Chapter 6: Aizen Sensei, How Do You Like My "Collapse" Character?
From Shimiya Takeru's point of view, the calligraphy class felt less like an elective and more like a club event.
There were simply too many people.
The lecture hall was packed wall to wall. Those who did not manage to grab a seat could only leave with regret.
Since Takeru and Rindo Yu had no classes that afternoon, they arrived early and shamelessly claimed the prime seats in the very center of the front row.
"Most of the people here are upperclassmen," Takeru observed.
Apparently, the longer you stayed at the Spirit Arts Academy, the more you understood the appeal of this course.
They did not have to wait long.
The special lecturer appeared early on the podium, white haori of a captain draped over his shoulders. His first words washed over the room like a warm spring breeze.
"Good afternoon, everyone."
"As per tradition, I will introduce myself for the new students."
"I am Aizen, Aizen Sosuke. I currently serve as Captain of the Fifth Division of the Gotei 13, but today I stand here simply as a teacher."
"I am deeply honored, and also very gratified, to have the chance to share my understanding of calligraphy with all of you."
"As more and more of you join this class, it is an enormous encouragement to me. It proves that the path I am walking together with all of you is not mistaken."
"Without further delay, let us begin."
Takeru watched as Aizen drew a roll of white paper from his sleeve, unrolled it, and hung it on the blackboard.
The impact of the stark contrast between black ink and white paper was strong on its own, but it was nothing compared to the shock of the character written there.
"..."
As a former young master who knew a thing or two about calligraphy, Takeru finally grasped what true mastery looked like.
On the sheet Aizen had displayed, there was only one character: yama, "mountain."
But anyone who looked at it for the first time would not recognize it as the character for mountain at all.
What they would see was a landscape.
The dark body of the mountain seemed to lift off from the paper itself, creating an overwhelming sense of depth and presence.
Only after that visual jolt did the brain catch up and realize, "This is actually the character for mountain."
"In past classes, I have said many times that calligraphy is an art, not a technique. It focuses much more on spiritual cultivation."
"For this character, I did not use any special techniques. I simply wrote my understanding of a mountain on the paper. That is all."
Aizen's tone was relaxed, even playful.
"That is also why our class has no textbook. As long as you show up, you will be fine. New students do not need to worry about falling behind."
Whether his words eased the anxiety of the other newcomers, Takeru did not know.
He only knew that he definitely felt the charm of this class.
Aizen really was just sharing his calligraphy.
Even if Ichigo were here, he would not be totally lost.
...No, maybe that was a little optimistic.
But at least Takeru understood.
Japanese calligraphy had originally developed from Chinese calligraphy, then gradually branched off onto a more artistic path of its own.
It was not that Chinese calligraphy was not art.
It was more that comparing Chinese calligraphy and Japanese calligraphy was like comparing fine art and performance art.
Japanese calligraphy was the performance art of written characters.
Through bold deformation and exaggeration, it broke away from the rigid forms of standard script, expressing more diverse emotions and pushing innovation to the extreme.
Sometimes it could be as imaginative and free as a child's doodles.
Other times it could be unsettling, distorted, or even literally split characters apart.
There were plenty of examples that looked more abstract than abstract paintings.
No wonder Aizen did not use formal textbook teaching. Even a little formality would have made the written characters too ordinary, too tame.
"Rindo, do you think the Academy brought in a calligraphy instructor so students can vent stress?" Takeru leaned back and whispered.
Rindo thought for a moment, then wrote quietly.
I think it is very interesting.
"Fair enough. That is one reason too."
In the Spirit Arts Academy, which had no clubs at all, it was not easy to find something that was simply fun.
At that moment, Aizen spoke again from the podium.
"Regarding the importance of calligraphy in spiritual cultivation, I would like to invite a student to assist me in writing a character. Which student would like to help?"
The instant he said that, almost every student in the room shot to their feet, arms up.
Afraid Aizen would not notice just a raised hand, some even shouted impulsively, turning the room into a small uproar.
Aizen simply smiled gently, like a patient, good natured teacher.
He scanned the room and finally pointed to Takeru in the front row.
"Then let us ask this student."
Everyone else immediately turned to look, lips twitching.
Takeru was sitting there very calmly, expressionless, with one hand raised like everyone else.
The only difference was that he was holding up a sheet of white paper with a character already written on it, facing Aizen openly.
He might as well have been holding a cue card prepared by the stage crew.
And that was not all.
Before Aizen even said a word, Takeru stood up on his own and casually showed his calligraphy to the entire room.
He did not say anything.
He did not show off any smug expression.
He acted as if what he was doing was perfectly natural.
Completely relaxed.
The students of the Spirit Arts Academy were stunned.
This guy was really strange.
They could not quite define what made him strange, but strange he definitely was.
"Hm..."
Aizen pursed his lips for a moment, as if organizing his thoughts.
"This student... if I am not mistaken, you are Shimiya kun, the genius who enrolled this year, correct?"
"Aizen sensei, what do you think of my calligraphy?" Takeru asked.
He was genuinely curious how his work measured up in Aizen's eyes.
"Absolutely outstanding."
Aizen did not hesitate to give the highest praise.
"At first glance it looks like two separate characters, but together they form the character 'Collapse.'"
"Did you intentionally separate the top and bottom halves to express the sense of something splitting apart from within? Or is it meant to be more macro, using a combination of different things to form something new, which is the exact opposite of the original meaning, a philosophy of unity born from opposition?"
"Or perhaps it is a satirical allegory, hinting that things forcibly pieced together will eventually tear apart?"
"Even purely from the visual standpoint, it has considerable aesthetic strength."
"So ingenious, and yet retaining the beauty of calligraphy. It seems the Academy's evaluation of Shimiya kun was still too conservative."
After this layered breakdown, the students of the Spirit Arts Academy all started viewing Takeru in a new light.
Some even felt a faint sense of respect.
Until now, no one had ever received such high praise from Aizen sensei.
"Everyone, do you understand now? A genius like Shimiya kun has a deeper grasp of things. That depth is extremely helpful for spiritual cultivation."
"Many people misunderstand calligraphy and believe it serves no purpose in a Shinigami's work. I do not wish to completely deny that view. After all, a brush cannot strike down an enemy with killing intent."
Aizen pushed his glasses up slightly and smiled.
"However, even when writing the same character, the posture and presence that emerges under each person's hand is different."
"Calligraphy is writing your heart. I hope that through studying calligraphy, each of you can come to understand your own inner self and strengthen your conviction."
"This will help you communicate with your Zanpakuto. It will help you grasp high level Kido. And when you become Shinigami, it will allow you to show your own unique strength while walking the same path as everyone else."
His voice was not fiery, yet it carried a strange power.
It cleared the mind, and the listener's thoughts unconsciously followed his rhythm.
One class felt like a spiritual purification.
The effect it produced went far beyond simple stress relief.
It was more like a powerful tonic poured directly into the soul.
No wonder a mere calligraphy class was this popular.
It was not just Aizen's personal charm.
What mattered most was that his words and actions truly brought benefits to everyone who listened.
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