Chapter 44: Visit
"Hello, Grandmother. It's nice to meet you. I'm Suoh Tsukasa, Toshiro's friend. Please, just call me Tsukasa."
Without waiting for the old woman to ask, Suoh stepped forward half a pace and bowed slightly as he introduced himself, his manner respectful yet warm.
Well-mannered young people always won the hearts of the elderly.
"Good, good, good. Tsukasa, you said?"
"Please come inside quickly. The sun is too strong out here."
Hitsugaya's grandmother nodded repeatedly, gently patting Suoh's solid arm.
As she spoke, she stepped aside to clear the path, though her gaze remained fixed on Suoh the entire time.
The young man's upright posture, clean clothing, and gentle smile pleased her no matter how she looked at him.
At the same time, she felt happy that her grandson had made such a good friend. Her eyes brimmed with delight.
The interior furnishings were extremely simple. A dirt floor of packed earth led to the tatami mats spread throughout the room.
A low tea table stood in the corner, and a sunken hearth occupied the center of the space. This was the entirety of the Hitsugaya household.
Suoh removed his sandals at the step and seated himself properly on the cushion the old woman had laid out in the main room.
"Oh my, I'm getting old and useless. I was so caught up in being happy that I forgot to receive my guest properly."
"I'm sorry. There isn't much I can offer to entertain you here."
"Let me go make some tea. It's just rough tea though, so I hope you won't mind, Tsukasa."
Seated there, Hitsugaya's grandmother finally snapped out of her happy daze, a trace of apology crossing her face.
Remembering she needed to serve her guest, she started to rise.
"Grandmother, please just sit and rest."
"Leave these small matters to us."
"I'll heat the water. Toshiro, you prepare the tea leaves and everything else."
Suoh immediately stood and gently pressed her back into place, turning his head to shoot Hitsugaya a meaningful look.
"Alright."
Hitsugaya caught on instantly, nodding in acknowledgment.
The two moved with quick efficiency and perfect coordination.
Suoh skillfully added several logs to the hearth. A red glow flashed from his palm, and with a soft pop the firewood ignited.
Taking advantage of the flames before they rose too high, he grabbed the kettle hanging on the wall, filled it with clear water from the water barrel, and steadily hung it over the hearth.
Meanwhile, Hitsugaya wasn't idle either. During Suoh's movements, he wiped down the tea table from the corner and moved it to the center of the room.
He then retrieved the white peaches from their bag and carefully washed them at the side before arranging them on the table along with the yam cakes wrapped in oil paper.
The two moved so quickly that Hitsugaya's grandmother barely had time to react before the kettle on the stove was already releasing its first wisps of steam.
"You two..."
The old woman watched this scene before her, her eyes filled with both surprise and gratification. The words on her lips transformed into a joyful sigh.
Before long, tea fragrance permeated the air around the table, mingling with the fruit scent of peaches and the sweet aroma of yam cakes. The atmosphere became peaceful, warm, and tranquil.
However, while the water level in the teacups had dropped somewhat, the snacks and fruit on the table remained untouched.
Seeing this, Suoh immediately guessed the old woman's thoughts. He pushed the treats closer to her and spoke gently.
"Grandmother, Toshiro bought these with his first reward for excellent performance at the academy. He even spent a long time selecting them carefully."
"You must try them properly and see if they suit your taste."
Hitsugaya's grandmother froze for a moment, then turned to look at Hitsugaya seated properly beside her. Tears gathered in her eyes along with overwhelming pride.
Only then did she pick up a piece of pure white yam cake and carefully take a bite.
The pastry slowly melted in her mouth. The soft, sweet flavor didn't just linger on her tongue but traveled all the way to her heart.
"It's... it's delicious. My little lion has really grown up..."
After savoring the cake in her hand completely, she spoke with joy.
Watching the satisfied and moved expression on his grandmother's face, along with hearing that long-absent nickname, Hitsugaya felt somewhat uncomfortable and turned his head away. Even his ears had turned completely red.
Yet the corners of his tightly pressed lips quietly curved upward, betraying the happiness in his heart.
"Please try this peach as well."
Suoh cut a peach into four sections and placed them before her.
"Good, good. Let's all eat together..."
The old woman gently wiped the corners of her eyes and urged the two of them.
The three then tasted the fruit and snacks together. Steam rose from the tea on the table as the atmosphere grew increasingly harmonious, and they began relaxed conversation.
Suoh was naturally skilled at conversing with others, and he was especially good at pleasing the elderly.
He first talked about how seriously Hitsugaya studied at the academy.
Then he moved on to how Hitsugaya ate properly every day and trained diligently, how his level in various subjects had improved rapidly, and how he ranked among the top in his class. His words were full of recognition and appreciation.
"Really? That's wonderful!"
"Oh my, Tsukasa, you don't know this, but Toshiro has never been very good at talking. When he first enrolled, I kept worrying about him."
"I remember one time he..."
His words made Hitsugaya's grandmother beam with joy, her face flushed with happiness, her eyes narrowing into crescents from smiling.
Her spirits lifted, the old woman wanted to share some interesting stories from Hitsugaya's past.
"Grandmother!"
Hitsugaya, who had been sitting quietly to the side, instantly sensed trouble brewing and hurriedly spoke up to stop her, his face stern.
He knew very clearly that no matter what the next sentence would be, it definitely wouldn't be good for him.
"Alright, alright. I won't say anything."
The story died on her lips. Hitsugaya's grandmother happened to glance at the cut white peaches before her, as if suddenly remembering something.
Changing the subject, she turned her head toward Hitsugaya and asked.
"By the way, Toshiro, have you seen Hinamori at the academy?"
"Yes, we ran into each other this morning and said hello."
Hitsugaya's expression remained normal as he nodded in reply.
"I see. That's good then."
"Since you were small, Momo was your only friend. When she stopped visiting for such a long time, I thought you two had some kind of falling out. I never dared to ask you about it."
Hearing this, his grandmother seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, showing a reassured smile.
When Hinamori Momo had first enrolled, she would often come by to visit and show her face whenever she had a holiday.
But after her last visit, a very long time had passed without her returning. This sudden change inevitably made the old woman worry and speculate.
"Now that you also have a good friend like Tsukasa, I feel even more at ease."
Having set aside her long-held worries, the old woman's loving gaze moved back and forth between Hitsugaya and Suoh as she spoke with relief.
"We didn't have any falling out. The academy coursework is just very demanding."
"But don't worry, Grandmother. I'll come back to see you whenever I have a holiday."
Hitsugaya's movements paused for a moment as he explained calmly.
He remembered clearly their last meeting before enrollment. He had stopped seeing his complete reflection in her eyes.
What filled the girl's eyes was more pursuit and hope for the future.
He had never blamed her for it. For people who had lived on the streets of Rukongai, having dreams of one's own was a good thing, something worth blessing.
And now, after enrolling, he could understand her feelings even better.
Some scenery could only be seen by standing at different heights.
Hearing about the demanding coursework, the old woman began worrying about her grandson, speaking with concern.
"Good, good. Then you don't need to keep coming back to see me. Make sure you rest properly."
"It's fine, Grandmother. I'll manage my time well."
Hitsugaya gently gripped her hand, his tone firm and comforting.
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