Chapter 863: [863] : You’re Free Every Day, Aren’t You?

~ Next Bonus, 300!

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"Nel, don’t go wandering off in the Soul Society. If you do and get caught, they might kill you," Shin warned little Nel.

"Are you trying to scare me?" Nel asked, her big eyes wide as she stared at Shin.

"No, I’m not. I’m being serious. You’re a Hollow, after all."

Shin really didn’t want Nel running off. While he could protect her if she did, it would lead to a mountain of trouble. To avoid the hassle, it was better if the little one just stayed put.

"Okay, I get it. I promise I won’t go out."

Nel nodded seriously at Shin. His warning had genuinely scared her; now, even if you asked her to go out, she wouldn’t dare.

"But can you play hide-and-seek with me?" Nel asked, kneeling on the ground and looking up at him with those big, innocent eyes that were impossible to refuse.

"How about I play hide-and-seek with you?" Yoruichi offered.

It had been a while since Shin brought Nel to the Soul Society, and Yoruichi had grown used to her presence. Nel was an obedient kid, and Yoruichi had grown quite fond of her.

"Okay! I like playing with you too, Yoruichi-neechan!"

Nel nodded and followed Yoruichi away. Shin felt a little let down; he had been looking forward to teasing Nel a bit more, but Yoruichi had whisked her away.

"Yoruichi, don’t you go bullying her!" Shin called out to her retreating figure.

"Why would I bully Nel? You think I’m you?" Yoruichi turned back and shot Shin a disdainful look.

Shin rubbed his nose. Was he really the type of person who liked to bully others? Probably not.

Just as Shin was wondering what to do next, Rukia Kuchiki and Rangiku Matsumoto arrived together.

"You two didn’t team up to ask me for training, did you?" Shin asked, a hint of reluctance on his face.

"We did. You kept saying you were busy, Teacher Shin. You can’t still be out of time now, can you?" Rukia asked.

The first time Shin had said he was busy, Rukia had believed him. The second time, she’d believed him too. But as the excuses piled up, Rukia had stopped buying it.

She figured he just didn’t want to teach them and was making things up. But this time, they needed to learn something from him, and they weren’t leaving no matter what he said.

The two had planned this out. And it wasn’t just them; a moment later, Momo Hinamori arrived as well.

Seeing Momo arrive with food, Shin’s sour mood instantly brightened.

"Look at little Momo, she knows to bring something. You two show up empty-handed," Shin said, glancing at Rukia and Rangiku.

"But I paid you!" Rukia retorted, annoyed.

She had paid him a hefty sum back then, handing over both her salary and her allowance.

At this, Rangiku looked a little embarrassed. She really hadn’t offered anything.

"Alright, since I’m free today, I’ll give you all some proper guidance. I hope you make the most of this opportunity," Shin said.

"You’re free every day, aren’t you?" Rukia muttered under her breath.

"Hmm?" Shin’s gaze shifted to Rukia, and he raised his hand to rap her on the head.

"What was that? I didn’t quite catch it. Could you say it again?" Shin asked with a smile.

"I didn’t say anything. Nothing at all. You must have misheard," Rukia said, biting back her frustration.

Beggars can’t be choosers. If she didn’t play along, she’d be in for a world of hurt.

"Good. Now come on, tell me what you want to learn."

Shin led them to the training grounds. Once he got serious about teaching, he was incredibly strict.

"Shunpo. I want to learn Shunpo," Rukia said.

"Good choice. Learn Shunpo, get fast. If you can’t beat an enemy, you can at least outrun them. Excellent thinking," Shin praised her.

Rukia nearly coughed up blood. She was learning Shunpo for combat, not to run away!

But she decided against arguing. She knew Shin didn’t like being contradicted, and it would be pointless anyway.

"If you want to learn Shunpo, then let’s begin."

Shin started by teaching Rukia Shunpo, and the others joined in to learn as well.

Even if they hadn’t planned on it, since Shin was teaching, they figured they might as well pick it up. It never hurt to have another skill in your arsenal.

Shin first taught them Shunpo, then moved on to Kidō. Momo was the most focused when it came to Kidō.

"Alright, that’s all for today. You can go home now."

Shin checked the time. He had actually spent the entire day teaching them. It was rare for him to settle down and train them for a full day.

"Aren’t you going to ask us to stay for dinner, Teacher Shin?" Rukia finally asked.

"Sure. But you’ll have to pay," Shin said with a straight face, looking every bit the cheapskate.

"What a miser! That’s just too much," Rukia grumbled. They had to pay for dinner too?

"I’m just kidding. You think I’d really charge you? I’d be thrilled to have beautiful women stay for dinner."

Shin smiled and said. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Hearing Shin call them beautiful, the three women, who had been a little miffed, all broke into smiles. It was clear their moods had improved.

Later, they also met Nel.

At first, they were startled—Nel was a Hollow, after all. The mask fragment was a dead giveaway. No matter how cute she was, she was still a Hollow.

But they were quickly won over by her adorable nature. Plus, Nel wasn’t vicious like the Hollows they knew, so they didn’t reject her.

"Don’t tell anyone about Nel. It could cause some trouble for me," Shin warned them first.

"Don’t worry, Teacher Shin. We’d never say a word. But you have to be careful too. Don’t let anyone else find out about her," they advised him in return.

Shin just smiled. The Gotei 13 had bigger things to worry about than one little Hollow right now. They had Aizen’s Arrancar to deal with.

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