea of faces pressing toward him, Su Li sighed and vanished in a burst of shunpĹŤ.
The square erupted in chaos.
"Where's Captain Su Li?! Our shop steamed fresh buns just for him! He has to take some home!"
"No! I brought my daughter's dowry—why did he leave?!"
"Captain Su Li's autograph! Genuine signature, right here, one thousand copies for sale!"
"This is crooked handwriting—how is that Captain Su Li's?!"
"What?! You dare insult Captain Su Li?! Swindler! Liar!"
"You're the liar! You wrote it yourself!"
The street dissolved into uproar.
Meanwhile, Su Li exhaled in relief as the quiet of the West Sixtieth District welcomed him. Carrying the bulging load of gifts he had failed to refuse, he approached his small courtyard. Unlike the chaos he had left behind, this district had few pedestrians, fewer still who would disturb him.
But before he could reach the door, he saw several men bowing low at the gate, their voices trembling.
"Boss Inoue, it was all rumors—please forgive us!"
"Yes, yes! We were lied to as well!"
"Don't listen to those drunkards, Boss Inoue! They'll say anything when their mouths are full of sake!"
Su Li almost laughed aloud. These were the very men who had so angered Aunt Inoue with their loose tongues before. Seeing them grovel now was almost pitiful. Almost.
When the men finally noticed him approaching, their faces drained of color.
"S–S–Su… Su Li…"
The leader's stammer collapsed into silence. The rest trembled as though judgment itself had appeared.
"Go home," Su Li said calmly. "And next time, don't spread what you don't understand."
They bobbed their heads frantically and fled as if he had passed sentence.
Shaking his head, Su Li smiled faintly and pushed the door open with his armful of gifts.
"Offerings to the left. Write your name on the paper."
"Apologies to the right. Name written as well."
The cold voice drifted through the courtyard before he even stepped inside.
Blinking, Su Li realized the yard was overflowing with parcels, bags, and crates. Aunt Inoue stood with her back to the door, diligently cataloging them like a merchant at market.
"Auntie, I'm back," Su Li said softly.
She froze, then whirled around.
"A Li!!"
The stern façade melted in an instant into fiery affection as she swept him into a suffocating embrace. Su Li flushed crimson, struggling to breathe.
"And these?" she asked, eyeing the goods in his arms. Recognition dawned quickly. With a warm smile, she ruffled his hair.
"Our A Li, loved by all of Soul Society now. My little hero."
Her eyes gleamed with pride. Su Li could only laugh bitterly. To be praised by elders was its own form of embarrassment.
"Auntie, let's just eat. I'm starving," he muttered, dropping the bundles and heading inside.
"Hmph. Always the same excuse," she teased, following with a sly smile.
"Several families came to speak of marriage today, you know…"
Her voice turned half-mocking, half-serious.
"A Li, you're not so young anymore. Isn't it time you thought about it?"
"I've seen some of the girls myself—pretty faces, gentle manners…"
"Eh? Why are you walking so fast? I haven't finished yet!"
Su Li groaned inwardly. Of all the trials he faced, being urged to marry by elders was the most unbearable of all.
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