"Alright, it's getting late. Let's go." Toshiro said.
Inside a small yet elegant restaurant in the 1st District of West Rukongai.
Toshiro and the group were seated in a private room, ordering dishes.
"Give us some of this, this, and also..." Renji wildly pointed at items on the menu.
"Hey, Abarai, enough is enough." Watching Renji order non-stop, Toshiro's brow twitched.
Although the academy had given him a cash reward after the entrance exam, he left most with his grandmother, keeping only a little for himself. If Renji kept ordering, Toshiro wouldn't have enough money to pay.
"Renji, can't you stop being so embarrassing?" Even Rukia felt ashamed for him.
"Fine, then. That's all." Renji finally stopped.
'Rukia's words are effective, huh?' Toshiro inwardly complained.
The meal proceeded amidst their noisy chatter.
After eating, everyone began heading back.
The streets were bustling with people coming and going, lined with numerous shops and even many roadside stalls hawking various goods.
Occasionally, some Shinigami would stop at shops or stalls to buy things.
The 1st District, connected to the Seireitei, was the most prosperous and safest district in the Rukongai, so Shinigami often visited to stroll and shop.
"Toshiro, wait a moment."
On the way back, passing by a small stall, Momo suddenly stopped upon seeing something.
Momo walked to the stall with interest and said to the owner, "Please let me see this."
She pointed at a green shoulder strap with a metal emblem.
"Little miss, you have a good eye. This shoulder strap is excellent. You look like a Shin'o Academy's student, right? I'll sell it to you cheap." The stall owner happily handed the strap to Momo.
Momo was wearing her Shin'o Academy uniform, so the owner recognized it instantly.
Momo smiled. "Thank you, sir. I'll take this strap."
The price was indeed not high. Maybe the strap was originally cheap, or perhaps the owner, seeing Momo was a Shin'o Academy's student, dared not overcharge. In any case, the owner accepted a small amount and gave the strap to Momo.
After paying, Momo walked happily back to Toshiro. "Toshiro, look. I think this shoulder strap suits you perfectly. I'll give it to you as a gift."
Hearing Momo wanted to give him a gift, Toshiro felt both happy and somewhat ashamed.
Since confirming their relationship, Toshiro hadn't given Momo a gift yet. Unexpectedly, Momo gave him one first.
Toshiro secretly resolved: 'Hmm, next time I must pick a good gift for Momo.'
Then, Toshiro took the gift from Momo.
Upon closer look, Toshiro couldn't help but pause.
'Wasn't this the shoulder strap the original Toshiro always wore to carry Hyorinmaru on his back?'
'No wonder the original Toshiro never changed it.'
As for what Toshiro currently used… It was just an ordinary rope.
Toshiro examined it carefully and couldn't help but frown slightly.
Toshiro didn't quite like this strap, and not because of its appearance.
Even if a girlfriend's gift was tacky, Toshiro wouldn't mind.
But Toshiro was very dissatisfied with the color. He wanted to ask Momo: 'Girl, if you're giving a gift, why a green one? Are you hinting at something?' (T/N: Green is usually associated with being cuckolded.)
'In the original work, was Toshiro's tragic love life cursed by this green shoulder strap?'
"Toshiro, don't you like it?" Seeing Toshiro frowning silently, Momo felt somewhat hurt.
"Ah, no, I like it very much."
Hesitating momentarily, Toshiro couldn't bear to see Momo sad, so he accepted it anyway.
'Hmph, it's just a green strap. It doesn't mean I'll be cuckolded. What's there to fear!' Toshiro encouraged himself.
By the time Toshiro and the group returned to the academy, it was already dark, so everyone went their separate ways.
Toshiro's residence.
Toshiro was currently in his Inner World, communicating with his Zanpakuto.
"Hyorinmaru, you should already know, right? I've been hit by Aizen's Kyoka Suigetsu." Toshiro asked.
After being affected by Kyoka Suigetsu's ability, due to the Utsunomiya Yoshiaki incident, he hadn't had time to address this matter.
Later, he treated Momo, Renji, and the others to a meal. Only now did he have time to face this issue.
"I am already aware." Hyorinmaru nodded.
Hearing this, Toshiro couldn't help but look expectantly at Hyorinmaru, hoping Hyorinmaru could help resolve this.
From Toshiro's understanding, there were only two known methods to break Kyoka Suigetsu's Complete Hypnosis.
First, not witnessing Kyoka Suigetsu's release. This was pointless since he was already affected.
Second, grabbing Aizen's Zanpakuto before he activates Kyoka Suigetsu's ability.
But Gin, after infiltrating beside Aizen for so many years, only found one chance, perhaps even intentionally given by Aizen… and still failed to kill Aizen, dying himself.
So, this method wasn't reliable either. Pass.
Now, Hyorinmaru's power was incomparable to the original story's. Therefore, Toshiro desperately hoped Hyorinmaru could solve this trouble.
Otherwise, no matter how strong Toshiro became, it would be meaningless.
He would still end up being instantly defeated like in the original work.