Chapter 4: Meanwhile II
Shunsui sat back in the couch and rested the jug of sake on his knee. "I say my sweet Nanao goes all the way. One month's salary says so."
"Ha!" Ganju cried from his seat against the wall. "Not with my sister there!"
"It isn't all about pulchritude," Kira said from the opposite side of the couch. "Momo might win it all."
Shunsui looked to him. "You putting your money on that?"
Kira nodded weakly. "A month's salary. I guess."
Captains and vice-captains alike had invaded Ninth Division, captain's quarters, the only place they could find with a clear view of the southern sky. That, and the fact that Hisagi had been strangely absent lately and could not kick them all out.
"If he gets the TV hooked up," Ukitake mumbled, coughing a little. He and Kira, Renji, Shunsui, Marechiyo, Isane, and Ganju all looked to the small TV set where Kurotsuchi stood behind it with eight miles of coaxial cable and two splitters.
Kurotsuchi glared back at them, the owner's manual shredded into pieces and laying at his feet. He yanked a handful of cables out of the back of the TV, bending jacks. He waved the red, white, and yellow plug ends at them. "What's all this?!"
Kira looked guiltily to the rest of them. "I beat Hisagi's best score in Midnight Club II."
Shunsui sat straighter. "Hisagi has Midnight Club II?"
Kurotsuchi growled and tried to get the bowling ball-sized knot out of the cables.
"Can you do it?" Marechiyo asked.
"Of course I can do it!" Kurotsuchi snapped.
"He's just being particular," Isane said, leaning back on the couch beside Renji.
"Nemu does the grunt work," Kurotsuchi muttered, sorting through the cables until the knot tightened into hopelessly.
"We should have gotten a satellite dish," Marechiyo said, plunging a meaty hand into a bag of potato chips. He stuffed them into his greasy mouth, and offered the bag to Kira. "Want some?"
Kira scowled. "You just picked your nose with that hand and now you're eating with it?"
Marechiyo frowned in confusion.
Renji looked to Isane. "Why aren't you in the competition?"
She gave him a sharp look. "I could've made it, if I tried out. You know, it's not always about beauty!"
"I didn't say it was. I just -"
"There's inner beauty, too, you know!"
Renji nodded rapidly. "I know. I just -"
"It's not all cleavage and hair and make-up!" She repeatedly jabbed a finger painfully into his shoulder until he pulled away. "There's more!"
He couldn't help but look to her chest. "I know, but -"
"Argh!" She leaped to her feet and stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
Renji looked around at the other shinigami, and Ganju. "What's wrong with her?"
Shunsui chuckled. "She did try out."