Gulp—
The fresh aroma of rice mixed with the savory, distinctive scent of nori drifted into his nostrils. Matsuzaki Yoshito paused slightly, his throat working as he swallowed.
Rice balls were a frequent guest at his family's dinner table, though they never looked this exquisite or appetizing.
The rice balls before him were perfectly shaped and plump, as if made from a single mold.
Carefully picking up a warm rice ball, warmth spread to his fingertips. The rich aroma of the food completely piqued his appetite.
For a brief moment, he, who shouldn't feel hunger, experienced the illusion of it.
"I accept this meal."
Matsuzaki Yoshito took a bite. The firm texture of the rice was just right.
The lightly salted rice and crisp nori blended in his mouth. After swallowing, a solid warmth flowed from his stomach to his limbs.
As the rice balls on the plate disappeared one by one, the color returned to his face.
This simplest, most unadorned delicacy reactivated his body, which had been somewhat overdrawn.
"I'm full."
Swallowing the last bite, Matsuzaki Yoshito said with a look of satisfied happiness.
"My hospitality was lacking."
"Let's go. I'll take you two home."
Under his spiritual sense, Matsuzaki Yoshito's spiritual pressure had fully returned to normal, vibrant and stable. Suō Tsukasa inserted Oboroyo back into his waist sash and waved, speaking.
The moonlight poured like water onto the dirt road. The three of them walked slowly under the cover of night.
West Third District was especially quiet at night. Most souls who rested at sunset had already gone to sleep. Only a few houses still glowed with faint light.
The rising clear moon was cold, casting short, distinct, and sharply outlined shadows before them.
Arriving at the end of the street, Tamaki's house was close by. Warm light emanated from the window, clearly indicating her family was still waiting for her.
"Tsukasa, I'm here. See you tomorrow."
"Goodbye, Mr. Matsuzaki. Be careful on your way."
"See you tomorrow."
Tamaki stopped at the door, smiled, and waved goodbye to the two of them.
Turning to push open the door, her figure disappeared into the brightly lit room. As the door closed, their conversation with her family could faintly be heard.
Bidding farewell to Tamaki, the two adjusted their course and continued toward Matsuzaki Yoshito's home.
After walking for a while, they reached a fork in the road. Matsuzaki Yoshito suddenly stopped and spoke.
"Suō, you can see me off up to here. You should go back and rest."
"Let's go. Don't be so wishy-washy; be a man."
Too lazy to mind his politeness, Suō Tsukasa continued walking without stopping. Seeing this, Matsuzaki Yoshito could only smile helplessly and quickly followed.
Earlier, fearing he might cause trouble for the Teradaya, he had already asked the well-informed clerk at the Kuramotoya, Kentarou, about the general situation in the West Third District.
The Scarface gang he eliminated was already the largest group of thugs in the West Third District and had no powerful local gang organization backing them.
There were other scattered small-time hoodlums spread across various corners of the district, posing little threat to slightly stronger ordinary souls.
Although Scarface didn't die on the spot, he was no different from dead. With the injuries he sustained, he would surely die without sufficient food and Kaidō treatment.
The other four of Scarface's subordinates survived, but it was impossible for them to continue their evil deeds.
He had his own code of conduct. Scarface's malice towards him was the most naked and intense, so he struck the hardest.
The emotion of the other four was mostly greed, their eyes glued to the bundle on his shoulder. Their less intense malice allowed them to narrowly survive.
Although the probability of Matsuzaki Yoshito running into trouble with thugs was small, Suō Tsukasa didn't want to bet on that unfortunate one-in-ten-thousand chance.
"We're here. It's too late, so I won't invite you in for a cup of water or a rest."
Matsuzaki's small courtyard was already pitch black. Matsuzaki Yoshito apologized slightly.
It was late, and the children were young, so they had already fallen asleep.
"Mm, you've worked hard recently, Matsuzaki."
"I'll be going now."
Patting his shoulder, Suō Tsukasa offered a simple farewell, then turned and left. The night wind brushed past the hem of his clothes, carrying the characteristic slight chill of a late spring/early summer evening.
Matsuzaki Yoshito stood at the door, watching Suō Tsukasa's figure gradually fade, finally merging into the night and disappearing around the corner. Only then did he turn to go back inside.
Suddenly, he stopped short, noticing something unusual about himself.
He reached into his shirt and pulled out something that wasn't there before.
In the bright moonlight, he clearly saw the object in his hand—
A heavy, plain cloth money pouch.
The money pouch had been silently slipped into his shirt by Suō Tsukasa during the shoulder-pat just before they parted ways.
Matsuzaki Yoshito was a man among men.
Suō Tsukasa only learned later that besides the oldest child being his own, the other three younger children were also his.
But these children were not his biological offspring; they were orphans he had adopted in the Rukongai.
In the Soul Society, even people who died at the same time and place in the Human World would, in most cases, be separated into different districts.
And for ordinary souls, finding their original relatives was incredibly difficult. Children who died young naturally became orphans.
Of course, ordinary souls could still communicate, interact, grow close, and even marry and have children with new souls. Many souls with spiritual power potential in the Rukongai were born this way.
It was commonplace in Rukongai for souls with different surnames to form new families, but Matsuzaki Yoshito, adopting four children by himself, was an extremely rare case.
Even though souls do not feel hunger, other aspects of survival still posed a heavy burden.
In the moonlight, Matsuzaki Yoshito tightly gripped the money pouch, his knuckles turning white from the force.
He looked up in the direction where Suō Tsukasa had vanished, his heart filled with emotion. The truest friendships were always so weighty.
He ultimately did not chase after him. He simply tucked the heavy heartfelt gesture away carefully, turned, and gently pushed open the door.
Creak—
"Father, you're back."
His eldest son hadn't been fully asleep. Rubbing his sleepy eyes, he recognized the figure of the person entering and spoke softly.
"Mm, I'm back. Go to sleep now."
"Mm."
Matsuzaki sat by the futon, gently rubbing his eldest son's obediently soft head, and spoke tenderly.
The child answered and closed his eyes again under his gentle touch.
Once his breathing became even and long, Matsuzaki adjusted the blankets over the children, then got up, took off his outer clothes, and lay down quietly on the outer edge.
On the other side.
"What a beautiful night."
On his way back, Suō Tsukasa unconsciously lightly tapped the hilt of Oboroyo, looking up at the bright moon suspended in the sky, enjoying the comfortable moment.
The transformation of Matsuzaki Yoshito's soul tonight affected not only him but also Suō Tsukasa, who was constantly by his side.
During this time, Suō Tsukasa could clearly feel that he was gradually establishing a connection with this spiritual particle-composed world of Shinigami, a connection that transcended the material.
The change in his mindset seemed to cause a nascent, vague connection to form between Suō Tsukasa and Oboroyo at his waist. The swing of the blade and his breathing gradually synchronized.
He slowed his steps, allowing this newly born bond to quietly grow under the moonlight.
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