gilded handshake
disclaimer: bleach is not mine.
The question takes Karin by surprise.
"Say it again, Midoriko?" Fifteen and still shorter than Yuzu, the older Kurosaki blinks at her friend as she fixes her hair, eventually tying it into a ponytail.
"I said," The girl in question pauses, before repeating her question, carefully looking at Karin. At least the girl isn't glaring, like she used to. No, instead, it's a comical expression; one of pure confusion. Her tone of voice isn't aggressive, it's just bewildered. "… are you two dating?"
"What, me and Chad?" Karin glances at the person waiting at the school gates. She scoffs. "No."
"But…"
"It's Friday. We go bowling. It's something we do, you know?" The dark haired girl shrugs, then offers. "Wanna come?"
"Sorry." The other girl shakes her head. "I have a club to go to."
"Alright. Guess I'll see you next week then." Karin waves goodbye before walking off with a smirk on her face.
The two stay there for a while, chatting until she hits Chad on the shoulder amicably, and then they're off.
…
He looks out for her.
Kurosaki Ichigo's little sister.
It's a promise, since Strawberry's not coming back.
…
"I can take of myself, Chad."
Goal!
Karin scores and grins at her friends before turning back to him with a scowl.
"I know."
"You don't have to protect me."
"I made a promise."
She sighs; unable to break a contract that she didn't make. "Does that mean that you're going to watch over me then?" Her eyes are quizzical, like she doesn't know how to regard him now.
"If you like."
The sun begins to set, and Chad knows he's seen that exact expression on Ichigo's face too.
"Fine." Twelve years old, Karin gives up this conversation. "Just don't look like a stalker, and don't do that lame victory pose either."
"…"
It doesn't matter what she says, thumbs up are cool.
…
Honestly, she's never really thought about Chad like that.
A boyfriend.
He was a boy, and he was a friend, but… no, not a boyfriend.
…
For one, he wasn't a fan of soccer.
For another, she wasn't a fan of cute things.
…
Although neither mattered when he gave her piggyback rides and she'd lean out and close her eyes, simply enjoying the moment.
It was fun.
He was Chad. She was Karin.
Simple.
…
"Think he'll return one day?" Karin asks, gently swirling the ice in her glass with a straw, since pocking the cute didn't melt them any faster.
"I'm sure he will."
"Well then, I suppose I'll have to wait until I can beat him up in person." She stands up and grabs her red cap to put on her head.
The bill's been paid, and together they walk out of the café.
"Why do you think I'm waiting with you?" He says, in reply to her earlier statement.
And at that, Karin throws her head back and laughs.
No doubt Chad will wait until Karin's had her fill.
…
"Are you sure he's not your boyfriend?"
Her legs dangle back and forth; her hands hold onto the chains. Like a pendulum, she moves to and fro on the swings.
"No, he's not." Karin hardly blinks as she replies.
She's used to this question, however odd it is to her.
"Do you want him to be?"
Yet she's not prepared for this variation.
Her lips purse, and she mulls for the answer, eventually settling for one she likes.
"I just want him to be Chad, really."
…
She didn't really like him in the beginning. Or, she didn't mind him, at least.
He was Ichi-nii's friend and she was Ichigo's sister.
They once fought a Hollow together.
He was a patient of her dad's clinic.
She got sick because of his parakeet.
Of course, there was more to it than that, but the bottom line is that Chad kept running when he really should have rested.
Idiot.
And yet, despite this, or maybe because of it (which is much more likely). a bond was formed. Only later did it grow.
After all, she had to kick him in the head to make him get common sense.
Even so, Chad was reliable and true to his word. She could depend on him, trust her life on his hand, and together, they began to fight Hollows in Karakura Town once more.
Because what are friends for?
…
It's Chad who comes up with Happy Bowling Time.
Though he never tells Karin their hobby's name, he thinks she already knows.
Happy Bonding Time is how Karin refers to it.
Close enough.
…
"How come you didn't go?" Fourteen and still wanting to grow as tall as a skyscraper, Karin asks him this question one Friday afternoon while spying a bird through his binoculars.
"To Soul Society?" He shrugs: that answer is easy to tell. "I want to live."
He could not fulfil his promise otherwise.
"What about the rest? Beyond Karakura, another part of Japan?" She turns to him, head resting on the palm of her hand.
"What about it?" He replies simply. "This town is enough."
Here, he can protect her.
…
It happens sometimes: Karin gives him questions and Chad gives her answers.
He has never thought to lie, to conceal anything from her.
Why would he?
…
He never does stop being lame, in Karin's opinion – giving thumbs up when he has slain another Hollow and Karin is watching. Only to her, though.
It must be infectious, because Karin finds herself mirroring the gesture, and suppresses it before he sees.
It's a 'Chad' thing, not a 'Karin' thing.
And this will probably never change.
…
The rumours never do go away.
But then, if Karin cared, she'd have done something about it.
Yuzu's never asked, and frankly, Karin's glad.
…
"Strike!"
It never fails to amaze Karin how Chad always manages to knock the pins down. It's to be expected: his throw is powerful.
The result is that the pins loll about in halves.
He's too powerful.
"You're just lucky." She smirks, cracking her knuckles. "This time, I'm going to win!"
…
"Fluke." He mumbles when the time comes, less of a gracious winner than Karin expected. "Utter fluke."
"Keep telling yourself that, gutter ball man!"
The problem with power: if misaimed, there is zilch.
And Karin is hardly a gracious winner.
At least in terms of bowling.
…
"No." Bored, Karin answers the question. "I'm not his girlfriend."
"Yeah, but…"
"He's in love with someone else." She states, waving the question away. "Besides, he's not my type."
"What is your type?"
"Hmm… I don't know." Her brows knit together, and Karin says the first thing that comes to mind. "Ice type? Not sure yet."
…
So she might never develop a soft spot for plushies – it doesn't mean she doesn't have an eye for them.
…
"Karin, you…"
Her heart won't stop beating.
"Yeah?"
This is something she needs to hear from Chad – she won't believe anyone else.
That's right, the rumours got to her.
So she nods, eager to hear the words from his mouth.
"… will never be taller than your sister."
She scowls. Resists kicking him in the shins.
"Thanks Chad."
The truth is stupid.
…
"I think you'd be a good couple, Karin." Midoriko smiles, as she touches the topic once more.
"Meh." Karin shrugs. "Good couple or not, I'd much rather he'd be my friend."
…
She's fifteen and dressed in her uniform.
He's twenty, and addicted to Hawaiian shirts.
Above them, the fireworks explode into a million shards.
Together, they look and grin, knuckle bumping.