There were less chances of getting beaten up by another division member if they realized just how many acids and surprisingly sharp objects your average twelfth divisioner had on hand.
But at least one academy student had access to the labs where Akon worked.
"Busy," he snapped around a long withered dog end at the knock on his doorway. There was no response, so Akon kept working, scaling the muscular structure to match his notes. He knew who it was. And he also happened to know they hadn't left, yet. He could still hear their breath, thin and slow from by the doorway.
After some time, he glanced over his shoulder and raised a hairless brow at the sight. He had known Hisagi Shuuhei for two years, now. From the time the hapless academy student had accidentally wrecked his project to the point where Akon had to ask for an extension from Kurotsuchi-taichou on it. There was nothing more Akon hated than asking Kurotsuchi-taichou anything.
You never knew what might happen if he said no.
The student slumped against his doorframe looked like someone who had gotten that dreaded no vote. Akon wasn't sure what to comment on. There was the ripped up school uniform, the fresh scars on his cheek, or the fact that he looked like he hadn't slept in four days. So, he went with the basics.
"You look crappier than I saw you last time."
Hisagi glanced up, dark eyes that had been listlessly surveying the room turned to focus on the scientist.
Akon leaned against the counter and rubbed his temple. It was pretty easy to guess what had happened. Hisagi had told him about drills coming up and Akon had picked up from a few bugs he had put into people's minds just who would be leading that expedition. Hisagi was never really the type to brag about things like this, but Akon had kept his ear out for the student he had gotten to know over the years.
"How bad did it go wrong?" he reached into his lab coat for a fresh cigarette, not ready to relinquish the one that rested between his lips just yet.
Hisagi's lips opened. He licked cracked lips, "Aoga... Kanisawa..."
"Died?" Akon tapped one small cylinder out of the pack. "It's what shinigami do. That's what they teach you, don't they? The important part is the hollow dies in the end and their soul gets cleansed. They don't like to mention it doesn't matter who comes back alive."
The silence grew in a long sweep. Hisagi's lips thinned a bit, but he didn't reply.
"You did kill them, right?" Akon's dry voice took on a touch of surprise. He waited and shook his head, "No, you would have killed yourself there, too, instead of going back. That's why they've got a seat waiting for you after you finish this year.
"I..."
"No, you do know. And you're ready for it. That's why you're here and you're alive. And they're not," Akon spat out the dog end with some finality, turning back to his work. He tapped the cigarette between his lips. "There's some sheets in the cabinet on the left if you want to crash here for a bit. I'm not wasting any sedatives on you. You know better than that."
The room grew quiet again before as Akon returned to his work. The seconds stretched lazily into minutes before he heard the cabinet door swing open.
Akon nodded to himself and lit the cigarette.