Morning classes ended quickly.
Throughout the kendo lesson, no one approached Ren for sparring. However, he didn't spend the whole time lost in contemplation. Instead, he actively sought out Aizen for a bout.
The final result was an overwhelming victory for Ren—on the surface. But the truth couldn't have been more deceptive—Aizen might still be young, but who could fathom the actual depths of his combat prowess?
"Ren-kun, you really didn't hold back. I thought I could at least manage a few more moves," Aizen remarked as they walked to the cafeteria. Though his words were those of complaint, a faint smile lingered on his face, making it impossible to discern his true thoughts.
"But I can't help feeling that your strength is far beyond this, Sōsuke. I look forward to sparring with you again when you're in top form," Ren replied, expressing his eagerness to face stronger opponents without exposing Aizen's façade.
"In that case, I'll try to learn as many kendo techniques as I can from you," Aizen said with a smile. At a corner, he gestured to lead the way. "You haven't been to the cafeteria yet, have you, Ren-kun? Let me take you there. The meals at the Shin'ō Academy are quite lavish."
Ren perked up at this. It had been a long time since he had eaten anything, especially something as normal as a proper meal.
When Unohana brought him to the Shin'ō Academy yesterday, it was already late. After giving him a brief orientation, she had the dormitory staff help him settle in. And this morning, Aizen advised him to skip breakfast, directly taking him to the class.
Aizen probably guessed that their kendo instructor, Fujimoto, would test Ren's skills, though the outcome might not have been what he anticipated.
Upon entering the cafeteria, Ren was stunned by the rows of food counters and the aroma of freshly cooked meals wafting through the air. He swallowed hard.
"This place is massive..."
"Sōsuke," he asked hesitantly, "do they charge for food here?"
Aizen kept walking toward one of the counters, his pace unhurried. "Don't worry. Considering that some students here come from Rukongai as vagrants, the academy provides several free meal options. Personally, I recommend the tofu here; it's quite good."
"Free? No limit?" Ren's eyes lit up at the word "free." He was starving. After being imprisoned by the company, he hadn't eaten real food in ages. His stomach growled audibly, as if on cue.
Aizen glanced at Ren, his expression subtly amused. Though he had initially harboured doubts about Ren's supposed background as a Rukongai vagrant, this moment made him reconsider. The boy certainly seemed like someone who hadn't had a decent meal in a long time.
"Yes, free and unlimited. Eat as much as you want, but don't waste food, or the lunch lady might get upset," Aizen warned. By then, they had reached the counter. The server, recognizing Aizen, greeted him warmly.
"One order of Mapo tofu, please," Aizen requested politely.
"You really like tofu, don't you?" the lunch lady teased as she prepared his order. She clearly knew his usual portions and handed over a neatly plated serving.
When it was Ren's turn, he scanned the dishes behind the counter before turning to the server. "Ma'am, could I have one of everything?" he asked, somewhat sheepishly.
She blinked, startled. "One of everything? Should I give you a small portion of each?"
Ren shook his head firmly. Under Aizen's curious gaze, he replied, "No, I'd like a full serving of each dish, just like Sousuke's tofu portion. Oh, and a large bowl of rice… is that okay?"
The lunch lady was dumbfounded. Her eyes darted to Ren's athletic frame, particularly his flat stomach. Could he really eat that much?
The situation was becoming awkward when Aizen interjected smoothly, "Ma'am, Ren-kun just arrived at the academy yesterday and hasn't had a proper meal in a long time. He has a large appetite. Please serve him; I'll help him finish anything he can't eat."
Ren was surprised. He hadn't expected Aizen to step in. Was it part of his persona as the ever-helpful model student, or did he have some ulterior motive? Regardless, Ren appreciated the gesture.
"If Sōsuke says so..." The lunch lady, evidently fond of Aizen, relented and began serving.
Soon, she ended up filling several metal trays and added a large bowl of rice, then handed it to Ren with a doubtful look. "... Don't waste it."
"Thank you, ma'am. I'll finish everything," Ren promised. He picked up four trays with his fingers and just about as he was about to balance the rice bowl on his head, Aizen smoothly picked it up for him.
"Come on, there's a free table over there. But you'd better actually finish all this, or I won't be able to help you much," He said, eyeing the massive portion.
"No problem," Ren assured, following Aizen to the table.
The moment they sat down, Ren grabbed the rice bowl from Aizen, and to everyone's astonishment, began eating at an alarming pace. Nearby students stopped mid-bite, gawking at the sight of him devouring food like a storm.
Halfway through, Ren noticed Aizen's gaze. He swallowed a mouthful and asked, "Sōsuke, why aren't you eating?"
"Oh, I was just thinking about something," Aizen replied, snapping out of his thoughts before calmly eating a spoonful of his mapo tofu.
He was rarely surprised, but today he was repeatedly shocked—first by Ren's extraordinary combat skills, then by his astonishing appetite.
Looking at the ravenous Ren, Aizen mused that within the academy, Ren was probably the most 'profitable' eater at the free meal counters.
It didn't take long for Ren to clean his plates. He leaned back, patting his now slightly rounded stomach with satisfaction.
During his captivity, the company only injected him with nutrients, and in that era, it was already hard to find old-style meals. Compared to that, this meal at the Shin'o Academy...
Perhaps it was the most sumptuous meal he had ever had in his life.
After eating his fill, he felt warmth in his stomach, and energy was spreading to all his limbs. This was the magical aspect of Soul Society cuisine.
Since everything here was composed of spirit particles(Reishi), eating these meals was equivalent to replenishing spirit particles, making it a good recovery method. Regular consumption of high-quality food might even help improve one's spiritual pressure(Reiatsu).
Of course, training was definitely the mainstream way to enhance spiritual pressure, but he hadn't taken any related courses yet, so he didn't understand it.
As they walked back to the dorms, Aizen trailed behind Ren. His deep, calculating eyes gleamed, like a child who had just discovered a fascinating new toy.
He suspected his roommate might be a prodigy, much like himself—at least a genius in the art of combat. If Ren's kendo skills were this refined, what about his hakuda? His shunpo? His mastery of kidō?
A faint smile played on Aizen's lips before disappearing as quickly as it came.
Ren-kun... The coming years might just be getting interesting.
----
"In complex combat scenarios, there are times when we need methods of offence or defence beyond our zanpakutō..."
On the podium, the instructor lectured on the theory of hakuda (hand-to-hand combat). Whether intentionally or not, the first half of the class was filled with foundational basics, which made Ren increasingly drowsy.
In contrast, Aizen, sitting beside him, seemed fully engaged. Occasionally, he would jot down notes, embodying the ideal student in the eyes of the instructor.
"Now, let's move on to practical exercises," the instructor announced, his gaze sweeping over the class. When his eyes landed on Ren, they lingered briefly before shifting to a girl seated by the window.
"Shihōin-san, you're our top performer in hakuda. Pair up with the new student and teach him some basic techniques."
Ren followed the instructor's gaze and saw the girl in question. Her skin was a healthy, chocolate-brown hue, and her short purple hair framed her youthful, lively appearance.
At the moment, however, she was lounging in her seat with her head tilted back, eyes half-closed, and a small line of drool trailing from the corner of her mouth. A lazy smile on her face suggested she was enjoying a particularly good dream.
"Shihōin-san!" the instructor's voice rose a few decibels, tinged with frustration. Yet, he made no further move, and the rest of the class seemed unfazed—as though the girl's inattentive behaviour was nothing new.
"Huh? Present!" she finally jolted awake, springing up like a startled cat. She landed lightly on her feet, her movements quick and agile.
Ren's expression shifted subtly as he observed her. Things were starting to get interesting. A chocolate-skinned girl with the surname "Shihōin"? Judging by her apparent age, could this be Shihōin Yoruichi?
Although Ren was familiar with the original story, Bleach was often vague about timelines. Based on rough estimates, Yoruichi and Aizen could be considered contemporaries. Still, he hadn't expected them to be academy peers.
This revelation made a few things in the original series make more sense—especially Yoruichi's casual tone when addressing Aizen later on. It seemed they were old acquaintances.
Now that he thought about it, Ren hadn't seen Yoruichi in the morning kendo classes because this 'mischievous cat' had probably skipped it.
The instructor, noticing the faint trace of drool at the corner of her mouth, sighed with visible exasperation. "Today, we have a transfer student. Spar with him and help him get a grasp of basic hakuda techniques."