Chapter 141: Flight
The bubbling congee broth.
The relaxed, pleasant atmosphere made everyone forget daily worries.
As the side dishes on the table dwindled, intense guilt flooded Isane.
The unprecedented dining experience had temporarily stripped away her rationality. Her mind's rhythm was commandeered by her taste buds.
She'd even forgotten her dietary control and restraint she'd maintained all along.
Before today, she'd stuck to bland, simple eating for over ten years.
Given this congee hot pot's deliciousness, the temptation and impact for her proved self-evident.
"Ah... what if I get even taller..."
She hesitated, setting down her bowl and chopsticks. Vision darkening, arms leaning on the table, she nearly silently lamented.
Perhaps post-meal drowsiness combined with that tiny bit of alcohol made her consciousness somewhat muddled.
Her voice was soft—basically just low muttering.
But everyone seated possessed keen spiritual awareness. Those words clearly reached each person's ears.
"Pfft—hahaha!"
Rangiku was first to lose it, bursting into laughter. She nearly dropped her sake cup.
"Isane, you're worried about that?"
"It's just one hot pot meal! Not that exaggerated!"
"Don't worry!"
She laughed until her shoulders shook, ample chest swaying accordingly.
"Eh?! Wh-what did I just say?!"
Isane's cheeks instantly flushed deeper than the alcohol's glow.
She snapped back to awareness, realizing she'd accidentally voiced her inner thoughts.
Mortified enough to wish she could vanish on the spot or find a hole to crawl into.
Afraid of getting taller...
What kind of humble-brag was that?!
Hitsugaya's eyes widened slightly, staring blankly at Isane beside him. His usually expressionless face rarely showed something approaching shocked blankness.
He trained day and night. Practiced relentlessly.
Slept well, ate well.
Growing even a measly centimeter taller would secretly delight him for ages.
This statement's impact on him was imaginable.
Hitsugaya silently brought the last bit of congee to his mouth, mechanically chewing, using eating motions to mask his churning emotions.
His gaze fell on the table. Bangs cast faint shadows beneath his eyelids.
Suoh took it all in.
He looked at Isane, embarrassed nearly to the point of smoking, then glanced at Hitsugaya frozen beside him. His lips couldn't help curving into a gentle smile.
This scene proved too interesting.
He cleared his throat timely, drawing everyone's attention back.
"Isane-neesan, soul form height depends more on innate spiritual body structure. After reaching a certain point, food's influence becomes almost negligible."
He added with slight self-deprecation.
"Look at me—I eat this much, but haven't grown taller in ages."
"Besides, you didn't eat that much tonight. No need to feel burdened."
Hitsugaya also recovered from his brief shock, lifting his teacup for a sip, adding calmly.
Just beneath that calm tone seemed to hide a small thread of indescribable complex emotion.
The most genuine reaction of a boy with persistent hopes about height when facing someone else's "sweet troubles."
"...Mm. Vice-Captain Kotetsu, you're fine the way you are."
Rangiku finished laughing, wiping tears from her eyes, leaning forward to pat Isane's shoulder intimately.
"Exactly!"
"Don't think about unnecessary things. Being happy is most important."
"Besides, Isane, you're already so tall and beautiful. So many people envy you!"
"Indeed. You carry yourself with great spirit normally."
Suoh timely offered praise.
"Mm, thank you all. I was overthinking."
She took a deep breath. The flush on her face hadn't faded, but she showed a relieved smile.
"That's right!"
"To celebrate Isane breaking through, and this pleasant meal—let's toast again!"
Seeing Isane relax, Rangiku beamed.
She picked up the bottle again, pouring herself a full cup, raising it.
This time Suoh didn't stop her, just smiled and shook his head, also pouring half cups for himself and Isane.
Hitsugaya silently refilled his slightly cooled flower tea.
Four cups lightly clinked under the starry sky, producing clear sounds.
Dinner truly entering its conclusion.
When the last bit of congee was scraped clean, the four began post-meal cleanup with tacit coordination.
"Tsukasa, let me."
Isane proactively took the cloth from Suoh's hand, beginning to help wipe the stone table.
She worked seriously, movements meticulous.
Not just cleaning the table surface, but also organizing her happy yet somewhat chaotic inner feelings from tonight.
What she ate, whether she'd grow taller—seemed to no longer matter.
Hitsugaya handled the extinguished charcoal stove.
He generated water flow, thoroughly soaking the ashes, also cooling the stove.
Then carefully collecting the charcoal ash to one side. This powder mixed in soil benefited crop growth—couldn't waste a bit.
Rangiku hummed a post-drinking tune, sorting and gathering bowls and dishes into the bamboo basin, movements casual yet thorough.
Suoh handled organizing the kitchen area, then watching this harmonious scene, warmth of satisfaction rose in his heart.
Soon enough.
Everything tidied, the stone table clean as new.
Suoh produced a flying chess set from the house.
As a certain famous person once said, this was an exciting, thrilling game—dubbed the party king.
Simple and easy, the only barrier being gathering three other people willing to play.
In this atmosphere, this game proved perfectly suitable.
Having foreseen this day's arrival, he'd prepared in advance.
"This is flying chess."
Suoh spread the board on the stone table, distributing different-colored airplane pieces to each person.
"The rules are simple: roll the die to decide steps. Need six to take off. Try to get your four pieces to fly from base, circle the board once, and reach the finish zone to win."
"Midway you can knock others' planes back to base for re-launch."
He briefly explained rules while observing the three's reactions.
"Of course."
"If this seems too childish, I can bring out two sets of five-in-a-row, split into two tables."
Suoh smiled, adding.
"No need. Let's play this."
"You can knock others' pieces back? Sounds fun!"
Rangiku picked up the large wooden die, weighing it in her hand.
Her eyes already lit with combative gleam, clearly grasping the game's most confrontational aspect.
Though unclear what airplanes were, that wasn't key.
Hitsugaya said nothing, simply placing blue pieces in his base position on the board.
"Let's try it."
Isane picked up green pieces, equally interested in the brightly colored board and cute piece shapes.
Seeing no objections from others.
Suoh took red, speaking cheerfully.
"Right, let's begin!"
As expected, even if the game looked somewhat childish, in Soul Society it proved quite easily accepted and welcomed.