Today, he had arrao have drinks with Rangiku, Shūhei, asuzaemon.

  "Haruki, where have you been for the past month?"

  At the table, Rangiku gulped down a rge mouthful of alcohol and immediately asked curiously.

  "Don't eveion it. I just became a vice-captain and was immediately assigned a mission," Haruki sighed, taking a sip of his drink as well.

  "By the way, I heard Shūhei is going to bee a vice-captain?"

  He turo Shūhei.

  Shūhei was of the same rank as him, and everyone had expected him to bee a vice-captain first. No one had anticipated that Haruki, who had always been unremarkable, would beat him to it.

  Shūhei quickly waved his hand. "Not yet. Captain Tōsen just has that idea for now, but I'm not as capable as you, Haruki. I'm not qualified yet."

  Tetsuzaemon said in a deep voice, "Haruki, because of you, the Soul Society has set a pret. That's why Captain Tōsen wants Shūhei to take on the role of vice-captain."

  "Captain Aizen is too good to you," Rangiku ughed heartily. "But there's no helping it. That bastard Gio the Third Division as captain, so someone had to fill the vice-captain position in the Fifth Division."

  "By the way, let's not talk about Haruki and Shūhei for now. What about you..."

  Rangiku turo Tetsuzaemon. "I heard you're also going to bee a vice-captain?"

  "Huh?" Shūhei was stunned for a moment, then quickly said, "But isn't Senior Tetsuzaemon in the Eleventh Division? The Eleventh Division already has Vice-Captain Yachiru."

  "Not the Eleventh Division, but the Seventh Division," Tetsuzaemon said, his face betraying ion. He simply took a swig of his drink.

  "The Seventh Division is short a vice-captain. The higher-ups say I'm an all-rounder and want to transfer me to the Seventh Division as vice-captain."

  "gratutions, Tetsuzaemon," Rangiku raised her gss. "I heard your family has always wanted you to bee a vice-captain."

  The four of them had already formed a tight-knit group, often going out for drinks together.

  This time, when Haruki saw Rangiku agaiiced that her favorability toward him had reached 81. He had permaly obtaihe Great Tonic ability.

  As for Tetsuzaemon's All-Rounder ability, it was only a matter of time.

  It redictable that they would tinue drinking together for the few decades. Raising their favorability to 80 would be a breeze.

  After drinking enough, Haruki stumbled home, slightly tipsy.

  As soon as he pushed open the door, he froze.

  Inside his house were Shūhei, Rangiku, asuzaemon, who had just left the bar.

  Also present were Renji, Momo, Kira, and Tōshirō.

  "What are you all..."

  Haruki scratched his head, someuzzled. "Why are you all at my pce?"

  "You really don't remember?" Rangiku widened her eyes in surprise.

  "Remember what?" Haruki had drunk a bit too much earlier, but hearing Rangiku's tone, he thought he might have fotten something important and quickly tried to recall.

  "Haruki-kun, today is your birthday."

  Suddenly, a voice came from behind him.

  Haruki quickly turned around and, upon seeing the person, excimed, "Ca-Ca-Captain Aizen?!"

  That's right, it was Aizen!

  Aizen was holding a huge cake in his hands. He carried it in and pced it oable.

  Wait, today's my birthday?!

  Hold on, today is December 25th. Oh, it really is my birthday!

  Haruki was stunned.

  "No way, Senior Haruki fot his own birthday?!"

  Renji also said in surprise, "I thought only wandering souls like us fot our birthdays. I didn't expeobles tet too."

  "Alright, alright, don't just stand outside. e in and cut the cake. Haruki-kun, you're the birthday boy today. You get to blow out the dles first."

  Haruki looked at everyone, feeling a warmth in his heart.

  Although he had befriehem with ulterior motives, now it seemed...

  The feeling of having friends...

  was actually quite nice.

  A smile spread across Haruki's lips, but this time it wasn't his usual fake smile.

  "Really now."

  Haruki said softly, "If I had known, I wouldn't have eaten so much earlier."

  "You have no shame," Shūhei said with a pained expression. "When you heard I aying, you didn't hold back at all, did you?"

  "Haha, when Shūhei finally treats us, of course we have to take full advantage!"

  "What?! Rangiku has nht to say that! You're always the one dodging the bill!"

  "Huh? You expect a beauty like me to pay?"

  "This is just life iei 13," Momo said, watg the two bicker.

  "What a hassle," Tōshirō crossed his arms, looking at everyoh an exasperated expression.

  "Stop ag so mature," Haruki walked over to him and roughly ruffled his hair.

  Tōshirō quickly struggled free.

  "Stop messing with my hair!"

  Haruki chuckled and walked over to the cake.

  The cake was huge, with a full 33 dles on it.

  This didn't mean Haruki was 33 years old. In the human world, one dle represents one year, but that wouldn't work in the Soul Society.

  After all, the Soul Society is full of people who have lived for hundreds of years. Would they have to put hundreds of dles on their birthday cakes?

  Here, one dle represehe time since Haruki had bee truly indepe.

  Haruki's parents had passed away 33 years ago. While they were alive, Haruki had always followed the path they had id out for him.

  It wasn't until after their deaths that Haruki gained his own will.

  It seems...

  Aizen had done his homework on him.

  Well, if he couldn't figure this out, he wouldn't be Aizen.

  Haruki blew out all the dles.

  Even though he was already stuffed from eating and drinking earlier, at this moment, he still cut a rge slice of cake for everyone, including himself.

  "Thank you, thank you all."

  Haruki said sincerely, "I hope we always stay together like this iure, and that no one will ever leave."

  Although his words were heartfelt, he khis was an impossible wish.

  Everyone...

  would eventually go their separate ways.

  Like a ripple in the river of fate, spreading farther and farther, moving away from the ter...

  until it fades.

  The others were ohing, but everything about Aizen now was a facade. And what about him?

  Was he genuinely moved right now, or was he, like Aizen, just subsciously putting on an act?

  To be ho, even Haruki himself wasn't sure anymore.

  Haruki g Aizen, who seemed oblivious to his gaze, still chatting and ughing with the others as they ate cake.

  For a captain to go this far, it was indeed very "down-to-earth."

  Whatever. Future problems be dealt with iure!