Throw Caution to the Wind [Hiroe/Byakuya]

Not nearly as exhausted as Hiroe, but still appreciating the workout, Byakuya used a cloth to wipe a bit of sweat from his brow. It had been a while since he had stayed continuously active for extended period of time. He took a strong breath and slid the cloth back into the inner pocket of his haori and watched Hiroe drop to the mat. It wasn’t common in these recent years, but Byakuya was proud of what he saw.

“You’ve done well, Miss Miyashiro,” Byakuya said and sealed his shikai and sheathed his zanpakuto. A glance to a nearby clock and Byakuya blinked once. They had likely gone on to long. He looked back to Hiroe and examined her level of exhaustion. She was putting on a brave face, but they had been here since early morning and he was sure the sun was now setting. Foolish. “How are you feeling?”

"Never better! I feel like I'm on top of the world right now, Sensei."

Hiroe was telling what the humans described as a "bold-faced lie." The seemingly endless beads of sweat, coupled with her exhausted grin, were telltale signs of exhaustion. Depleted energy meant nothing to her, however. Hiroe was far too prideful to admit she was tired. To admit as much before the venerable Byakuya Kuchiki would have been disgraceful. Bold pride propelled by the thoughts of grandiose fantasy. Such was the nature of Hiroe's imaginative mind.

Byakuya was just waiting. She was exhausted, had depleted stamina and reiryoku over a long period of time. As he watched her, he timed how long it would take for Hiroe to collapse or completely faint. He expected it, and quietly blamed himself for pushing her too long. They hadn’t eaten, had only taken biology breaks once, and gave no chance to rest. He should have created a strict timeline, but failed.

Intentionally looking Hiroe directly in the eyes, knowing this was a method he could use to pressure people, Byakuya raised an eyebrow and expected the truth soon enough. As she continued to try faking her energy, he kept staring.

"You're certain?"

On second thought, the fantasy was slowly unraveling by the seconds. Byakuya's scrutnizing eyes didn't make matters any easier, either. She should have expected that. He was a punctual man, after all, and she supposed the last thing he intended to do was drive her into the ground with his training.

Silence filled the room. Golden eyes attempted to match grey eyes with equal sterness until the likely victor won out. It went without saying who that was. Hiroe's body crumpled to the ground as she groaned in defeat. Her body was aching, her stomach was grumbling, and they had been training since morning. Of course she was exhausted! What was that quote? Quit while you're ahead? Prideful as she was, there was no shame in admitting to one's limit, something which she's clearly reached right now.

"...Hpmh. I wanted to look prideful in front of my teacher, but agh... I'm spent. My body is killing me, and I feel like I could eat a cow right now! I'm sorry, Sensei."

Hiroe admitted it. Good. Though he blamed himself and the lack of attention paid to the health of his student, he would not say a thing out loud. Instead, Byakuya nodded and walked over, holding out a hand to help her back to her feet. Once she was up, he pulled kon from his pocket and handed her enough to have what he would consider a decent meal. Others would likely consider it a feast or something luxurious. As one of the wealthiest men in the Soul Society, he could toss money where he wanted. Tossing it toward his student was a good investment.

“Get yourself something to eat, go home, and rest.” Byakuya said and began making his way toward the door, but stopped before exiting. "Great job, Miss Miyashiro."