Chapter 57: Interest

Minata's POV

"And here we are. The Eastern Meeting room," I say as I gestured to the ornate doors on our right. "This is where I leave you to your business Lord Hayato."

"I guess it is," he mumbles as he looks at the door. His face was impassive, but it wasn't enough to hide the hint of dissatisfaction I heard in his voice. "If only the trek wasn't so short."

"You wish our walk was longer milord?" I ask, keeping my voice light despite my sudden suspicions.

"If I must be honest, yes," his answer was blunt, his face somber as we locked eyes. "I find you to be quite an interesting woman Lady Minata, and I was hoping to get to know you a little better before we had to part, but alas, we don't always get what we want."

"Oh? I never realized you were this forward Lord Hayato."

"Yes, but I fear it may have come too late," he tells me, and I couldn't help but notice how much his face was starting to look like that of a defeated man. "If I had talked to you sooner, if I had shown my interest in you sooner, then maybe things would be different. . ."

"You have an interest in me...?"

"I've had one for quite a while, ever since I first saw you during one of my Aunt Asuka's tea ceremonies a few decades ago. It was to celebrate the impending spring season. You came with Lord Byakuya for the occasion, and you two would never leave the other's side. . . I was afraid to approach you, mainly because you weren't that approachable at the time. Both of you weren't for that matter."

"Yeah, I believe I remember that particular tea ceremony." I bashfully mumble as I look off to the side. It was the second event I was invited to after the deaths of Mama and Papa, and, besides my usual escort due to my young age, I could invite someone as my plus one. Naturally, that plus one was Byakuya.

Neither of us were feeling that sociable at the time since we were both dealing with our grief. However, our relatives thought it was finally time to reintroduce ourselves to the outside world and get reacquainted with our peers, so to speak. Unfortunately for them, we kept to ourselves, only speaking the bare minimum when needed. We didn't care how much our actions would reflect on our clans.

We just wanted to be left alone.

"Considering the circumstances, I don't blame you for how you acted," he says with a simple shrug. "Though, I must admit, I didn't want to understand it. At the time, I was just hoping that you would separate yourself from Kuchiki long enough that I could finally get the chance to talk to you. . ."

"Yeah, sorry. I was not the most sociable person at the time. The only reason I went was because my family made me go."

"Again, I understand . . . Still, I feel like I missed an opportunity, one that appears I will never get again." his tone is sincere, his words startling me into silence. Before I could even compose a proper response, a familiar presence hits my radar before the sounds of her footsteps hit my ears. We both turn to see Lady Wakana walking towards us with a serene look on her face, as if her conversation with her nephew went her way.

And went well.

"I'm sorry I took so long," she addresses us before putting her eyes squarely on Hayato. "My lord, shall we proceed?"

"By all means, ladies' first." he tells her as he gestured to the door. She nods before walking over to it, and once it was opened, she walked right inside without even looking behind her to see if he was following her or not.

"Well, this is where we separate. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day milady."

"Thank you, and I hope you enjoy your day as well." I say as he follows after Byakuya's aunt. He gives me one last smile before he enters the room, closing the door behind with a soft thud. "Well that was something . . ."

"What was master?" I hear a familiar voice ask as I feel her presence in my Inner World.

"Oh Mizukiri, I see you're back from your date with Senbonzakura. How'd it go?"

"It was going well, until Byakuya called him away. Turns out there's a captains and lieutenants meeting happening right now at the 1st Division. You know what that means. . ."

"It means I need to be there to oversee everything while Sasakibe and Commander Yamamoto are busy."

With a quick burst of shunpo, I manage to reach the barracks before the rain started falling. Mizukiri reappears at my side before I even step into the building. As soon as I feel it, my head instantly swivels to the direction of the meeting room, my senses on high alert as I pick up on the surge of power.

"What the hell?! Surges like that are forbidden in the meeting room!" Kiri grumbles as she crossed her arms. "You think there's a fight going on?"

"Do you really think any of them is that foolish to do something like that in the Captain Commander's presence? I know some of them in there can be reckless at times, but they're not dumb enough to try something like that," I mumble as we walk toward my office. "Besides, the surge of spiritual pressure doesn't feel the least bit confrontational. It feels more like they're transferring it into some container."

"But why though?" she asks, her tone slightly childish. I don't say anything as we finally reach my room, where I'm greeted by a large stack of paperwork on my desk. I sheepishly look at the stack before turning to my zanpakuto, who simply smiles. It wasn't a smile I liked, and my dislike was cemented once she shunpos away without a word. ". . . Coward."

Closing the door behind me, I decide to take up my work with as much dignity as possible that was befitting of someone of my station, regardless of how much I didn't want to do it right now.

Somehow, I manage to finish signing one-third of the papers when I heard the soft knock at my door.

"You can come in Captain Kuchiki," I say, not moving my gaze from my work, even when I knew watching my handsome boyfriend walk through the door was a much better viewing experience than these documents. I hear the door open and close before I hear his footsteps approach, his spiritual pressure quiet as I feel his eyes on me.

"Yes?"

"I'm about to leave on an important mission and I wanted to see you before I go, and I can't even get a fleeting glance?"

"Hm, I don't think I've ever heard you sound so put out before," I mumble as I finally raised my head to see him looking at me with a stern look on his face. I knew he didn't mean anything by it, but at least he made it look cute. "I'm sorry if I haven't been giving you the proper attention you deserve, but as you can see, I have a bit of work here that I have to finish right now. . . I hope you understand."

"I do, but I was hoping you would pause your work for just a moment," he tells me as he tugs my pen out of my hand. "I have to go to the Human World."

"Alone, or part of a team?"

"Part of a team, one that includes my sister, my lieutenant, Captain Hitsugaya, and unfortunately, Captain Zaraki and whoever he decides to take with him from his division. Rukia has already gone ahead of us."

"Let me guess: this mission involves Kurosaki, doesn't it?"

"It revolves around him actually," he tells me as he starts to walk around my desk. "Captain Commander Yamamoto has decided that it's finally time that the Soul Society pay off its debt to Kurosaki for his help against Aizen. So, all the lieutenants and captains have poured a portion of their reiatsu into a soul sword of Urahara's making. He's with Rukia now."

"I see, but that doesn't really explain why a whole team is going to the Human World. All you really need is one person to stab Kurosaki with the soul sword." I mumble as I let him pull me out of my seat. That's when his face turns serious. "What is it?"

"The first Substitute Shinigami has been located, and he has been making contact with Ichigo for the past few weeks now."

"Kugo Ginjo . . . Huh, that man has a lot to answer for. Now that I think about it, it was only a matter of time before he tried to get in contact with Kurosaki, but why do it when he doesn't have his powers?"

"I'm not too sure myself. All I know is that Yamamoto-dono has sent us out to observe Kurosaki's actions and proceed accordingly." he tells me before capturing my lips with his own, one arm wrapping around my waist while his other held the back of my neck.

It was moments like these that I couldn't get enough of; the stolen moments during work hours where we would cross paths and spent a couple minutes in our own little world. Despite our relationship being known to the public, it was nice to keep these private moments just to ourselves.

Thankfully, no one has caught us, and hopefully, it stays that way.

"I best be going . . ." he whispers as our kiss unfortunately ends. "I have Senbonzakura waiting with the others at the Senkaimon, and judging from how much he's grumbling through our link, Kenpachi and his group are arriving soon."

"I guess I'll leave you to it then," I say with one last kiss as he lets me go. "Before you go, I was wondering. What did your aunt want to talk to you about?"

"I'll tell you over dinner sometime." he tells me with a kiss to the cheek before shunpoing away without another word.

"Hmm, you better."

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