The brief yet memorable conversation soon ended. After understanding Arima Seiya's situation, Aizen stepped in to explain matters to the instructor.
After all, Aizen held a seated position in the 5th Division, and his rank carried a certain weight.
Compared to this mediocre teacher muddling through life at the academy, Aizen's status brought a palpable sense of authority.
Combined with his polite and tactful manner, the instructor had no choice but to reluctantly accept Arima's apology.
"Though the process was a bit convoluted, the outcome is what matters. Seiya-kun, please make sure to balance your life and studies better next time."
Grateful for Aizen's help, Arima gave a solemn promise to heed the advice.
As Aizen was about to leave, he suddenly paused, a smile curling on his face as he added, "Oh, by the way, there's a special lecture tonight that I've personally arranged. Be sure not to be late."
So that's it.
Perhaps the reason Aizen missed yesterday's class meeting was to prepare for this event.
"Did Aizen-sensei invite someone important?"
Aizen chuckled modestly, nodding with a hint of playful pride.
"It's someone who might even surprise you, Seiya-kun. Think of it as a new experience—meeting people is always worthwhile."
Someone who can be spoken of so highly—just what kind of expert could it be?
Curiosity aside, there was no skipping the afternoon classes.
Over time, Arima began to notice gradual progress in his basic skills.
The tangible rewards of hard work, the visible results, gave him a sense of addictive satisfaction.
Arima felt like a sponge, greedily absorbing every bit of knowledge and nourishment around him.
As for his curiosity about Aizen's words, the answer came just hours later when a certain lazy figure stood at the lecture podium.
The man slouched casually, raising his right hand to dig at his ear with his pinky finger, his expression steeped in weariness.
"What's this? Having a captain like me talk to a bunch of freshmen? Doesn't that seem a little undignified?"
Sporting shoulder-length blond hair and blunt bangs, the man's lazy gaze and sly grin gave off a mischievous vibe.
His earlier complaint was directed at Aizen, who stood off to the side.
But instead of getting upset, Aizen smiled good-naturedly and reassured him.
"Since this is my first time serving as an instructor, I'm worried that my words might leave an inappropriate impression on the students."
Pushing his glasses up his nose, Aizen added, "I believe someone of captain rank from the Gotei 13 would be better suited to provide a balanced and valuable perspective."
Flawless reasoning.
Unfortunately, the man before them wasn't one to follow conventional logic.
"Tch. But not all of them will join the Gotei 13 after graduating, will they? And even if they do, they won't pick a lame division like the 5th. Rescue work is so boring. Am I just here to help you recruit subordinates?"
"Captain, please refrain from voicing your inner thoughts so freely."
"What does it matter? It's not like anyone from outside will hear."
The two on stage carried on their banter, seemingly devoid of formality.
But the students below sat stiffly, their expressions tense. After all, the blond man wore the white captain's haori embroidered with the 5th Division's insignia.
The fact that Aizen addressed him as "Captain" left no doubt about his identity.
"Oh, right—I forgot to introduce myself."
The blond man's face broke into a signature mocking grin.
"As you can see, I'm a bit frivolous and unreliable. But I'm currently the Captain of the 5th Division."
"And your guidance instructor, Aizen Sōsuke's direct superior."
"To be honest, we're short-staffed in the 5th Division. So today, I'm also here to extend an invitation. If any of you decide to join the Gotei 13, please—please—consider joining our division!"
"Oh, and my name…"
He half-turned to write his name on the blackboard.
Shinji Hirako.
The characters appeared strange—written entirely in reverse, as if mirrored. Writing mirrored characters so fluidly by hand must have taken considerable effort.
The mocking expression on his face made his intent clear.
"That's all. Nice to meet you."
The students remained stiff and silent. Though many wanted to comment on the odd name, none dared to speak up against the captain's authority, especially not during a first meeting.
Only one person broke the silence.
"Excuse me… About that…"
The voice came from the back of the room.
All eyes turned to the source: Arima Seiya, sitting in the last row.
The boy wore an expression of hesitation, clearly having thought long and hard before deciding to speak.
"Captain, isn't your name… written backward?"
His casual tone felt inappropriate for the setting, bordering on disrespect.
Yet instead of reprimanding him, Shinji's expression grew intrigued.
The captain raised his right hand, pointing toward Arima with an amused grin.
"Oh, you've got a sense of humor! You caught on to the essence of my style. Do you know how long I practiced reverse writing? Are you… a genius too?"
Shinji's deadpan delivery made his words sound absurdly serious.
Without waiting for Arima's response, he continued speaking at his own pace.
"Anyway, I'm not a stiff guy. Feel free to relax. The 5th Division is a laid-back team."
Off to the side, Aizen adjusted his glasses and cautiously interjected, "Captain, this might give the students a misconception about our rescue team's work…"
"It's fine! Nobody wants to join such a dull division anyway. We never meet our recruitment quotas!"
"No, no, no, even if you're complaining, this isn't the place for it."
Watching the lighthearted exchange, Arima's expression turned peculiar.
Who would have thought these two would be at such ease with each other now, only to become bitter enemies a century later? Time truly is a butcher's knife.
The class meeting quickly wrapped up.
Shinji's talk was, as he promised, far from formal.
For 45 minutes, he rambled about the cafeteria's lousy food, the incompetence of the staff, and the illogical scheduling—all dripping with personal grievances.
It was entertaining but lacked any sense of seriousness.
Yet toward the end, his tone shifted unexpectedly.
"Even though those memories were mostly unpleasant, they were still unforgettable."
"Train hard. Rest well. Don't waste your time. And don't graduate only to regret it, saying, 'Ah, I should've tried harder.'"
"Because honestly, that'd be pretty dumb, wouldn't it?"
It wasn't encouragement or comfort but rather a playful taunt that left a deeper impression.
As the self-study period ended, Shinji gave his trademark mocking smile.
"I've said a lot. Looks like I've gotten chatty with age."
"Anyway, as a former graduate, let me leave you with this parting advice."
"Good luck, freshmen. That's all."
He left as casually as he arrived, walking off the stage without fanfare.
Near the doorway, he suddenly paused and turned back to the crowd, raising his right hand to point at Aizen.
"By the way, you should all be grateful to this instructor. If he hadn't personally taken the time to visit the 5th Division yesterday, I wouldn't have bothered coming to such a boring event."
Seireitei was vast—a detail that wasn't clear to Arima when he read the manga but had become apparent after living here for years.
A round trip between locations like this and the 13th Division barracks would take an entire day on foot.
While Arima didn't know how Aizen managed to travel so quickly, his effort and attitude left a lasting impression on everyone.
If one were to describe the qualities of a responsible teacher, Aizen seemed to fit the role perfectly.
However, judging by Aizen's expression, he didn't enjoy the attention.
Faced with Shinji's "accusation," he could only laugh helplessly and reply in a careful, resigned tone, "Captain, please keep such matters discreet in the future."
Shinji laughed as he walked past, carelessly patting Aizen on the shoulder.
"Relax. Learn to be bold, will you?"