So that's Tachikawa Shinichi...
Kotetsu Isane looked at the refined young man and thought to herself. He stood out easily among the students.
She had read Shinichi's file before—it even included a photo. But in person, he was far more impressive. Not just in terms of looks, but also his spiritual pressure and overall presence.
When Shinichi noticed Isane's gaze lingering on him, he immediately realized—his Zanpakutō's information must've already been passed to the 4th Division.
She really is tall...
Standing next to a girl like her would be seriously intimidating.
Isane had rarely ever substituted a class before, but she had made some preparations for this one.
Kaidō was just a subcategory under Kidō in the Academy. Compared to Hadō and Bakudō, it was much less emphasized, and the Academy never taught advanced Kaidō.
"Today, we'll be covering some theoretical knowledge about advanced Kaidō. It's significantly different from basic healing spells. If mastered, it can greatly improve your ability to treat injured comrades. I hope it'll spark some interest in Kaidō."
With that, she picked up the chalk and started writing on the board. In moments, the blackboard was filled with dense, complicated terminology.
The students were dumbfounded after looking at it.
"This is… kinda hard to follow," Hisagi Shūhei muttered after scanning the board.
"Aoshika, can you make sense of this?"
Aoshika, who was top of the class in Kaidō, frowned slightly. "Barely."
Shūhei glanced around the room. Most of the students—including Kiezawa—looked like they were reading an alien language. Whispers began to spread: "What even is this?" "I don't get it at all."
But Isane, undeterred, began her explanation—skipping over the basics entirely.
For students weak in Kaidō, it was like listening to gibberish.
Hisagi quickly jotted down the content, then noticed something surprising—Shinichi was actually listening closely.
"You're keeping up?" he whispered.
"Barely. But I've never learned this stuff before," Shinichi replied.
His usual training and library reading hadn't included Kaidō.
Shūhei knew Shinichi wasn't lazy. Back when they first entered the Academy, he had been a diligent and eager learner—taking every class seriously.
Isane wasn't the best public speaker—subbing this class was clearly a stretch. But with Captain Unohana assigning the task, she had no choice but to give it her best.
Halfway through, she realized most of the class was zoning out or dozing off.
Was it because I taught badly?
But the material's not wrong... Is it just that no one's interested in Kaidō?
What she had taught wasn't even real high-level Kaidō. If she went further, they'd be even more lost.
Nervously, her eyes scanned the classroom again—and landed on Shinichi.
He was wide-eyed and fully engaged, staring right at her.
He understands. He's interested...
That thought made her relax slightly. After all, Tachikawa Shinichi was the main reason she had taken this teaching job.
A student with a Kaidō-type Zanpakutō would have to be interested in Kaidō, right?
[Affection Level: 14]
Shinichi raised a brow, and the corner of his lips curled into a smile.
He smiled. He definitely understood!
Isane saw the change in his expression clearly—it reinvigorated her confidence, and she threw herself back into the lesson with renewed energy.
The one-hour class eventually ended as Isane enthusiastically covered even more than she originally prepared—without even realizing she went over time.
It wasn't until the dismissal bell rang that she snapped out of it, surprised she had gone overtime. She had been so focused on Shinichi's reactions that she couldn't stop herself from elaborating beyond her notes.
But when she looked at the rest of the class—relieved faces, yawns, and stretching—she couldn't help feeling disappointed.
Looks like most of them really aren't interested in Kaidō...
Still, she stayed professional to the end.
"That's all for today. Thank you all for your attention. Kaidō is a deep and fascinating field. If you're willing to study it seriously, you might discover unexpected talents. I hope you'll continue exploring it on your own."
With that, she turned and left the classroom.
Shūhei stretched and groaned, "That was the hardest class I've ever taken."
He had never struggled with Kidō before—his previous instructors had always taught progressively. But this? Isane's lesson felt like she was speaking an entirely different language by the end.
He saw Shinichi deep in thought and asked, "You really that interested in Kaidō?"
"It's fine. Studying more is always a good thing."
Aoshika added, "I actually think Vice-Captain Kotetsu was great. Our usual teacher never goes this deep. I'd love it if she taught more often."
He had a natural talent and interest in Kaidō, after all.
"Please no…" Shūhei groaned.
As they chatted, the class president came running up. "Tachikawa-san, Professor Ōizumi is calling for you."
"Got it. I'm on my way."
At that moment, in the staff office, Ōizumi Renosuke was speaking with Kotetsu Isane.
"Vice-Captain Kotetsu, thank you so much for teaching today. But... your material might've been a little too advanced for these Academy students. They haven't studied high-level Kaidō yet."
But Isane replied, "Exposure helps build interest. Some students were following along—like Tachikawa Shinichi. He was very attentive."
"Wait—Tachikawa Shinichi? Focused?" Ōizumi looked at her like she was talking nonsense.
Isane nodded sincerely. "Yes."
"…"
Ōizumi recalled—Shinichi's Zanpakutō was said to have Kaidō properties. That rumor had already spread through the Academy. Maybe that explained his sudden interest in Kaidō.
Right then, Shinichi arrived.
Ōizumi waved him over with a thoughtful look.
He himself had served in the 4th Division before transferring to the Academy. Naturally, he wanted to see more talented individuals choose to join his old squad.
And Shinichi was undeniably exceptional.
"I'll leave you two to talk. I've got other matters to attend to."
After Ōizumi left, Isane finally had the chance to observe Shinichi up close.
His features were clean, gentle—his entire presence was comforting. Knowing he might one day be her Division junior, she couldn't help but smile warmly.
"Tachikawa-kun, do you like Kaidō?"